Good morning, world. Iran and the United States have reached an agreement on a framework for peace.

Throughout the weekend, we kept hearing that the countries were close to a deal that would end the fighting and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. But it was no sure thing. On Sunday, Israel carried out a strike on a Beirut suburb, after accusing Hezbollah of firing missiles. For a while, it looked like a new cycle of violence might begin. In the end, the United States and Iran both said they had come to an agreement.

By the way — today also happens to be Iran’s first World Cup match. You can read more about that below, too.

Also:

An end to fighting?

The United States and Iran reached a truce last night, paving the way for further talks that could ultimately end the war. The countries now have 60 days to work through some of their thornier issues, including the fate of Iran’s nuclear program, potential sanctions relief for Tehran and the status of Lebanon.

President Trump said that the agreement would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, an economically vital waterway, and that he had authorized “the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade” on Iranian ports. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said it had finalized a memorandum of understanding with the United States after “months of long and difficult negotiations.”

The full text of the agreement, which is expected to be formally signed in a ceremony on Friday, has not yet been released. But Trump’s statement aligned with what American and Iranian officials had previously said an initial agreement might contain.

Each side sought to portray the agreement as a diplomatic victory after nearly four months of war. But many unresolved issues have been pushed to a further round of negotiations. Follow our coverage here.

Ali Daei of Iran facing the United States at the 1998 World Cup. Stu Forster/Getty Images

Iran vs. Iran at the World Cup

By Parin Behrooz

Some of my earliest memories are from the 1998 World Cup — the year Iran and the United States faced off in a match some called the most politically charged game in World Cup history.

It was the first time Iran had qualified since the Islamic Revolution and the brutal war with Iraq that followed. The team was stacked with talent, including a young Ali Daei (whose international scoring record stood until it was broken by Cristiano Ronaldo), and became a symbol of a nation rebuilding.

I don’t remember the match itself, but I recall the aftermath. In a major upset, Iran won, and the U.S. was eliminated. Millions flooded the streets, some even openly (and illegally) drinking alcohol.

I was only 3, but I remember my dad hoisting me out the car window as I watched an unending stream of honking cars flood Tehran’s streets. Even the police, who were responsible for crowd control, were celebrating. “That victory unified all Iranians,” one player said after the match.

We don’t yet know if the U.S. and Iran will play each other this year. But if they do, it seems safe to say that a victory would not unify all Iranians. This year’s tournament is not only unfolding amid a war. It’s also happening just months after one of the largest and deadliest government crackdowns since the formation of the Islamic republic, in which thousands were killed and many more were arrested. In the last few months, executions have surged.

The Iranian government, like many others, has always viewed football as a soft power tool. But this year, at a time of deep national divisions, it seems particularly intent on claiming the World Cup squad as its own.

The result is that many Iranians will be wrestling with whether to root for their team, knowing that the state will be watching, and cheering alongside them.

‘Multiply it by 10’

To appreciate the scale of Iran’s obsession with the beautiful game, “take the football passion of Brazil or Argentina and multiply it by 10,” the former national team coach Afshin Ghotbi once said.

Iran is also good at football. The national team has reached seven World Cups, including the last four.

The state has long understood that it can leverage the sport’s popularity. After the 1998 victory, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addressed the players on state television, saying that “the strong and arrogant opponent felt the bitter taste of defeat at your hands.” Before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, many Iranians were outraged when the team participated in a photo op with the president at a time when the state was cracking down on the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests.

An Iranian player wearing green wristbands during a match in Seoul in 2009. Jung Yeon-Je/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Players who have pushed back have paid for it. In 2009, several national team players wore green wristbands during a World Cup qualifying match in Seoul, in apparent solidarity with protests over a disputed election result back home. Fans noticed that most of the wristbands were removed at halftime. There were reports of forced retirements and other punishments. (T​​he Iranian football federation denied them.)

At the 2022 tournament, the same players who had met with the president declined to sing the national anthem at the opening match. But they went on to sing it in subsequent games, looking visibly uncomfortable.

‘The government’s team’?

The stakes of the war have meant that this year’s squad has been sucked even deeper into politics.

In March, the players held school bags during the national anthem before a friendly with Turkey. Team officials said it was a protest against the U.S. bombing of a school. Officials have said the World Cup team will refer to itself as the “Minab 168,” in memory of the children killed. Last month, the players appeared onstage at a pro-government rally. Last week, the Islamic Republic News Agency’s English-language X account posted a subtitled, A.I.-generated video that draped the team in religious and state symbols. Many regime opponents have begun calling the national squad “the government’s team.”

Mohammad, 30, who lives in Tehran, told me that most of his friends — lifelong football fans — don’t want the team to win. Mohammad, who asked that only his first name be used for fear of retribution, said he felt for the players, who are under immense pressure. But his friends think they’re all “bootlickers,” he said.

But Shawheen Keyani, a filmmaker in Los Angeles who grew up in Iran, told me he still sees the team as a way for Iranians to show the world a different face. “It’s another representation of our country and our people, beyond what’s in the news media,” he said.

Football used to be the one thing that could still unify Iranians. But the war, the divisions and the difficult political realities in Iran all cut too deep now.

In 2026, Iranian football has become another arena where complicated emotions about identity and who gets to represent Iran on the world stage collide. The question “Who am I cheering for when I cheer for Iran?” is on the minds of many fans. Not because they love the sport any less, but because the state has made it impossible to forget that it loves football, too — for very different reasons.

TOP OF THE WORLD

The most clicked link in your newsletter on Friday was about the children’s book character Ferdinand the bull.

Germany made its 2026 World Cup debut with a crushing 7-1 victory against Curaçao. Brazil tied 1-1 against Morocco in its first match on Saturday. Haiti very nearly tied Scotland, but the Scots emerged with a 1-0 victory, and the Australians ran their socks off to beat Turkey 2-0. In a brilliant match, Japan came from behind twice to draw with the Netherlands. Follow our live updates here.

Perfecting the pitch: Every match must be played on natural grass that gives players as consistent a surface as possible, no matter the venue. That draws on years of sod science.

Full compensation: FIFA will pay the Somali referee denied entry to the U.S. in full, even though he is unable to participate.

Hockney’s legacy

David Hockney, who has died at 88, was born in England, but many of his bright paintings captured the spirit of sun-drenched Los Angeles. He was one of the first widely popular artists of his time to work with undisguised gay content and one of the few to take a public stand against the censoring of gay imagery.

Japan’s imperial family, which allows only men to assume the throne, is running out of royals. So the country has a plan to help revitalize its dwindling ranks: Recruit more men.

Hoping to avoid a succession crisis, Japan’s legislature has moved forward with a plan to allow the imperial family to adopt distant male relatives. That could give Japan more choices for future emperors. But some are angered that the approach ignores an easier solution: allowing women to reign. Read more.

Meet the weaver keeping a tradition alive

High in the Venezuelan Andes, Margarita Mora, 91, weaves wool entirely by hand, dyeing the fabric with native plants and avocado pits that she gathers.

In most parts of the world, machines have replaced ancient weaving techniques, but Mora has clung to a mix of ancestral Indigenous and Spanish traditions. A single large piece can take two or three months to make, and the patterns she creates feature motifs like hands, butterflies, scissors and axes. “It hasn’t made me rich,” she said, “but it has kept me going all my life.” Watch her at work.

Peek: This $8 million penthouse is atop the Dakota apartment building in New York City.

Dream: Looking for a getaway? We asked travel experts for suggestions.

Choose: Is frozen yogurt actually better for you than ice cream?

Rest: It’s Week 2 of our monthlong “Touch Grass” challenge. Try this trick for better sleep.

Xec (pronounced “shek”) is a juicy citrus salsa from Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, and it pairs perfectly with almost any kind of fish, cooked almost any kind of way. Don’t skip the minced habanero, so you get that extra kick.