{"id":127843,"date":"2026-06-18T18:42:22","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T13:42:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/?p=127843"},"modified":"2026-06-18T18:42:22","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T13:42:22","slug":"pm-says-us-iran-have-signed-deal-electronically-iran-to-instantly-reopen-hormuz-us-to-immediately-lift-blockade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127843\/","title":{"rendered":"PM says US, Iran have signed deal electronically; Iran to &#8216;instantly&#8217; reopen Hormuz, US to &#8216;immediately&#8217; lift blockade"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">(National Times)- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said early on Thursday that the \u2018Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding\u2019 (MoU) between the United States and Iran had been signed electronically by both sides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe memorandum has been signed by honourable presidents of both the countries and also endorsed by me as the mediator. The signing of this agreement at the highest level of the respective governments demonstrates the commitment of both sides to a diplomatic resolution of the conflict,\u201d he said in a post on the social media platform X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He added that the MoU shall \u201center into force with immediate effect and as a first step, Islamic Republic of Iran will instantly reopen the Strait of Hormuz and the United States of America will immediately lift the naval blockade\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">US President Donald Trump put his signature to the memorandum of understanding during a candlelit dinner at the Palace of Versailles following a G7 summit, as host French President Emmanuel Macron and other guests applauded, a video posted by a Trump aide showed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cJust signed it,\u201d Trump told reporters as he emerged from the palace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, quoted by the state news agency&nbsp;<em>IRNA<\/em>, said the document \u201cwas finalised with the signatures of the presidents\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later, the Prime Minister\u2019s Office posted on X a video of PM Shehbaz also signing the MoU as a \u201cmediator\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">PM Shehbaz\u2019s post on X initially stated that Pakistan, with the support of Qatar, would host the official ceremony as scheduled on June 19 in Switzerland, to \u201ccommemorate this landmark event and commence with the technical level talks\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, this was later removed while Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told&nbsp;<em>IRIB\u2019s<\/em>&nbsp;\u2018News Network\u2019 that, because the two presidents had already digitally signed the agreement, \u201cNo signing ceremony will be held in Switzerland\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Swiss government said on Thursday that initial talks between the US and Iran were planned at the Buergenstock mountaintop resort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/2008730\/pm-says-us-iran-have-signed-deal-electronically-iran-to-instantly-reopen-hormuz-us-to-immediately-lift-blockade#peace-only-path-to-progress\"><\/a>\u2018Peace only path to progress\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his post on X, PM Shehbaz offered his congratulations to Trump, saying his \u201csteadfast commitment to diplomacy and preference for peaceful resolution have once again helped end a conflict that could have led to devastating consequences for the region and beyond\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He also commended the dedication and efforts of the US team, including Vice President JD Vance, special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for their \u201cinvaluable contributions to this achievement\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">PM Shehbaz also expressed his respect and appreciation for Iran\u2019s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian for their \u201cwisdom, foresight and statesmanship in embracing the cause of peace\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI also wish to recognise the efforts of the Iranian negotiating team, including Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Abbas Araghchi and Eskandar Momeni, whose patience, perseverance and commitment to constructive engagement were instrumental in bringing this agreement to fruition,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">PM Shehbaz also acknowledged the efforts and engagement of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt. He also made special mention of Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, saying his \u201ctireless efforts, selfless dedication and instrumental role were critical in facilitating this breakthrough and advancing the cause of peace and regional stability\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMay this MoU serve as an enduring foundation for greater understanding, mutual respect and shared prosperity for the complete region,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Separately, President Asif Ali Zardari warmly welcomed the signing of the MoU, describing it as an historic moment for the region and the world, according to a statement issued by the President\u2019s Secretariat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIn his message, the president said that the conflict which began in February 2026 inflicted immense suffering upon the peoples of the region and caused severe disruption to global energy supplies, trade and economic stability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe expressed hope that such a tragedy would never be repeated and that the nations of the region would now devote their energies to development, prosperity and the well-being of their peoples,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Zardari paid tribute to PM Shehbaz, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, CDF Munir and Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi for their \u201ctireless diplomatic efforts that contributed significantly to bringing the parties to an agreement\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe noted that Pakistan had played a principled, balanced and constructive role throughout the crisis, consistently calling for dialogue, restraint and a peaceful resolution of disputes while maintaining engagement with all parties concerned,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Zardari also appreciated the leadership of Trump, the Iranian supreme leader, the Iranian president and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi for \u201censuring a diplomatic resolution of the conflict and advancing the cause of peace\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He also acknowledged the support of brotherly nations, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, T\u00fcrkiye and Egypt, as well as Russia and China, whose \u201cefforts and encouragement of dialogue contributed to the pursuit of peace\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He called upon all parties to implement the MoU fully and expedite efforts to reach the final agreement within the stipulated timeframe to ensure lasting peace and progress. He expressed the hope that this MoU would serve as the foundation for a durable and comprehensive peace in the region, enabling nations to focus on economic development, energy cooperation and the advancement of their peoples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWar brings nothing but destruction and misery. Peace is the only path to progress,\u201d the president was quoted as saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPakistan will continue to stand in solidarity with all brotherly nations of the region in their collective journey towards peace and prosperity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The deal aims to draw a line under the war launched February 28 by the United States and Israel, prompting Iran to counterattack with missile and drone salvos across the region \u2014 and effectively shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for the world economy. The US responded by blocking shipping to and from Iranian ports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/2008644\/us-official-unveils-14-point-iran-agreement-to-halt-conflict-and-reopen-strait-of-hormuz\">&nbsp;text of the deal<\/a>, Washington also commits to immediately waive oil sanctions crippling Iran\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And once a final agreement is reached on the Islamic republic\u2019s nuclear programme, the US will also facilitate the release of a $300 billion reconstruction fund supported by regional nations, the deal says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under the deal released by US officials, Iran will dilute its enriched uranium stocks, possibly by \u201cdown-blending on site under the supervision of the IAEA\u201d \u2014 the UN\u2019s nuclear watchdog.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>(National Times)- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said early on Thursday that the \u2018Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding\u2019 (MoU) between the United States and Iran had been signed electronically by both sides. \u201cThe memorandum has been signed by honourable presidents of both the countries and also endorsed by me as the mediator. The signing of this agreement [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":127844,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-127843","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest_news","entry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>PM says US, Iran have signed deal electronically; Iran to &#039;instantly&#039; reopen Hormuz, US to &#039;immediately&#039; lift blockade - Nation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127843\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"PM says US, Iran have signed deal electronically; Iran to &#039;instantly&#039; reopen Hormuz, US to &#039;immediately&#039; lift blockade - Nation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"(National Times)- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said early on Thursday that the \u2018Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding\u2019 (MoU) between the United States and Iran had been signed electronically by both sides. \u201cThe memorandum has been signed by honourable presidents of both the countries and also endorsed by me as the mediator. The signing of this agreement [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127843\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Nation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-18T13:42:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Untitled-design-4-24.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"670\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"370\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"humza Jahangir\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"humza Jahangir\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127843\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127843\/\",\"name\":\"PM says US, Iran have signed deal electronically; Iran to 'instantly' reopen Hormuz, US to 'immediately' lift blockade - Nation\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127843\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127843\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Untitled-design-4-24.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-18T13:42:22+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/#\/schema\/person\/27efa35fa76e99f3ad7e7397d7332c16\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127843\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127843\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127843\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Untitled-design-4-24.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Untitled-design-4-24.png\",\"width\":670,\"height\":370},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127843\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"PM says US, Iran have signed deal electronically; Iran to &#8216;instantly&#8217; reopen Hormuz, US to &#8216;immediately&#8217; lift blockade\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/\",\"name\":\"Nation\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/#\/schema\/person\/27efa35fa76e99f3ad7e7397d7332c16\",\"name\":\"humza Jahangir\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/43feedd99bd6a90080d1621b7e6604364acb673ee979d3ffe5075557c14c68b9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/43feedd99bd6a90080d1621b7e6604364acb673ee979d3ffe5075557c14c68b9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"humza Jahangir\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/author\/humza\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"PM says US, Iran have signed deal electronically; Iran to 'instantly' reopen Hormuz, US to 'immediately' lift blockade - Nation","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127843\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"PM says US, Iran have signed deal electronically; Iran to 'instantly' reopen Hormuz, US to 'immediately' lift blockade - Nation","og_description":"(National Times)- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said early on Thursday that the \u2018Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding\u2019 (MoU) between the United States and Iran had been signed electronically by both sides. \u201cThe memorandum has been signed by honourable presidents of both the countries and also endorsed by me as the mediator. 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