US -Iran deal ’all signed; Trump Hormuz traffic will rise significantly

The United States and Iran have signed a memorandum of understanding to end a near four-month war, senior U.S. officials said on Monday, adding that a formal signing ceremony would take place on Friday and shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz would significantly but gradually ramp up, Reuters news agency said.  

The memorandum of understanding has been signed by President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance and Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, one U.S. official said. The MOU will provide a structure for how the U.S.-Iran relationship will operate in the future, said the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity in a briefing with reporters, emphasizing that any benefits to Iran such as sanctions relief and release of Tehran’s frozen funds would only come based on their willingness to work with Washington on their nuclear program and not fund ‌what the U.S. official described as “radicalism” in the region.  

“We are prepared to release frozen funds and we are prepared to relieve sanctions, and we’ll do some small gestures of that in the beginning if they make some small gestures to us that show that they’re willing to meet their commitments as well,” the second U.S. official said. 

He added that the MOU would be made public within 24 to 48 hours.  

In the short term, the MOU will allow the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a major shipping route for global oil and gas supplies that Iran has effectively shut for months, but one U.S. official cautioned that it would take a while for traffic to return to normal.  

“You will see significant increase in traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, actually starting already, and that will ramp up slowly over time,” the official said.  

“We probably won’t return to normal in two weeks, but we will see a significant increase in strait traffic,” the official said.  

“The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” President Trump said in a post on social media.  

President Trump also said that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen on Friday, when the deal with Iran is expected to be signed. He suggested that the time was needed “for purposes of mine removal.” He had earlier said he was authorizing the “immediate” end of a U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports.  

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council announced in a statement that it had finalized the memorandum of understanding for a cease-fire deal with the United States under the guidance of the supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. The statement said the agreement came after “months of long and difficult negotiations,” and thanked Pakistan and Qatar for mediating the negotiations.  

The council said the agreement includes: an end to the conflict and military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, effective immediately, and an immediate end to the U.S. naval blockade on Iran. The statement said a formal signing ceremony will take place on Friday and negotiations will begin for a broader peace agreement.  

Many Iranians expressed relief and disbelief on Sunday after learning that their country had reached an agreement with the United States that could ultimately end the war.  

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday said that Paris is ready to contribute to international efforts aimed at ensuring maritime security and supporting the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, describing the initiative as an “offer” to assist if requested by the relevant actors.