The US and Iran have reached an agreement, but there are discrepancies in their statements and much that we don’t know as the full text has not yet been released. The differing accounts underscore a significant gap between how the US and Iran are describing the next steps in negotiations. Here’s what both sides have said on key issues:
Strait of Hormuz: President Donald Trump said the Strait of Hormuz would reopen following the expected signing of the agreement on Friday and it would ultimately ensure that the waterway is “permanently toll free.” A US official said the US military received a directive to lift the US blockade of Iranian ports on Friday after the MOU with Iran is signed. Iran, meanwhile, said the agreement included the immediate lifting of the US blockade. Iran’s official Islamic Republic of Iran News Network said the draft agreement included reopening the strait within 30 days “under Iranian arrangements.”
Lebanon conflict: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said both sides had “declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.” Similarly, Iran’s deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the agreement will include a “permanent and immediate end to the war on all fronts including Lebanon.” Trump did not include Lebanon in his Sunday remarks. Israel, which launched an airstrike in Beirut earlier on Sunday before the announcement, has not yet commented on the agreement.
Frozen funds: Gharibabadi said the 60-day negotiations between Tehran and Washington after Friday’s signing of the agreement will hinge on the US meeting several obligations, including the release of billions of dollars in frozen Iranian funds. But a US official rejected the claim, saying: “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 announcement of the agreement came on Trump’s 80th birthday in the US, just hours before he hosted a White House UFC event celebrating the country’s upcoming 250th anniversary. 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”.
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.” Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on X that the country is ready, “together with the other partners… to contribute to an international naval presence” for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz congratulated the US and Iran, saying on X that the agreement will “pave the way towards a reinvigorated global economy and a more secure Middle East.” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said his country welcomes the agreement, adding China hopes that the Strait of Hormuz “can resume opening as soon as possible.”
