U.S.-Iran war – A U.S.-Iran agreement to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz is emerging, with President Donald Trump saying it is “largely negotiated.” While a fragile ceasefire has held since April 7, the draft terms point to ending Israel–Hezbollah fighting, gradua
For the third time since the fighting began, the Strait of Hormuz became a measure of how quickly a deal can move—or stall.
Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump said a U.S.-Iran agreement to end the war had been “largely negotiated.” But the hard part isn’t the words on a draft. It’s when the different pieces of the agreement would actually start working. and how they would be enforced once the politics hit the real world.
The talks come after calls Trump made with allies in the Middle East, including a separate call with Israel. Two regional officials and a U.S. official briefed on the negotiations—speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions—described what the emerging deal could cover and what is still missing.
The war would end
The conflict began less than three months ago, after the U.S. and Israel launched the war with attacks on Iran that killed senior officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran has insisted that any deal must focus on ending the fighting on all fronts, including Lebanon.
In Lebanon, the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group has been fighting Israel since two days into the war. A fragile ceasefire has held since April 7. but a full end to the war would ease concerns across a region that saw Gulf havens and travel hubs—including the United Arab Emirates—struck by Iranian missiles and drones.
It would also matter to global markets directly: global shipping, including an estimated 20% of the world’s oil and natural gas, would be able to begin flowing through the Strait of Hormuz again. The region would also have a pathway to rebuilding energy and other infrastructure.
Under the draft deal described by both regional officials. the agreement would include an end to the war between Israel and Hezbollah. along with a commitment not to interfere in the domestic affairs of countries in the region. including Iran. The officials described that as a critical reference to Iran’s support for proxies—named in the reporting as the Houthi rebels in Yemen. Hamas militants in Gaza. and Shiite armed groups in Iraq.
A point of friction remains. One regional official said the U.S. wants Israel to have a free hand to respond to what it views as threats in Lebanon while Iran rejects it. A U.S. official said the deal would guarantee Israel’s right to act against imminent threats in self-defense.
The Strait of Hormuz would reopen gradually
Even before negotiators could focus on ceasefire timelines, the Strait of Hormuz pressure became urgent. Iran’s nuclear program and missile program—and Tehran’s support for armed proxies—were the stated reasons the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran. But Tehran’s retaliatory control of the strait quickly became the top global concern. as hundreds of ships carrying oil. natural gas. fertilizer. and other supplies were stranded.
The emerging agreement described by the regional officials would reopen the strait gradually and in parallel with the U.S. ending the blockade of Iran’s ports that began on April 17. That blockade has limited Iran’s ability to ship its oil and bring in cash for an economy described as long-suffering.
The officials also described sanctions relief as part of a staged process. One of the officials, briefed on the negotiations, said the U.S. would allow Iran to sell its oil through sanctions waivers. That official said sanctions relief and the release of Iran’s billions of dollars in frozen funds would be negotiated during a 60-day period.
Iran would give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium
The nuclear issue sits at the center of how the U.S. and Israel justify their actions and how the negotiations are likely to be judged.
Iran’s nuclear program and international concerns about a possible pursuit of a nuclear weapon have underlain months of escalating tension, including consideration of highly complex military operations to take out Iran’s highly enriched uranium.
In the potential deal described by the regional officials, Tehran would agree to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. One official with direct knowledge of the negotiations said how Iran would give it up would be subject to further talks over the same 60-day period.
Some of the material would likely be diluted, and the rest transferred to a third country, potentially Russia, the official said. Russia has offered to take it.
The U.S. official confirmed the 60-day period and said if Iran does not give up its stockpile, there will be no sanctions relief.
The reported uranium figure is precise. Iran has 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60% purity, described in the reporting as a short technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful, and it insists it has an “inalienable” right to nuclear technology. On Sunday, President Masoud Pezeshkian told state TV that they were ready “to assure the world that we are not after a nuclear weapon.”
Trump, for his part, posted on social media Sunday that “our relationship with Iran is becoming a much more professional and productive one. They must understand, however, that they cannot develop or procure a Nuclear Weapon or Bomb.”
What appears to be missing
Not every core issue has shown up in the descriptions of the emerging deal.
Other issues were not mentioned, including the status of Iran’s uranium enrichment. Another is Iran’s missile program, which Israel in particular has sought to destroy.
The reporting also pointed to a political omission. While the U.S. and Israel entered the war with stated ambitions of seeing Iranians rise up against their government after nationwide protests early in the year, any discussion of leadership change in Tehran appeared to be out of the picture.
As negotiations move toward a 60-day window for sanctions relief and uranium steps, the reporting also said there appears to be no mention of any withdrawal of U.S. forces from the region, or for reparations for the damage the war has caused.
The sequence now looks simple on paper: cease hostilities. reopen a chokepoint. unwind a blockade. and trade sanctions relief for nuclear steps. But the missing pieces—missiles. enrichment status. and bigger political questions—leave the picture incomplete. and they help explain why Trump’s “largely negotiated” line still doesn’t answer the most urgent question: when does the deal become real for the people and markets waiting on it.
U.S.-Iran deal Donald Trump Iran nuclear program Strait of Hormuz sanctions relief highly enriched uranium Israel Hezbollah ceasefire port blockade Masoud Pezeshkian missile program