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Published : 19 Jun 2026, 01:19 PM
The United States has lifted its naval blockade of Iran after both sides signed a deal to end the war in West Asia, the BBC reports.
US Central Command confirmed on X that the blockade had been withdrawn “in accordance with the President’s direction”, while some vessels would stay in the general area, the British broadcaster said.
Soon after, Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said he had approved the agreement despite holding a “different view”, without elaborating.
He said he agreed to move ahead after receiving assurances from President Masoud Pezeshkian that the rights of the Iranian nation would be protected.
Mojtaba said US President Donald Trump had used “all kinds of leverage” out of desperation to force the deal.
He also said face-to-face negotiations between Tehran and Washington would continue in future, but warned that this would not mean accepting the enemy’s position.
The BBC said this was the first public response from Mojtaba since the agreement was reached.
He has not appeared in public since taking office in March after the killing of his father and predecessor Ali Khamenei during the Feb 28 US-Israeli strikes on Iran that triggered the regional war.
Trump did not respond directly to the supreme leader’s remarks but wrote on Truth Social that he expected a ceasefire to take hold “on all fronts”, including between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The deal contains 14 core points, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz, preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, and setting up a $300 billion fund for Iran’s reconstruction and economic development, though the US is not required to contribute.
It also commits both sides to reaching a final settlement within a maximum of 60 days, with room for extension by mutual agreement.
The official signing ceremony had been due in Switzerland on Friday, but mediator Pakistan told the BBC it had been cancelled because the agreement had already been signed remotely.
Delegations from both countries are still expected to meet there for technical talks.
The White House said Vice-President JD Vance would not travel immediately, although he earlier said he may head to Switzerland for further negotiations.
Speaking at the White House, Vance said the deal was already in effect and Iran would receive no funds or sanctions relief unless it fulfilled its obligations.
He said the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) required Iran to destroy its stockpile of enriched uranium and prove it would stop funding proxy groups in the region.
Trump’s move to end the war has drawn criticism in Washington, especially from Republicans unhappy with the reconstruction fund.
Republican Senator Bill Cassidy described it as the worst foreign policy blunder in decades, arguing Iran’s nuclear ambitions had not been contained.
Vance also hit back at critics in the cabinet of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying they should “wake up and smell the reality”.
In an interview with the New York Times, he singled out Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich as critics of the deal.
Netanyahu later stressed the importance of close ties with Washington, saying the US had stood “shoulder to shoulder” with Israel during the war.
Despite the agreement, Israel and Hezbollah have continued trading strikes, with attacks in Lebanon on Thursday reportedly killing three people.
Israel has said its conflict with Hezbollah remains separate from the war with Iran, while Hezbollah has rejected the terms of the US-Iran agreement.
Vance said Israel would have to respect the peace process with Iran, adding that strikes on civilians in Beirut were “not acceptable”.
