The Prime Minister of Pakistan has announced the news of a ceasefire has finally been reached between the two nations
The peace deal between the US and Iran has been reached, Pakistan’s prime minister has said. He said on X: "Following intensive talks, we are pleased to announce that the Peace Deal between the United States of America and Islamic Republic of Iran has been REACHED. Both sides have declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon." THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS STORY - UPDATES TO COME. The deal between US and Iran will officially be signed in Switzerland on Friday. The deal was announced on Sunday, by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He said the US and Iran "declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon". The US president is expected to discuss plans with allies during next week’s G7 summit in France. France will host the G7 in the lakeside resort of Evian-les-Bains from Monday, with the seven member states expected to discuss deal alongside other matters. Other items to be discussed include the rise of artificial intelligence and support for Ukraine amid the war with Russia . Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the UK stands “ready to help” develop the US-Iran agreement into “a lasting peace”. She said: “I strongly welcome the announcement of an agreement between the US and Iran. “It is vital that toll-free freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz is swiftly restored, so international shipping can get moving again to help the global economy and families here at home. “The UK stands ready with France and other countries to support that process as needed. “Our longstanding position is that Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. The UK is ready to support the technical work to ensure that vital objective is implemented. “This agreement is important for regional and global security and for the international economy. Thank you to all those involved in negotiations including Pakistan and Qatar. It is vital that progress continues – we stand ready to help make it a lasting peace.” We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy Despite a deal being announced it is not immediately clear how soon the Strait of Hormuz could reopen to all vessels. Central to the negotiations has been Iran’s stranglehold on the critical waterway, which has disrupted global oil and gas supplies and driven up fuel and food prices. Specifics of the deal are yet to be officially confirmed. However, Iranian state media have reported that it includes Iran committing not to produce nuclear weapons, a permanent ceasefire on all front including Lebanon and an end to some US sanctions on Iran. Iran's deputy foreign minister said talks on a final deal will happen over a 60-day period. US Vice-President JD Vance told Fox News that the agreement with Iran had the potential to "fundamentally transform the Middle East for the next 50 years". "This region of the world has been a basket case for my entire life and longer than that. He added that Donald Trump had managed to "eliminate the threat of Iran". Vance said it will now be possible "to build to a new era of Middle East prosperity and success". "Where frankly we can generate a lot of prosperity for the American people out of that region." Foreign Minister Winston Peters says New Zealand welcomes the announcement of the acceptance of the United States – Iran Memorandum of Understanding aimed at ending the conflict in the Middle East. “This pivotal, constructive deal is a step towards reducing tensions and promoting stability in a region that is critical to global economic security. “The disruption to the Strait of Hormuz has had serious impacts on New Zealand’s economy, as well as on our Pacific partners,” Mr Peters says. “We welcome steps that will enable the safe reopening of this vital maritime route and restore confidence in key supply chains. “Dialogue and diplomacy remain the most effective means of resolving longstanding issues. “This is a good first step and we hope the parties now seize the opportunity to resolve the tensions in the region,” Mr Peters says. Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he hopes the deal will lead to a "durable and lasting peace". "While full recovery will take time, restoring this vital trade corridor is essential to easing pressure on energy prices and economies, including in our region," he says. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed "the announcement that the United States and Iran have agreed on a peace deal". "This represents a critical step towards the peaceful settlement of the conflict," a spokesman said. Mehr News Agency, a semi-official Iranian state news outlet, says the points include: Mehr also reported that "final negotiations will not begin before half of Iran's frozen funds are released, Iran's oil sanctions are suspended, and the naval blockade is lifted". Iran's deputy foreign minister says Qatari mediators held "nearly 14 to 15 hours of lengthy talks" in Tehran before an agreement was made. ”This negotiation process took a long time," Kazem Gharibabadi told Iranian state media on Monday. "A Qatari delegation was in Tehran yesterday to finalise discussions on the text of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States. "Nearly 14 to 15 hours of lengthy talks took place, during which we presented the Islamic Republic of Iran’s final amendments to the text. Naturally, those amendments were accepted, and the text of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding was finalised.” According to Iranian state media the US naval blockade will be lifted within 30 days, according to the agreement. The US military has blocked Iran's ports after Tehran closed the strait at the start of the conflict. The US president has told the New York Times that the agreement with Iran means the Strait of Hormuz is "permanently toll free". The NYT says in a 28-minute phone call the US president added that if Iran fails to reach a final nuclear accord with the US he would restart military attacks, or make the US "the guardian of the Middle East" in return for a fifth of the region's revenue. Oil prices have fallen after the announcement of the peace deal, with the Strait of Hormuz set to be reopened. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was 3.8 per cent lower at $84.02 (£62.48) a barrel, while US-traded oil was down 4.1 per cent at $81.40. The strait was closed shortly after the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on February 28. The deal will be officially signed on Friday. The full details of the proposed deal have yet to be published. There still remain questions over how any memorandum of understanding would prevent further clashes between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement along the Lebanese border. It is also unclear what guarantees would ensure the Strait of Hormuz remains fully open and how any restrictions on Iran's nuclear programme would be monitored and enforced. French President Emmanuel Macron says G7 leaders will discuss the long-term reopening of the Strait of Hormuz in a meeting this week in the French resort town of Evian. Macron said in a video on Instagram : "The aim will be to see the consequences of this agreement, support for Lebanon, the lasting reopening of Hormuz and of course the concluding of an accord on nuclear and ballistic activities in Iran." The three day summit will see ;eaders from Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States gather. Sir Keir Starmer , in a joint statement with the leaders of France, Germany and Italy, said the US-Iran deal must be “implemented rapidly and comprehensively”. The joint statement from the so-called E4 said: “We warmly welcome the announcement of the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran. We congratulate the United States, the Iranian government and all those involved, including Pakistan, Qatar and all other mediators, on this diplomatic breakthrough. “This is a moment of opportunity to restore regional stability and stabilise the global economy. “It is now vital that the detailed negotiations are concluded and this agreement is implemented rapidly and comprehensively. We are ready to support that effort. “The urgent re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz with unconditional and unrestricted freedom of navigation is essential. We are committed to playing our part to achieve this —in accordance with our respective constitutional requirements— including through a strictly defensive and independent mission to reassure commercial shipping and conduct mine clearance operations. “Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon. We stand ready to work with the US, Iran and the IAEA to this end. We are prepared to lift relevant sanctions in response to clear, verifiable steps by Iran on its nuclear programme. “We will work intensively with the US, Iran and regional partners to seize this moment, maintain momentum and achieve a long-term diplomatic settlement. “We also reaffirm our full support to the stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon and the importance of a robust ceasefire.” Donald Trump has signalled the Strait of Hormuz will reopen “for purposes of mine removal” with the signing of an agreement between the US and Iran on Friday. He wrote on his Truth Social platform: “This Great Deal will bring Peace and Security to the whole Region. “Many presidents have tried to make Peace with Iran, and all have failed before me. The Leaders of the Region have, for the first time, found a President who can help them achieve real Peace. “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!” Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “I warmly welcome today’s agreement reached between the United States and Iran. This is a hugely important step forward in ending the war, ensuring regional stability, and re-opening the Strait of Hormuz. I congratulate President Trump and the mediators from Pakistan, Qatar and elsewhere who have contributed to this breakthrough. We have long urged de-escalation and this is the progress we had hoped to see. “Attention must now turn to fully implementing the memorandum of understanding to ensure the Strait reopens and remains fully and permanently open, and that the detailed elements of the nuclear agreement are finalised. We stand ready to support the technical talks that will now begin. Our priority is that this becomes a durable and lasting peace, and we will work with international partners to support that. “We are clear that toll-free freedom of navigation must now be restored in the Strait of Hormuz, to begin easing the severe economic impacts that have been felt for several months – on families here in the UK and around the world. “We will continue to work with partners to support this – including, if required, through standing up the defensive, independent multilateral mission which the UK and France have taken a leading role in planning up to this point, particularly to offer support on mine clearance in an agreed way. “For any peace to endure, it is essential that the commitments made, particularly in relation to Iran’s nuclear programme, are robust, verifiable, and fully implemented. It remains the UK’s firm and longstanding position that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon.” The prime minister of Qatar, who acted alongside Pakistan as a mediator, has welcomed the peace deal. "We extend our thanks to our brothers in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan," Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani posted on X. "We look forward to all parties engaging in the forthcoming negotiations in a positive and constructive spirit that will help consolidate this progress and build upon it." As part of the deal the US has agreed to lift the naval blockade on Iranian ports. Trump has also said that traffic should resume through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi has confirmed that a deal has been reached with the US on state TV. "An immediate and permanent end to the war and military operations on different fronts including Lebanon will be announced tonight," he says via phone call. Gharibabadi added that the US naval blockade against Iran will also be lifted tonight. All military operations are to be terminated in the deal, including in Lebanon, according to the announcement from Pakistan's PM. Shehbaz Sharif said: "Both sides have declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon." The official signing ceremony will be on Friday 19 June in Switzerland, the Pakistan PM said in the announcement. The deal has been announced by Iran state TV, but without any further comment. In the announcement, the presenter says that the US “was forced to sign an agreement to end the war with the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Resistance Front”. Donald Trump has confirmed the deal between the US and Iran. He posted on Truth Social: "The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. "I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade. "Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!" Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that a peace deal between US and Iran has been reached. He said: "Following intensive talks, we are pleased to announce that the Peace Deal between the United States of America and Islamic Republic of Iran has been REACHED. "Both sides have declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon. "The official signing ceremony will be on Friday, 19 June in Switzerland. We would like to thank the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran for their commitment to finding a diplomatic solution to the conflict. "We would also like to extend our sincere appreciation to our brothers in this mediation effort, the great leadership of State of Qatar, for their support in reaching this agreement. "I would also especially thank the visionary leadership of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Republic of Türkiye for their immense contributions in this regard. "With the agreement now in place, mediators will facilitate a series of meetings this week. These pre-implementation discussions will lay the foundation for the technical talks and the official signing ceremony."
