US Lifts Naval Blockade As Iran Says Trump Acted ‘Out Of Desperation’

The United States has ended its naval blockade of Iran after both countries signed an agreement aimed at bringing the Middle East conflict to an end.

US Central Command announced on X that the blockade had been lifted in line with President Donald Trump’s directive, adding that some American naval vessels would remain in the region.

Shortly after the announcement, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said he approved the agreement despite personally holding a “different view.” He explained that he accepted the deal after receiving assurances from President Masoud Pezeshkian that Iran’s national rights would be protected.

Khamenei accused President Trump of using “all kinds of leverage” out of desperation to secure the agreement. He also stressed that while Tehran and Washington would hold face-to-face negotiations in the future, such talks should not be interpreted as Iran accepting the position of the United States.

The statement marked Khamenei’s first public reaction to the agreement. He has not appeared in public since assuming office in March after his father and predecessor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed during the US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, an event that triggered the regional conflict.

President Trump did not directly respond to Khamenei’s remarks. Instead, he wrote on Truth Social that he expected a ceasefire to take effect “on all fronts,” including between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon. He also expressed hope that countries across the Middle East would uphold their commitments to allow negotiations to continue.

The agreement between Washington and Tehran contains 14 major provisions, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz, ensuring Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon, and establishing a $300 billion (£227 billion) reconstruction and economic development fund for Iran, although the United States is not obligated to finance it.

The deal also commits both countries to reaching a final agreement within a maximum of 60 days, with the option of extending the deadline if both sides agree.

An official signing ceremony had been scheduled to take place in Switzerland on Friday, but Pakistani mediators later confirmed it had been cancelled because the agreement had already been signed remotely. However, US and Iranian officials are still expected to meet in Switzerland for further discussions.

A White House spokesperson said on Thursday evening that Vice President JD Vance would not travel as originally planned. Earlier, Vance confirmed that the agreement had officially taken effect, beginning the 60-day negotiation period, and said he expected to travel to Switzerland for technical talks. However, he declined to specify when, noting that Iran was “not an easy country to get out of.”

The White House added that it was eager to begin technical negotiations as soon as possible.

Trump’s decision to reach an agreement with Iran has faced criticism from some American lawmakers, including members of his own Republican Party. Critics have questioned several aspects of the deal, particularly the creation of a reconstruction fund for Iran.

Republican Senator Bill Cassidy described the agreement as the “worst foreign policy blunder in decades,” arguing that Iran’s nuclear ambitions had not been sufficiently addressed and that Tehran had demonstrated the effectiveness of threatening the Strait of Hormuz.

Vance defended the agreement, insisting that Iran would receive no funding or sanctions relief unless it fulfilled all of its commitments under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). He said Iran must eliminate its stockpile of enriched uranium and prove it will no longer support proxy groups operating across the region.

The vice president also criticised members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet who opposed the agreement, saying they needed to “wake up and smell the reality.”

Speaking to reporters, Vance argued that Israel should avoid attacking its strongest ally, the United States. In an interview with The New York Times, he specifically identified Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich as opponents of the agreement. He questioned what alternative they proposed, saying military action alone could not resolve every national security challenge.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu reaffirmed the importance of Israel’s alliance with the United States, saying Washington had stood “shoulder to shoulder” with Israel throughout the conflict with Iran.

Despite the agreement, hostilities have continued between Israel and Hezbollah. Both sides have carried out fresh strikes since the deal was announced, including Israeli attacks in Lebanon on Thursday that reportedly killed three people.

Israel has maintained that its conflict with Hezbollah is separate from its war with Iran, while Hezbollah has rejected the terms of the US-Iran agreement.

Vance said Israel must respect the ongoing peace process with Iran, adding that attacks on civilians in Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, were “not acceptable.”