US says it lifts Iran blockade, Tehran says to speed up Hormuz transit

The United States said on Thursday that it had lifted its maritime blockade on Iran, while Tehran announced measures to reopen the Strait of Hormuz following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two countries, marking a significant step towards easing regional tensions.

In a statement released on Thursday, the US Central Command said US forces had ended all maritime interdiction operations targeting vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports and coastal waters.

“All US military blockade enforcement efforts have ceased,” the US Central Command said in a post on X, adding that American naval forces would remain in the region to ensure that all provisions of the agreement are observed and fully implemented.

On the same day, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) announced that it had ordered the expedited processing of requests by vessels seeking passage through the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with the objectives of the newly signed MoU.

The announcement came after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump electronically signed the agreement.

Under the MoU, Iran said ships requesting passage through the strategic waterway will be exempt from transit fees for 60 days, with all associated costs covered by the Iranian government.

The SNSC said vessels must submit passage requests to the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), adding that ships would be required to follow designated routes and schedules to ensure navigational safety. It said maritime traffic through the strait is expected to gradually increase, while technical details for implementation will be announced by the PGSA.

The United States and Iran on Wednesday digitally signed and released a MoU aimed at ending conflicts on multiple fronts, including in Lebanon. The MoU establishes an immediate ceasefire and a 60-day timetable for negotiating a final settlement.

Following the signing of the MoU, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Washington expects a “complete ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, Hezbollah, and Israel,” urging all parties in the Middle East to honor their commitments.

“The United States is committed to PEACE, and we encourage everyone in the Middle East Region to maintain their commitment to allowing our negotiations to beautifully unfold,” Trump wrote.

Read more: Iranian, US presidents sign peace MoU digitally

Read the full text of the 14-point MoU between US and Iran

Israel rejects withdrawal from southern Lebanon

Despite the MoU’s call for “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” Israel is not a signatory to the agreement.

Speaking at an event in Jerusalem on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces would not withdraw from southern Lebanon and would continue maintaining a military presence in what he described as a “security zone” based on Israel’s security needs.

Earlier in the day, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said its troops remained deployed in designated areas approximately 10 kilometers inside southern Lebanon for operational purposes.

Media reports, citing an Israeli official close to Netanyahu, said Israel is engaged in “difficult negotiations” with the United States over the continued deployment of Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.

According to a statement issued Thursday by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, the latest conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has damaged nearly 1% of Lebanon’s territory.

Aoun said more than 3,500 people had been killed, over 11,000 injured, and around one million displaced. Some 68,000 homes were destroyed and 277 towns and villages affected, while damage extended beyond military targets to civilian infrastructure, including roads, schools, hospitals, electricity and water facilities.

Lebanon tensions cloud implementation of agreement

A source familiar with the matter said on Thursday that Iran’s negotiating delegation had postponed its planned trip to Switzerland because of Israel’s continued military operations in southern Lebanon.

The delegation had been preparing to depart to begin the first round of the 60-day negotiations before suspending the trip, the source said.

According to the source, Iran has informed the United States and mediators that developments in Lebanon remain a core component of the negotiations and will directly determine whether talks continue.

The source also said Tehran warned that Israel’s military advance about 10 kilometers into southern Lebanon and its continued strikes constitute a violation of the first article of the MoU.

During an interview on Thursday, US Vice President JD Vance criticized the Israeli government’s reaction to the US-Iran MoU. He called the Israeli government’s criticism over the MoU a “weird panic” and a “freakout” driven by mistrust of the United States.

Vance specifically called out far-right Israeli cabinet ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, telling them, “you can’t just kill your way out of solving every single national security problem you have,” as reported by the New York Times.

During a White House press briefing, Vance stated that Israel’s panic was driven by unjustified distrust and advised Israeli officials against personally attacking the Trump administration, noting that Donald Trump is currently Israel’s only powerful ally on the international stage.

Experts have cautioned that the MoU still remains inherently fragile because it freezes the conflict rather than resolving it, and that Israel could become the biggest source of uncertainty for the agreement’s implementation.