Global support for Iran-US deal grows, push now for implementation

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US President Donald Trump said on Monday that many oil-laden ships are beginning to move out of the Strait of Hormuz.

"Ships are starting to move, many loaded up with Oil, out of the Strait of Hormuz. They are going along the Southern 'Highway,' which is totally safe, secure, and pristine," he wrote in a Truth Social post. 

At the beginning of the cabinet session, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam expressed his hope that "the announcement of a ceasefire reached by the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran will succeed in putting an end to this war and stopping the killing, destruction, displacement, and all other tragedies and pains that have been inflicted on the Lebanese."

"I can only extend sincere thanks to everyone who contributed to reaching this agreement," he added.

"We will redouble efforts through the ongoing negotiations in Washington to secure the complete Israeli withdrawal from our lands and the release of our prisoners," Salam said. "We will intensify efforts with all brothers and friends to secure the requirements for reconstruction."

Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, stressed that respecting Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity is part of the interim agreement with the US.

His statement comes after Israel's Defence Minister, Israel Katz, said that the Israeli military will not pull its forces out of south Lebanon, Gaza or Syria.

Baghaei acknowledged Tehran still holds "deep mistrust" of the United States despite an agreed framework aimed at ending the war.

"Unfortunately, it must be acknowledged that Iran's deep mistrust of the United States stems from a long history of wrongdoing by American leaders," he said.

"The United States still has a long way to go before it can earn the trust of the Iranian people," he added, noting that the framework is "merely a step toward reducing tensions and ending a war".

Late on Sunday, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that, following months of negotiations, the United States and Iran had agreed to a peace deal aimed at ending the war and preventing a wider regional conflict.

The memorandum of understanding, due to be signed in Switzerland on Friday, has been welcomed by governments across the Middle East and beyond as a potential pathway out of a conflict that has killed thousands, disrupted global energy markets and raised fears of a broader regional war.

Yet despite the optimism surrounding the announcement, significant questions remain. The full text of the agreement has not been published, key details are still unclear, and both Washington and Tehran have offered only limited information about what has actually been agreed.

So what do we know so far, and what remains uncertain?

Read more below:

Denmark's Maersk said on Monday it welcomed the agreement announced by the United States and Iran, but that it was too early to assess its impact and that there were no changes yet to the group's operations in the region.

US and Iranian officials said on Sunday they had reached an agreement to end their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, where shipping has been largely paralysed since the outbreak of armed conflict in late February. 

"The announced agreement is a welcome and positive development, but publicly available details are still limited, and it is too early to assess how it will impact logistics and maritime operations," Maersk said in a statement. "At this stage, there are no changes to our operations in the region," the container shipping and logistics company added. 

An official Hezbollah source told Reuters that the organisation has observed the ceasefire.

"We have not carried out operations since the announcement of the agreement between Iran and the US," the official said.

Moreover, he stressed that Hezbollah rejects the Israeli claim of "freedom of movement" in southern Lebanon.

An Israeli artillery strike has been reported near the southern city of Nabatieh.

Moreover, an Israeli drone has been buzzing loudly over Beirut throughout the afternoon.

Lebanon's army urged displaced residents to delay their return to southern border villages, hours after an agreement was announced between Washington and Tehran to end the war, including in Lebanon.

"The army command emphasises the need for residents to delay returning to southern border villages and towns, and to adhere to instructions of the deployed army units, to safeguard their safety from the risk of Israeli violations and attacks," a statement said.

Just like in the UK, the treatment of the Ulm5 Palestine activists shows Germany's growing repression of Palestine solidarity & dissent, writes Hebh Jamal.

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Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi held separate telephone calls with the foreign ministers of Turkey, Iraq and Egypt, during which he discussed the course and contents of the Islamabad understanding.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Araqchi referred in these talks to the United States’ responsibility towards implementing the agreement, stressing "the necessity of a complete cessation of the destabilising attacks launched by the Zionist entity against Lebanon."

The Iranian Foreign Minister also expressed his appreciation for the positions and roles of Turkey, Iraq, and Egypt in supporting the ceasefire, reducing escalation, and advancing diplomatic efforts to achieve stability and security in the region.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said that he followed with interest the announcement of the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran, and the emphasis it included on stopping military actions and escalation in the region, including Lebanon.

Aoun appreciated "the respect included in the memorandum for Lebanese privacy and the acknowledgement that Lebanon's stability and security constitute an integral part of any serious effort to consolidate stability in the region, after the sacrifices and enormous burdens the Lebanese have endured during the past stage."

"The Lebanese people, especially the people of the areas that were subjected to attacks and destruction and lost loved ones, their sources of livelihood, and their homes, are looking forward today to these understandings being transformed into practical steps that put a final end to the cycle of violence, and establish a phase of stability, security, recovery, and reconstruction," he said.

Aoun also thanked all the countries and entities that contributed to the completion of this memorandum, and to everyone who worked to include Lebanon in the efforts aimed at ending the escalation and stopping military actions on various fronts, based on their awareness of the extent of the suffering that the Lebanese people have endured during the past months.

Aoun expressed his hope, saying, "This development constitutes the beginning of a broader path that enhances stability in the region, preserves the sovereignty of states and the rights of their people, and allows the Lebanese to devote themselves to rebuilding what was destroyed and restoring their normal lives under a safe and stable state."

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations has received a report that a container vessel was approached and fired on by a small skiff.

The attack occurred 26km (14 nautical miles) off the southern coast of Yemen with an attempted boarding.

Authorities are investigating, and vessels were advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO.

The United Nations' human rights chief on Monday welcomed the announcement of a peace deal between the United States and Iran, and urged maximum restraint by all sides in the region.

"I welcome the announcement that the United States and Iran have agreed on a peace deal that provides for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and a framework for further negotiations," said human rights chief Volker Tuerk.

"At this fragile moment, it is clear all sides need to exercise maximum restraint and work to implement the agreement reached quickly and in good faith," he added.

Lebanon has not been informed of details of an agreement between the United States and Iran to end the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon, an official source told AFP on Monday.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported intermittent artillery shelling in the country's south on Monday.

"Lebanon was not informed of the terms of the agreement or the time of the ceasefire," the source told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally who acts as an intermediary between the group and the US, praised the deal, thanking the United States and Tehran for their "insistence on including... an essential and binding clause on halting the Israeli aggression on all of Lebanon".

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shebhaz Sharif, whose country has been mediating between Tehran and Washington, said that "both sides have declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon".

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said that "a permanent and immediate end to the war has been declared on all fronts, including Lebanon".

More countries are issuing statements in support of an Iran-US deal.

"China welcomes the agreement... and expresses appreciation for the mediation efforts made by Pakistan," China's foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a news briefing, adding that Beijing hopes the deal would be signed as scheduled.

China "hopes that safe and free passage through the strait will be restored as soon as possible", Lin added.

Meanwhile, Egypt says US-Iran deal could be 'turning point' for regional peace.

And Saudi Arabia welcomed "the agreement reached between the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran to end military operations and initiate detailed negotiations within 60 days to reach a permanent agreement," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on social media.

It also insisted that a lasting peace deal would be one "that takes into consideration the security interests of regional states, sticking to the principle of non-interference in the interior affairs of other countries".

Many towns in southern Lebanon have witnessed, since early hours of Monday, the return of their residents despite the continued Israeli attacks and calls and advice to wait until the picture becomes clearer after the Iranian-American agreement, in light of Israel's declaring its non-commitment to the agreement or withdrawal from Lebanese territory.

The municipalities of Zawtar East and Zawtar West confirmed that "Israeli enemy forces are still in control of the areas they occupied north of the Litani River, which requires exercising the utmost caution and giving priority to public safety until appropriate conditions are available for safe return."

The United States and Iran are to hold indirect meetings in Doha this week ahead of the formal signing of a deal aimed at ending the war, a diplomat told AFP on Monday.

"Separate preparatory meetings with each side will now take place in Doha this week, ahead of the official signing in Switzerland and the start of the technical talks," the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive arrangements.

The source added that Qatari mediators had departed Tehran after "17 hours of intensive negotiations", which began on Sunday and culminated in an agreement.

Defence Minister Israel Katz said that "Prime Minister Netanyahu and I are leading a clear policy that establishes that the IDF will remain in the security zones in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza - indefinitely [...] The territory will be free of local residents. This is the main lesson from the events [...] We oppose the IDF's withdrawal from Lebanon - despite all the existing pressures and those that will come."

According to him, "Netanyahu made this clear to US President Trump and other senior American officials, and I also clarified this yesterday to US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth."

France's president on Monday said that a military mission set up by Paris and Britain to help with Strait of Hormuz traffic was ready to deploy, following the announcement of a deal to end the US-Israeli war on Iran.

His comments came after Washington and Tehran said they reached an agreement to end the war, with a deal to be signed on Friday in Switzerland.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who is due to host US counterpart Donald Trump for a G7 meeting later on Monday, said that the UK-France mission's "assets are in place and ready to be deployed."

"The resumption of maritime traffic, without restrictions or tolls, is an essential condition for regional stability and the global economy," he said in a post on X.

Lebanese official sources welcomed the US-Iranian agreement, expressing their hope that it would be reflected in a complete ceasefire in Lebanon.

The sources told The New Arab that Lebanon will continue its negotiations with Israel to resolve the outstanding issues, adding: "The priority for Lebanon after establishing a complete and comprehensive ceasefire is Israel's withdrawal from the areas it occupies in the south."

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde on Monday told France Culture radio that the ceasefire agreement reached with Iran was "good news".

US and Iranian officials said they had reached an agreement to end their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a preliminary pact that sent oil prices falling but leaves the fate of Tehran's nuclear program to further negotiations. 

Wanted criminal, fanatic, and Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said in a statement to the Israeli press: "Trump's agreement does not bind us. Israel is not subordinate to the United States. We are an independent and sovereign country."

"We are not partners to this agreement, which does not safeguard our security. We must not withdraw from any territory [in Lebanon] that our fighters have captured," he added.

The announced deal between the United States and Iran marks a "potential breakthrough" in the war and the EU will now weigh how it can be involved in the next phase, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday.

"From economic leverage to nuclear expertise and longstanding relationships with Gulf partners, the EU stands ready to contribute to a sustainable resolution," Kallas said in a post on X, before a meeting of foreign affairs ministers from the 27 EU member states in Brussels. 

While eyes are focused on the news of an agreement between the US and Iran, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have continued in the morning. 

Artillery strikes were reported near the southern city of Nabatieh, while Israeli drones were heard overhead in Beirut. 

For its part, Hezbollah also announced attacks on a gathering of Israeli soldiers in south Lebanon.