U.S. President Donald Trump attends the mixed martial arts event "UFC Freedom 250" on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on June 14, 2026, while an agreement with Iran was announced. (Credit: Kent Nishimura/AFP)
U.S. and Iranian officials said they had agreed on a framework to end their war, halt the U.S. blockade of Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, in a preliminary deal that sent oil prices falling but leaves the fate of Iran's nuclear program to further negotiations.
"The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete," U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform around 5:30 p.m. ET (9:30 GMT) on Sunday. His post came shortly after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country has served as a mediator, announced a deal had been struck early on Monday local time.
The memorandum of understanding is scheduled to be officially signed on Friday in Switzerland.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance told Fox News he planned to attend the signing of the peace deal, and that it was possible Trump would too.
The precise terms were not immediately made public. Sharif said in a post on X that the pact called for "the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon."
Lebanon has been a sticking point in negotiations, with Israel ignoring calls from Trump and others to stop its attacks in recent weeks. On Sunday, Israel struck Beirut's southern suburbs, killing three and injuring 15 people, a move which Trump said "should not have happened."
In a statement, the secretariat of Iran's Supreme National Security Council said war and military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, would end permanently starting on Monday night.
Iran's deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, said a more expansive agreement would be negotiated during a 60-day cease-fire period, including sanctions relief for Iran.
The fate of Iran's nuclear program, another thorny issue, will also be addressed in those later talks, sources previously told Reuters.
There was no immediate reaction to the announcement from Israel, which has said it was not party to the U.S.-Iran talks.
Hormuz Strait to reopen
Trump said the Strait of Hormuz, a major shipping route for global oil and gas supplies that Iran has effectively shut down for months, would open on Friday, and that he had ordered the end of the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.
"Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!" Trump wrote. Oil prices fell on the news. Brent crude futures fell 4% in early trading on Monday, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate slid more than 4.6%. Stock markets in Asia jumped.
Former Biden administration State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Trump had made important concessions to Iran to achieve the status quo that existed before he launched the war.
"We have no assurances the nuclear program will ever be addressed, but Iran has shown the world it can take the global economy hostage and get something from the U.S. in return," said Miller.
U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran have killed thousands since they triggered the war on Feb. 28. Iran has struck Israel and Gulf states hosting U.S. bases and has effectively blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, pushing up global energy prices. U.S. forces have blocked Iranian ports in response.
The Iran war has become a political liability at home for Trump and his fellow Republicans in Congress, with public opinion polls showing Americans deeply frustrated by rising gas prices ahead of November's midterm elections. But Trump has also faced pressure from members of his own party who insist that Iran's nuclear program must be completely shut down.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a leading Iran hawk, praised the deal but said he would be "watching closely" the coming negotiations on Iran's nuclear program.
"Under our law, any nuclear deal with Iran will be sent to Congress for review and a vote," he said. "Congratulations to all in getting us to this point."
During his first term, Trump withdrew the U.S. from a 2015 multilateral Iran deal, negotiated by Democratic President Barack Obama, that lifted sanctions on Tehran in exchange for limits on its nuclear program, including international inspections.
Iran responded by ramping up its enrichment of uranium, producing more than 400 kilograms of material at close to bomb-grade purity. The eventual fate of that uranium is likely to be a key negotiating point during the upcoming talks.
The Israeli side
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has differed with Trump over American demands that Israel curb its military action in Lebanon to allow the United States to reach a deal with Iran.
Israel has said it will retain freedom of operations in Lebanon, while Iran has made a full cease-fire there an important component of its demands.
Trump updated Netanyahu on the progress toward a peace deal during a phone call on Sunday, Israel's N12 reported, citing a senior official.
In an interview with the New York Times, Trump called Netanyahu "a very difficult guy" and argued the Israeli leader should thank him for saving Israel from a nuclear-armed Iran. Leaders outside the Middle East, who have kept a wary eye on the conflict, welcomed the announcement.
In a joint statement, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy said they were prepared to lift sanctions on Iran in response to "clear, verifiable steps" to limit its nuclear program.
"We are clear that toll-free freedom of navigation must now be restored in the Strait of Hormuz," British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said. "Iran must never have a nuclear weapon."
Before the deal was announced, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that, under the terms of the draft, the United States would agree to release $25 billion of frozen Iranian assets. The Trump administration has previously said any release of Iranian money would only take place once Iran has fulfilled certain conditions under a peace deal.
A U.S. official, also speaking before the announcement, said the agreement would ultimately lead to the dismantling of Iran's nuclear program, with its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to be destroyed and removed. The senior Iranian official said the draft deal would allow Iran, which denies seeking a nuclear bomb, to dilute its enriched uranium inside the country.
