US lifts Iran port blockade, uncertainty over planned Switzerland talks
The US lifted its blockade of Iranian ports after President Trump signed a peace deal, triggering a 60-day negotiation period. Uncertainty surrounds talks in Switzerland, as oil prices fall.
The United States on Thursday lifted its naval blockade of Iranian ports that had been imposed during the Middle East war, following President Donald Trump's signing of a deal to end the conflict. The agreement, signed by Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, set in motion a 60-day period for talks on broader issues, including Iran's nuclear program. However, uncertainty remains over the next steps, with it unclear whether the two nations—which have had no diplomatic relations since the 1979 Islamic Revolution—would hold a signing ceremony and talks in Switzerland on Friday as previously announced.
Oil prices tumbled after the deal was inked, though activity in the Strait of Hormuz remained muted. Iran had blockaded the strategic waterway during the conflict, and it is to reopen immediately under the accord. The US military said its warships would remain in the area. Three Saudi oil tankers transited the strait on Thursday, and the first French liquefied natural gas vessel, Mraikh, crossed since the war began. US Vice President JD Vance said he planned to go to Switzerland for "technical negotiations" with Iran "this weekend" rather than Friday, but stressed the plan "could change". Iran's Tasnim agency reported that "nothing has been confirmed" about the Iranian delegation's trip.
The deal is meant to end the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, which saw five weeks of all-out war until a ceasefire in early April. Some in Tehran expressed pessimism about lasting peace. Under the terms, Washington commits to immediately waive oil sanctions crippling Iran's economy. Once a final agreement on Iran's nuclear program is reached, the US will facilitate the release of a $300 billion reconstruction fund. US officials said Iran would dilute its enriched uranium stocks, possibly through on-site down-blending under IAEA supervision. The deal does not mention Iran's ballistic missile program.
Trump's decision to end the war, which killed 13 US service members and consumed vast ammunition stockpiles, has unsettled some allies at home. Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican, called it the "worst foreign policy blunder in decades." Trump, anticipating criticism, said at a G7 summit he was ready to "bomb the hell" out of Iran if it violated the deal. Hardliners in Iran also criticized the accord, but parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf insisted it represented a US "failure," while Pezeshkian called it "historic."
Expert Agnes Lavallois said the Americans "wanted just one thing—the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz" and that other justifications for the war were no longer relevant. The deal specifies that Lebanon should be part of the equation, but it remains unclear whether the Israel-Hezbollah war will be discussed in the next 60 days. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed the importance of maintaining close ties with the US, saying "the struggle is not yet over."
