US lifts Hormuz blockade under 60-day interim deal with Iran
Why it matters: The accord reopens a vital oil shipping route and starts talks on Iran's nuclear program and uranium downblending.
The United States moved to reopen the Strait of Hormuz under a 14-point interim agreement with Iran that pauses key confrontation points for 60 days. The deal ends the U.S. naval blockade and requires Iran to restore prewar ship traffic through the waterway, where sea movement had largely stalled since the war began. It also immediately lifts sanctions on Iranian oil and petroleum products and opens further negotiations over Tehran's nuclear activities, including a requirement to downblend highly enriched uranium. International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi said the watchdog would join technical talks with U.S. and Iranian officials on implementation. In Tehran and Tel Aviv, some residents reacted skeptically to whether the agreement would hold.