The nightmare war in the Middle East started by President Donald Trump is apparently over, according to the birthday boy himself.
Trump announced on Truth Social, just in time for his big 80th birthday bash at the White House on Sunday, that the war he started with Iran nearly four months ago was “complete.”
“Congratulations to all!” he wrote.
The terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Just hours before his announcement, Trump had reportedly pleaded with Iran, through intermediaries, not to go through with a planned attack on Israel in retaliation for strikes on Beirut.
”I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade,“ Trump said.
“Ships of the World, start your engines,” he added. “Let the oil flow!”
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also affirmed on social media that Washington and Tehran had reached a deal, saying that military operations “on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” have been terminated.
Sharif, 74, added that the official signing ceremony would take place in Switzerland on Friday.
In a follow-up post, Trump dubbed the agreement the “Great Deal.”
“Many presidents have tried to make Peace with Iran, and all have failed before me. The Leaders of the Region have, for the first time, found a President who can help them achieve real Peace,” he wrote. “With the opening of the Strait upon the signing of the Deal on Friday, for purposes of mine removal, oil will flow on both ends again for the Region, and the World!”
The White House did not immediately return the Daily Beast’s request for clarification on the terms of the peace deal.
Iran’s state broadcaster touted the agreement as a win, with a banner declaring: “The United States was forced to accept an end to the war.”
Iran’s deputy foreign minister told reporters the “immediate and permanent end” to military actions “on all fronts” would be announced on Sunday night. He claimed Tehran had secured last-minute changes to the wording of the agreement after threatening to attack Israel and derail negotiations.
The biggest issues in negotiations, U.S. sanctions on Iran and the status of the country’s nuclear program, will reportedly be left for further talks within the next 60 days.
Iran reportedly waited until after midnight local time to finalize the agreement as they didn’t want it to happen on Trump’s birthday, according to The New York Times, citing two Iranian officials.
The full text of the memorandum of understanding will be published after the official signing, and negotiations for a final deal will be held in the next two months, Reuters’ Phil Stewart reported.
Stewart also reported that marine traffic through the Gulf of Oman would be regulated by Iran in accordance with Oman, citing Iranian state media.
Since the U.S.-Israeli joint offensive against Iran started on Feb. 28, 13 American service members have been killed, and hundreds more have been injured.
Gas prices at home and abroad have skyrocketed as a result of the instability caused by Iran’s closure of and the subsequent U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz—a critical trade corridor through which roughly 27 percent of the world’s oil travels.
