Negotiators Reach Deal After Israeli Strike Nearly Collapses Talks

Negotiators finalized the agreement after a 17-hour session in Tehran during which Iranian representatives pressed for additional changes and Qatari mediators repeatedly threatened to withdraw. The talks reached the brink of collapse when Israeli airstrikes hit southern Beirut, an action Iranian officials had previously stated would end the process.

To keep the agreement intact, Washington lifted the naval blockade at once rather than over a 30-day period. The immediate removal of the blockade allowed the strait to reopen. The reporting indicates the agreement survived only after the concession was made.