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Key developments
• Diplomatic breakthrough: The US and Iran say they have reached an agreement that will take effect on Friday. President Donald Trump said the US is lifting its naval blockade on Iranian ports, and that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen after the agreement is signed. The full text has not yet been released.
• What comes next: The US and Iran have offered conflicting accounts of the next steps after a signing ceremony on Friday. Iran’s deputy foreign minister said negotiations will begin when the US releases billions in frozen funds, but an American official has rejected the claim.
• Lebanon conflict: Israel has yet to comment on the agreement. Israeli forces launched airstrikes in Beirut earlier Sunday before news of the agreement. Trump criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling him “a very difficult guy.”
• Oil prices down: Brent crude and US crude prices fell on Sunday after the agreement was announced.
Pakistan foreign minister confirms Geneva as venue for agreement signing
Pakistan’s foreign minister has confirmed the Swiss city of Geneva as the venue for the agreement signing on Friday between the United States and Iran.
Ishaq Dar wrote on X: “We look forward to the formal signing ceremony on 19 June in Geneva…”
Describing the development as a “significant breakthrough,” the minister said it “provides much-needed confidence and stability to global markets and the world economy, particularly for developing countries that are most vulnerable to regional instability.”
He thanked Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey as some of the countries that had had provided “support and sincere diplomatic efforts” in ensuring this “important milestone.”
What to know about the US-Iran agreement
The US and Iran on Sunday announced they have reached an agreement aimed at ending hostilities that will take effect on Friday.
The full text has not yet been released and a formal signing ceremony slated to take place in Switzerland on Friday.
Here’s what to know:
- What’s on the agreement: US President Donald Trump said the US is lifting its naval blockade on Iranian ports, and that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen after the agreement is signed on Friday. He also said the agreement will ensure that the Strait of Hormuz is “permanently toll free.”
- Diverging views: The US and Iran have conflicting messages on what comes next after the agreement is signed. Iran’s deputy foreign minister said 60-day nuclear negotiations will begin only once the US releases billions in frozen funds. A US official rejected Iran’s assertions.
- Lebanon conflict: Israel has yet to comment on the agreement. Trump criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling him “a very difficult guy.” Israeli forces launched airstrikes in Beirut earlier on Sunday, before news of the agreement.
- Announcement timing: Trump unveiled the Iran agreement on his 80th birthday in the US, just hours before hosting a White House UFC event celebrating the country’s upcoming 250th anniversary. A US official said that Tehran did not want the announcement to be made before midnight in Iran, which would have fallen on Trump’s birthday.
- Global reactions: Leaders of other nations, including mediators Pakistan and Qatar, have welcomed the US-Iran agreement. Read what they have said here.
- Market movements: Brent crude and US crude prices fell on Sunday after the agreement was announced. In Asia, markets were up on Monday. Both oil prices and global equities have been volatile on news of negotiations.
CNN’s Alejandra Jaramillo, Kevin Liptak, Dalia Abdelwahab, Auzinea Bacon, Stephanie Yang and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed reporting.
Iran says lifting sanctions will be a priority during talks with US after agreement signing
Iran’s deputy foreign minister said Sunday that lifting all sanctions on his country will be a priority during the 60-day negotiations between Tehran and Washington after Friday’s expected signing of an agreement with the United States.
“We have several issues to address. The first is the termination of all sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Kazem Gharibabadi said in an interview with the official Islamic Republic of Iran News Network.
The sanctions relief would also include the “termination of United Nations Security Council resolutions and IAEA Board of Governors resolutions,” he added.
Iran is one of the most heavily sanctioned countries in the world. Even before the war, sanctions, inflation and corruption ravaged Iran’s economy.
Asia markets up on news of US-Iran agreement
Asian equities rose Monday off a potential agreement between the US and Iran aimed at ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
As of 10:15am local time, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index rose 1.2% as China’s Shanghai Composite index increased 1.2%. Japan’s benchmark index Nikkei 225 gained 5.4% to hit a record high, and South Korea’s Kospi climbed 5%.
Meanwhile, the expectation that crude oil could soon flow more freely in the Middle East put pressure on oil prices, with US West Texas Intermediate crude futures down 4.8% and Brent crude, the global benchmark, down 4%.
On Sunday, Trump announced that the US and Iran had come to an agreement that would end the US naval blockade of Iran, though the details were not immediately clear. Iran said the agreement would be signed in Switzerland on Friday.
Both oil prices and global equities have been volatile on news of negotiations between the US and Iran, as both sides have sought to end the conflict that’s disrupted about one-fifth of the world’s crude oil flows.
A global squeeze on energy supplies has threatened economic growth and stability, particularly in Asia, which relies heavily on the Middle East for imports. The blockage of the Strait of Hormuz has also stymied supplies of commodities needed to manufacture tech products and plant crops.
Analysts have said that even if the Strait of Hormuz immediately reopens, it will take months for trade flows to return to the same levels as before the war.
US blockade in Strait of Hormuz expected to lifted Friday when agreement is signed
The US military has received a directive to lift the US blockade in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday pending the agreement with Iran is signed, according to a US official.
President Donald Trump originally announced Sunday that, following an agreement with Tehran, he was authorizing “the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade” of Iran’s ports. He later said on Sunday, “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!”
Trump ordered the blockade in mid-April, around six weeks into the war.
The US official noted that is the current understanding and things could change between now and Friday.
US rejects Iranian claim that money will be released after Friday’s signing
A US official is rejecting Iran’s assertion that it will receive billions of dollars in frozen funds before a planned 60-day negotiating period begins following Friday’s signing of an agreement
“This is completely not true. This is a pay for performance deal and no frozen funds will be released without the Iranians implementing their commitments,” the official told CNN on Sunday.
The pushback came after Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, said the next phase of talks would depend on Washington first fulfilling several obligations, including releasing Iranian funds frozen abroad.
The differing accounts underscore a significant gap between how the United States and Iran are describing what must happen before the next round of negotiations can move forward.
Iran team land in Los Angeles ahead of their World Cup opener
The Iranian soccer team arrived in the United States on Sunday hours before US President Donald Trump’s announcement about an agreement toward peace with Iran.
The squad landed in Los Angeles after flying from Tijuana, Mexico, a day ahead of their World Cup opener against New Zealand on Monday.
It’s the first time in World Cup history that a host nation is at war with one of the participants.
The team’s training camp is based in Mexico and will have to commute to the US for their matches, under current arrangements by US authorities.
The team have had to contend with visa delays, immigration restrictions and travel bans, and Ghalenoei said these logistical challenges had negatively affected the squad, according to Reuters.
Iranian striker Mehdi Taremi said they play for all Iranians, including those living in the country or abroad. “We are trying to bring joy to all Iranians. Through football, we will make the civilized nation of Iran more united,” he said, according to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB.
Some Iranian-Americans earlier told CNN they plan to boycott the tournament, saying that the Islamic Republic’s political grip on the sport runs too deep to ignore.
Others said their heart still remains with the national squad nonetheless.
Read more about how Iranian Americans are facing their most complicated World Cup.
CNN’s Julia Vargas Jones contributed reporting.
World leaders welcome US-Iran agreement
World leaders are welcoming the agreement reached by the United States and Iran that is expected to take effect on Friday.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the agreement is set to be signed by both parties on Friday in Geneva, Switzerland, upon the conclusion of the annual Group of Seven Nations (G7) summit in nearby Évians-les-Bains, France. Iran’s deputy foreign minister has also said further talks will take place in Switzerland after a formal signing ceremony on Friday.
As reported earlier by CNN, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani - who emerged throughout the war as a skilled mediator and diplomat - expressed his hope for all parties to engage “in a positive and constructive spirit that will help consolidate this progress and build upon it”. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the progress an “important step”.
Here are some more reactions from around the world:
- Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres expressed his “deep appreciation” to several mediating nations, including Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, calling the agreement in an X post “a critical step towards the peaceful settlement of the conflict.”
- French President Emmanuel Macron called for a “swift and full implementation” of the memorandum in a post on X, while also notably singling out French support “to the determined efforts of the Lebanese authorities to restore state sovereignty,” as Lebanese involvement in the conflict remains a key sticking point to any ceasefire agreement.
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan welcomed the framework agreement, but emphasized “the importance of refraining from rhetoric, provocations and actions that could escalate tensions, and of remaining vigilant against possible acts of sabotage until the day the signatures are affixed,” according to Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency.
- Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong encouraged all parties “to use this opportunity to pursue a durable and lasting peace through dialogue and diplomacy,” while maintaining that Iran should also seize the opportunity to “address longstanding concerns about its nuclear program and the threat it poses to international security.”
- Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on X she hoped the agreement will ensure “free and safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz” and that “a final agreement on issues such as Iran’s nuclear program will be reached as soon as possible.”
CNN’s Jerome Taylor and Julian Silva-Forbes contributed to this report
Trump says Iran agreement ensures the Strait of Hormuz will be “permanently toll free”
President Donald Trump said Sunday that the agreement he reached with Iran would ultimately ensure that the Strait of Hormuz is “permanently toll free.”
Trump pointed to the reopening of the vital shipping lane as a key achievement of the agreement in a phone interview with The New York Times. Iran, however, had not imposed tolls before the conflict, meaning the arrangement would largely restore conditions that existed before the war.
The president said if Iran failed to come to an adequate agreement about the future of its nuclear program in the coming weeks, he would either restart military attacks or make the US “the guardian of the Middle East” in return for 20% of the region’s revenues.
Trump swipes at Netanyahu, calling him "a very difficult guy"
President Donald Trump took a swipe at Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, saying the Israeli prime minister should be grateful for the administration’s diplomacy.
Trump argued in a phone interview with The New York Times that Israel stands to benefit from the agreement and praised Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin for helping advance the settlement, while criticizing Netanyahu.
“He’s a very difficult guy,” Trump said of Netanyahu. “And to be honest with you, he should be very thankful to us for doing this. Because if Iran had a nuclear weapon, Israel wouldn’t be around for two hours.”
Trump had grown increasingly frustrated with Netanyahu in recent weeks, as the Israeli leader continued attacking Lebanon — strikes that repeatedly put the US-Iran peace talks in jeopardy.
Israel has not yet commented on the agreement.
Tehran did not want agreement announced on Trump's birthday, US official says
One US official said Tehran did not want the announcement of an agreement to come before midnight in Iran, which would have fallen on President Donald Trump’s birthday.
They got their way — at least partially.
The announcement came minutes afterward, putting it on Monday in Iran, but Sunday — Trump’s birthday — in the US.
Israeli attack in Lebanon set off furious effort to preserve agreement
American officials were concerned the prospective agreement with Iran was on the brink of collapse earlier Sunday after Israel targeted Hezbollah in Beirut’s southern suburbs, leading to hurried attempts behind the scenes to preserve the agreement and secure official blessing from Tehran, according to people familiar with the matter.
Going back and forth with Qatari officials, who had been in Tehran to try to get the agreement completed, US officials sought to prevent further retaliation. American officials believed Iran was preparing for strikes in Israel in the hours before the announcement, and worked to head off an attack by engaging in last minute discussions about certain wording in the agreement, the people familiar with the matter said.
“After the Israelis struck Beirut, we were very worried,” Vice President JD Vance told Fox News on Sunday. “And we saw a lot of evidence that the Iranians were going to launch a large number of missiles at the Israelis. With our communication with them over the course of getting to this signed peace deal, they assured us that they were not going to respond to the Israelis, and they were going to sign this agreement and get to peace.”
It wasn’t immediately clear what, if any, changes were made to the plan in the final minutes before Pakistan’s prime minister announced it was completed. But officials said the Israeli attack in Lebanon helped propel the final negotiations.
President Donald Trump was enraged by the Israeli strikes, and conveyed his fury using expletives in a call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a US official said.
Graham "somewhat concerned" that the US and Iran have divergent views on agreement
Senator Lindsey Graham said Sunday that he was “somewhat concerned that Iran’s view of the agreement seems different than what the American negotiating team is claiming,” even as he welcomed news that the two sides had reached at least a broad strokes bargain to end the war.
The post from the South Carolina Republican, who is close with Trump, came soon after the US president announced an agreement with Iran, and Vice President JD Vance appeared on Fox News touting its provisions. Hours later, no text of the deal had been released, and Trump adjusted an earlier statement of when it would take effect.
Trump initially announced that he would “fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade.” But after Iranian officials signaled the agreement would take effect Friday, Trump said on Truth Social that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen that same day, Friday, after the agreement was formally signed.
“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!” Trump wrote.
Graham also noted that any final nuclear agreement with Iran would be subject to congressional review, saying he expects Vance and the administration’s negotiating team to help present the final product to lawmakers.
“Congratulations to all in getting us to this point,” Graham wrote. “Time will tell.”
Iran says 60-day nuclear talks will start once US releases billions in frozen funds
Iran’s deputy foreign minister said Sunday that the 60-day negotiations between Tehran and Washington after Friday’s signing of the memorandum of understanding will hinge on the US meeting three commitments, especially release of billions of dollars in frozen Iranian funds.
Those commitments include “lifting and ending the naval blockade,” “ending the state of war and military operations” and “releasing Iran’s frozen funds,” Kazem Gharibabadi said, according to remarks reported by Iranian official media.
“Entry into the 60-day negotiations is conditional on US implementation of its commitments,” Gharibabadi said, adding that once Iran verifies those steps — particularly the financial commitments — technical working-group negotiations would begin immediately.
He added that some arrangements were discussed “last night,” but that further talks in Switzerland after the formal signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding would address the structure of the negotiations, the creation of working groups and other necessary agreements.
Qatari mediators leave Tehran after 17 hours of negotiations
Qatari mediators have left Tehran after 17 hours of intensive negotiations, a diplomat with knowledge of the situation told CNN.
According to the source, separate preparatory meetings with each side will now take place in Doha this week, ahead of the official signing in Switzerland on Friday and the start of the technical talks.
Trump's big day: Iran agreement, 80th birthday and White House UFC fight
It’s a big Sunday for President Donald Trump: He announced an agreement with Iran just hours before he hosts a major sporting spectacle at the White House — on his 80th birthday.
Trump unveiled the Iran news ahead of a UFC event celebrating the country’s upcoming 250th anniversary.
UFC Freedom 250 festivities are already underway at the White House Ellipse, with fights set to begin on the South Lawn around 8 p.m. ET.
Trump isn’t set to give remarks at the event, after which he will head to France for the annual meeting of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations.
Follow live updates leading up to the UFC fight here.
France, Germany, Italy and UK leaders call for "urgent reopening" of Strait of Hormuz
The leaders of France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom called for “the urgent reopening of the Strait of Hormuz with unconditional and unrestricted freedom of navigation” in a joint statement that “warmly” welcomed the announcement of an agreement on the Iran war.
“We are committed to playing our part to achieve this — in accordance with our respective constitutional requirements — including through a strictly defensive and independent mission to reassure commercial shipping and conduct mine clearance operations,” they said.
The leaders said they “are prepared to lift relevant sanctions in response to clear, verifiable steps by Iran on its nuclear programme.” They stressed their readiness to work with the US, Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency to ensure Tehran never acquires a nuclear weapon.
US President Donald Trump had lambasted European nations at the start of the war for what he said was a lack of support for the United States.
A number of European nations have committed to a UK and French-led defensive mission to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, but their leaders have made clear that the mission would not proceed while the war was ongoing.
UK's Starmer says agreement is "important step" toward ending war
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he “warmly welcomes” the announced agreement between the US and Iran, calling it a “hugely important step forward in ending the war, ensuring regional stability and re-opening the Strait of Hormuz.”
“We stand ready to support the technical talks that will now begin,” Starmer added in his statement, which he published on social media on Sunday. “Our priority is that this becomes a durable and lasting peace, and we will work with international partners to support that.”
The prime minister said it “remains the UK’s firm and longstanding position that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon.”
Will Trump's deal be better than Obama's? It's still too soon to say
President Donald Trump has previously made a few main guarantees about a deal to end the war he started with Iran:
- It will ensure that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon
- Trump’s deal will be better than President Barack Obama’s
Trump addressed that second point in a post on his social media platform Sunday.
It is impossible to make a direct comparison at this moment since the Trump memo announced Sunday is not a long-term nuclear deal, but rather an agreement to halt the war.
Under Obama, the US was part of an international coalition that reached an agreement with Iran to limit its nuclear program. International monitors verified that Iran was complying, and Iran was able to tap its oil wealth.
Trump tore that deal up during his first term. Iran subsequently also withdrew from the agreement, then kickstarted its enrichment of uranium.
Trump’s apparent new agreement is very different. This one would stop hostilities between the countries and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The US will reportedly stop its blockade of Iranian ports and Iran will allow shipping traffic through the strait.
A longer-term deal to contain Iran’s nuclear ambitions will likely still have to be negotiated.
Trump has frequently complained that Obama’s deal included the transport of cash from the US to Iran. That was actually the settlement of a long-term dispute over arms Iran bought from the US before the Islamic revolution.
It remains to be seen what financial elements are included in Trump’s agreement.
