“One Hell of a Way to Celebrate a Birthday”: Trump Secures Iran Peace Deal as War Ends Immediately, Oil Prices Crash
TEHRAN / WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a stunning diplomatic breakthrough that brings an end to months of bloodshed, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council confirmed Sunday that Tehran and Washington have finalized a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to halt all military operations “immediately and permanently” effective Sunday night. The deal, brokered with mediation from Pakistan and Qatar, will see the complete lifting of the U.S. naval blockade on Iran and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz—toll-free, according to President Trump. All military activity across multiple fronts, including in Lebanon, will cease. The agreement, set to be formally signed on June 19 in Switzerland, will trigger 60 days of negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program and a broader accord. U.S. Ambassador Michael Waltz hailed the moment as a victory for American strength, crediting Trump’s combination of leverage and military credibility: “The President has put our country first and negotiated a peace deal that will keep us safe and prevent Iran from ever getting a nuclear weapon.”
The markets reacted instantly and violently—but this time to the downside. Oil prices plunged to their lowest level since March, with Brent crude futures dropping 4.1% to $83.75 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate tumbling 4.7% to $80.87, extending Friday’s losses. The prospect of a reopened Strait of Hormuz and an end to the blockade released pent-up supply fears that had kept prices inflated for months. Waltz, celebrating Trump’s birthday, called the deal “one hell of a way to celebrate” and said the president had “maximized our leverage, limited casualties and brought credible military force to ensure the best possible outcome.” For a region weary of missile alerts and a world battered by energy inflation, the silence of cease-fire may finally bring something rare: the sound of a pen, not a bomb.
