Here's the latest
• Diplomatic breakthrough: The US and Iran say they have reached an agreement that will end a US blockade of Iranian ports and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. While Vice President JD Vance said the agreement was signed electronically over the weekend, no text has been released and both sides have offered conflicting accounts of what will follow a signing ceremony on Friday.
• Israeli reaction: Israel’s defense minister said its forces are not withdrawing from southern Lebanon, even though Iran has said the agreement includes an end to the conflict there. President Donald Trump was enraged with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for striking Beirut hours before the agreement was announced, a source said.
• Next steps: Trump has arrived in Europe ahead of the G7 summit, where the agreement — which has drawn global reaction — will be in the spotlight. Oil prices have fallen to their lowest levels in nearly three months, but recovery from the war’s economic impact could take months.
Vance says comparisons to Obama-era Iran deal are misplaced
Vice President JD Vance sought to draw a distinction between the Iran agreement reached by President Donald Trump and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action struck in 2015 during President Barack Obama’s administration.
He said in some ways the comparisons were misplaced since Trump entered discussions with Tehran having already bombed key Iranian nuclear sites last year.
“We have comprehensively destroyed their nuclear program, and this agreement is about ensuring that they don’t rebuild it,” he said on CBS News. “The JCPOA was fundamentally about bribing them to stop the construction or to cease a nuclear program that was already in progress. It’s a very different background, a very different sort of leverage and I think really a different outcome for the American people.”
The general outline of the JCPOA, which had international support but was controversial in the US when it was reached, was that Iran would limit its nuclear ambitions, cap its uranium enrichment and allow international inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to inspect its sites in exchange for the lifting of some sanctions on its oil wealth and unfreezing billions in frozen Iranian assets.
Trump is now in Europe for G7 summit after announcing Iran agreement. Here's the latest
US President Donald Trump has arrived in Europe ahead of the G7 summit, which is taking place in France. His visit comes after he announced yesterday that the US and Iran had come to an agreement aimed at ending hostilities.
If you’re just joining us, here’s the latest:
- US Vice President JD Vance said the agreement with Iran had been signed electronically over the weekend, suggesting its terms are now in place and that Iran is not receiving any new financial relief.
- Vance said the Trump administration’s goal is to release the exact text of the agreement with Iran sometime in the coming days.
- The vice president also said that the permanent toll-free reopening of the Strait of Hormuz will be discussed in continued “technical negotiations,” indicating that the issue is not yet ironed out.
- For its part, Iran intends to collect “fees” for maritime services offered in the waterway once it is opened, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said, noting that the country is “not seeking to collect transit tolls.”
- Meanwhile, Trump said today that ships are beginning to move freely out of the Strait of Hormuz, despite previously saying that the strait would reopen on Friday.
- Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah has said it welcomes the US-Iran agreement, but warned that the group will “not accept” any further attacks that “violate national sovereignty.”
CNN’s Kevin Liptak, Kit Maher, Nadeen Ebrahim and Aida Karimi contributed to this reporting.
Trump arrives in Europe for G7 summit
President Donald Trump has landed in Geneva ahead of this week’s Group of 7 summit, where his new agreement with Iran will be front and center.
Trump flew overnight from Washington, departing in the wee hours following the UFC fight on the South Lawn.
From Geneva’s airport, he will head to Évian-les-Bains, France, the Alpine resort where this year’s summit is convening.
Later today, he’ll meet one-on-one with the G7 host, French President Emmanuel Macron, with whom he’s had a tumultuous relationship over the past decade.
Hezbollah congratulates Iran on US agreement, warns against further attacks
Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah said it welcomes the US-Iran agreement, but warned that the group will “not accept” any further attacks that “violate national sovereignty.”
In a written statement, Hezbollah congratulated Iran on its “great achievement,” and expressed “deep gratitude” to the Islamic Republic for insisting that any agreement include a ceasefire in Lebanon.”
“Iran once again confirms that it is truly a great ally and a strong supporter.”
Iran and mediator Pakistan have said the agreement, expected to be signed on Friday will bring an immediate end to fighting on all fronts, including in Lebanon. Israeli forces have been fighting Hezbollah in Lebanon, and earlier on Sunday before the agreement was announced, it attacked the capital Beirut.
The Iran-backed militant group also warned that it “will not accept any aggression that violates our national sovereignty and the blood of our people.” It vowed to uphold its right to defend its land “until the complete withdrawal (of Israeli troops) and the return of prisoners are achieved.”
If the Strait of Hormuz opens, ships will still have to worry about naval mines
Naval mines deployed by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz are emerging as a worrying complication for vessels wanting to transit safely through the waterway if it opens later this week.
Once the agreement is signed, due this Friday, President Donald Trump said the US would lift its blockade of Iranian ports and that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen without tolls.
But experts say safe and unimpeded transit is still not guaranteed.
Jakob Larsen, safety & security officer at BIMCO, one of the world’s largest shipowner association, told CNN that once deployed, naval mines can be difficult to detect and remove.
“Detecting and destroying deployed naval mines require highly specialised naval capabilities (ships, helicopters, remotely operated platforms) which are usually few and far between in the Gulf region,” Larsen said, adding that “once a route is cleared of mines it can relatively easily be mined again.”
“The best the industry can hope for is a joint announcement from US and Iran backed up by clarification on practical points such as which route to use, the leaving sequence of ships, timings, nature of coordination with navies, and contingency planning,” Larsen added.
Iran has extensively mined the strait, making travel possible only via two narrow passageways through an already notoriously narrow body of water: one hugging the coast of Iran and the other right along the coast of Oman on the opposite side of the strait. That will create a bottleneck that will stymie what would otherwise be a flood of traffic heading for the exit.
The expert at BIMCO has said that statements by the US and Iran “are currently unclear and do not offer sufficient information regarding key aspects such as timings and safe routes,” adding that security situation for the shipping industry remains “volatile.”
Trump left last year's G7 summit early because of conflict in Iran
US President Donald Trump will arrive at this year’s G7 summit in France today, where the recently announced agreement with Iran will be in the spotlight.
Sources told CNN that Trump had wanted a framework struck before greeting European leaders at the summit, which begins today.
At last year’s G7 meeting in Canada, the president left a day early, as a separate conflict between Israel and Iran was intensifying rapidly.
The White House said at the time he would return to the United States “because of what’s going on in the Middle East.”
“I think Iran basically is at the negotiating table where they want to make a deal, and as soon as I leave here, we’re going to be doing something,” Trump told reporters after meeting with leaders in the resort town of Kananaskis.
He also posted on Truth Social, where he warned that “everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!” without saying why.
Days later, Trump ordered US warplanes to drop massive bombs on three nuclear sites inside Iran.
What is the G7? The G7 is an informal group of seven countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Russia was indefinitely suspended from the group – which was at the time known as the G8 – in 2014 after the majority of member countries allied against its annexation of Crimea.
Members of the G7 meet each year for a summit to discuss pressing issues on the global stage and coordinate policy.
The European Union is also represented at the meeting, with the President of the European Council, António Costa, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, attending this year’s event.
CNN’s Alayna Treene contributed to this reporting.
Trump says "ships are starting to move" freely out of Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump said Monday morning that ships are beginning to move freely out of the Strait of Hormuz, after Vice President JD Vance said a digital agreement with Iran has been signed.
“Ships are starting to move, many loaded up with Oil, out of the Strait of Hormuz. They are going along the Southern ‘Highway,’ which is totally safe, secure, and pristine. There are other areas of travel, also!!!” Trump posted on Truth Social.
There have been several, sometimes contradictory messages around when the strait would fully reopen. Trump previously said the strait would reopen on Friday, after the agreement was signed in Switzerland. But in an interview on Good Morning America, shortly before 9 a.m., Vance said, “We already signed the deal digitally yesterday.”
Vance also said Monday morning that discussions about the permanent toll-free reopening of the Strait of Hormuz will be sorted in continued “technical negotiations.” Two semi-official Iranian news agencies with links to the Revolutionary Guards reported Monday that while Tehran will allow free transit for the 60-day window in which further negotiations will take place, it plans to impose fees after that period.
And the international shipping industry has warned that it “still considers it very risky for ships to commence transits” through the Strait of Hormuz.
Vance says Iran deal was signed digitally on Sunday
Vice President JD Vance said the deal with Iran had been signed electronically over the weekend, suggesting its terms were now in place and that Iran was not receiving any new financial relief.
“We already signed the deal digitally yesterday, and there’s been no money released. And that won’t change,” Vance said on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
While an electronic signing of the deal had been floated before it was agreed to, it had not been clear until now that such an event had transpired.
On Sunday, Trump announced a formal signing would occur in Switzerland on Friday. And he said at least one provision — the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz — wouldn’t take effect until then.
“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!” he wrote in announcing the deal.
Vance says toll-free reopening of Strait of Hormuz to be discussed
Vice President JD Vance said Monday that the permanent toll-free reopening of the Strait of Hormuz will be discussed in continued “technical negotiations,” indicating that the issue is not yet ironed out.
CNN has reported that Iran-linked news agencies have suggested that the nation has agreed to allow free transit through the strait for 60 days but intends to resume tolling afterward.
Vance said the invitation for Iran to join the world’s economy is a “leverage point” within the agreement, serving as an incentive for Tehran to honor their commitment not to procure or build a nuclear weapon.
“The choice the Iranians have to make: Do they want access to the world economy? If so, they’re going to have to give up the long-term nuclear ambition,” he added.
Iran says it plans to collect "fees" for Hormuz, after Trump says there will be no tolls
Iran intends to collect “fees” for several maritime services offered alongside Oman in the Strait of Hormuz once the waterway is opened, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday, according to the state-affiliated Tasnim news agency – noting that the Islamic Republic is, however, “not seeking to collect transit tolls.”
The United States and Iran said Sunday they have reached an agreement, due to be signed Friday in Switzerland, to end hostilities. The full text has not yet been published, but President Donald Trump said the US would lift its blockade of Iranian ports and that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen without tolls.
The Iranian official also said that visits to “several regional and neighboring countries is on the agenda before the start of the Geneva meeting,” adding that details will be announced soon.
He also said that a final decision regarding the “mechanism of signing” for the Memorandum of Understanding will be made “today or tomorrow.”
Vance says US hopes to release text of agreement this week
Vice President JD Vance said the Trump administration’s goal is to release the exact text of the agreement with Iran sometime in the coming days.
“I think when people see this deal — we hope to release the text this week — they’re going to realize that this is going to make the whole region safer,” Vance said on CNBC.
Since the US and Iran announced a deal had been reached on Sunday, questions have lingered about the precise contours of the plan.
In the interview, Vance characterized the agreement as a major win for the United States, but acknowledged the thorniest issues had yet to be resolved. Instead, he said those would be up for discussion during the next round of talks.
Even some Donald Trump allies have questioned why the text of the Memorandum of Understanding wasn’t made public.
“I have asked for days, why can’t we, the people, see the damn MOU? Not through people briefed by an anonymous person. Honestly, I’ve never seen anything like this. If it is a great outcome for peace, then release it,” conservative commentator Mark Levin wrote on X.
The president has frequently offers praise for Levin and his weekend show on Fox News.
Iranian media contradict Trump's claim that Hormuz will be “permanently toll free”
The United States said the Strait of Hormuz would reopen after the agreement is signed on Friday, with Trump stressing that passing through the waterway would be “permanently toll free.”
Yet, two semi-official Iranian news agencies with links to the Revolutionary Guards reported Monday that while Tehran will allow free transit for the 60-day window in which further negotiations will take place, it plans to impose fees after that period, with Fars saying Iran “intends to benefit financially from commercial shipping traffic through the Strait.”
Throughout the conflict, Iran has maintained that it will not relinquish control of the Strait of Hormuz after the war, hailing the retention of the waterway as its greatest victory and vowing to impose fees on vessels using this vital maritime corridor even during peacetime.
Now, Iran appears to have agreed to suspend its plans to charge fees for use of the Strait of Hormuz — despite its earlier vows against it. And in what appears to be its own attempt to appease the dissenting voices against the agreement with Washington, state-affiliated media outlets claim that Tehran intends on resuming charging fees after the 60-day negotiation period.
With two months to extract concessions, however, this outcome will ultimately depend on the progress of negotiations and what Iran manages to secure in exchange for agreeing to keep the Strait of Hormuz permanently open and toll-free.
Iran’s messaging through state-affiliated media is pushing back against Trump’s maximalist demand that the Strait of Hormuz remain “permanently” toll-free. In its message, Tehran is staking out its own position: it ultimately seeks to retain monetary benefits from the strait and will require significant concessions to give that up.
With Trump set to arrive at the G7 summit in France, here's the latest
US President Donald Trump is expected to arrive shortly in Évian-les-Bains, France, where this year’s G7 summit is taking place. Yesterday, he announced the US has come to an agreement with Iran, more than 15 weeks after the conflict began.
Here are the latest developments:
- European officials told CNN that their understanding of the agreement comes from diplomatic conversations and public reports about its contents. But the actual document has been closely held, even after yesterday’s announcement that it was finalized.
- The international shipping industry has warned that it “still considers it very risky for ships to commence transits” through the Strait of Hormuz, despite the fact that Trump said it would be opened by Iran on Friday.
- Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs also said yesterday that the text of the memorandum of understanding had been finalized and would be signed Friday in Switzerland.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not yet publicly commented on the US-Iran agreement. An Israeli source told CNN that he has privately blamed US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff for creating a wedge between himself and Trump.
- Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said today that Israeli forces will not withdraw from southern Lebanon as part of the ceasefire, and that the position has been conveyed to Trump.
- Oil prices have fallen to their lowest levels in more than three months following news of the forthcoming signing.
- World leaders across the globe have also welcomed the agreement, including those from countries such as China, Turkey, France, the United Kingdom, Lebanon and Iraq.
CNN’s Alejandra Jaramillo, Kevin Liptak, Maisie Linford, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Tal Shalev, Hanna Ziady and Dalia Abdelwahab contributed to this reporting.
What we (don't) know about the agreement
The US and Iran have reached an agreement that will end a US blockade of Iranian ports, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and begin a 60 days of nuclear negotiations.
Here is what we know – and don’t know – about the key issues at stake:
Strait of Hormuz
The US said the route would reopen after the agreement is signed on Friday, with President Trump declaring that passage through the waterway would be “permanently toll free.”
But two semi-official Iranian news agencies reported Monday that while Tehran will allow free transit for the 60-day window in which further negotiations will take place, it plans to impose fees after that period, with Fars saying Iran “intends to benefit financially from commercial shipping traffic through the Strait.”
Safety considerations will also impact the timing of any reopening. CNN has previously reported that Iran has laid mines in the strait and negotiators will need to reach agreements on how to remove them.
Ceasefire
Pakistan, which brokered the agreement, said both sides had “declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.”
But US President Donald Trump did not include Lebanon in his announcement and Israel, which is not party to the agreement, said its forces are not withdrawing from Lebanon.
Nuclear issues
The US said Iran made assurances that it would never get a nuclear weapon. But there are no concrete commitments around Iran’s nuclear program or its uranium stockpiles. That can has been kicked down the road.
Sanctions and frozen funds.
Iran said the 60-day nuclear negotiations will begin only after the US releases billions of dollars of frozen funds. But a US official said no money would be released without clear commitments by Iran.
The economy
Oil prices fell to their lowest levels in three months on the announcement but remain around $10 a barrel above their pre-war levels. A broader economic recovery will likely take months.
What to know about the Strait of Hormuz, which Trump says will be opened Friday
When announcing the agreement made by Iran and the United States yesterday, US President Donald Trump said the Strait of Hormuz would reopen on Friday.
The strait proved a major flashpoint during the conflict after it was effectively closed by Tehran following airstrikes by the US and Israel on February 28.
A narrow waterway that bypasses Iran and Oman, the Strait of Hormuz is the main route for shipping crude from oil-rich countries such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to the rest of the world.
About 20 million barrels of oil, or about one-fifth of daily global production, used to flow through the strait every day, according to the US Energy Information Administration, which calls the channel a “critical oil chokepoint.”
Few alternative routes exist to the Strait of Hormuz, and none of them come close to allowing the same volume of oil and gas exports to pass through.
After Trump’s announcement yesterday, oil prices fell to their lowest levels in more than three months.
However, crude prices remain around $10 a barrel higher than they were before the war. And the oil market still has significant work ahead to return flows from the Middle East and through the strait to normal.
CNN’s Catherine Nicholls contributed to this reporting.
Key shipping body says Strait of Hormuz passage is "still very risky"
The international shipping industry has warned that it “still considers it very risky for ships to commence transits” through the Strait of Hormuz.
Jakob Larsen, the head of safety and security at the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), said information provided about the agreement between Iran and the US is too vague.
“Statements by the US and Iran are currently unclear and do not offer sufficient information regarding key aspects such as timings and safe routes,” Larsen told CNN.
BIMCO represents some 2,100 companies and organisations in 120 countries.
“The next step is for shipowners to be reassured that transiting the Strait of Hormuz is not only permitted but also safe,” Larsen said.
Niels Rasmussen, BIMCO’s chief shipping analyst, said that according to the tracking company Kpler, about 600 ships remain trapped in the Persian Gulf, including around 250 tankers. “We expect it will take several weeks for all ships to leave,” he said.
Leaders at G7 will congratulate Trump on Iran, but officials say text remains a mystery
As President Donald Trump gets set to arrive at the G7, leaders gathering here along Lake Geneva have been quick to herald his new agreement with Iran.
But their praise comes with a major caveat: most, if not all, have not yet read the actual text of the accord.
European officials told CNN their understanding of the pact derives from diplomatic conversations and public reports about its contents. But the actual multipoint document has been closely held, even after the announcement Sunday that it was finalized.
Officials from Iran and the United States both said the text wouldn’t be released until it is signed on Friday. That has left major questions about what precisely has been agreed between the two nations.
It also leaves time for the agreement to come under strain or even fall apart, including during Trump’s three-day stay in Évian-les-Bains — an embarrassing outcome he and his advisers are eager to avoid.
In their group meetings with Trump and in one-on-one pull-asides, leaders are likely to seek more details from the US president about Iran’s nuclear commitments, the European officials said.
They will also underscore their readiness to help support the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz using military assets — though the officials said without a clearer understanding of what the deal actually says, specific commitments could be difficult to make.
How Qatar and Pakistan have played key mediating roles between the US and Iran
It was Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who said yesterday that “the Peace Deal between the United States of America and Islamic Republic of Iran has been REACHED.”
Pakistan emerged as a key diplomatic bridge between the US and Iran, having hosted face-to-face talks between delegations from both countries back in April. Pakistani officials passed peace proposals and counterproposals between the warring sides and helped to negotiate and extend the current ceasefire.
The country has cordial ties with both Iran and the US with Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir — who President Donald Trump has called his “favorite field marshal” — playing a key role in Islamabad’s efforts.
Pakistan is also home to the largest population of Shia Muslims outside of Iran and, unlike Islamic countries in the Gulf region, does not host any US military bases.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani held a phone call with his Pakistani counterpart Saturday to emphasize his support for Islamabad’s role in mediating talks.
Officials from Qatar — a key US ally in the region — also held talks in Tehran to help mediate an agreement, according to sources.
Last week, a person familiar with the matter told CNN that US officials believe meetings between Iranian and Qatari officials in Tehran helped resolve some of the remaining sticking points on the agreement with the US.
And yesterday, Qatari negotiators flew to the Iranian capital city to help facilitate the finalization of the agreement, a source with knowledge of the situation told CNN.
CNN’s Billy Stockwell contributed to this reporting.
Trump’s ceasefire agreement with Iran paints Netanyahu into a corner
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted one message about President Donald Trump on X on Sunday. And it had nothing to do with the emerging ceasefire deal with Iran or the ongoing conflict in Lebanon.
It was a happy birthday message to celebrate Trump’s 80th.
Since then, Netanyahu has not said anything publicly about the memorandum of understanding that others in his government have criticized as “bad for Israel and the entire free world” and “does not ensure our security.”
Netanyahu finds himself - once again - trapped between Trump on one side and his political base on the other. Trump has made clear that he sees the war with Iran as a thing of the past, and that includes the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
Trump demanded that Israel stop attacking anywhere in Lebanon and said Hezbollah should stop attacking Israel. He dismissed Hezbollah projectiles that crossed into northern Israel on Sunday as “very small and meaningless.” As Netanyahu’s coalition demanded a harsh response to the Hezbollah fire, Trump told him to stand down.
Lebanon is almost certainly part of the US-Iran ceasefire deal, but without seeing the text, it’s impossible to know what’s expected of Israel, which is not a party to the agreement. Israel’s defense minister said on Monday that the Israeli military would not withdraw from the territory it occupies in southern Lebanon.
But Trump may have other plans. A war that started more than three months ago with the US and Israel together now looks very different, and it seems Trump is pursuing a deal that Netanyahu cannot publicly accept and will not openly reject.
A look at Iran’s nuclear stockpile, a key part of negotiations to end the war
Now that the US and Iran have reached a framework agreement aimed at ending the war, negotiators will need to work out the future of Tehran’s nuclear program.
What happens to Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, including the 970 pounds that it has highly concentrated to near-weapons grade, has been one of the primary sticking points in weeks of negotiations over how to end the conflict.
US President Donald Trump has insisted that Iran must hand over what he calls its “nuclear dust.” Iranian officials have repeatedly said that the country has a right to a non-weapons nuclear program.
But what is in Iran’s stockpile, and what does it mean for Iran’s ability to build a nuclear weapon?
With the right equipment, the highly enriched uranium that Iran has could reach weapons-grade purity within weeks or even days, according to nuclear experts. And it’s enough for 10 nuclear weapons, international inspectors say.
The June 2025 strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, which the Pentagon termed Operation Midnight Hammer, were assessed by US intelligence to have buried much of Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile at Isfahan, but didn’t destroy it, despite Trump administration statements that Iran’s nuclear program was “obliterated.”
It’s unclear if Iran currently has the capability to turn its 60% uranium gas into metal, as needed to produce a nuclear warhead, but before the 2025 strikes it did have the right kinds of facilities, said Eric Brewer, a nuclear materials expert for the Nuclear Threat Initiative nonprofit. Brewer previously oversaw counterproliferation at the National Security Council during Trump’s first administration and led Iran intelligence analysis for the Defense Intelligence Agency.
Read more about Iran’s nuclear stockpile in our full article here.
