A supporter of Iran and a critic of Iran engage in a shouting contest outside a sports park in Carson, California, where Iran’s soccer team is training for the World Cup, on June 14, 2026. (Reuters/Yonhap)
The US and Iran have reached a deal on a memorandum of understanding to end their war 106 days after it began.The two countries were brought to the negotiating table by public opposition to the protracted conflict, the growing economic crisis, and the downsides of a full-scale war. They plan to hold the official signing ceremony in Switzerland on Friday.US President Donald Trump announced that a deal has been reached on his Truth Social media platform on Sunday (Washington time).“The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” Trump said. “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!” he added.Iran has also confirmed the deal.The secretariat of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said in a statement that it had confirmed the draft of the MOU on negotiations to end the war between Iran and the US under the leadership of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and said the document would be signed on June 19.“Under the agreements reached, the war and military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, are ended immediately and permanently,” the statement said, according to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency. “Furthermore, the naval blockade against Iran is terminated immediately and completely.” The fate of the deal remained certain even hours before it was announced. The semi-official Fars News Agency reported that Iran was ready to suspend negotiations and retaliate following Israel’s strikes on southern Beirut on Sunday but that “renewed intervention by US President Donald Trump and concessions offered in exchange for Iran refraining from attacking Israel” prompted them to refrain from attacking. Details about reopening the Strait of Hormuz, one of the main points of the deal, still need to be worked out. Though Trump said that he had authorized the “toll free opening” of the strait, Iran says that it must retain its authority to manage passage through the strait. The two sides similarly remain divided on the issue of Iran’s nuclear program, which will need to be negotiated during 60 days of talks set to take place following the signing of the memorandum. Kazem Gharibabadi, the deputy foreign minister of Iran, said that the next phase of negotiations would begin only after Iranian assets were unfrozen, but the US is of the position that Tehran must live up to its commitments before its assets can be unfrozen. The official signing ceremony is set to be held in Geneva, Switzerland. US Vice President JD Vance told Fox News that while the details of the schedule were still being worked out, he would definitely be attending the ceremony and raised the possibility of Trump also attending. By Kim Won-chul, Washington correspondent; Jung Yu-gyung, staff reporterPlease direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]
