Ships face fuel delays as Middle East crisis strains supply routes - FT

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday that Australia welcomes a memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran, calling it “a really important breakthrough” that could provide immediate de-escalation and help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Albanese said at a press conference in Sydney that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz might take some time, adding that the economic consequences of its closure would continue to be felt for some time.

He also said the agreement includes a nuclear weapons provision, saying Australia has said all along that it does not want Iran to gain access to nuclear weapons.

Republican Senator Eric Schmitt said on Wednesday that President Donald Trump achieved what many believed was impossible by severely degrading Iran’s military and nuclear capabilities while creating an opening for diplomacy, speaking in an interview with Fox News.

Schmitt said Iran is now committing for the first time not to pursue a nuclear weapon and argued that the agreement should be based on verification rather than trust, describing the outcome as a success for the American people.

President Trump later shared the interview on Truth Social and thanked Schmitt.

US Vice President JD Vance said a key strength of the memorandum of understanding with Iran is that it focuses on conduct rather than rhetoric, adding that the new Iranian leadership will be judged by its actions.

“The good thing about this MoU is that it is not about words, it is about their conduct,” Vance said in an interview with CBN News.

"One of the things that the president was very bothered and the whole administration was bothered by was all these innocent protestors being slaughtered by of course those people who were in charge a few months ago," Vance said.

"Those people are now gone. But we are going to see. Do these new leaders treat the people differently? We certainly hope so and if they don’t, we can figure out when we see their actual conduct. Which is why I say, the good thing about this MoU is that it is not about words, it is about their conduct," he added.

Iranian MP Malek Shariati said President Donald Trump’s signature is “no guarantee,” posting a Quranic verse that refers to broken treaties and conflict with those who violate agreements.

Shariati made the remarks in a post on Wednesday, linking the verse to commentary on the Iran-US memorandum of understanding.

Democratic US Congressman Joaquin Castro said on Wednesday the war against Iran was “doomed from the start,” adding it was launched without clear objectives or congressional approval.

Castro cited US and civilian casualties and financial costs, while saying he is open to reviewing the reported US-Iran memorandum of understanding and calling for full transparency on its terms and ceasefire framework.

"The President should never have started this war, and I am glad to see that there may be a negotiated end to the conflict, he posted on X.