On June 18, 2026, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that the United States and Iran had electronically signed an agreement intended to end their war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and remove the American naval blockade of Iranian ports.
Sharif said the “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding” took effect immediately. Under what he described as its first step, Iran would reopen the strait “instantly,” while the United States would lift the blockade “immediately.” His account presented those measures as reciprocal elements of the newly signed arrangement.
The Pakistani leader also said his country, supported by Qatar, would host a ceremony in Switzerland on the following Friday. That gathering was meant both to mark the agreement and to begin technical-level discussions. Sharif credited Qatar for its engagement and also acknowledged roles for Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. He praised US President Donald J. Trump, Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in connection with the diplomatic effort.
Negotiating timetable disrupted
The accord was designed to open a 60-day period of technical negotiations covering broader questions, including the future of Iran’s nuclear program, according to CBS News. Vice President JD Vance had been expected to help begin the process in Switzerland, but the White House subsequently postponed his trip.
Switzerland’s foreign ministry then said the planned talks involving the United States, Iran, Qatar and Pakistan had been postponed. It did not provide a replacement date, although it said preparations at Burgenstock were continuing and Switzerland remained available to facilitate the negotiations. A White House spokesperson attributed the disruption to the difficult and unpredictable logistics surrounding the talks and said Washington wanted them to begin as soon as possible.
The delay occurred amid continued fighting in southern Lebanon. Israel’s military said four of its soldiers were killed during intense combat, while Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that Israeli airstrikes killed at least 16 people. Israel said it was striking Hezbollah targets in the south.
CBS reported that the memorandum called for an immediate stop to military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, and referred to protecting Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nevertheless said Israeli forces would remain there until the threat from Hezbollah had been removed.
Al-Mayadeen, a channel politically aligned with Hezbollah, reported that Iran was holding back its delegation because of Israel’s continuing campaign in Lebanon. That explanation was not confirmed in the Swiss statement. The White House publicly emphasized logistical complications instead.
The postponement left a distinction between the accord’s stated immediate provisions and the longer negotiating process. Sharif said the Hormuz and blockade commitments entered into force with the memorandum, while the technical discussions intended to address a lasting settlement and Iran’s nuclear program had yet to begin.
