Iran says ending Lebanon war is key to US peace deal

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday that ending the war in Lebanon is the most important issue in the peace deal reached with the United States a day earlier.

He spoke during a briefing with foreign diplomats broadcast on state television.

What did Iran's foreign minister say about the deal

Araghchi said the agreement involves two sides: the United States and Israel on one, Iran and Hezbollah on the other.

He called the deal's central goal an immediate and permanent end to fighting on all fronts, including Lebanon. Talks on a final nuclear agreement are likely to start Friday at a location yet to be determined.

When will the Strait of Hormuz reopen

Ships have resumed moving through the Strait of Hormuz, and President Trump said the route would be fully open by Friday. Iranian media reported three oil tankers and two cargo ships passed through the area Monday evening. Iran had blockaded the strait since the war began, driving oil prices higher and stoking inflation fears.

The deal triggered a rally in global markets. The Dow hit a record high, and crude prices dropped nearly 5%.

Where and when will the US-Iran deal be signed

The US, Iran, and mediator Pakistan said the agreement is set to be signed Friday in Switzerland.

A senior US official said Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf had already signed the text electronically. Trump said at the G7 summit in France that the document would likely be released soon.

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the deal marks an immediate end to the war, with a final agreement expected within two months.

Iran's military called it a victory, and President Masoud Pezeshkian described it as a major achievement for the region. Araghchi struck a more cautious tone, citing a history of broken commitments.

What are the terms of the US-Iran nuclear deal

Details remain unclear. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Washington had committed to releasing frozen Iranian funds and compensating Tehran for wartime damage.

Iran's Mehr news agency reported the US would release $12 billion in frozen assets before talks begin.

Vance told Fox News that no US taxpayer money would go to Iran under the deal.

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Baqaei said Tehran would seek UN Security Council ratification once a final nuclear agreement is reached, a process likely to be contentious given US demands over Iran's enriched uranium stockpile.

Trump told The New York Times that negotiators are still deciding whether Iran would suspend uranium enrichment for 20 years, suggesting he might accept 15.

Vance told NBC that US and UN inspectors will be allowed into Iran, with the International Atomic Energy Agency helping dismantle Iran's highly enriched stockpile. Baqaei added that Iran would charge maritime service fees, not tolls, for ships using Hormuz.

Is Israel still fighting in Lebanon?

Baqaei said Washington must ensure Israel halts its operations in Lebanon under the deal.

Lebanon was drawn into the war in early March when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel following the killing of Iran's supreme leader, prompting Israeli airstrikes and a ground invasion.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said forces would remain in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza as long as necessary. He said the war with Iran had protected Israel from the threat of nuclear destruction, though Israeli political figures criticized the deal from multiple sides.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun welcomed the agreement in a call with Araghchi, calling it a step toward easing tensions. Lebanese state media later reported the first deadly strike since the deal was announced, saying an Israeli attack in southern Lebanon killed one person.

Hezbollah thanked Iran for insisting Lebanon be included in the agreement and said it had repelled an Israeli advance in the south.