00:00U.S. and Iran reach deal to end war, reopen Strait of Hormuz, as Israel voices opposition.
00:07Geneva, Washington, June 15th. The United States and Iran have reached a landmark agreement to end
00:14their months-long war, reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz, and withdraw U.S. naval forces from the
00:20waterway, according to announcements from U.S. President Donald Trump and Pakistani Prime
00:25Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who served as the key mediator. The official signing ceremony is
00:30scheduled for Friday, June 19th, in Geneva, Switzerland. What the agreement contains
00:36While the full text of the Memorandum of Understanding has not been released,
00:40Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif announced that both sides have declared the immediate and
00:45permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon. The Lebanon
00:50provision is significant. It imposes a ceasefire on the parallel conflict between Israel and the
00:57Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group, which had been a key Iranian demand throughout the
01:02negotiations. The agreement also includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Trump authorized the toll-free
01:09opening of the Strait of Hormuz and ordered the immediate removal of the United States naval
01:15blockade on Iranian ports. Release of frozen assets. According to Iranian media reports,
01:22the memorandum calls for half of Iran's $24 billion in frozen assets to be released before
01:28detailed negotiations continue. Suspension of oil sanctions. The agreement would suspend sanctions
01:34on Iranian oil and petrochemical sales. 60-day negotiation window. The thorniest issues,
01:41including the fate of Iran's nuclear program and its stockpile of highly enriched uranium,
01:46have been deferred for technical discussions over a 60-day period following the signing.
01:51Trump celebrates great deal. President Trump announced the agreement on his Truth Social
01:57platform, declaring, the deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to
02:04all. He continued, I hereby fully authorize the toll-free opening of the Strait of Hormuz,
02:10and simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States naval
02:15blockade. Ships of the world, start your engines. Let the oil flow. Trump credited his
02:22administration's pressure campaign for forcing Iran to the table, stating, many presidents had
02:28tried to make peace with Iran, but they all failed before me. Vice President J.D. Vance confirmed that
02:34he plans to attend the Geneva signing ceremony, though he noted that President Trump could also be
02:39present as logistics are finalized. Iran claims victory. Iranian state media portrayed the agreement
02:45as a victory for Tehran, emphasizing that the United States was forced to accept an end to the war.
02:52Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazim Garibabadi confirmed the finalization of the memorandum,
02:58but stressed that the document was drafted under active mistrust and that Iran would carefully monitor
03:04U.S. compliance with its obligations. Implementation will not begin until the official
03:09signing, Garibabadi stated. Iranian President Masoud Pejeshkian posted on Axe,
03:15deal reached. Greetings to diplomacy general. Iranian hardliners see Trump's announcement of the
03:22blockade's end as a sign of victory, noting that Iran has consistently demanded the removal of U.S.
03:27warships from the Strait of Hormuz since the first negotiations. Iran views the U.S. decision to
03:33withdraw its naval forces as an acknowledgement of Iran's position on sovereignty over the strategic
03:38waterway. Israel rejects the agreement. Despite the diplomatic breakthrough, Israel has sharply
03:45rejected the terms of the U.S.-Iran deal, creating immediate tension between Washington and its closest
03:51Middle Eastern ally. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gar delivered Israel's first
03:57public response. Trump's agreement does not bind us. Israel is not subject to the United States,
04:03and we are an independent and sovereign nation. We are not partners to this agreement that does not
04:09ensure our security, and it does not bind us in any way, Ben-Gar continued, adding that Israel must
04:15not compromise on anything less than the dismantling of Hezbollah. Ben-Gar argued that previous decisions
04:22to yield to international pressure, citing the Oslo Accords, the 2006 Lebanon Agreement, and periods of
04:28restraint in Gaza, paid a blood price with interest. Opposition leaders also voiced criticism. Yair Golan,
04:36leader of the Democrats, called the agreement a strategic failure that funnels billions to the
04:41Ayatollah's regime, leaves the nuclear infrastructure intact, preserves the ballistic threat as is, and
04:47throws a lifeline to the murderous regime in Tehran. Benny Gantz, leader of the Blue and White Party,
04:53warned, under no circumstances, it is forbidden to agree to restrict Israel's freedom of action in
04:59Lebanon, or to a withdrawal that endangers the residents of the North. European leaders offer
05:06cautious support. Britain, France, Germany, and Italy issued a joint statement expressing readiness
05:12to lift relevant sanctions against Iran if the country takes clear, verifiable steps toward ending
05:19its nuclear program. The four European powers also announced their support for resuming shipping in
05:25the Strait of Hormuz, through a purely defensive, independent mission to encourage merchant shipping
05:31and to carry out mine clearance, according to German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz, French President
05:36Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Italian Prime Minister Georgia Maloney.
05:42United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres welcomed the deal as a critical step towards the
05:48peaceful settlement of the conflict, and expressed deep appreciation for the constructive role played
05:54by Pakistan, Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and other regional countries in supporting the
06:00negotiations. What's next? The Memorandum of Understanding goes beyond a simple ceasefire,
06:06but falls short of a comprehensive peace agreement. The most difficult issues, including the destruction
06:12or removal of Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpile, the future of Iran's nuclear program,
06:18and the full lifting of sanctions, have been deferred to the 60-day technical negotiation period,
06:23global oil prices dropped by 4% following the announcement. The greatest threat to the
06:29agreement's durability may come from Lebanon. As Nader Hashimi, Associate Professor of Middle East and
06:35Islamic Politics at Georgetown University, told CBC, let's not forget that Israel right now occupies
06:42roughly 15% of Lebanon. There are going to be skirmishes, tit-for-tat strikes, between Hezbollah and
06:49Israel. It's an open question whether Donald Trump can rein in Netanyahu, and whether Iran can rein in
06:56Hezbollah to make sure that this agreement stays on track. For now, the world waits for the signing
07:01in Geneva this Friday. Trump told reporters he wants to meet with Iran's new supreme leader,
07:07Mujtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since suffering severe injuries in the February 28th
07:13airstrike that killed his father before the final signing. But his current location and condition
07:19remain unknown.
Comments