US and Iran Reach Peace Deal, Reopening Strait of Hormuz

The Peace Deal

A peace deal between the US and Iran has been reached following nearly four months of fighting in the region, with Donald Trump and senior Iranian officials confirming the agreement.

Iranian deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi confirmed the agreement in televised comments, saying it puts an “immediate end” to the countries’ war, and that it included Lebanon.

The Terms of the Deal

The precise terms of the deal were not immediately known, however, in a statement posted to Truth Social Sunday evening, the US president announced the opening of the Strait of Hormuz as well as the removal of the US naval blockade.

“Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!”, said Trump in the celebratory post.

The Impact on the Region

The agreement was struck despite an Israeli strike on Lebanon on Sunday that drew criticism from both Iran and US President Donald Trump.

Regional officials said Qatari mediators had travelled to Tehran on Sunday to finalise terms of a memorandum of understanding.

The Future Outlook

Observers have expressed scepticism that complex negotiations could be successfully concluded in less than two months, pointing out that the 2015 US-Iran deal that restricted Tehran’s nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief took almost 10 times longer and the negotiations were conducted by large teams of technical experts.

“I doubt we are going to see all this hammered out in 60 days,” said Alia Brahimi, of the Washington-based Atlantic Council.