Main PointsUS and Iranian officials say they have reached a permanent agreement to end their war The plan includes the immediate reopening of the Strait of HormuzOil prices, which have risen more than 50 per cent since the US and Israel attacked Iran, fell sharply on the news Donald Trump also said in a social media post that he had ordered the end of the US blockade of Iranian portsIn a statement, the secretariat of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, would end permanently from Monday nightThere was no immediate reaction to the announcement from Israel Key Reads
Ronan McGreevy – 25 minutes ago
Starmer describes Iran deal as ‘important step forward’
British prime minister Keir Starmer has welcomed the US-Iran deal.
He described it as a “hugely important step forward” in ending the war and ensuring regional stability.
“I congratulate president Trump and the mediators from Pakistan, Qatar and elsewhere who have contributed to the breakthrough.
“We have long urged de-escalation and this is the progress we have hoped to see.
“We are clear that toll-free freedom of navigation must now be restored in the Strait of Hormuz, to begin easing the severe economic impacts that have been felt for several months – on families here in the UK and around the world”.
Ronan McGreevy – 57 minutes ago
McEntee welcomes ceasefire deal
Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee welcomed the announcement of a deal between the US and Iran.
She added in a statement: “I hope there can now be a full engagement by all involved to implement this agreement, address all issues including Iran’s nuclear programme, and achieve a just and lasting peace across the region.
“Reopening the Strait to international shipping would bring much-needed relief to the global economy.
“The situation in Lebanon is deeply concerning and must also be addressed.”
The issues surrounding the ceasefire will be addressed later today at a meeting in Luxembourg of EU foreign ministers.
Nella notte abbiamo già espresso, insieme a Francia, Germania e Regno Unito, il nostro forte apprezzamento per il memorandum d’intesa siglato da Stati Uniti e Iran nelle scorse ore.
Un grazie sentito va a tutti i mediatori, e in particolare al Qatar e al Pakistan, che hanno reso…
— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) June 15, 2026
Ronan McGreevy – 1 hour ago
Von der Leyen: ‘clear lessons’ to be learned on energy dependency
EU president Ursula von der Leyen has welcomed the agreement but says “the priority now is its swift and full implementation by all parties”.
She called the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz describing freedom of navigation as “essential for regional stability and the global economy”.
She added that there can be peace in Europe while Lebanon “is in flames”.
“Once again Europe calls on all parties to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and implement a genuine ceasefire,” von der Leyen added
Von der Leyen goes on to say that European leaders who will be at the G7 this week in France will discuss the issue.
There are “clear lessons”, she stated on X that energy dependencies have been weaponised.
“We must diversify our supply routes and develop alternative export corridors to diversify away from the bottleneck of Hormuz. We will discuss this, and more, in Evian.”
Ronan McGreevy – 1 hour ago
EU leaders welcome framework agreement
This morning, we’ve had more European reaction to news of the framework agreement between the US and Iran.
António Costa, president of the European Council, says the world is looking “forward to an end to this costly war”.
Writing on X, he adds the “weapons must now fall silent and outstanding differences must be resolved by peaceful means”.
The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, describes the framework deal as “a potential breakthrough”.
She says the agreement can “give much needed space for deeper negotiations”.
בוקר קשה לישראל.
הבוקר אזרחי ישראל מתעוררים להסכם בין ארצות הברית לאיראן שנעשה מעל ראשה של ישראל.
באיבחת חתימה אחת נמחקו הישגים צבאיים אדירים שהושגו באומץ לבם של טייסינו ובדם לוחמינו, בזמן שנתניהו עמד מן הצד – חלש, חולה, מבודד וחסר השפעה.
טראמפ חותם על הסכם שמזרים מיליארדים…
— Yair Golan – יאיר גולן (@YairGolan1) June 15, 2026
Ronan McGreevy – 1 hour ago
‘The most American thing I’ve seen’
As the world sought detail of the US-Iran deal, Donald Trump himself was celebrating his 80th birthday in unusual style: with a UFC fight card on the White House Lawn.
Keith Duggan, our Washington correspondent, reports on the spectacle.
“They shot off fireworks behind the Monument singing Born In the USA,” one attendee told him amid soupy DC summer weather. “Just the most American thing I’ve seen.”
Ronan McGreevy – 2 hours ago
Markets respond
Share markets and bonds rallied hard in Asia on Monday and oil prices tumbled as the tentative peace deal between the United States and Iran promised to ease inflationary pressures globally and lessen the need for higher interest rates.
In Europe, Eurostoxx 50 futures and Dax futures both rose 1.7 per cent, while British FTSE futures added 0.7 per cent.
In the US, the benchmark S&P 500’s futures climbed 1.2 per cent, while Nasdaq futures jumped 1.9 per cent amid a general surge in risk assets.
Oil also responded. Markets had already priced in a likely deal but the confirmation was enough to send Brent crude, the global index price, falling 4.7 per cent to $83.24 a barrel, well away from its May peak of $126.41. -Reuters
Ronan McGreevy – 2 hours ago
Israel’s response
The agreement was sealed despite an Israeli strike on Lebanon on Sunday that drew criticism from both Iran and Trump.
There was no immediate reaction to the announcement from Israel, which has said it was not party to the US-Iran talks.
Prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu has differed with Trump over American demands that Israel curb its military action in Lebanon to allow the United States to reach a deal with Iran.
Israel has said it will retain freedom of operations in Lebanon, while Iran has made a full ceasefire there an important component of its demands.
Trump updated Netanyahu on the progress toward a peace deal during a phone call on Sunday, Israel’s N12 reported, citing a senior official.
In an interview with the New York Times, Trump called Netanyahu “a very difficult guy” and argued the Israeli leader should thank him for saving Israel from a nuclear-armed Iran.
Leaders outside the Middle East, who have kept a wary eye on the conflict, welcomed the announcement.
In a joint statement, Britain, Germany, France and Italy said they were prepared to lift sanctions on Iran in response to “clear, verifiable steps” to limit its nuclear programme. – Reuters
Ronan McGreevy – 2 hours ago
Deal announced
Welcome to The Irish Times’ resumed live coverage of the Iran deal announced on Sunday that aims to end months of war in the Middle East.
US and Iranian officials both said they had reached an agreement to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a preliminary pact that sent oil prices falling but leaves the fate of Tehran’s nuclear programme to further negotiations.
While still a framework, the deal marked the biggest breakthrough towards resolving the conflict that has killed thousands and upended energy markets since it began with joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February.
“The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” US president Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform at around 9.30pm Irish time on Sunday. His post came shortly after Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country has served as a mediator, announced a deal had been struck early on Monday local time.
The memorandum of understanding is scheduled to be officially signed on Friday in Switzerland.
The precise terms were not immediately known. Sharif said in a post on X that the pact called for “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon”.
Lebanon has been a sticking point in negotiations, with Israel and Hizbullah ignoring calls from Trump and others to stop their attacks on each other in recent weeks.
In a statement, the secretariat of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said war and military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, would end permanently starting on Monday night. – Reuters