US, Iran reach preliminary agreement to end war

Article excerpt

After months of backchannel talks, US and Iranian officials announced a preliminary framework to end their conflict, lift America's economic blockade, and reopen the critical Strait of Hormuz shipping lane. The agreement leaves Iran's nuclear program, the thorniest issue in decades of fraught negotiations, for future discussions. A memorandum of understanding is set for official signing Friday in Switzerland, marking a dramatic diplomatic shift between two adversaries that have traded proxy conflicts and sanctions for nearly half a century.