U.S.–Iran Conflict Nears Pause as Strait of Hormuz Set to Reopen Under New Deal
U.S. President Donald Trump announced that a preliminary peace agreement to end the war with Iran has been signed electronically, with full details expected to be published shortly after a formal signing ceremony in Geneva this Friday. The Pakistan- and Qatar-mediated deal establishes a 60-day ceasefire extension to negotiate a permanent pact and includes the immediate end of military operations across all fronts, including Lebanon. Crucially, senior officials stated that the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane will reopen on Friday, allowing oil tankers to move. While the deal mandates that Iran must never acquire nuclear weapons, any Western sanctions relief or unfreezing of assets remains strictly conditional on verified compliance. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized that Israeli forces will remain in regional security zones as long as necessary and will retain the right to self-defense—a position tested on Monday by reports of a deadly Israeli strike in southern Lebanon and subsequent retaliatory missile fire from Hezbollah.








