US, Iran reach preliminary agreement to end war, signing set for Friday
Why this matters: local context for readers following news across Pakistan and the region.
US and Iranian officials said they had agreed on a framework to end the war, halt the US blockade of Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a preliminary pact that sent oil prices falling but leaves the fate of Iran’s nuclear programme to further negotiations. “The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” US President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform around 5:30pm ET local time in Washington (2130 GMT) on Sunday. His post came shortly after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a deal had been struck early on Monday local time. PM Shehbaz said in a post on X that “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”. He added that the “official signing ceremony” would be on Friday, June 19, 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 the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Turkiye for their immense contributions in this regard,” he said. PM Shehbaz added that with the agreement now in place, mediators would facilitate a series of meetings this week. “These pre-implementation discussions will lay the foundation for the technical talks and the official signing ceremony,” he said. In a statement, the secretariat of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said war and military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, would end permanently starting on Monday night. Lebanon has been a sticking point in negotiations, with Israel ignoring cal