US Iran deal highlights: CENTCOM confirms lifting Iran naval blockade; Trump says he expects Lebanon truce
US Iran deal highlights: Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said on Thursday that he had approved a deal with the United States to end the West Asia war despite having a "different view", without elaborating.
US Iran deal highlights: In this first remarks since the US-Iran peace deal was signed virtually on Wednesday, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said that Israel will not withdraw its troops out of southern Lebanon, despite it being a stern point from Iran to sign the deal....Read More
“We will restore security to the north. This requires maintaining the security zone in southern Lebanon, and it requires that we not leave it as long as Israel’s security needs demand it," Netanyahu was quoted as saying in a Times of Israel report.
Meanwhile, Israeli strikes killed three people in Lebanon on Thursday in two separate incidents. According to Lebanese state media National News Agency, the first attack took place in the town of Kfar Tebnit, where a car with two people was targeted by a drone. In a separate attack, a man was killed in a drone strike in the southern town of Zebdin, according to NNA.
Negotiating period officially begins, says JD Vance
US Vice President JD Vance on Thursday said the 60-day negotiating period with Iran has official begun. “I would say the 60-day period officially started today. It was signed late, and it may have even been signed technically, you know, because of the time shift, I think it’s signed technically today, Iran time.”
He further said that he is “not at all” worried about being blamed if the deal with Iran falls, after US President Donald Trump joked that he’d blame his vice president if it falls apart.
“No, not at all,” he responded when asked during a White House press briefing if that prospect concerned him.
US removes blockade on Iranian ports
US Central Command on Thursday said it has lifted its blockade on “all maritime traffic entering and exiting” Iranian ports.
“ All U.S. military blockade enforcement efforts have ceased. Our great Naval Ships will remain in the general area to make sure that all aspects of the agreement are adhered to, obeyed and in full force and effect.”
Vance during a press briefing in White House said that the US Navy has allowed more than a dozen ships through to Iranian ports, lifting a blockade as part of an agreement to end the war.
Initial talks in Switzerland
The Swiss government has confirmed that initial talks between the United States and Iran are planned at the Buergenstock mountaintop resort in Switzerland on Friday, June 19. This comes after the two countries signed an interim peace deal to end months of war.
“As things stand, the plan is still for the U.S. and Iran, along with mediators Pakistan and Qatar and other involved countries, to meet tomorrow at Buergenstock for initial negotiations about implementing the agreement,” Swiss foreign ministry was quoted as saying by Reuters.
"No further information is currently available regarding the schedule and details of this meeting," it added.
Pakistan PM says Hormuz will be opened
Leaders of Iran and the US have signed a memorandum of understanding, an interim document to end the Middle East war, mediator Pakistan has confirmed. 'It shall enter into force with immediate effect", Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said.
Following the signing of the interim deal, Sharif said that Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and the US would lift the naval blockade.
Sharif said Pakistan and co-mediator Qatar will still host an official signing ceremony on Friday in Switzerland. His statement came shortly after Trump said he’d signed the agreement during a dinner at the Palace of Versailles.
Trump says Iran would have used nuclear weapons
Trump claimed that Iran was all prepared to use nuclear weapons, but the US stopped it. "Iran would have 100% used a nuclear weapon, they were on the way; We went in to put out the fire," Trump said on the sidelines of G7 summit in Paris.
French President Emmanuel Macron shared first visuals of US President Donald Trump signing the MoU to end Iran war during a dinner at the Palace of Versailles in Paris. “This agreement paves the way for lasting peace and allows the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. It is an important step in the right direction for our compatriots that will soon enable a decrease in energy prices,” Macron wrote on X.
What is inside the agreement?
The agreement calls for Tehran to, at a minimum, dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and would waive but not permanently end sanctions on the country, the Associated Press reported, citing US officials.
The agreement would also open the Strait of Hormuz toll-free for two months and affirm a commitment to Lebanon’s territorial integrity in the face of Israel’s invasion against the Hezbollah militant group.
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- 19 Jun 2026, 07:15:24 AM IST
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This blog is closed. Follow the latest updates related to US-Iran deal here: US-Iran peace deal live updates.
- 19 Jun 2026, 07:12:01 AM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Key points so far
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Here are the key points:
- The Swiss government has confirmed that initial talks between the United States and Iran are planned at the Buergenstock mountaintop resort in Switzerland on Friday, June 19.
- The White House said US vice president JD Vance won't be leaving on Thursday for Switzerland to lead a new round of talks with Iran about its nuclear program, citing difficult logistics for negotiations meant to add details to an agreement signed by US President Donald Trump a day ago.
- Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's lead negotiator and parliament speaker, has said Tehran will not accept any violation of the memorandum of understanding by the United States.
- Mohsen Rezaei, a senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, says that “the proud and triumphant nation of Iran brought the devils of the world to their knees and shattered their dominance”.
- The Joint Maritime Information Centre says the maritime security threat level in the Strait of Hormuz has been reduced to moderate.
- The US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Thursday (local time) announced that the United States has lifted its maritime blockade on all traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas.
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- 19 Jun 2026, 06:50:07 AM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: White House postpones sending Vance to Switzerland for Iran talks
US Iran deal LIVE updates: The White House said US vice president JD Vance won't be leaving on Thursday for Switzerland to lead a new round of talks with Iran about its nuclear program, citing difficult logistics for negotiations meant to add details to an agreement signed by US President Donald Trump a day ago.
The White House said in a statement that plans for the technical talks have not been finalised, and said the US delegation has been prepared to depart at the first available opportunity.
- 19 Jun 2026, 06:23:22 AM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Iran won't tolerate US breaches of deal, says Iranian parliament speaker
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's lead negotiator and parliament speaker, has said Tehran will not accept any violation of the memorandum of understanding by the United States.
“In the event of bad faith, breach of contract, and excessive demands by the opposing side, we have no hesitation in delivering a crushing response to the enemy,” he wrote in a post on X.
“They were once slapped during the war; if they wish to tread that path again, they will receive an even harder slap.”
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- 19 Jun 2026, 06:04:43 AM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Iran ‘brought the devils of the world to their knees’, says senior Iranian official
Mohsen Rezaei, a senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, says that “the proud and triumphant nation of Iran brought the devils of the world to their knees and shattered their dominance”.
“This epic will endure eternally in history,” he wrote on X.
Rezaei added, however, that Iran was in mourning “over the blood of our martyred leader, and there is no balm for this wound save vengeance”.
Several senior Iranian officials, including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, were killed in the US-Israel war on Iran.
- 19 Jun 2026, 05:07:09 AM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: John Bolton warns US-Iran MoU repeats past mistakes
John Bolton, former US National Security Advisor to President Donald Trump, has sharply criticised the newly signed US-Iran agreement, calling it "very favourable to Iran" and warning that it repeats the same structural mistakes that plagued previous deals regarding Tehran's nuclear programme.
In an interview with ANI, Bolton argued that the agreement grants Iran significant economic and strategic concessions while failing to fully secure Washington's core objective of guaranteeing unrestricted navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
He said that the MoU does not restrict Tehran from charging tolls or imposing conditions on the maritime traffic through the vital naval route.
"I think the deal is very favourable to Iran, and the one issue that mattered most to Trump, which is opening the Strait of Hormuz, is not fully resolved by this deal," Bolton said.
"I mean, we'll see what happens, we'll see whether Iran tries to charge tolls, for example, or imposes other conditions on maritime traffic. This agreement does not prohibit that," he added.
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- 19 Jun 2026, 04:28:55 AM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: US faces tough path to new Iran nuclear deal
The United States is about to embark on difficult negotiations with the Iranian government, whose survival of a massive US-Israeli military assault has undercut American leverage while bolstering the Islamic Republic.
US President Donald Trump tore up the last nuclear deal with Tehran and now faces the key test of whether his administration can come up with a better one -- or any at all -- in talks that are set to start soon and last for an initial 60 days.
But things are significantly different from when Washington and Tehran reached an agreement during Barack Obama's presidency more than a decade ago -- an effort that took years.
"It's a much worse situation strategically for the US now than it was back in the 2010 to 2015 time period," said Alan Eyre, distinguished diplomatic fellow at the Middle East Institute.
"The Iranian nuclear program is a lot more advanced now", though its nuclear facilities and enrichment ability were set back by US strikes last year, and "there's a lot less bilateral trust," said Eyre, one of the negotiators of the 2015 deal.
After Trump withdrew from that deal in 2018, Iran began rolling back its commitments, with the International Atomic Energy Agency saying Tehran was enriching uranium to 60 per cent purity -- far above the previous 3.67 per cent cap.
- 19 Jun 2026, 04:07:00 AM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Iran benefits much more from interim agreement than US, military officer says
While Iran appears to benefit from the interim agreement, the 60-day negotiation period will likely need to be extended multiple times – while the ceasefire hopefully remains in place – before a final deal is reached, says Harlan Ullman, a retired US senior naval officer.
“It seems to me that Iran has come out very well,” Ullman told Al Jazeera.
The agreement’s eighth point, “which is a critical one, [uses] exactly the same language that appeared in the Obama administration’s Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)”, Ullman said from Washington, DC.
The JCPOA explicitly banned Iran from ever developing or acquiring nuclear weapons.
It’s therefore difficult to say what the Trump administration has really achieved with this agreement and will achieve during the 60-day negotiation period, said the analyst.
“The JCPOA took over two years to negotiate, so while the MoU is very favourable to Iran… the devil… is in the detail.”
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- 19 Jun 2026, 03:51:00 AM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Security threat level in Strait of Hormuz reduced to moderate
The Joint Maritime Information Centre says the maritime security threat level in the Strait of Hormuz has been reduced to moderate.
Earlier this week, the centre had downgraded the threat level to ships transiting the strategic waterway from “severe” to “substantial”.
- 19 Jun 2026, 03:49:23 AM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Gold declines as hawkish Fed outweighs relief from US-Iran deal
Gold slipped as the Federal Reserve’s hawkish stance outweighed an interim peace deal between the US and Iran that eased inflation risks.
Bullion fell as much as 1.3% as the dollar pushed higher. Oil slid while stocks staged a comeback on optimism that the US-Iran truce will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and ease inflation risks that have fueled wagers on higher rates for longer. Elevated rates are negative for gold, which carries no interest.
Fed Chair Kevin Warsh this week vowed to restore price stability after officials left rates unchanged and signalled growing support for interest-rate hikes.
Uncertainty remains over how quickly fuel prices can come down and when transits through the strait can return to pre-war levels. If energy costs stay elevated for an extended period of time, that may feed through to inflation data, and the US central bank may still need to raise borrowing costs or at least keep higher rates for longer.
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- 19 Jun 2026, 03:18:44 AM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Iraqi oilfields' return to normal operations will be gradual, minister says
Iraq's oilfields are ready to resume production, and a return to normal output levels will take place gradually until previous production rates are restored, Oil Minister Basim Mohammed told Iraq's state news agency early on Friday.
He said state oil marketer SOMO had contacted all customers to nominate chartered and owned tankers to load contracted Iraqi crude oil cargoes from the country's southern ports.
He added that the resumption of exports would be gradual and dependent on the smooth passage of shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
- 19 Jun 2026, 02:56:09 AM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: US gas prices dip below $4 for 1st time since March
The average U.S. price for a gallon of gas fell below $4 on Thursday, to a level not seen since the first full month of the war with Iran, providing a bit of relief to consumers squeezed by soaring costs.
Although the tentative peace deal between the U.S. and Iran and the resumption of oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are pushing energy prices downward, the cost of gas is still much higher than before the war began on February 28.
According to AAA, a gallon of regular gasoline averaged $3.99 on Thursday. It was the first time since late March that prices were that low. And the drop aligns with easing crude oil costs overall, with markets expressing optimism in recent weeks about the prospect of a peace deal.
Even with prices dropping, American drivers are collectively paying about $1 more per gallon than they were before the war, and gas is 25% more expensive than it was this time last year. That has caused many households to tighten their budgets and rethink how they want to spend their money.
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- 19 Jun 2026, 02:44:25 AM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Republicans criticise Trump’s agreement with Iran
Trump’s interim deal with Iran has faced public criticism from some of his fellow Republicans.
One Republican senator called the framework pact the “worst foreign policy blunder in decades”, another said some reported provisions seemed “ill-advised”, and some pro-Republican commentators also broke with Trump over the agreement.
“Iran’s nuclear ambitions were not curbed, and they have learned that threatening the Strait of Hormuz works and will undoubtedly leverage it in the future,” Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana said on X.
Roger Wicker of Mississippi, the Republican chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee, said he worried that the MoU “negotiates away” US military successes.
Wicker also said it would be a mistake to force Israel to stand down against Hezbollah in Lebanon and opposed lifting any sanctions on Iran or unfreezing Iranian funds “in exchange for Iran’s mere agreement to negotiate for another 60 days”.
- 19 Jun 2026, 02:04:32 AM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: EU says too soon to discuss lifting sanctions on Iran
Kaja Kallas, vice-president of the European Commission, says that the issue of lifting EU sanctions on Iran will be addressed once there is an Iranian nuclear deal.
“Once the conditions allow, of course, member states will discuss whether the lifting of sanctions is [appropriate], but we are not there yet,” Kallas told reporters ahead of a summit with leaders of EU countries.
The EU currently maintains multilateral sanctions targeting over 700 individuals and entities in Iran, which include travel bans and asset freezes.
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- 19 Jun 2026, 01:21:12 AM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Trump envoy says Iran to invite IAEA for nuclear sites inspection after deal
Iran will invite the IAEA to inspect nuclear sites after the US-Iran deal, Donald Trump envoy Steve Witkoff told US lawmakers, AP reported, quoting sources.
- 19 Jun 2026, 01:03:34 AM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Hezbollah reports fresh clashes as Lebanon says Israeli strikes kill 3
Hezbollah said its fighters were engaged in fresh clashes with the Israeli military on Thursday, hours after Lebanese state media reported that Israeli strikes in the south killed three people.
The fighting came a day after the United States and Iran signed an agreement to end the Middle East war on all fronts, including in Lebanon.
Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group, said on Thursday it was fighting "a force of the Israeli enemy army that attempted to advance from the town of Arnoun towards the outskirts of Kfar Tibnit", near the key town of Nabatieh.
"The clashes are still ongoing," it added in the statement released in the late afternoon.
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- 19 Jun 2026, 12:35:31 AM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: CENTCOM announces lifting of Iran naval blockade
“Today, U.S. forces lifted the blockade on all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas, in accordance with the President's direction. American forces are not impeding the transit of vessels to or from Iranian ports. All U.S. military blockade enforcement efforts have ceased. Our great Naval Ships will remain in the general area to make sure that all aspects of the agreement are adhered to, obeyed and in full force and effect,” CENTCOM said.
- 19 Jun 2026, 12:31:50 AM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Iran says will issue Hormuz permits as ‘quickly as possible’
Iran's Supreme National Security Council said the Persian Gulf Strait Authority has been charged with issuing permits as quickly as possible.
It has also said that the Strait of Hormuz traffic will be increased gradually. Measures on mine clearance will be carried out under the Islamabad MoU, though ships are advised to stick to the path and timing allocated by the authority, the statement published by state media added.
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- 19 Jun 2026, 12:22:32 AM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Iran says no toll on passing Strait of Hormuz for 60 days
Iran's Supreme National Security Council has said that, based on the MOU with the U.S., no fees will be charged to ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days, state media reported.
It has also said tha fees will be covered by Iran during the 60-day period.
- 19 Jun 2026, 12:19:06 AM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: US treasury imposes sanctions on Lebanese officials for aiding Hezbollah
The US government has announced sanctions against several Lebanese officials it said were aligned with Hezbollah and members of the sanctioned Alaa Hassan Hamieh business network for obstructing Lebanon’s peace process and delaying the disarmament of Hezbollah.
The US treasury department said its Office of Foreign Assets Control was also designating individuals in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Oman who it claimed were raising funds and operating front companies to generate revenue for Hezbollah.
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- 18 Jun 2026, 11:37:40 PM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Trump says expect a complete ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, Hezbollah, and Israel
US President Donald Trump said in an apparent message to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyau that Washington expects a complete ceasefire on all fronts, “including Lebanon, Hezbollah, and Israel.”
- 18 Jun 2026, 11:34:47 PM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Iran's supreme leader says approved US deal despite having 'different view'
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said on Thursday that he had approved a deal with the United States to end the Middle East war despite having a "different view", without elaborating.
"In principle, I had a different view, but I issued my permission due to the commitment that the honourable (Iranian) president, as the chairman of the Supreme National Security Council, gave me on behalf of himself and other members to protect the rights of the Iranian nation and the Resistance Front," said Khamenei, who has not been seen in public, in message read on state television.
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- 18 Jun 2026, 11:33:11 PM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Iran supreme leader says direct talks with US do 'not mean accepting its views'
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said on Thursday that future talks with the United States would be held directly but that did not mean "accepting its views".
"It is obvious that the face-to-face negotiations that will be held in the future will not mean accepting the enemy's point of view," Khamenei said in a message read on state television, his first reaction to the Iran-US deal ending the war that broke out late February.
- 18 Jun 2026, 10:44:20 PM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: US military lifts blockade on Iranian ports
Today, U.S. forces lifted the blockade on all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas, in accordance with the President's direction. American forces are not impeding the transit of vessels to or from Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of…
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) June 18, 2026US Iran deal LIVE updates: US Central Command on Thursday said it has lifted its blockade on “all maritime traffic entering and exiting” Iranian ports.
“All U.S. military blockade enforcement efforts have ceased. Our great Naval Ships will remain in the general area to make sure that all aspects of the agreement are adhered to, obeyed and in full force and effect,” CENTCOM said in a post on X.
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- 18 Jun 2026, 10:33:29 PM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: JD Vance rebukes US critics in Israel
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Vice President JD Vance rebuked US critics in Israel against “attacking the only powerful ally” it has left. He lashed out at members of the Israeli government, warning them that “Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time.”
Vance said he plans to travel to Switzerland for talks on the Iran deal but he doesn’t know when that will happen. He had been expected to lead talks on implementing the agreement with Iran aimed at diluting its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and restarting oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
via AP
- 18 Jun 2026, 10:27:58 PM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: US allows more than a dozen ships through to Iranian ports, lifting blockade under deal, Vance says
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that the U.S. Navy has allowed more than a dozen ships through to Iranian ports, lifting a blockade as part of an agreement to end the war.
Vance made the announcement at a White House press briefing, where he said more oil is now flowing through the Strait of Hormuz. The Republican vice president said more than 12.5 million barrels went through the shipping channel Wednesday night.
“So we’re also honoring our end of the early part of the agreement on the military side,” Vance said, citing it as an immediate benefit of the deal as he downplayed criticism that the agreement tilts in favor of Iran.
Via AP
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- 18 Jun 2026, 09:43:28 PM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Vance doesn't think messaging ‘has been chaotic’
US Iran deal LIVE updates: US vice president JD Vance said he doesn’t think public messaging from the White House “has been chaotic” regarding the agreement with Iran.
“Well, I don’t think our public messaging has been chaotic. I think dealing with a fractured Iranian system, where communication isn’t great, is just sometimes something that we don’t fully appreciate, or we don’t fully understand,” Vance said during a White House press briefing Thursday.
- 18 Jun 2026, 09:42:33 PM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Vance says technical talks on Iran set to begin this weekend, but that may change
US Iran deal LIVE updates: US vice president JD Vance said on Thursday that technical talks on the Iran deal were scheduled to begin this weekend, provided the Iranian team can get to the talks.
"We think these technical negotiations are going to start sometime this weekend. That's still the plan, but that could change," Vance said at a White House briefing, adding that Iran is a hard country to get out of.
Via Reuters
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- 18 Jun 2026, 09:40:47 PM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Netanyahu underscores maintaining good ties with US
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Netanyahu underscored the importance of maintaining Israel's close ties with the US, saying Washington had stood "shoulder to shoulder" with Israel during the war with Iran, AFP reported.
"The struggle is not yet over, and further challenges lie ahead. They require calm judgement, steadfast defence of Israel's security interests, and at the same time the preservation of our vital relationship with our American friends, who stood shoulder to shoulder with us in this fight -- a partnership we deeply appreciate," Netanyahu said at a function, according to a statement issued by his office.
- 18 Jun 2026, 09:33:01 PM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Vance says he’s not worried about being blamed if Iran deal falls apart
US Iran deal LIVE updates: US vice president JD Vance on Thursday said he is “not at all” worried about being blamed if the deal with Iran falls, after US President Donald Trump joked that he’d blame his vice president if it falls apart.
“No, not at all,” he responded when asked during a White House press briefing if that prospect concerned him.
“I think the president was joking, as he often does,” Vance added.
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- 18 Jun 2026, 09:31:27 PM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: 60-day negotiating period between US and Iran officially begins, says JD Vance
US Iran deal LIVE updates: US Vice President on Thursday said that the 60-day period to reach a final agreement with Iran as set forth in the memorandum of understanding begins today.
Addressing a White House briefing, Vance said, “I would say the 60-day period officially started today. It was signed late, and it may have even been signed technically, you know, because of the time shift, I think it’s signed technically today, Iran time.”
- 18 Jun 2026, 08:44:04 PM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: In first reaction since deal, Netanyahu says Israel will not withdraw troops out of Lebanon
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said that Israeli troops will not withdraw out of southern Lebanon, even as US President Donald Trump has criticised him of extending the war and Iran has kept it as a stern condition to sign the peace deal.
In his first remarks since the deal was signed virtually by Trump and Iran’s President on Wednesday, Netanyahu remarked, “We will restore security to the north.”
“This requires maintaining the security zone in southern Lebanon, and it requires that we not leave it as long as Israel’s security needs demand it.”
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- 18 Jun 2026, 07:55:01 PM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Three killed in Lebanon, says state media
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Lebanon's state media National News Agency (NNA) reported today that three people were killed in Israeli drone attacks in two separate incidents.
According to the report, the first attack took place in the town of Kfar Tebnit, where a car with two people was targeting by a drone.
The two have been identified as Bilal Kamal Hayek and Ali Ismail Tufaili. HT could not verify the identities independently.
In a separate attack, a man was killed in a drone strike in the southern town of Zebdin, according to NNA.
- 18 Jun 2026, 07:38:06 PM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Qatar welcomes signing of deal between US and Iran.
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Qatar has welcomed the electronic signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the United States and Iran aimed at addressing outstanding issues, including the cessation of military operations and ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
“Qatar considers this a renewed affirmation of the two sides' commitment to resolving their differences through negotiation and peaceful means as well as to enhancing prospects for sustainable peace and economic growth at both the regional and international levels," it said in a press release.
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- 18 Jun 2026, 07:29:10 PM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: At least 7 vessels have traversed the Strait of Hormuz so far on Thursday
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Seven vessels have traversed the Strait so far on Thursday, data from Marine Traffic shows. Four cargo ships, a French flagged LNG tanker and a Cook Islands flagged bitumen tanker all exited the strait towards the Gulf of Oman.
The other vessel, the Panama flagged Starway, entered the Strait heading toward the Persian Gulf. Capable of carrying over 46,000 tons of oil, Starway turned off it’s AIS transponder, effectively hiding it from view, a tactic that has become more common since the strait’s initial closure in March.
via CNN
- 18 Jun 2026, 07:19:47 PM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Trump says Pope Leo ‘commends’ the deal
US Iran deal LIVE updates: US President Donald Trump on Thursday posted on Truth Social, “Pope Leo commends US-Iran peace deal.”
This comes after Trump clashed with the pontiff in April, openly condemning him after Leo criticized the war.
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- 18 Jun 2026, 07:07:40 PM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: China welcomes MoU between US and Iran
US Iran deal LIVE updates: China welcomes the signing of MOU between Iran and the US and hopes that it will be implemented by both sides in good faith.
“For peace to prevail, the actions of parties concerned, including Israel, should be conducive to the MOU’s implementation and the next phase of negotiations,” its foreign ministry said.
- 18 Jun 2026, 07:01:34 PM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Netanyahu trying to influence peace deal, says report; 'skeptical of Iran’s intentions'
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is aiming to influence the final Iran deal, using right-wing media figures and friendly senators to exert pressure on President Donald Trump, CNN reported citing an Israeli source.
Netanyahu has been skeptical of Iran’s intentions throughout the talks with the US, believing they were never willing to negotiate in good faith. Netanyahu still assesses there will not be a final deal between the US and Iran, the source told CNN, and that Tehran will not genuinely agree to restrictions on its nuclear program.
Now that Trump has signed the memorandum of understanding with Iran and triggered 60 days of negotiations, the Israeli leader is trying to leverage right-wing media figures, such as pro-Israel podcaster Mark Levin, to get his message out. On Wednesday, Levin said the deal “doesn’t make any sense” and called the reconstruction fund for Iran a “slush fund.”
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- 18 Jun 2026, 06:41:25 PM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: ‘Israel not bound by deal’, Netanyahu tells Trump
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Netanyahu has told Trump that Israel does not see itself as bound by the deal, which requires an “immediate and permanent termination” of the war in Lebanon. Israel has already scaled back its operations there under US pressure, CNN reported citing Israeli officials.
- 18 Jun 2026, 06:27:04 PM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: ‘It’s not $100bn’, Tehran professor says Iran has $24bn in frozen assets
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Iran’s frozen assets abroad total about $24 billion, not the widely reported $100 billion-$120 billion, according to Mostafa Koshcheshm, a professor at the University of Tehran.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, he said reports of larger sums are "exaggerated" and argued that Iran has already found ways to access much of its overseas funds through alternative banking, SWIFT and currency-swap mechanisms.
He also said Iranian officials remain cautious about the implementation of any agreement involving the release of assets, citing past experiences with the US.
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- 18 Jun 2026, 06:18:28 PM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Israeli strikes kill at least 3 in southern Lebanon
US Iran deal LIVE updates: At least three people were killed in separate Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon on Thursday. Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that two people died after an Israeli drone strike targeted a car in Kfar Tebnit, revising an earlier toll of one death. In a separate strike on the town of Zebdin, another person was killed.
- 18 Jun 2026, 06:08:06 PM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: National average gas prices fall
US Iran deal LIVE updates: For the first time in months, the national average gas price has fallen below $4 per gallon after topping $4.51 just a month ago, according to AAA, Fox News reported.
Drivers in states like Georgia, Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, and Minnesota are seeing even lower prices.
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- 18 Jun 2026, 06:03:01 PM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Trump lashes out at critics of Iran deal, says they are either 'jealous or bad, stupid people'
US Iran deal LIVE updates: US President Donald Trump lashed out at critics of his agreement with Iran on Thursday, calling those who accused him of offering concessions to end the war "fools", ahead of negotiations in Switzerland on implementing the deal.
via AFP
- 18 Jun 2026, 05:22:13 PM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Iran's Pezeshkian terms MoU a 'historic document', says peace hinges on mutual respect
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Iran’s president touted his country’s agreement with the US as a “historic document” Thursday, calling it a “message from a strong Iran.”
“This is a historic document and a message from a strong Iran: peace will be achieved through mutual respect,” Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said on X after signing the memorandum of understanding.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran remains committed to global peace, while preserving its dignity and independence, and to progress and regional cooperation.”
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- 18 Jun 2026, 04:48:41 PM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Transit through Hormuz requires coordination with IRGC navy, says report
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Transit of vessels through Strait of Hormuz still needs to be in done in coordination with the revolutionary guards navy, Reuters reported citing Iran's state TV.
- 18 Jun 2026, 04:44:15 PM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates | French tanker passes Strait of Hormuz after war deal: tracker
US Iran deal LIVE updates: A French-flagged LNG tanker left the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, a tracking platform said, as an agreement to end the US-Iran war paved the way for the key passage's reopening.
The liquefied natural gas vessel (LNG) the Mraikh, owned by the Nantes-based subsidiary of Norwegian company Knutsen OAS Shipping, was the first such French vessel to make the transit since the start of the Iran conflict on February 28.
It was carrying 76,535 tons of LNG, which it loaded in Ras Laffan, Qatar, and was bound for Port Qasim, Pakistan, according to the MarineTraffic platform operated by data firm Kpler, which tracks cargo ships.
via AFP
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- 18 Jun 2026, 04:34:17 PM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Israel says troops 10 km inside Lebanon despite deal
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Israel Defense Forces on Thursday said it has deployed forces in the security zone – 10 km inside Lebanese territory, due to operational requirements.
IDF soldiers will continue to remove threats and strengthen the defense of Israel’s northern residents.
- 18 Jun 2026, 04:22:49 PM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: China and Iran are comprehensive strategic partners, says Beijing
US Iran deal LIVE updates: China on Wednesday said that Beijing and Iran are comprehensive strategic partners.
In its daily press conference, its foreign ministry said, “China will work around to consolidate and elevate political mutual trust, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in various affairs, and continue to advance the China–Iran comprehensive strategic partnership.”
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- 18 Jun 2026, 04:19:09 PM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Iranian newspapers claim victory, remark Trump's military plans ‘failed’
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Iranian newspaper headlines are claiming victory, following the signing of the US-Iran agreement to end the war, with front pages of several papers remarking that US President Donald Trump’s military plans had failed, according to CNN.
Javan, a prominent Iranian daily newspaper close to the Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), described the United States as having suffered “a glorious defeat,” writing that while Israel and the US entered the conflict with ambitious goals, Iran emerged stronger than its opponents expected.
On the front page of the state-affiliated newspaper Hamshahri, Trump is seen biting on a crumbled piece of paper. The headline reads, “Gone with the Wind,” a common Persian idiom referring to something being wasted.
Kahyan, an influential and conservative newspaper, went with the headline: “The Strait of Hormuz is our deterrent weapon; our lever of power is not negotiable.”
Another, Sazandegi, focused on potential economic gains after the US-Iran agreement, writing the number “300” in large letters, in reference to the potential $300 billion reconstruction fund outlined in the agreement.
via CNN
- 18 Jun 2026, 03:54:33 PM IST
US Iran deal LIVE updates: ‘No details about fund, significant trust lost’, says Saudi's Foreign Minister
US Iran deal LIVE updates: Speaking to Al Arabiya English on Wednesday, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said that he has “no details” about the fund, but said that due to Iran’s attacks on Gulf states during the war, there has been “a significant loss of trust," CNN reported.
“We were just in the beginning process of building our relationship with Iran as a result of the Beijing understanding… that was only really starting to gather momentum and potentially opening up on economic cooperation and things like that.”
“I think we have since then regressed,” he said, adding that trust has to be rebuilt before any kind of economic cooperation is discussed. “We are quite early days now.”
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