The United States and Iran have reached an interim deal aimed at ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
There are plans for a signing of the deal on Friday in Switzerland. However, previous announcements fell through, and what the deal contained remained in dispute Monday.
Iran exchanged fire with the U.S. and Israel last week, threatening to push the region back into a full-scale war. The war launched by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28 has rattled the region and virtually shut down oil and natural gas shipments from the Persian Gulf. A fragile ceasefire has been in place since April 7.
Here’s what to know:
A 60-day period would address Iran’s nuclear program
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday the terms of dealing with Iran’s nuclear program would be finalized in the 60 days after the initial agreement is signed and that the parties could decide to extend that period.
The U.S. and Israel fear Iran’s nuclear program could lead to an atomic weapon — a main reason their leaders cited for going to war. Tehran has insisted its nuclear program is peaceful, though it has enough highly enriched uranium to build several atomic bombs, should it choose to do so.
A senior U.S. administration official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House, said Friday that the emerging agreement would begin the process of destroying or removing Tehran’s highly enriched uranium. That’s something disputed by Iran, which has insisted it would hold onto its stockpile.
The official said the 60-day period after both sides sign the deal would be used to work out technical details for removing the uranium. The official did not say who the U.S. envisions taking charge of removing the uranium, which is believed to be entombed under three nuclear sites battered by U.S. strikes last year.
The deal may include addressing reopening the Strait of Hormuz
The U.S. official said the emerging agreement includes provisions for reopening the strait.
Araghchi said Iran wants a deal that allows Tehran to charge ships “for services rendered” when they transit the strait. Iran charged vessels for passage during the war, which the U.S. and other nations have said violates international law. The strait long has been considered an international water though it sits in the territorial waters of Iran and Oman.
Transit through the strait, a vital shipping lane for oil and natural gas, has disrupted global energy supplies, driven up fuel prices and made food and other basics like fertilizer more expensive well beyond the region.
The agreement would include Iranian sanctions relief
Three regional officials said the emerging deal was expected to include the phased lifting of sanctions on Iran and the release of frozen Iranian assets. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations.
What will happen to Lebanon remains unclear
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said after the deal had been announced that “both sides have declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.” It remains unclear whether Israel, which relies on the U.S. but has launched in wars against its enemies since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, agreed to that term.
Iran has insisted that any deal must include a ceasefire in Lebanon, where Israel has been fighting the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Friday that Israel could still act independently toward Iran and that the country would not pull out of the zones it is occupying in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza, nor would it withdraw from the northern refugee camps of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
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Weissert reported from Washington and Mednick from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price and Aamer Madhani in Washington and Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, contributed to this report.
