US Central Command confirmed the end of the blockade on X, stating that some US vessels would remain ‘in the general area’ following the order.

Khamenei Approves the Deal Despite Disagreement

Soon after the blockade was lifted, Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said he had approved the deal with the US despite having a ‘different view’; he did not elaborate on his stance but indicated that he allowed the agreement to proceed after assurances from Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Khamenei said President Trump had ‘out of desperation, used all kinds of tap into’ to bring the deal about.

Future Negotiations and Khamenei’s Public Absence

The supreme leader noted that while there would be ‘in-person negotiations in the future’ between Tehran and Washington, this ‘will not mean acceptance of the enemy’s position’. This is the first time Khamenei has responded to the agreement.

Khamenei has not been seen in public since taking office in March following the killing of his father and predecessor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the 28 February US-Israeli strikes on Iran that sparked the regional war.

Trump’s Response and the Details of the Agreement

Trump did not directly respond to Khamenei’s statement but posted on Truth Social that he expects a ceasefire to take effect ‘on all fronts’, including between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon. He also expects countries in the Middle East to ‘maintain their commitment to allowing our negotiations’ to take place.

The US-Iran deal includes 14 core points. Among these are the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a requirement that Iran should never have a nuclear weapon, and a commitment to a $300bn (£227bn) fund for the ‘reconstruction and economic development’ of the country. However, the US is not required to contribute to this fund.

Both sides are bound to achieve a final deal within a ‘maximum’ of 60 days, with the possibility of an extension by mutual consent — the official signing ceremony had been set to take place in Switzerland on Friday but was cancelled because the deal had already been signed remotely.

US and Iranian representatives are still expected to meet in Switzerland for further talks; a White House spokesperson said on Thursday evening that US Vice-President JD Vance would not be departing for Switzerland tonight.

Vance had earlier told reporters that the deal had come into effect, triggering the 60-day period for further talks, though he indicated that he would likely head to Switzerland for ‘technical negotiations’ but did not confirm a specific timeline. He also mentioned that Iran is ‘not an easy country to get out of’ and that the US is ‘trying to figure out exactly when that was going to happen’.

The White House spokesperson added that the US is ‘looking forward to beginning technical talks as soon as possible’.

Criticism and Reactions to the Deal

Trump’s decision to end the war with Iran has faced criticism in the US, including from Republicans who are dismayed by the terms of the deal, particularly the provision of a reconstruction fund for Iran. Republican Senator Bill Cassidy described the agreement as the ‘worst foreign policy blunder in decades’, noting that Iran’s nuclear ambitions were not curbed and that the country has learned that threatening the Strait of Hormuz is effective.

Vance defended the deal on Thursday. Stating that Iran will not receive money or sanctions relief unless it meets obligations set out in the agreement. He said the deal, known as the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), requires Iran to destroy its stockpile of enriched uranium and show it will not fund proxy groups in the region.

Vance also criticized members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet for their criticism of the Iran deal. He said they should ‘wake up and smell the reality’ and noted that they should not be attacking their only powerful ally left in the world.

In an interview with the New York Times, Vance named Israel’s national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich as critics of the deal. He said: ‘I guess my response to them would be – what is your exact proposal? You’re a country of nine million people. You can’t just kill your way out of solving every single national security problem that you have.’

Netanyahu emphasized the importance of maintaining Israel’s close ties with the US on Thursday, stating that Washington had stood ‘shoulder to shoulder’ with the country during the war with Iran. However, both Israel and Hezbollah have carried out strikes against each other since the US-Iran agreement was announced, including strikes reported in Lebanon on Thursday that killed three people.

Israel argues its conflict against Hezbollah is separate from its war on Iran. Hezbollah has also rejected the terms of the deal between Iran and the US. Vance told reporters that Israel would have to respect the peace process with Iran, which he said was good for them. He added that attacks in Lebanon’s capital Beirut that kill civilians are ‘not acceptable’.