Antonio Guterres Congratulates United States And Iran On Peace Deal, Reopening Strait Of Hormuz

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres congratulated the United States and Iran for reaching a peace agreement that provides for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, shortly after US President Donald Trump announced the deal on Sunday.

Guterres said in a statement on X, "I warmly congratulate the US & Iran for having reached a peace deal that provides for an immediate & permanent ceasefire, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz," and he thanked Pakistan, Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and other countries for their efforts.

Al Jazeera

The agreement also set a framework for further negotiations, with Al Jazeera reporting that Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, said a broader deal covering sanctions relief would be worked out during a 60-day ceasefire.

In parallel, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that senior US administration officials said the United States and Iran electronically signed a framework deal on June 15, with the deal expected to be formally signed in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 19.

The same Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty report said the framework deal gives Washington and Tehran 60 days to negotiate a permanent settlement, including disputes over Iran's enriched uranium stockpile.

European leaders publicly endorsed the announced US-Iran agreement, with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer telling reporters, "I warmly welcome today's agreement reached between the United States and Iran," and saying it was a hugely important step forward in ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Starmer also said the UK's priority is for the agreement to turn into a "durable and lasting peace," while French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron called for rapid and complete implementation by all belligerents and said he welcomed the agreement as the result of a diplomatic effort with partners contributing.

Al Jazeera

The Al Jazeera report said Trump announced on Truth Social, "The deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete," and it quoted Israel Defence Minister Israel Katz warning that Israel won’t withdraw from land it occupies in Lebanon.

Katz also warned Israel will strike Iran with "great force" if it attacks Israel over its strikes in Lebanon, while Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich condemned the agreement as "bad for Israel and for the entire free world."

Meanwhile, the UN News report said Guterres hoped the parties would build on the momentum and "redouble their efforts" toward a final resolution, and it reaffirmed that the United Nations stands ready to support efforts toward a "durable and comprehensive peace."

The agreement’s immediate operational focus is the Strait of Hormuz, but Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that ambiguity persists over whether passage will be toll-free, with US Vice President JD Vance saying, "Our expectation is that the strait is going to be opened in a toll-free way for the long-term."

RFE/RL also quoted Esmail Baqaei, spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, saying at a press conference that "for a specific period of time, we are going to arrange safe traffic in the Strait of Hormuz" and that Iran would design and collect fees for services it provides.

Al Jazeera reported that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the accord is due to be signed on Friday in Switzerland, and it described the framework as a major breakthrough after months of fighting that it said had killed thousands and sent global energy prices soaring.

The Jerusalem Post | Israeli reported that EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the EU will weigh how it can be involved in the next phase, and it quoted EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen saying the priority is swift and full implementation by all parties.

At the same time, the UN News report said the conflict began in late February with US and Israeli strikes across Iran and that the fighting led to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane through which about 20 per cent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes.