United States And Iran Sign Framework Deal To End War, Reopen Strait Of Hormuz

The United States and Iran signed a framework agreement to end their monthslong war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but the specific terms of the deal were not released, leaving confusion on Monday about what negotiators had agreed to.

The New York Times reported that “the specific terms of the deal have not been released,” while the BBC said the memorandum of understanding was “about a page and a half” and “a very general” document.

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President Donald Trump celebrated the agreement by posting on social media, writing “Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!” as the deal was expected to be formally signed on Friday in Geneva.

The BBC reported that Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi confirmed a new round of negotiations on reaching a final peace deal with the US would begin in Switzerland on the same day as the signing.

The New York Times also said the agreement’s immediate scope focused on ending military strikes and allowing traffic to resume through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping lane.

Israel’s position on the deal remained a central point of contention, with the BBC reporting that Netanyahu said Israel would remain in Lebanon “as long as necessary,” and with PBS reporting that Iran’s top diplomat said the deal would require Israel to withdraw from Lebanon.

The New York Times said Netanyahu appeared to distance himself from the deal, quoting him: “That’s his decision,” referring to Trump, and it added that Netanyahu declared, “The struggle has not ended.”

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PBS quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying, “Without the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territories they occupied during this war, the war has not fully come to an end,” while a U.S. official told PBS that the deal did not call for an Israeli withdrawal.

The BBC also reported that Trump told reporters Tuesday he was “not happy with the way Israel has handled themselves with Lebanon and with Hezbollah,” as the deal’s durability faced pressure from the Lebanon front.

PBS said Israel is not party to the agreement even though it joined the U.S. in launching strikes on Iran on Feb. 28 and has fought the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon.

Beyond the Strait of Hormuz, the next phase of negotiations centered on Iran’s nuclear program and sanctions, with the BBC saying technical talks on Iran’s nuclear programme were expected to begin this week and with the New York Times reporting that Abbas Araghchi said talks would grapple with easing American economic sanctions and limiting Tehran’s nuclear program.

The BBC quoted JD Vance saying nuclear inspectors would “absolutely” be allowed back into Iran as part of the deal, while the New York Times said Araghchi warned negotiations would be made more difficult by “a history of broken promises.”

The Guardian described the agreement as not ending the war, saying it was “essentially a 60-day extension of a ceasefire,” and it added that the deal deferred the most difficult questions to future negotiations.

PBS reported that Switzerland’s foreign ministry said the signing ceremony would take place Friday at the Bürgenstock resort near the city of Luzern, with the location proposed by Pakistani and Qatari mediators along with the U.S. and Iran.

Crucially for the stakes described across the sources, the BBC said the Strait of Hormuz was expected to reopen on Friday, while the New York Times said the agreement did not fulfill Trump’s objectives of destroying Iran’s military capabilities, abolishing its nuclear ambitions, and toppling theocratic leadership.