• Trump says US-Iran deal “now complete”, lifts naval blockade.
• MoU signing ceremony scheduled for June 19 in Switzerland.
• Qatar welcomes agreement, thanks Pakistan for mediation role.
  

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Monday that following intensive talks, a peace deal between the United States and Iran has been reached after sustained diplomatic engagement.

The agreement was sealed following an Israeli strike on Lebanon on Sunday that drew criticism from both Iran and Trump.

In a post on X, he stated that both sides have agreed to the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, with the official signing ceremony scheduled to take place in Switzerland on June 19.

The premier expressed appreciation for the Qatari leadership, acknowledging its role in mediation efforts that helped facilitate the agreement between the US and Iran.

He also thanked Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, describing their leadership as visionary and highlighting their “immense contributions” in reaching the deal.

He added that with the agreement now in place, mediators will facilitate a series of meetings this week, with pre-implementation discussions expected to lay the groundwork for technical talks and the official signing ceremony.

US-Iran deal ‘now complete’: Trump

“The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” US President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform around 5:30pm ET local time in Washington (2130 GMT) on Sunday.

His post came shortly after PM Shehbaz, whose country has served as a mediator, announced a deal had been struck early on Monday local time.

Lebanon has been a sticking point in negotiations, with Israel and Hezbollah ignoring calls from Trump and others to stop their attacks on each other in recent weeks.

Trump said the Strait of Hormuz, a major shipping lane for global energy supplies that Iran has effectively shut down for months, would open on Friday, and that he had ordered the end of the US blockade of Iranian ports.

“Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!” Trump wrote.

In another post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that the “great deal” with Iran will bring peace and security to the entire region.

He claimed that many previous presidents had attempted to achieve peace with Iran but failed, adding that regional leaders had now, for the first time, found a US president “who can help them achieve real peace”.

Trump also said that with the opening of the Strait of Hormuz upon signing of the agreement on Friday, and mine removal arrangements in place, oil would flow freely again for the region and the wider world.

Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, said a more expansive agreement would be negotiated during a 60-day ceasefire period, including sanctions relief.

The fate of Iran’s nuclear programme will also be addressed in those later talks, sources previously told Reuters.

Qatar welcomes breakthrough

Qatari PM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has welcomed the agreement reached on the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the US and Iran.

In a post on X, he expressed gratitude to Pakistan, as well as other regional and international parties, for their role in creating conducive conditions that helped facilitate the understanding, saying their contributions were instrumental in enabling progress toward the agreement.

He added that Qatar looks forward to all parties engaging in forthcoming negotiations in a “positive and constructive spirit”, and reaffirmed that Doha will remain a steadfast supporter of efforts aimed at strengthening regional and international security and stability through dialogue and peaceful means.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday welcomed the agreement reached between the United States and Iran to end their war.

“We are clear that toll-free freedom of navigation must now be restored in the Strait of Hormuz,” he said, adding that “Iran must never have a nuclear weapon.”

Thousands of people have been killed, mostly in Iran and Lebanon, since US and Israeli forces first attacked Iran on February 28.

Iran has struck Israel and Gulf states hosting US bases and has effectively blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, pushing up global energy prices. US forces have blocked Iranian ports in response.

Israel has said it was not a party to the planned US-Iran deal.

The Iran war has become a political liability at home for Trump and his fellow Republicans in Congress, with public opinion polls showing Americans deeply frustrated by rising gas prices ahead of November’s midterm elections in which control of Congress will be decided.

— Additional input from Reuters