NATIONAL NEWS

There are many questions about the Iran deal. Here are (some) answers.

Jun 18, 2026, 11:57 AM

In this photo realised by Iran Presidentcy Office, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signs a memo...

In this photo realised by Iran Presidentcy Office, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signs a memorandum of understanding already signed by U.S. President Donald Trump aimed at ending the war and launching negotiations on a broader agreement, in Tehran, Iran, early Thursday, June 18, 2026. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP)
Credit: Iranian Presidency Office via AP

(Iranian Presidency Office via AP)

The agreement struck between the United States and Iran aims to end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, ease sanctions on the Islamic Republic and relaunch nuclear talks with a 60-day deadline.

But the brief document signed by U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is vague on some of the major questions left by the three-month regional conflict that jolted the world economy. The U.S. says some outstanding issues will be worked out over the 60 days.

Here are some of the main questions, and the best answers available at the moment.

What will happen with Iran’s nuclear program?

Trump says a key objective of the war was to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, something Tehran has long denied seeking. The U.S.-Israeli surprise attack that started the war on Feb. 28 came as Iran was engaged in nuclear talks, which are now set to resume.

It will be extremely difficult to reach a full nuclear agreement before the 60-day deadline, which could be extended. The 2015 nuclear deal, which Trump scrapped during his first term, took more than 18 months to negotiate and involved complex technical discussions among nuclear experts.

Iran has long insisted on its right to enrich uranium. The deal does not specify the level at which it would be allowed to enrich — the low levels required for power plants or the much higher level at which it had enriched before the war, which put the uranium a short, technical step away from weapons-grade.

Iran’s existing stockpile of highly enriched uranium is believed to have been largely buried by U.S. strikes last year. The agreement says at a minimum the stockpile will be diluted on site under U.N. supervision, without elaborating. Trump has long demanded that it be removed from the country.

When will the Strait of Hormuz reopen?

Iran’s effective closure of the critical waterway — through which a fifth of the world’s oil and gas passed before the war — caused a historic worldwide fuel shock, driving up the prices of everything from gas and groceries to fertilizer and airline tickets.

Lloyd’s List Intelligence, a maritime data company, said Thursday that major shippers have begun moving vessels through the strait again.

Under the agreement, it will be fully reopened, with Iran to remove mines within 30 days and with no charges imposed on commercial vessels during the 60-day period.

Passage was free before the war, but Iran imposed tolls during the fighting and has said it will continue to charge fees.

Legal experts say that would violate international laws around freedom of navigation, and the U.S. has adamantly rejected it. Such fees could also run afoul of sanctions on Iran, making them problematic for shippers.

When will the fuel crisis end?

Even if the strait is fully reopened, it could take weeks or months for the normal flow of oil and gas to resume.

Ship captains and insurers will have to decide if it’s truly safe. Hundreds of ships bottled up in the Persian Gulf for months will need to exit through the narrow, elbow-shaped waterway. Even a brief exchange of fire — which happened several times after a declared ceasefire in April — could halt traffic once again.

Major oil and gas producers in the Gulf, including Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, will also need time to repair critical infrastructure damaged by Iranian missile and drone attacks.

Will sanctions on Iran be lifted?

The U.S. says it has lifted its blockade under the agreement, which also calls for sanctions waivers that will allow Iran to export oil. That will provide a boost to Iran’s wrecked economy and likely push world fuel prices down. The U.S. also commits to unfreezing Iranian funds held abroad.

A raft of international sanctions imposed over the years related to Iran’s nuclear program, its support for militant groups and human rights violations are also to be lifted, but only as part of a final nuclear deal. U.S. Vice President JD Vance said sanctions relief would be “performance-based.”

The deal calls for the United States and its regional allies to develop a $300 billion reconstruction fund for Iran, but does not say who would pay for it.

Trump has said the U.S. won’t contribute, and Vance has said it would be up to wealthy Gulf countries to fund it. But they are unlikely to want to help Iran at a time when their own economies are suffering from the war’s fallout and the destruction of their infrastructure in Iranian attacks.

Will the war in Lebanon end?

The deal calls for an immediate halt to military operations “on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” where Israel has been battling the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group, and for ensuring Lebanon’s “territorial integrity and sovereignty.”

It does not say whether that means Israel would withdraw from the large swaths of southern Lebanon it has occupied since Hezbollah joined the war in its early days by firing rockets and drones at northern Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces elections later this year, has refused to withdraw, saying Israeli forces will remain in Lebanon until the threat from Hezbollah has been eliminated.

Hezbollah has refused to halt its own attacks while Israel is occupying Lebanese territory, and Iran has insisted Lebanon be included in any ceasefire.

Continued fighting there could unravel the deal if Iran or the U.S. believe the other is in breach of it.

What about Iran’s ballistic missiles and its support for militants?

The deal says nothing about either, and Trump suggested this week that Iran is entitled to have some ballistic missiles in proportion to its neighbors.

Iran still has missiles capable of hitting Israel and has long backed militant groups like Hezbollah, Hamas in Gaza, the Houthi rebels in Yemen and militias in Iraq, which have also attacked it. Eliminating Iran’s missiles and degrading its network of militant allies were among the main U.S. war goals.

Sanctions relief would potentially allow Iran to continue funding such groups, though it will have to balance that against its own economic crisis and reconstruction needs.

National News

Associated Press

Zuckerberg spokesperson says his yacht did not hear call for maritime assist

The crew of a yacht owned by Mark Zuckerberg did not hear a radio call for a maritime assist from a small skiff that ran out of fuel off the coast of Alaska, and by the time it did, another nearby ship had already rendered assistance, a spokesperson for the Meta CEO said. The Alaska […]

33 seconds ago

Associated Press

UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC accuse FIFA of ‘deception’ and ‘breach of trust’ over World Cup plans

UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC believe that FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s recent plans to sell an interest in the World Cup was a “fundamental breach of trust” with the institutions world soccer’s governing body serves. In an “open letter to the football family” revealed on Monday, UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC also said that “when […]

2 hours ago

Associated Press

Driver who broke the sound barrier attempts another land speed record in Utah

WENDOVER, Utah (AP) — The first — and only — person to break the sound barrier in a car hits the track in Utah this week with new wheels and his eye on another record. Twenty years ago, British driver Andy Green set the land speed record for a diesel-powered car, reaching 350.092 mph (563.4 […]

3 hours ago

Jesse Sanchez practices sewing during a clothing repair workshop at a Levi's retail store in downto...

Associated Press

From Uniqlo to Zara, clothing brands try to win over Gen Z with a needle and thread

NEW YORK (AP) — Encouraging customers to mend worn clothes instead of buying new ones might seem like a self-defeating sales strategy. But in-store repairs and sewing workshops are becoming essential retail services for clothing brands as they try to appeal to young consumers who want to save money and the planet. While luxury fashion […]

4 hours ago

Duane Davis, left, talks with his attorney Michael Sanft in Clark County District Court during a ca...

Associated Press

A man accused of orchestrating Tupac Shakur’s 1996 killing is on trial. Here’s what to know

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The case of rap icon Tupac Shakur’s killing has been unresolved for decades; now the man charged in his 1996 killing in Las Vegas is going to trial. Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 63, faces one charge of murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a […]

7 hours ago

Associated Press

Congressional Democrats launch probe into efforts to deport US military members and their families

Congressional Democrats said they are investigating the Trump administration’s efforts to deport military service members and their families after The Associated Press found more than 50 active-duty troops’ spouses and parents have been detained by immigration authorities. In a letter sent Sunday evening to the Department of Homeland Security, the Defense Department and the Department […]

7 hours ago

There are many questions about the Iran deal. Here are (some) answers.