US-Iran Deal Promises End to War but How it Will Work Remains Unclear
Article 0 Comments Doubts swirled around the U.S.-Iran interim deal to end the war in the Middle East as shippers said it could take weeks for confidence to return after any reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and fundamental questions remained unanswered. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the deal to halt the conflict between the U.S. and Iran was “done” and going to a second stage, although details have yet to be made public and both countries say a permanent truce is yet to be negotiated. The interim agreement would extend a tenuous ceasefire announced in April by another 60 days and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively blocked since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in February. Negotiators would address difficult issues like the future of Iran’s nuclear program during the next phase of talks, which Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said would start in Switzerland on Friday after the formal signing of the framework deal. Two other issues that Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used to justify the war – ending Iran’s support for regional armed proxies and curbing its missile program – are not thought to be on the...