US, Iran reach peace deal; Strait of Hormuz set to reopen after months of fighting

📌 Summary:

• The US and Iran agreed to end nearly four months of conflict (war began February 28); Washington will lift its naval blockade and reopen the Strait of Hormuz
• Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif announced the breakthrough; formal signing set for Friday, June 19 in Switzerland; Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye credited for mediation
• Iran confirmed an immediate, permanent halt to operations on all fronts (including Lebanon), with a further 60 days of talks toward a comprehensive settlement; Tehran reserves the right to respond to violations
• Strait of Hormuz handled roughly a fifth of global oil and gas shipments before the war; Iranian media say the strait reopens for an initial 30-day period under Iranian arrangements while the US lifts curbs on Iranian oil sales
• The deal does not address Iran's nuclear programme — deferred to the 60-day follow-on talks (analysts doubt the timeline, noting the 2015 JCPOA took years)
• A complication: an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's Dahiyeh (3 killed) targeting Hezbollah threatened to derail signing; Trump criticised the strike

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 IR — West Asia geopolitics, energy security and the maritime chokepoint of Hormuz; implications for India's oil/fertiliser imports and seafarers.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman; carried ~20% of global oil and gas trade pre-war
• Signing scheduled June 19, 2026 in Switzerland; mediators: Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Pakistan
• 2015 nuclear deal = JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action)

🔑 Key Term: Chokepoint — a narrow, strategically critical maritime passage (like Hormuz) whose closure can disrupt global trade and energy flows.