US and Iran Reach Framework Peace Deal to Open Strait of Hormuz, but Israel Rejects Lebanon Ceasefire

The United States and Iran have reached a framework agreement to end their three-and-a-half-month war, aiming to reopen the critical Strait of Hormuz and halt military operations across all fronts.[4][7]

Mediated by Pakistan, the breakthrough deal is scheduled to be officially signed on Friday in Switzerland. The announcement marks a sudden de-escalation after weeks of intense naval blockades, regional strikes, and mounting anxiety over the stability of the global economy.[4][7]

President Donald Trump declared the agreement "complete" in a social media statement, announcing the immediate removal of the US naval blockade. "Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!" Trump wrote, urging global shipping companies to resume transit through the vital waterway.[4]

The economic stakes of the resolution are massive. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz had choked global oil supplies, and US officials, including Vice President JD Vance, are already touting the immediate drop in oil prices as a major domestic victory for the administration.[3]

However, the exact terms of the maritime reopening remain fiercely contested. While the White House insists the waterway will be "permanently toll-free," Iranian state media reports that a last-minute clause guarantees Tehran the right to collect "maritime service fees," asserting continued Iranian sovereignty over the strait.[2][3]

The most explosive reaction to the peace framework has come from Israel, where politicians across the spectrum awoke to what they are calling a "catastrophe" negotiated entirely over their heads.[5][6]

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz explicitly rejected the ceasefire's application to the northern front. Katz stated that Israeli forces will remain in southern Lebanon "indefinitely" to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure, directly defying the US-Iran provision that calls for an end to military operations in Lebanon.[3][8]

This sentiment spans Israel's fractured political landscape. Opposition figures like Yair Golan labeled the accord the "greatest strategic failure" in Israel's history, while far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir insisted Israel is "not a banana republic" bound by Washington's treaties.[6][8]

For Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the deal presents a severe political crisis. He faces immense pressure from his right flank to continue the military campaign in Lebanon, putting his government on a direct collision course with Trump's demand for a comprehensive regional ceasefire.[5]

Meanwhile, European leaders and the G7 have cautiously welcomed the breakthrough, though their optimism is tempered by the unresolved status of Tehran's nuclear ambitions. French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized that the immediate priority must now shift to neutralizing Iran's enriched uranium stockpiles.[3]

The nuclear question remains the glaring omission in the current framework. Negotiators have reportedly set a 60-day window to address Iran's nuclear program, which advanced significantly during the conflict, leaving global observers wary of the deal's long-term viability.[2][7]

As Friday's signing ceremony approaches, the durability of the peace pact rests on a knife's edge. With Israel vowing to continue strikes in Lebanon, Iran threatening retaliation, and shipping insurers still wary of uncleared sea mines, the transition from a diplomatic framework to on-the-ground reality remains highly volatile.[1][3][5]