Strait of Hormuz agreement: Pakistan says U.S. and Iran plan to end the war

The United States and Iran reached an agreement to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to AP Pakistan. The signing was set for Friday in Switzerland. The timing for full reopening remained unclear. Earlier U.S. statements said a phased reopening could bring eased port restrictions and relaxed sanctions.

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Full details of the deal were not immediately available. The Strait of Hormuz closure had disrupted world markets for more than three months. The U.S. had said it would ease its blockade of Iranian ports as shipping resumes. Washington also said it would relax sanctions so Iran can sell more oil.

Strait of Hormuz deal and Israel-Lebanon strikes

Before the Switzerland signing plan emerged, U.S. President Donald Trump urged calm after Israel announced strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut. Lebanon’s health ministry said three people were killed and 16 others wounded. Iran warned a military response was coming. The strikes risked complicating efforts to finalise a U.S.-Iran war-ending deal.

Trump posted online: We are very close to a Deal that will bring peace to the region, including to Lebanon and Lets not blow it! Trump later told Fox News an agreement could be signed in the coming hours. Trump said Donald Trump planned to ask Tehran not to respond to Israel’s strikes.

The deal frustrated Israel’s government, which was sidelined in talks led by Pakistan and others. A week earlier, strikes on Beirut’s suburbs triggered the biggest Iran-Israel escalation since a ceasefire began April 7. Trump pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to limit attacks, but Netanyahu defied that request.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged maximum restraint at this crucial moment. Netanyahus office said the strikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs responded to Hezbollah attacks on northern Israel. Israel’s military said Hezbollah launched three projectiles. Hezbollah did not claim any cross-border attacks Sunday.

Strait of Hormuz deal and warnings from Iran

Trump described the attack on northern Israel as very small and meaningless, nobody was hurt, injured, or killed, and should not disrupt this important process. An Associated Press photographer said a five-storey building with shops below was hit. Residents in southern suburbs fled after weeks of relative calm.

Israel’s military later said it was preparing for potential incoming fire. Israel’s military later reported a projectile coming from Lebanon. Hezbollah fired missiles into Israel on March 2. That was two days after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran. Israeli troops then pushed deeper into Lebanon than in over 25 years.

Iran wanted any ceasefire to cover fighting in Lebanon. It was unclear if that meant an Israeli withdrawal. Most Hezbollah attacks in recent weeks targeted Israeli troops inside Lebanon. Meanwhile, mediators continued pushing a deal while Tehran issued warnings after the Beirut strikes.

"A strong response is coming,\" said Ebrahim Azizi, who heads the Iranian parliaments national security commission and is close to top leaders. Another official, Ali Akbar Velayati, threatened to close the Bab el-Mandeb waterway. That route is near the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula.

Iran’s parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf warned the U.S. after Israel’s strikes. Qalibaf said that if you lack the will and ability to fulfill your commitments, speaking of continuing the path is not possible. Qatari mediators travelled to Tehran on Sunday to finalise the agreement, two officials said.

Strait of Hormuz deal and role of Pakistan and Qatar

Two regional officials spoke anonymously because they were not authorised to talk publicly. The officials expressed cautious optimism that a deal could halt hostilities that killed thousands. They also said the pact could reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Saturday the deal would be signed Sunday.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said it could happen in the coming days. Trump said the strait would open immediately. The deal was expected to be signed electronically without an in-person ceremony. Iran’s government warned internal division over the deal weakens Tehran’s negotiating position.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian urged national unity in comments carried by state media. Pezeshkian called it a disgrace when someone stands before parliament and calls anyone who negotiates a traitor. Spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani told IRNA: Iranians must recognize that no war lasts forever. The stance aimed to limit backlash over negotiations.

Strait of Hormuz deal and nuclear talks timeline

The deal did not settle Iran’s nuclear programme or billions in frozen funds. Pakistani and regional officials said it offered a 60-day framework for technical talks. They also spoke on condition of anonymity. The same officials said U.S. and Israel fell short of goals on Iran’s missiles and nuclear work.

Iran’s nuclear programme and enriched uranium remained central to long-running disputes. Trump said online Saturday that when all is calm, the U.S. would go in and downblend and destroy the enriched uranium in Iran or in the U.S. The International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran held 440.9 kilograms, or 972 pounds, enriched up to 60% purity.

That level is a short technical step from 90% weapons-grade. Iran long maintained the programme is peaceful. Iran did not publicly commit to giving up the enriched uranium. The material was believed buried under three nuclear sites. Those sites were badly damaged by U.S. strikes last year.

Critics in Trump’s Republican Party attacked the emerging deal amid midterm election pressure. Some argued it did not improve terms of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Trump withdrew the U.S. from that agreement in his first term. Trump still described that earlier deal as bad.

The Switzerland signing plan signalled movement after months of market disruption from the Strait of Hormuz closure. Still, the pace of reopening remained uncertain. Related fighting in Lebanon added further risk. Mediators from Pakistan, Qatar and others continued efforts to lock in the agreement and prevent new escalation.

With inputs from PTI