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U.S. Lifts Blockade of Iran; Supreme Leader Endorses Direct Talks
The agreement starts a 60-day negotiating period and reopens the Strait of Hormuz as millions of barrels of oil resume flowing, officials said.
On Thursday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei formally approved the memorandum of understanding signed Wednesday by President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, despite holding a different view on the interim framework.
The agreement concludes a three-month conflict that began February 28, halting military operations across multiple fronts while requiring the United States to dismantle its naval blockade of Iranian ports.
Central Command confirmed forces are no longer impeding vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran waived passage fees for 60 days to encourage maritime traffic resumption.
While Pezeshkian called the deal "historic," Former Vice President Mike Pence warned it "smacks of appeasement," characterizing the framework as potentially strengthening rather than constraining Iran.
A 60-day negotiating window now begins to address Iran's enriched uranium stockpile and broader nuclear infrastructure, determining whether the ceasefire evolves into lasting peace or remains a temporary pause.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States lifted its embargo on Iran on Thursday, and oil tankers began moving freely through the Strait of Hormuz after months of being unable to use it, following the implementation of the tentative agreement…