Iran’s national soccer team touched down at Los Angeles International Airport on June 14, stepping onto American soil for the FIFA World Cup just as Washington and Tehran announced a peace deal that would have been unthinkable a year ago.
The squad held a press conference in LA ahead of their Group Stage opener against New Zealand, but the soccer was barely the story. The bigger headline: the US and Iran agreed to terms on a deal that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the American naval blockade on Iranian ports. A formal signing ceremony is scheduled for June 19 in Switzerland, with Pakistan serving as mediator.
What the deal actually covers
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most strategically important waterways on the planet. Roughly a fifth of global oil supply passes through it on any given day.
The agreement calls for the immediate reopening of the strait and the removal of the US naval blockade that has restricted Iranian port access.
