President Donald Trump announced on Monday that the Strait of Hormuz is expected to fully reopen to shipping traffic by Friday, coinciding with a planned ceremony in Geneva where senior U.S. and Iranian officials will formally mark the end of the four-month conflict. This event will also launch a series of negotiations focused on Iran’s nuclear program.

Trump characterized the agreement as a victory, highlighting its potential to eventually restore oil prices to levels seen before the outbreak of the war. He noted that financial markets reacted positively to the prospect of easing tensions, with prices “shooting up like a rocket,” according to his remarks.

The preliminary deal was virtually signed on Sunday by Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. While the accord facilitates the reopening of the critical shipping route, significant elements of a comprehensive and lasting arrangement remain unresolved. Officials indicated that discussions regarding Iran’s nuclear ambitions would be deferred to subsequent talks planned over the next two months. This approach was taken in part to expedite the relief of the shipping bottleneck in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global oil transportation.

The forthcoming Geneva gathering is expected to set the stage for these extended negotiations, aimed at addressing broader regional security concerns and verifying any commitments made by Iran. While the cessation of active hostilities marks an important milestone, both sides acknowledge that the path ahead involves complex diplomatic efforts to achieve a durable resolution.

In related developments, citizens in Lebanon are beginning to return home to assess the damage left by the conflict. Weather conditions in the region are forecast to be mostly sunny with mild temperatures, though a late afternoon thunderstorm is anticipated in some areas.