- Trump says US-Iran deal ‘now complete’, lifts naval blockade.
- The signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding is scheduled for June 19 in Switzerland.
- Qatar welcomes agreement, thanks Pakistan for mediation role.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Monday that after intensive talks, a peace agreement has been reached between the US and Iran following sustained diplomatic engagement.
The deal was sealed after an Israeli attack on Lebanon on Sunday drew criticism from both Iran and Trump.
In a post on X, he stated that both sides have agreed to the immediate and permanent suspension of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, with the official signing ceremony scheduled to take place in Switzerland on June 19.
The prime minister expressed appreciation for Qatar’s leadership and acknowledged its role in the mediation efforts that helped facilitate the US-Iran deal.
He also thanked Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, describing their leadership as visionary and highlighting their “enormous contribution” to reaching the agreement.
He added that with the agreement now in place, brokers will facilitate a series of meetings this week, where pre-implementation discussions are expected to lay the groundwork for technical talks and the official signing ceremony.
US-Iran deal ‘now complete’: Trump
“The deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now closed,” US President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform around 5:30 pm ET Washington local time (2130 GMT) on Sunday.
His comments came shortly after Prime Minister Shehbaz, whose country has acted as a mediator, announced that a deal had been reached early Monday local time.
Lebanon has been a sticking point in the talks, with Israel and Hezbollah ignoring calls from Trump and others to end their attacks on each other in recent weeks.
Trump said the Strait of Hormuz, a major shipping route for global energy supplies that Iran has effectively shut down for months, would open on Friday and that he had ordered an end to the US blockade of Iranian ports.
“Ships of the world, start your engines. Let the oil flow!” Trump wrote.
In another post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that the “great deal” with Iran will bring peace and security to the entire region.
He claimed that many previous presidents had tried to achieve peace with Iran but failed, adding that now for the first time regional leaders had found a US president “who can help them achieve real peace”.
Trump also said that with the opening of the Strait of Hormuz after the signing of the agreement on Friday, and demining arrangements in place, oil would flow freely again for the region and the wider world.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, said a more expansive deal would be negotiated during a 60-day ceasefire period, including sanctions.
The fate of Iran’s nuclear program will also be addressed in these later talks, sources previously told Reuters.
Qatar welcomes breakthrough
The Prime Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, welcomes the agreement reached on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the United States and Iran.
In a speech at X, he expressed gratitude to Pakistan, as well as other regional and international parties, for their role in creating conducive conditions that helped facilitate understanding, saying their contributions were instrumental in enabling progress towards the agreement.
He added that Qatar looks forward to all parties engaging in upcoming negotiations in a “positive and constructive spirit” and reaffirmed that Doha will remain a steadfast supporter of efforts aimed at strengthening regional and international security and stability through dialogue and peaceful means.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday welcomed the agreement reached between the United States and Iran to end their war.
“We are clear that the free freedom of navigation must now be restored in the Strait of Hormuz,” he said, adding that “Iran must never have a nuclear weapon.”
Thousands of people have been killed, mostly in Iran and Lebanon, since US and Israeli forces first attacked Iran on February 28.
Iran has hit Israel and Gulf states that host US bases and has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, pushing up global energy prices. US forces have blockaded Iranian ports in response.
Israel has said it was not a party to the planned US-Iran deal.
The Iran war has become a political liability at home for Trump and his Republicans in Congress, with public opinion polls showing Americans are deeply frustrated by rising gas prices ahead of November’s midterm elections, which will decide control of Congress.
— Additional input from Reuters
