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PAKISTAN SAYS THE deal to end the war between the United States and Iran is taking “immediate effect” after both sides signed an agreement, although a formal signing ceremony is still due to take place on Friday.
Pakistan’s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif said leaders of both countries had signed the agreement and endorsed him as a mediator.
He said in a post on X that the deal “shall enter into force with immediate effect and as a first step, the Islamic Republic of Iran will instantly reopen the Strait of Hormuz and the United States of America will immediately lift the naval blockade”.
Sharif said that Pakistan and co-mediator Qatar will host an official signing ceremony on Friday in Switzerland. His post came shortly after US President Donald Trump said he had signed the agreement during a dinner at the Palace of Versailles.
The agreement, known as the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, outlines a 14-point framework for ending hostilities and negotiating a final peace deal within 60 days.
Among its key provisions is an immediate and permanent cessation of military operations between the US, Iran and their allies, including in Lebanon.
Both countries also commit to respecting each other’s sovereignty and refraining from interference in internal affairs.
The memorandum requires Iran to reaffirm that it will not develop or acquire nuclear weapons.
It also states that Tehran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium will, at a minimum, be diluted under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency, while broader nuclear issues will be negotiated as part of a final agreement.
In return, Washington has committed to beginning the removal of its naval blockade immediately and fully ending it within 30 days.
The US has also pledged to issue waivers allowing exports of Iranian crude oil and petroleum products and to make frozen Iranian funds available for use.
The agreement further states that the US will work with regional partners on a reconstruction and economic development package for Iran worth at least $300 billion, with details to be negotiated over the coming weeks.
The Strait of Hormuz will be reopened to commercial shipping without charges for an initial 60-day period. Iran has also committed to ensuring the safe passage of commercial vessels and removing military and technical obstacles affecting navigation.
The memorandum says that, pending a final agreement, Iran will maintain the current status of its nuclear programme, while the US will refrain from imposing new sanctions or deploying additional forces to the region.
US officials dictated draft language to journalists after days of secrecy. Iranian state television later released text that largely matched the version provided by Washington.
Though officials had previously indicated that Trump and Vice President JD Vance digitally signed the agreement on Sunday and that a ceremonial signing would be held in Switzerland on Friday, a US official said Trump formally signed the deal while attending an event at Versailles on Wednesday.
The official also said Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed the agreement the same day, although Tehran did not immediately comment.
“It’s signed,” Trump said as he left Versailles, where he had dined with French President Emmanuel Macron following a trip to the G7 summit in France.
The full text of the memorandum has not been formally published, but both sides say it is intended as the first step towards a binding final agreement.
Under the deal, negotiations on unresolved issues will begin immediately, with any final settlement expected to be endorsed by a United Nations Security Council resolution.
Additional reporting from PA