US and Iran set to sign deal to end hostilities

The United States and Iran have reached a framework agreement to end more than three months of fighting. An official signing ceremony is planned for Friday in Geneva, Switzerland.

The deal includes an immediate ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important shipping routes for oil and gas.

US president Donald Trump said on Truth Social that ships would once again be able to pass through the strait without restrictions. Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, said the agreement means an immediate end to military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon.

Pakistani mediator: Agreement between US and Iran on text of peace deal

Iran and the United States are reported to have reached an agreement on the text of a peace deal. This was announced by Pakistani prime minister...

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The agreement is only a first step. The two countries will now have 60 days to negotiate a final peace deal.

Several major issues still need to be resolved. These include Iran’s nuclear programme and its stockpile of enriched uranium, which the US and European countries want to limit or remove.

Another key issue is billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets held abroad. European countries have said some sanctions could be lifted if Iran agrees to strict conditions, especially on its nuclear activities.

The deal also depends on calm in Lebanon. Iran has long linked any agreement with the situation involving the Iran-backed group Hezbollah and Israel. It remains unclear whether Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will support the agreement.

^{A destroyed building in Beirut’s southern suburbs © Ibrahim AMRO / AFP}