The US lifted its naval blockade of Iran after the two sides signed a deal to end the war in the Middle East, and Mojtaba Khamenei then said he had approved the agreement despite having a different view. The move immediately set off a 60-day clock for further talks and left some US vessels in the general area.
Khamenei said this was the first time he had responded to the agreement, making his comments the clearest public sign yet of how the deal was forced through the top of Iran's system. He said he allowed it to go ahead only after Masoud Pezeshkian gave assurances that he would protect the rights of the Iranian nation.
The agreement matters now because it has already changed the military picture and the diplomatic one at the same time. US Central Command said the end of the blockade was carried out in accordance with the President's direction, while JD Vance said the deal had come into effect and that he would likely head to Switzerland for technical negotiations. The White House said it was looking forward to beginning those talks as soon as possible.
The deal also sets out the issues still hanging over Tehran and Washington. It includes the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a commitment that Iran should never have a nuclear weapon, and a $300bn fund for reconstruction and economic development, without any requirement for the United States to contribute. It binds both sides to try to reach a final deal within 60 days, a period that can be extended if both sides agree.
But Khamenei's public backing came with a warning that undercuts the appearance of a clean breakthrough. He said Donald Trump had, out of desperation, used all kinds of leverage to bring the deal about, and that future in-person negotiations would not mean acceptance of the enemy's position. That matters because he had not been seen in public since March, when he took office after the killing of his father and predecessor in the 28 February US-Israeli strikes on Iran, so his first response to the agreement also reads as an attempt to show control.
The signing ceremony had been set for Friday in Switzerland, but Mediator Pakistan said it was cancelled because the deal had already been signed remotely. US and Iranian representatives are still expected to meet there, and Trump said on Truth Social that he expects a ceasefire to take effect on all fronts and that countries in the Middle East should maintain their commitment to allowing the negotiations to continue. The next test is whether the remote signature and the first wave of headlines can turn into a final deal before the 60-day period runs out.
