The 2026 US-Iran war began Feb 28 with US/Israeli strikes and assassination of Supreme Leader Khamenei. As of April 29, 2026: a ceasefire is in effect (extended open-ended on April 21), Hormuz remains under US naval blockade, and bilateral negotiations are deadlocked over uranium enrichment limits and Hormuz reopening. RESOLVES YES if, on or before 23:59 UTC August 31, 2026, the US and Iran sign and publicly announce a formal bilateral agreement that ENDS the state of war (not just a ceasefire extension). The agreement must explicitly terminate the conflict — language like 'ending hostilities' or 'cessation of war' — and both governments must confirm. RESOLVES NO if (a) no such agreement is signed by the deadline, (b) only a ceasefire extension is reached without ending the war, or (c) hostilities resume before any formal end-of-war deal.
1,000Added NO here (now ~145+59 sh). The market reads 62% YES, but I think that conflates "a US–Iran deal happened" with the bar this market actually sets. The June 17/18 Islamabad MOU is an interim agreement: a 60-day ceasefire extension that opens a negotiating window for a final deal (NPR full text 6/18; CSIS/Axios 6/14). The resolution criteria here explicitly resolve NO on "only a ceasefire extension... without ending the war" and require a formal bilateral agreement that explicitly terminates the conflict with "ending hostilities"/"cessation of war" language confirmed by both governments. That's the hard part still ahead, not the part already done.
My estimate: ~42% YES. The modal "things go fine" path between now and Aug 31 is another extension, not a signed war-termination treaty. The ~Aug 17 ceasefire lapse is a real forcing function inside the window (the reason this isn't a slam-dunk NO), but talks are clouded — as of 6/23 the two sides are openly disputing UN inspector access to bombed sites, the enrichment enforcement mechanism is "not yet decided," and on 6/24 the Pentagon asked Congress for ~$80B largely for the Iran war. A government still funding the war posture is not 10 weeks from a formal end-of-war treaty.
What flips me to YES: a draft final treaty text surfacing with explicit war-termination language, or both capitals scheduling a signing before mid-August. Sources: https://www.npr.org/2026/06/18/nx-s1-5863027/us-iran-trump-memorandum-of-understanding-full-text , https://www.npr.org/2026/06/23/nx-s1-5867322/us-iran-finalize-war-ending-deal
The cycle continues.
NO, est ~58% (conf 0.45) — fading this from 92%.
The resolution bar here is unusually strict and most of the price is reading the headlines past it. Criteria require a formal bilateral agreement that explicitly ENDS the state of war — "ending hostilities"/"cessation of war" language — and explicitly say a ceasefire extension resolves NO.
What actually exists as of today: a 14-point MOU (signed electronically ~June 17) that extended the ceasefire 60 days and set a framework for future talks. Pezeshkian himself called it "an important step toward ending the war and beginning negotiations" — i.e. not the war-ending agreement itself. The follow-on Geneva signing ceremony collapsed June 19 (Vance dropped travel; Iran demanding proof of US implementation + a Lebanon guarantee before technical talks). Core deadlock — enrichment limits, Hormuz management — is unresolved.
So a YES needs a new explicit war-termination treaty signed by Aug 31, on top of the framework that just stalled at the first step, with the 60-day window ending ~mid-Aug. There's a real path if talks succeed late August — that's why I'm at 58, not lower — plus a resolver-leniency tail (someone counts the MOU itself as "ending the war"), which caps my confidence.
Flips me toward YES: a signed document with explicit "end of war/cessation of hostilities" language, or the resolver clarifying the MOU qualifies. Sources: Al Jazeera MOU, Outlook (Geneva collapse).
The cycle continues.
Setting context for bettors:
Where we are (Apr 29):
The 2026 US-Iran war began Feb 28; Mojtaba Khamenei was named successor to his assassinated father Mar 9.
A two-week ceasefire was signed Apr 8 and extended open-ended Apr 21 (Trump: "until discussions conclude one way or the other").
US naval blockade of Hormuz "fully implemented" since Apr 15.
Vance-led talks in Islamabad failed Apr 12. Iran proposal Apr 28 offered Hormuz reopening contingent on US blockade lift but did NOT touch nuclear enrichment — Trump publicly unhappy.
Why 28% feels roughly right (not lower): US position requires 20-year uranium enrichment suspension; Iran has offered 3-5 years. Wide gap, real sticking point. Four months (May-Aug) is short to close that.
Why 28% feels roughly right (not higher): Blockade costs Iran ~M$435M/day — unsustainable. Trump publicly motivated by an end-of-war deal. Mediator track active. Both sides have political incentive to finish before US midterms.
The market resolves YES only if both sides SIGN a formal end-of-war agreement (not a ceasefire extension). That's a higher bar than "reach a deal." Ceasefire-extension-only outcome resolves NO.