GRANTS, N.M. – The United States and Iran are moving toward signing an agreement meant to end the war, but the deal remains uncertain because the full text has not been released and officials are offering different interpretations of what it requires.
According to the Institute for the Study of War and the Critical Threats Project, the United States and Iran reached an agreement June 14 and are expected to formally sign it Friday at the Bürgenstock resort near Lake Lucerne in Switzerland. Swiss officials said the location was proposed by Pakistan, Qatar, Iran and the United States, with Switzerland serving as facilitator.
The war began Feb. 28, when U.S. and Israeli forces launched strikes against Iran after months of escalating tension over Iran’s nuclear program, Iranian-backed groups in the region and the wider Middle East crisis. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks against Israel, U.S. forces and U.S.-aligned countries, while the Strait of Hormuz became one of the central flashpoints.
According to ISWCTP, the agreement reportedly calls for a ceasefire on all fronts, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports. ISWCTP also reported that additional negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program are expected during a 60-day period after the agreement is signed.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most important unresolved issues. According to ISWCTP, Vice President JD Vance said the United States expects the strait to remain open “in a toll-free way for the long term.” Iranian officials, however, have suggested Iran may pause fees for 60 days and later resume charging what it calls “service fees” to vessels passing through the waterway.
According to ISWCTP, Iran continues to describe the strait as something Iran and Oman should manage. ISW-CTP warned that if Iran’s interpretation becomes accepted, it would give Tehran significant lever- age over global shipping and could allow Iran to reimpose restrictions later.
Even if the agreement is signed, shipping may not return to normal immediately. According to Reuters reporting cited in the ISW-CTP update, shipping companies are likely to wait until authorities confirm the waterway is safe. Western maritime security services cited by Reuters said mine-clearing operations could take 40 to 50 days. President Donald Trump said mine-removal operations would begin after the agreement is signed.
Lebanon is another major test.
According to ISWCTP, Hezbollah has signaled that it will follow the ceasefire outlined in the U.S.-Iran agreement and has described the agreement as a step toward Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon. Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Israel’s continued presence in southern Lebanon would mean the war had not fully ended.
Israel has rejected that condition.
According to the Associated Press, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would remain in Lebanon “as long as necessary.” Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, told NPR that Israel does not know the full details of the agreement, but said the apparent inclusion of Lebanon is “unnecessary and unhelpful.”
According to AP, President Trump said June 19 he hopes the war will soon be in the “rearview mirror,” while Vice President Vance acknowledged the agreement is “a very general document” with few details.
Senators in Washington failed a war powers resolution on June 19 that would have put an end to the conflict.
According to ISWCTP, the agreement’s success will depend on whether the United States, Iran, Israel and Hezbollah accept the same understanding of the deal – especially over the Strait of Hormuz, Lebanon and Iran’s nuclear program.
In Remembrance
The following 13 U.S. service members gave their lives for our Freedom in this conflict. The Cibola County community honors their service and holds their families in our thoughts.
Drone attack in Kuwait March 1, 2026
• Capt. Cody A.
Khork
• Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens
• Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor
• Sgt. Declan J.
Coady
• Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien
• Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan Attack in Saudi Arabia March 1, 2026
• Sgt. Benjamin Pennington KC-135 crash in Iraq March 12, 2026
• Maj. John A.
Klinner
• Capt. Ariana G.
Savino
• Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt
• Capt. Seth R.
Koval
• Capt. Curtis J.
Angst
• Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons