Trump: US-Iran deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz by Friday

\US President Donald Trump said Monday (Jun 15) that ships were again sailing through the Strait of Hormuz and the key oil conduit would be “completely open” by Friday after Washington and Tehran reached a deal to end the Middle East war.

The restoration of one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints would be a huge step towards ending months of deadly conflict and economic instability ignited by US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February.And ships are starting to go, a lot of ships with Oil, out of the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump said, later adding that he did not “think we will need much help” keeping the waterway open.

Iranian television said on Monday evening that three oil tankers and two cargo ships carrying products had crossed through the area which had been under a US naval blockade.

Iran had blockaded the strait since the start of the war, sending oil prices skyrocketing and stoking fears of a sustained inflation shock. The US then prevented transport in and out of Iranian ports.

The peace accord was to be signed Friday in Switzerland, the US, Iran and mediator Pakistan announced.

But a senior US administration official said Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf had already electronically signed the text.“The president wanted to sign it personally because he wanted to show his … commitment to bring this through to a successful resolution,” the official said.

Asked at the G7 in France when the text will be disclosed, Trump said: “It’s a very powerful document, and I want it to be publicised. So, probably quite soon.

The pact brought a “immediate end” to the war, with talks on a “final agreement” to be reached within two months, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said.

His country’s military praised the pact as a victory that had “humiliated” the US and Israel, and President Masoud Pezeshkian termed it “a great achievement” for the region.

But Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi took a more cautious line.We have a history of not keeping our promises,” he said. “We have a history of agreements being ripped up. It’s all in our heads.

LEBANON ASKS

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Washington should ensure Israel ceases fighting in Lebanon under the accord.

Early March saw Lebanon drawn into the war after Iran-backed Hezbollah fired missiles into Israel following the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, triggering Israeli raids and a ground invasion.The US should live up to its pledges. Baqaei remarked that “it must make the Zionist regime respect its own in terms of Lebanon.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces would stay in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza “as long as necessary.”

He said the conflict with Iran had saved Israel from the prospect of “nuclear annihilation” by the Islamic republic. Israeli figures across the political spectrum denounced the pact.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said he believed the accord would be a “positive step towards reducing tensions” in a chat with Araghchi.

Lebanese state media later claimed the first death strike since the announcement stating the Israeli airstrike in the south killed one person.

Hezbollah, which hailed Iran for demanding Lebanon be included in the pact, said it had pushed back an Israeli force aiming to “advance” into southern Lebanon.

VAGUE TERMS

Weeks of difficult discussions and fears of renewed hostilities preceded the pact, but important elements remain unclear.

Washington had “pledged” to release frozen Iranian funds overseas and to pay Tehran damages for the conflict, Baqaei claimed.

Iran’s Mehr news agency stated the US would release $12 billion in frozen assets before negotiations.

Tehran would seek the UN Security Council’s ratification after negotiations on a final accord on its nuclear programme, Baqaie said.

That might be controversial, with Washington pushing to terminate Iran’s nuclear ambitions and its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which is alleged to have been buried by US strikes last year.

Trump told The New York Times that the US was still discussing whether Iran would agree to cease enrichment for 20 years, suggesting he could be willing to settle for 15.

Baqaei said the costs Iran would levy on ships using the Hormuz passage would be for maritime services, not tolls.

Traders wagering the reopening of a route that normally delivers around 20 per cent of the world’s crude will ease strain on energy supply pushed oil prices significantly lower and buoyed global markets.

Oil prices tumbled over 5 percent toward $80 a barrel after surging above $110 soon after the battle began. The Dow established a fresh record, and the Nasdaq soared more than 3 percent.

In Tehran, English instructor Arya, 38, claimed “our people will not return to normal.“They realised Trump wasn’t on their side,” he continued.