Trump announces peace deal with Iran, Strait of Hormuz to reopen

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, June 14 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that the United States and Iran have reached a peace deal to end their monthslong war, noting that the crucial Strait of Hormuz will reopen once they sign the deal later this week.

Trump announced the deal on social media, capping grueling negotiations to end the hostilities that started with the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran on Feb. 28, as Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a key mediator, said that the official signing ceremony for the deal will take place in Switzerland on Friday.

"The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.

"I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade. Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!"

In a separate post, Trump cast the deal as a "great" one that will bring peace to the "whole" Middle East region.

"Many presidents have tried to make Peace with Iran, and all have failed before me. The Leaders of the Region have, for the first time, found a President who can help them achieve real Peace," he said.

"With the opening of the Strait upon the signing of the Deal on Friday, for purposes of mine removal, oil will flow on both ends again for the Region, and the World!"

He did not divulge further details of the deal. With the help of intermediary countries, including Pakistan and Qatar, the U.S. and Iran have been working on a memorandum of understanding that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and pave the way for 60-day technical discussions on Iran's nuclear program.

South Korea and other countries have been closely watching the developments in the peace negotiations, as it all but closed the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for oil, fertilizer and other commodities, and pushed up oil prices.

Trump's announcement on the deal coincided with the celebration of his 80th birthday.

On Saturday, Trump said that the deal was scheduled to be signed Sunday. But the signing did not take place as tensions flared anew due to Israel's air strike targeting the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon.

In an X post, the Pakistani prime minister also announced that Washington and Tehran reached the peace deal.

"Both sides have declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon," he wrote. "The official signing ceremony will be on Friday, 19 June in Switzerland."

Sharif added that mediators will facilitate a series of meetings between the U.S. and Iran this week.

"These pre-implementation discussions will lay the foundation for the technical talks and the official signing ceremony," he said.

In a press call Friday, a senior Trump administration official explained the nearly finalized text of the peace deal, saying it leads to the dismantling of Iran's nuclear program and the U.S.' taking of Iran's enriched uranium.

The Trump administration began its military campaign, called "Operation Epic Fury," in late February, aiming to destroy Iran's missile capabilities, defense industrial base, navy and air force, and deny the regime any pathway to develop nuclear weapons.

Trump has sought an early exit from the increasingly unpopular war with Iran that has led to a sharp increase in energy prices and fanned fears of higher inflation -- key issues that could affect voter sentiment ahead of the U.S. midterm elections slated for November.

South Korea and other nations, which rely on the Strait of Hormuz for energy imports, had hoped for an early peace settlement between the U.S. and Iran that would restore safe passage through the waterway. Two dozen South Korean vessels still remain trapped in the strait.