The United States and Iran say they made a peace deal over the weekend. Both sides have agreed to officially sign the agreement on Friday in Geneva, Switzerland.
Officials have not yet released the details of the deal. But President Donald Trump announced that Iran would open the Strait of Hormuz toll-free and that the United States would remove the naval blockade of Iranian ports.
“Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!” PresidentTrump wrote on social media.
However, analysts say it will take time for hundreds of ships trapped in the Persian Gulf to exit through the narrow strait. Gulf oil producers that throttled back production will need to get the oil moving again. Ship captains may wait to decide whether the passage is truly safe.
It is unclear how Israel will respond. That country is not part of the deal. Iran agreed to the deal on condition that Israel’s attacks on Lebanon would also stop.
President Trump boarded a plane to Europe early Monday morning. He is attending the G7 Summit in Évian-les-Bains. The French town is one hour from Geneva, Switzerland.
G7 stands for “Group of 7” and refers to an annual meeting of leaders from seven of the world’s wealthiest countries. The goal is to help world leaders collaborate on increasing prosperity and security around the world. France hosted the first official summit in 1975. This year, the summit is back in France and the seven countries attending are the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada, and the UK. World leaders from other countries are also invited to participate.
This year, topics include removing explosive mines from the Strait of Hormuz and the war between Russia and the Ukraine. President Trump made phone calls to both the Russian and Ukrainian presidents on Sunday to prepare for negotiations.
Some people question the value of the G7 meetings. They point out that the world’s economic situation has changed since the 1970s. Some note the group often lacks follow-through.
Others oppose that important decisions are made by a handful of elites. In Geneva, 20,000 marched in a “No G7” protest around the city on Sunday.
“We are very afraid of the policy and the politics of Mr. Trump and also of the other leaders of the G7,” says protest organizer Francoise Nyffeler. “Because they are fighting, making war all over the place.”
There is much conflict in our world. But Christians can look forward to the day when Jesus will make perfect peace between the nations.
He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. — Isaiah 2:4
