U.S. lifts blockade on Iranian ports as 60-day clock for a final deal starts ticking

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. lifts blockade on Iranian ports as 60-day clock for a final deal starts ticking June 18, 20265:28 PM ET By NPR Politics and Policy Desk In this picture obtained from Iran's ISNA news agency on Thursday, vessels are seen anchored in Bandar Abbas along the Strait of Hormuz. Amirhossein Khorgooei/ISNA/ via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Amirhossein Khorgooei/ISNA/ via Getty Images U. forces have lifted their blockade on ships entering and exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas, U.

Central Command announced Thursday. The move is one of the conditions in a ceasefire agreement between the U. and Iran while the countries move into the next phase of negotiations over the next 60 days.

The Details

Iran, for its part, has committed to letting oil tankers move safely through the Strait of Hormuz, where roughly 20% of the world's oil transited before the war began. The agreement, signed Wednesday, states that Iran will allow commercial vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz "with no charge for 60 days only," after which "future administration and maritime services" will be determined by Iran along with Oman and other Persian Gulf states. Iranian officials have suggested they may impose "service fees" on ships, which industry analysts call legally questionable on an international waterway.

Sponsor Message When ships will actually begin sailing through the Strait of Hormuz in significant numbers remains an open question, though, given the fear of Iranian-placed mines that the U. and other nations are in the process of clearing. Politics With Iran deal, Trump told ships to 'start your engines.

' That's not happening yet Iranian oil exports — now free of U. sanctions under the agreement — will also move through the strait. Navy remains in the area to make sure that the terms of the ceasefire are obeyed.

What Experts Say

Vice President Vance is leading the negotiations with Iran and is expected to head to Switzerland as early as this weekend, though he did not give a set date. He defended the memorandum of understanding signed earlier this week during a press briefing at the White House on Thursday. The vice president said the U.

holds "all the cards" at the moment — insisting that Iran will not significantly benefit until it can "verify for us that they are changing their behavior. " He called the initial move to lift the blockade and allow Iranian oil through is "not a new benefit to the Iranians. " "They were selling oil for many, many years, well before we ever put the blockade," he said.

"We imposed that blockade. They stopped selling oil, and now we've lifted the blockade in order to promote the free flow of energy across — across the world. " Sponsor Message Middle East conflict Read the full text of Trump's preliminary U.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.