U.S. forces patrol the Arabian Sea near M/V Touska, April 20, 2026, after the Iranian-flagged vessel attempted to violate the U.S. naval blockade. (U.S. Navy)
The U.S. and Iran agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and talk further about the future of Tehran’s nuclear program, a breakthrough that comes after months of fighting that destabilized the Middle East and disrupted global markets.
Both countries announced the deal, which is set to be signed Friday in Geneva. It includes a 60-day ceasefire and the lifting of the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports, officials said.
The agreement is aimed at ending a conflict that killed 13 U.S. service members and brought missile and drone attacks to U.S. bases, energy facilities and other critical infrastructure across the Persian Gulf.
President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post that the strait would be reopened by Friday to allow for the clearing of mines. The waterway is a crucial sea lane for global petroleum transport.
“The deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all!” he said. “Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!”
The war prompted one of the largest U.S. military buildups in the Middle East in years. It’s unclear what comes next regarding the Pentagon’s presence in the region.
Various American bases sustained extensive damage from Iranian drones and missiles over the course of nearly four months.
Iranian state media reported that the memorandum of understanding was reached Sunday evening following “difficult and intensive negotiations.”
The text of the reported deal has not been released. In recent months, Trump has repeatedly expressed optimism that an agreement was close, only for hostilities to resume.
But reports suggest that the deal will leave several major issues unresolved, including the future of Iran’s nuclear program and the lifting of U.S. sanctions.
Under the agreement, the two countries will have 60 days to negotiate a final resolution on nuclear issues. Trump told The New York Times that he would be willing to restart military attacks if the talks fail.
Trump has insisted that Iran must never be able to obtain a nuclear weapon. At various points throughout the war, he has suggested the U.S. could retrieve the “nuclear dust” left behind after last year’s bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities.
Trump said he was in no rush to remove the fuel from the underground sites, saying the U.S. would over time help Iran to “down-blend” the enriched material, the newspaper reported.
Because the agreement leaves key questions about Iran’s nuclear program unresolved, some U.S. lawmakers expressed skepticism.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a close Trump ally, said he was “somewhat concerned” that Iran’s interpretation of the agreement appeared to differ from that of U.S. negotiators.
“I will be watching closely the ensuing negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear program and other matters,” Graham said on X, noting that “under our law, any nuclear deal with Iran will be sent to Congress for review and a vote.”
Under the previous Iran nuclear deal signed by former President Barack Obama, Tehran committed to limiting its uranium enrichment levels and capping its stockpiles in exchange for the lifting of U.S. sanctions.
After Trump withdrew from the agreement in 2018 and reimposed economic sanctions, Iran began increasing its uranium enrichment.
According to Iranian state media, the agreement stipulates that all war and military operations are set to cease immediately.
Despite the unanswered questions, news of the deal was welcomed by world leaders, who are eager to see traffic in the Strait of Hormuz return to prewar levels.
France and the United Kingdom stand ready to support an operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, French President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement.
“The resources are in place and ready to be deployed,” Macron said. “The resumption of maritime traffic, without restriction or toll, is an indispensable condition for regional stability and the global economy.”
Britain, France, Germany and Italy also said they are prepared to ease sanctions on Iran if progress is made in negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear activities.
In a joint statement, the four countries said they will work with the United States, Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency to ensure that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon.
The deal emerged only after several near-breakdowns in the negotiations.
The war seemed set to resume less than a week ago, when an Iranian drone downed a U.S. Army Apache helicopter off the coast of Oman, setting off a volley of fire that lasted several days.
Trump said Thursday that he was prepared to hit Iran “VERY HARD,” and seize its oil industry, but he called off the strikes at the last minute in anticipation of a final deal.
The war began Feb. 28 with combined strikes by the U.S. and Israel that killed a number of top members of Iran’s government, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Fighting between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel also threatened to derail the agreement in the final hours. The Lebanon-based militant group fired into northern Israel late Saturday, prompting Israeli strikes on Beirut.
In a social media post, Trump said that Hezbollah’s attack was “very small and meaningless” and that Israel’s retaliatory strikes “should not have happened, particularly on a special day when we are so close to a Peace Deal with Iran.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had not commented on the deal as of Monday morning.
But last week, Netanyahu’s office said he welcomed Trump’s commitment to pursue a final agreement that would dismantle key elements of Iran’s nuclear program and curb Tehran’s support for regional proxy groups.
