Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, said Thursday he approved the deal with the United States that ended the Middle East war — but he didn't hide his doubts.
"But I issued my permission due to the commitment" made by officials to "protect the rights of the Iranian nation."
The deal, signed by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, sets 60 days for talks on bigger issues — including Iran's nuclear programme. It also lifted the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, and oil prices tumbled immediately.
But the peace is fragile. The signing ceremony and talks in Switzerland, originally planned for Friday, are now uncertain. US Vice President JD Vance said he'd go for "technical negotiations" this weekend, but added the plan "could change." Iran's Tasnim agency said "nothing has been confirmed" about the Iranian delegation's trip.
Three Saudi oil tankers sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, and a French LNG vessel became the first to make the transit since the war started. But Iran said ships must now submit requests to a new government body overseeing the waterway — and for 60 days, no fees will be charged.
Mojtaba Khamenei became supreme leader after his father, Ali Khamenei, was killed in an airstrike on the first day of the war — February 28. His father had allowed negotiations before without showing enthusiasm. Mojtaba, said to have been wounded in the same airstrike, hasn't been seen in public since. His father's funeral ceremonies, scheduled for early July, will be closely watched for signs of the new ruler.
Not everyone in Tehran is hopeful. "I have no hope that this is a lasting agreement. Maybe after the 60 days they start fighting again," said Mina, a 54-year-old psychologist from Tehran.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who hosted the signing at the Palace of Versailles, said he "did not believe" the war was "totally finished."
Under the deal, Washington will waive oil sanctions crippling Iran's economy. Once a final nuclear agreement is reached, the US will help release a $300 billion reconstruction fund backed by regional nations.
But some of Trump's own allies are unhappy. US Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican, called it the "worst foreign policy blunder in decades." He said, "Iran's nuclear ambitions were not curbed, and they have learned that threatening the Strait of Hormuz works."
Hardliners in Iran also criticised the deal. Parliament speaker a... [source text cuts off here]. The conflict, which lasted five weeks until an April ceasefire, was described in Iran as an "imposed war" and compared to the 1980-1988 war with Saddam Hussein's Iraq.
For now, oil markets are reacting, but the Strait of Hormuz is still quiet. The 60-day window will show whether this deal leads to lasting peace — or just a pause before more fighting.