Trump says Iran deal 'complete,' authorizes toll-free opening of Strait of Hormuz

U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that a peace deal with Iran is complete and ordered the immediate lifting of a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports, a move that could reopen one of the world's most critical oil shipping routes.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has served as a key mediator in the negotiations, also confirmed on social media that a deal had been reached, saying an official signing ceremony would take place in Switzerland on Friday.

"The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all!" Trump said in a post on Truth Social. 

"I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade. Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!"

"Both sides have declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon," Sharif wrote on X the same day. "The official signing ceremony will be on Friday, 19 June in Switzerland. These pre-implementation discussions will lay the foundation for the technical talks and the official signing ceremony."

The deal is understood to be a memorandum of understanding rather than a comprehensive agreement, and one that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and set the stage for 60-day technical talks on Iran's nuclear program. The broader shape of any permanent settlement remains unclear.

The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman, is one of the world's most important chokepoints for oil, fertilizer and other commodities. Roughly 20 percent of global oil trade passes through it. The strait had been effectively closed since a U.S.-Israeli military strike on Iran on Feb. 28, which triggered a crisis that sent oil prices surging and left dozens of vessels stranded in the waterway.

Pakistan is a key mediator in the negotiations of the conflict. Islamabad stepped into the role as it maintains a rare, working relationship with both Washington and Tehran, and also because it has significant economic and security stakes in seeing the war resolved. Pakistan shares a long border with Iran and relies heavily on regional stability for trade and energy. A prolonged conflict risked spilling over into Pakistani territory, disrupting its already fragile economy and threatening its own security environment.

In April, U.S. and Iranian delegations met in Islamabad for direct talks, the highest-level direct engagement between the U.S. and Iran since 1979.  It lasted 21 hours but ended without an agreement. 

On Saturday, Trump had said the deal would be signed Sunday. Still, the ceremony was delayed after Israel launched an air strike targeting Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group based in Lebanon, reigniting tensions at a critical moment in the negotiations.

A senior Trump administration official said in a press call Friday that the nearly finalized deal would lead to the dismantling of Iran's nuclear program, with the United States taking possession of Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium.

Korea is among the countries most exposed to disruptions in the strait, as it relies heavily on Middle East energy imports passing through the waterway. Seoul had been pushing for an early resolution to restore safe passage. Twenty-four Korean vessels remain trapped in the strait.

The conflict began in February, when the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran in an operation the Pentagon codenamed Operation Epic Fury, targeting Iran's offensive missiles, missile production facilities, navy and other security infrastructure, with the stated goal of ensuring Iran never acquires nuclear weapons.

The opening strikes included the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, triggering a torrent of retaliatory missiles and drones from Iran across the region. Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps subsequently declared the Strait of Hormuz closed to foreign shipping, boarding and attacking merchant vessels and laying sea mines in the waterway.

Until the conflict, roughly 25 percent of the world's seaborne oil trade and 20 percent of global liquefied natural gas passed through the strait. Commercial traffic through the strait dropped more than 90 percent after the outbreak of hostilities.

The United States responded with a naval blockade of Iranian ports beginning in mid-April and an aerial campaign targeting Iranian positions along the strait. Trump has since pushed for a negotiated exit from the conflict. 

BY LEE JIAN, YONHAP [[email protected]]