The Japan Times - Trump says Hormuz to 'completely open' Friday after US-Iran peace deal

Speaking ahead of a G7 summit in France, Trump said the strait would be "completely open" from Friday, adding that he did not "think we will need much help" on keeping the waterway open.

Trump had said earlier on Truth Social that "ships are starting to move, many loaded up with Oil, out of the Strait of Hormuz".

Iran had blockaded the vital waterway since the start of the war, which began with US-Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic in late February.

News of the deal sparked relief after months of deadly violence and global economic chaos.

The US and mediator Pakistan said the agreement was to be signed on Friday in Switzerland.

A senior US administration official, however, said on Monday that Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Iran's parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf had already electronically signed the deal.

"The president wanted to sign it personally because he wanted to show his... dedication to bring this through to a successful resolution," the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters.

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the deal put an "immediate end" to the war and that they would hold talks to seek a "final agreement" within two months.

Iran's military hailed the agreement as a victory, claiming it had "humiliated" the US and Israel, while President Masoud Pezeshkian said the deal was "a great achievement" for the entire region.

But Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran still holds "deep mistrust" of the US and the framework was "merely a step towards reducing tensions".

- Lebanon -

He said the US must ensure that Israel commits to stopping the war in Lebanon under the deal.

Lebanon was pulled into the Middle East war in early March when Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah launched rocket attacks on Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran's supreme leader, prompting Israeli strikes and a ground invasion.

"The United States must honour its commitments. It must ensure that the Zionist regime also respects its own regarding Lebanon," Baqaei said.

Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz, however, said Israeli forces would remain in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza indefinitely.

Israeli figures across the political spectrum slammed the deal.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun meanwhile expressed hope that the deal would put a "definitive end" to the Israel-Hezbollah conflict.

Hezbollah expressed its "profound gratitude" to Iran for insisting Lebanon be included.

Lebanese state media, meanwhile, reported the first deadly strike since the deal's announcement, saying the Israeli attack in the south killed one person.

- Terms unclear -

The deal follows weeks of fraught negotiations and periodic threats of fresh hostilities, but its details remain unclear.

Baqaei said Washington had "committed" to releasing Iran's frozen funds abroad and compensating it for damages during the war.

Iran's Mehr news agency had earlier reported the US would release $12 billion in frozen assets to Iran before the start of negotiations.

Baqaei said Tehran would seek ratification from the UN Security Council after it negotiates a final agreement covering its nuclear programme with the US.

The details may prove contentious as the US presses its effort to end Tehran's nuclear ambitions and deal with its stockpile of highly enriched uranium -- said to have been buried by US strikes last year.

In an interview with The New York Times on Sunday, Trump said the US was still negotiating whether Iran would suspend its enrichment for 20 years.

He hinted that he might settle for a 15-year suspension, but said he did not want to negotiate via the press.

- 'Lost time' -

Vance said Monday the US expects Iran will not charge tolls on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, but that the issue would be discussed as part of the new peace deal.

Baqaei, meanwhile, said Iran would charge maritime service fees, rather than tolls.

Iraq welcomed the planned reopening of the strait.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the deal a "critical step" toward resolving the war.

Saudi Arabia and Egypt also welcomed the agreement, while Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called it a "historic step towards peace".

The United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy said they were prepared to lift sanctions imposed on Iran.

The announcement also brought relief at market opening on Monday.

But in Tehran, English teacher Arya, 38, said the "agreement was nothing but a loss for the people of Iran".

"Our people will not return to normal; we have only lost time. The greatest outcome of this war was that they came to understand that Trump is not their ally," he said.

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K.Tanaka--JT