The American news platform Axios, citing senior officials in Washington and informed diplomats, has revealed that the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran have signed "remotely" a formal memorandum of understanding providing for an end to the war between the two parties and the immediate reopening of the strategic Strait of Hormuz to international navigation free of any fees.
Senior American officials confirmed to the outlet that this historic agreement entered into binding force immediately upon completion of the electronic signing ceremony, noting that President Donald Trump personally signed the contract document on behalf of the American side, thereby closing one of the most dangerous rounds of direct military conflict in the region, which erupted in February 2026.
The paramount strategic significance of this rapidly unfolding development lies in its having surpassed the previously established timeline. The formal in-person signing ceremony had been officially scheduled, according to prior diplomatic plans, to take place in Switzerland on Friday, but intensive behind-the-scenes consultations between the two governments and international mediators led to the date being brought forward and immediate implementation being agreed upon, given both parties' agreement on the core terms — a development that accelerated the pace of diplomatic steps and allowed the agreement to enter into force without awaiting the in-person meeting.
The memorandum of understanding, drafted and sponsored directly by mediating countries chief among them Pakistan and Qatar, includes a comprehensive 60-day extension of the ceasefire in effect between Washington and Tehran, covering regional fronts linked to the conflict including Lebanon. During this period, broad direct negotiations are to be launched on Iran's nuclear programme and the sanctions file; Washington is expected to release tranches of frozen Iranian assets commensurate with Tehran's compliance with the agreement. International political circles are meanwhile awaiting a White House announcement of the full text of the memorandum, which would inform the public of the precise security guarantees that defused the violent military flashpoint in the world's most vital waterway for energy supplies.