The first signs of post-war recovery are emerging across the Middle East after the US and Iran signed a memorandum aimed at ending the conflict. Oil tankers are once again passing through the Strait of Hormuz, and daily routes are returning to the streets of Tehran.
Here are some photos related to the event:
The Strait of Hormuz
The US Navy ended its blockade of Iranian ports and coastal waters following the signing of a US-Iran memorandum aimed at ending the conflict, and US Central Command said all enforcement activities related to the blockade have ended.
Under the agreement, Iran is required to allow commercial ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz free of charge for 60 days.
Since Thursday, three supertankers from Saudi Arabia loaded with 6 million barrels of oil have crossed the Strait of Hormuz, according to data from the global intelligence company Kpler.
In this photo obtained by Iran’s ISNA news agency on June 18, 2026, ships are seen docked at Bandar Abbas near the Strait of Hormuz.
Amirhossein Khorgooei | Afp | Getty Images
Commercial ships and oil tankers preparing to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most important waterways for global trade, end their wait in the Gulf of Oman, June 17.
Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images
Iran behind the MOU
Residents of Tehran are returning to normal activity levels.
Streets and public scenes in Tehran appeared to be returning to normal on June 18, as hopes grew for economic recovery following the signing of a cooperation agreement between the US and Iran.
Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images
Streets and squares reflect a sense of normalcy in Tehran.
Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images
JD Vance says US is not giving Iran ‘a penny’
As the agreement begins to improve conditions on the ground, US officials have sought to defend its terms. Vice President JD Vance said on Thursday that Tehran would not receive direct US aid and that any economic relief would depend on Iran fulfilling its obligations under the deal.
US Vice President JD Vance speaking during a press conference at the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, DC, United States.
Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images
Vance’s comments came as the White House faced Republican backlash over whether Trump offered Iran too much in a 14-point memorandum of understanding that included easing sanctions, access to frozen funds and a proposed $300 billion reconstruction plan. “The only way the Iranian people get any of these resources … is if they fully comply” with the terms of the deal.
Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images
Israel-Lebanon state of play
Israel is not a party to the peace treaty. The country’s standoff with Hezbollah has disrupted US-Iran talks, prompting Trump’s recent rebuke of a military campaign in Lebanon.
Israel’s military said it would continue to operate in southern Lebanon and “remove threats” across the so-called security zone, after the US and Iran signed an agreement to end the Middle East conflict.
Mahmoud Zayyat Afp | Getty Images
