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The United States Armed Forces lifted the naval blockade on the ports and coastal areas of Iran this Thursday, in accordance with the instructions of President Donald Trump following the signing of a peace agreement, confirmed the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) in an official statement.
The announcement from the U.S. Army comes a day after Trump digitally signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Tehran during a gala dinner at the Palace of Versailles, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron as part of the G7 Summit. The American leader confirmed the signing with a brief statement: "It's signed, yes. We signed it in Versailles. I just signed it."
The CENTCOM revealed this Thursday on its social media that "U.S. forces lifted the blockade on all maritime traffic entering and leaving Iranian ports and coastal areas, in accordance with the president's instructions."
The command stated that "all U.S. military efforts to enforce the blockade have ceased," although it warned that large U.S. warships would remain in the general area "to ensure that all aspects of the agreement are upheld, respected, and in full force and effect."
The memorandum between Washington and Tehran, described by Vice President JD Vance as being "just a page and a half" and deliberately vague in its technical commitments, stipulates the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz —through which 20% of the world's oil flows— and the cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon.
The text also opens a window of 60 days to negotiate a definitive agreement that would encompass the Iranian nuclear program, relief from sanctions, and the unfreezing of assets. The agreement also includes a reconstruction fund of 300 billion dollars financed by regional powers, and the U.S. committed to unblocking at least 12 billion in frozen Iranian funds.
The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz was imposed on April 13 by order of Trump as a tool of economic pressure on Iran. During the two months of its enforcement, CENTCOM reported having diverted 142 commercial vessels and disabled nine boats that did not comply with the orders.
The conflict that led to the blockade began on February 28 with Operation Epic Fury, a coordinated air offensive between the U.S. and Israel against Iranian nuclear facilities in Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow. Iran declared the cessation of its military operations on June 8, with Qatar and Pakistan serving as key mediators in the so-called "Islamabad negotiations."
The agreement signed this Wednesday raises doubts within Trump's own circle: Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and CIA Director John Ratcliffe have expressed concerns about whether Tehran will fulfill its nuclear commitments. Israel requested to see the text of the agreement and was denied by Washington.
The Iranian president Massoud Pezeshkian proclaimed the agreement as a victory for the regime's survival, while the chancellor Abbas Araqchi warned that future negotiations would proceed "on the basis of distrust, past breaches of commitments, and previous experiences."
A formal ceremonial signing of the memorandum is scheduled for this Friday at the Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland, with the presence of Vice President Vance.
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