TRUMP DECLARES IRAN WAR 'OVER', ORDERS HORMUZ REOPENED. THIS TIME MAY BE DIFFERENT

We've heard it all before, but this time there may actually be a deal - whether it gets signed remains a question

President Donald Trump announced Sunday that the war with Iran is over, posting on Truth Social that “the Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete.”

He has said versions of this before. Since February, Trump has declared a deal “finalized,” “imminent,” and set to be signed “tomorrow” — each time, the signing slipped. The ceasefire he announced in April held only unevenly, with both sides striking each other for weeks afterward.

This time, Trump ordered the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz — the route for roughly a fifth of the world’s oil — and the removal of the U.S. naval blockade. “Ships of the World, start your engines,” he wrote. “Let the oil flow!”

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who mediated the talks, announced the deal minutes earlier, saying both sides agreed to “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.”

The announcement came roughly three hours before U.S. forces were set to strike inside Iran. According to two U.S. officials, Navy ships had loaded munitions and received orders before Trump called off the attack.

Iran has not confirmed the timeline. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the signing would not happen on Trump’s schedule, citing caution over “the other side.” The two countries are scheduled to sign electronically, with an in-person ceremony pencilled for Friday, June 19, in Switzerland — though Vice President JD Vance said Sunday night the logistics were still being worked out and he wasn’t certain who would sign.

What’s settled is narrower than “complete” suggests. A 60-day window of further talks is to follow, covering sanctions relief, Iran’s nuclear program, and a monitoring mechanism — none of it resolved.

And the fighting hasn’t fully stopped. Hours before the announcement, Israeli strikes hit the southern suburbs of Beirut. Trump said the strikes complicated the final stage of the deal. Israeli sources told Maariv that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Trump Israel would not consider itself bound by the agreement.

The war began February 28, when the U.S. and Israel bombed Iran.

This is a developing story.