US and Iran Set June 19 Signing for Ceasefire Agreement in Switzerland
US and Iran Announce Ceasefire Deal
Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister of Pakistan who served as the key negotiator between the US and Iran, announced on June 14, 2026, that the two sides had agreed on a deal to end the war. [1] It will be officially signed on June 19 in Switzerland. [1] US President Donald Trump announced it on Truth Social as a triumph, claiming that the Strait of Hormuz is open for everyone, the US blockade has been lifted and the oil is flowing again. [1] The United States and Iran have reached an agreement to end their war, to be signed on June 19 in Switzerland, with the Strait of Hormuz reopened for oil flows while key issues including Iran's nuclear program are deferred for 60 days. [1]
Nuclear and Regional Issues Deferred
The accord defers resolution on Iran's nuclear program, enriched uranium stockpile, ballistic missiles and regional proxies for 60 days, leaving core disputes including zero enrichment versus Iran's claim of a sovereign right unresolved. [1] The nuclear issue – along with core issues such as ballistic missiles and Iran’s proxies – has been deferred for 60 days. [1] The current deal to be signed on June 19 does not put a cap on Iran’s enrichment, nor does it discuss the elimination of its nuclear program. [1] It ends the fighting, reopens the Strait of Hormuz and consigns enrichment, the stockpile, missiles and Iran’s regional proxies to 60-day negotiations. [1] The indivisibility problem is now worse because the question of zero enrichment versus a sovereign right cannot be split. [1]
International Welcome and Conditions
The pact has been welcomed by 17 countries that urged rapid and comprehensive implementation while stating Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon. [3] Leaders urge accord to be implemented ‘rapidly, comprehensively,’ say Iran ‘must never acquire a nuclear weapon’. [3]
Trump Administration Weighs Investment Fund
Trump is considering an early release of the full agreement and a potential USD 300 billion investment fund for Iran's energy sector if the ceasefire holds. [5] Trump’s efforts to establish peace have ‘paid off,’ says Vance. [5] The fund, contingent on Iran’s adherence to a final US ceasefire deal, would be created to attract investment in Iran’s abundant energy resources. [5]
Israeli Position and Ongoing Tensions
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel does not know the terms of the US-Iran nuclear deal and that Israel's security interests must be defended. [5] Netanyahu added that he and US President Donald Trump don't always "see eye to eye" at times, saying that "Israel's security interests need to be defended wisely." [5] Despite the ceasefire, Hezbollah launched missiles and mortar shells at IDF troops in southern Lebanon, and Israel conducted a strike on Beirut. [5] Even as the deal was being finalized, Israel struck Beirut, the kind of action that can derail any talks. [1] Smoke billows from southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike, as seen from Nabatieh, Lebanon, June 13, 2026. [5]
Context of Prior Negotiations and War
The 2015 nuclear deal also limited Iran’s centrifuges – the machines that do the enriching – and placed Iran’s nuclear program under the most intrusive inspections, all in exchange for sanctions relief. [1] The US walked away in 2018, and Trump later called it “the worst deal ever” over its sunset clauses and on its silence on Iran’s ballistic missiles. [1] Iran returned to negotiations in 2025, and the US and Israel bombed Iran while those talks were still taking place. [1] Similarly, in February 2026, the negotiations were ongoing and a deal was within reach when Israel and the US struck Iran – killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and lead negotiator Ali Larijani. [1] Israel and the US launched Operations Roaring Lion and Epic Fury on February 28, with the stated aim of creating conditions for regime change. [5] Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed by an Israeli strike on a Tehran bunker. [5] Iran’s defense minister and several IRGC generals were also killed in the largest-ever aerial attack by the IAF. [5] Iran retaliated by firing across the Middle East at Gulf nations and US military bases in the region. [5] A ceasefire deal was announced on April 7 and went into effect on April 8. [5] The war clarified the first reason of incomplete information about each other’s resolve. [1] The current 60-day deferral is not a resolution. [1] It is the same unsolved problem with a clock attached. [1]
What to watch next is whether Washington holds Israel from striking Iran and Lebanon during the 60-day window, as that restraint could slowly rebuild credibility destroyed by the two wars. [1]
