US, Iran Strike War Deal; Israel Refuses to Withdraw
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- Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that "the deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete," declaring the Strait of Hormuz will reopen with the message "Ships of the world, start your engines. Let the oil flow!"
- Iran's deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi said a broader deal on sanctions relief will be worked out during a 60-day ceasefire, with Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif stating the accord is due to be signed Friday in Switzerland.
- Israel broke from the global welcome, with Defence Minister Israel Katz saying Israel will not withdraw from land seized in Lebanon and plans to stay "indefinitely" in territory it holds in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza.
- Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich condemned the agreement as "bad for Israel and for the entire free world," vowing Israel will "continue the campaign to topple the regime ourselves and in creative ways."
- Qatar, Turkey, the UN, EU, UK, France, Bangladesh and Germany all welcomed the deal, with UK PM Keir Starmer offering to support mine clearance operations in the Strait and France's Macron calling for its "urgent and unconditional reopening."
- The accord covers both an end to the US-Israel war on Iran and a halt to Israeli attacks on Lebanon, and follows months of fighting that killed thousands of people and sent global energy prices soaring.
Why it matters: The 60-day ceasefire window — during which a broader sanctions deal is to be negotiated — begins with Israel openly defying core terms. Katz says Israeli troops stay "indefinitely" in Lebanese, Syrian, and Gazan territory, and Smotrich vows to keep working to "topple the regime" in Tehran, putting the US-Iran framework at odds with its own coalition partner before Friday's signing in Switzerland.
