Trump, Iran Sign Initial Deal To End War, Reopen Strait Of Hormuz

The United States and Iran announced an initial agreement intended to end more than three months of war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with a formal signing scheduled for Friday in Switzerland, as President Donald Trump said, "Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!"

“The United States and Iran are to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU), ending weeks of war and starting 60 days of negotiations, in the Swiss city of Geneva on Friday”

Al Jazeera

The deal’s immediate focus, as described by the Wall Street Journal and Reuters, includes allowing Iran to immediately start selling oil and fuel again, with the Wall Street Journal reporting that the provision would let Iran use banking, transportation, and insurance services to facilitate sales.

Al Jazeera

In parallel, the conflict in Lebanon remained entangled with the U.S.-Iran framework, with Iran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi saying Israel’s continued occupation of southern Lebanon would violate the deal, while Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel would remain in Lebanon "as long as necessary."

Reuters and other outlets also tied the agreement to ongoing military dynamics, including Iran’s top joint military command warning Israel over attacks on southern Lebanon and the IDF continuing strikes in Lebanon, as the region watched whether the ceasefire would hold.

On Capitol Hill, lawmakers pressed for transparency and review, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer telling reporters, "Americans need to know what Trump has promised to Iran and what the United States will get out of it," as the text of the memorandum of understanding had not been released.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he had not been briefed, while President Trump signaled he could send the memorandum of understanding to Congress for review, saying, "What I would like to do is send it to Congress and say 'you shouldn't approve it.'"

Atlantic Council

Iran’s position on Lebanon and the deal’s enforcement remained a live point of contention, with Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi saying any Israeli forces remaining in southern Lebanon, or any Israeli strikes on the country, would constitute a violation of the U.S.-Iran deal.

At the same time, Reuters reported that Hezbollah said it believes Iran will not sign a final nuclear agreement with Washington unless Israel withdraws from Lebanon, and Fox News relayed Iran’s military warning that Israel should expect a strong response if it does not stop its attacks in southern Lebanon.

The agreement’s next phase centered on nuclear negotiations and the mechanics of reopening, with the NPR describing that the memorandum of understanding extends the current U.S.-Iran ceasefire for 60 days and that the fate of Iran’s nuclear program remains unresolved for now.

“What to know about the Iran war today: - President Trump Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of Israel's "minor war" against Hezbollah in Lebanon on Tuesday, voicing frustration that the parallel conflict was complicating his efforts to end the war with Iran”

CBS News

The Council on Foreign Relations framed the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz as a key watch item, noting that the strait remained closed after the countries announced their MOU and that Trump told the New York Times the waterway would be "permanently toll-free" once it reopens after the Friday signing in Geneva.

The Guardian’s live coverage also underscored the broader regional stakes, including Reuters’ figures for Lebanon’s toll and the scale of damage and displacement, while the conflict’s continuation in Lebanon remained tied to whether the U.S.-Iran deal could stabilize Israel-Hezbollah fighting.

As the signing approached, multiple outlets emphasized that the deal’s terms were not fully public and that conflicting interpretations persisted, with the PBS account noting that officials had sometimes offered contradictory interpretations of what is in it and that Israel was not directly involved in the negotiations with Iran.