US Iran news highlights: Trump says Iran agreed on nuclear clause, denies reports of US paying $300 billion to Tehran

US Iran news LIVE: An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon killed one person on Monday, Lebanese state media reported. This is the first reported fatal attack since the US-Iran peace deal was announced.

The National News Agency (NNA) said an Israeli drone targeted a car at the Kfar Tibnit roundabout near Nabatieh, killing the driver.

US Iran news LIVE: US President Donald Trump said that “ships are starting to move” out of the Strait of Hormuz, adding that “many [are] loaded up with oil.” In a post on Truth Social, he claimed vessels were using what he described as the “Southern Highway” in the waterway, which he called “totally safe, secure, and pristine.” He also said there were “other areas of travel,” without giving further details.

US Iran news LIVE: Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the country will step up efforts to secure the “complete Israeli withdrawal” from Lebanese territory and the release of prisoners following a US-Iran ceasefire agreement.

He said the deal could help end the war and stop “killing, destruction, displacement, and all the tragedies” affecting Lebanon. Salam also thanked those who helped achieve the agreement and expressed hope that displaced people would soon be able to return home safely, while Lebanon works with international partners on reconstruction.

US Iran news LIVE: Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid claims Israel “won the battle” militarily, crediting the Israel Defense Forces, but says Netanyahu “lost the war” politically and diplomatically by failing to manage the outcomes of the conflict.

He alleges Netanyahu mishandled international relations, specifically with the United States, suggesting that internal political issues damaged trust with the US leadership and weakened Israel’s diplomatic position.

He links this to earlier events, referencing October 7, 2023, saying Netanyahu failed to ensure Israeli citizens’ security then, and now has also failed in diplomatic leadership. He says Netanyahu should be replaced and “step off the stage.”

US Iran news LIVE: JD Vance has said, “What this agreement does is really twofold — on the one hand, it ensures that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, while simultaneously opening the Strait of Hormuz… it also fundamentally extends a hand to Iran and says, ‘Look, if you guys are willing to honor your obligations, if you’re willing to allow real inspections of your nuclear program, then we will welcome you back into the world economy.’ I think what @POTUS wants to do is turn over a leaf of 47 years of a failed relationship between the United Stated and Iran, but that requires the Iranians to actually honor their end of the bargain.”

US Iran news LIVE: Iran was preparing to attack Israel and suspend the signing of an agreement with the United States after an Israeli strike near Beirut threatened to derail last-minute diplomacy, The NYT reported citing officials. The report said Iran’s lead negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told Qatari mediators that Tehran planned to carry out an attack on Israel and pause the agreement process.

It added that US President Donald Trump intervened, urging Iran to hold back and assuring that Israel would halt attacks on Lebanon once the deal was signed. According to the report, Qatar mediated messages between Tehran and Washington during the final hours of negotiations after the strike, which Iran viewed as a red line because it targeted Lebanon

US Iran news LIVE: US Vice President JD Vance said the United States expects the Strait of Hormuz to reopen in a “toll-free” manner as part of the new peace deal with Iran. Speaking to CNBC, he said the issue will be addressed in upcoming technical negotiations and added that Washington’s expectation is for long-term free passage through the key shipping route.

Vance said, “Our expectation is that the strait is going to be opened in a toll-free way for the long term, and that’s the sort of thing that we’re going to figure out in these technical negotiations.”

US Iran news LIVE: Hezbollah thanked Iran for insisting that Lebanon be included in the agreement aimed at ending the war started by the US and Israel, according to a statement reported by AFP. The group said it had “profound gratitude” for Iran’s support of Lebanon and its resistance, and for ensuring Lebanon’s inclusion in any understanding to halt the war. Hezbollah also warned that it would not accept any violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and reaffirmed its commitment to defend the country until Israel fully withdraws and prisoners are returned.

US Iran news LIVE: Esmaeil Baghaei said that regional visits are planned ahead of the signing of an agreement with the United States in Switzerland this week.

US Iran news LIVE: Esmaeil Baghaei said that respecting Lebanon’s sovereignty is part of the interim agreement with the United States and that Lebanon remains a key focus of the memorandum of understanding. He said Lebanon is a critical part of the deal and Iran will closely monitor developments there.

Baghaei told reporters, “Respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon is part of interim agreement with the US.” He also said, “I’d like to express my condolences to the entire Lebanese people. We adopt our decision according to certain measurements because of these terrorist attacks from the Zionist entity against Lebanon.”

US Iran news LIVE: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has welcomed the Iran-US deal, which includes a halt to military actions in Lebanon. In a statement shared by the Lebanese presidency, he said, “I appreciate what this memorandum contains in terms of respect for Lebanese specificity and the recognition that Lebanon’s stability and security constitute an integral part of any serious endeavour to consolidate stability in the region.”

Aoun said he hopes the agreement leads to “stability in the region, preserves the sovereignty of states and the rights of their peoples, and allows the Lebanese to focus on rebuilding what has been destroyed, and restoring their normal lives under a secure and stable state.”

US Iran news LIVE: Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said there is a “long road” ahead for the United States to gain Iran’s trust, pointing to historical grievances as the basis for ongoing mistrust. He said Iran “doubts the Americans because we had previous experiences with them that go back to 1953,” referring to the US-UK backed coup that overthrew Iran’s elected government.

Baghaei said, “Since that moment trust has gone between America and Iran, and it is deep rooted. There is a long road for the United States to go in order to gain our trust.” He suggested that distrust remains “deep-rooted” due to decades of strained relations between the two countries.

US Iran news LIVE: Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that Lebanon’s national sovereignty is one of the main pillars of the memorandum of understanding agreed with the United States. He said the deal emphasizes ending the war on all fronts, including respecting the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon, which is clearly stated in the framework of Iran’s international commitment. He added that these statements show “no agreement will be sustainable” without comprehensive guarantees of Lebanon’s security and territorial independence.

US Iran news LIVE: Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that reaching a deal does not mean crimes against Iran will be forgotten, Al Jazeera reported. He said the issue of redress and seeking justice for all “martyrs” is a permanent, continuous and unforgivable step. He added that nobody can forget the massive crimes committed against the Iranian people under any circumstances. Baghaei said the foreign ministry will use any means, capacity and international platform to document, record and talk about these “heinous” crimes. He further said that reaching any understanding to reduce tensions and end the war will never mean “ignoring, forgetting or forgiving” the crimes committed by the other side against the Iranian people.

US Iran news LIVE: Hezbollah has not carried out any attacks since the Iran-US deal was announced, an official of the Lebanon militant group told Reuters. The official said Hezbollah’s position on the ceasefire depends on whether Israel follows the agreement.

The official, who did not want to be named, said Hezbollah does not accept Israeli “freedom of movement” in Lebanon. He also said Iran delayed signing the deal with the United States to watch whether Israel follows the ceasefire in Lebanon.

Hezbollah has not made any official statement on the US agreement yet.

US Iran news LIVE: Shippers have said that confidence in resuming normal maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz could take weeks to rebuild, with operations expected to restart only once full safety assurances, including mine clearance, are in place despite the recent US-Iran agreement easing tensions.

Major shipping companies have welcomed the development but remain cautious, waiting for clearer security conditions before fully restoring routes. “The market is clearly pricing in a return to business as usual, but after months of disruption owners and charterers alike will likely remain cautious until ships are consistently moving freely through Hormuz once again,” analysts at Sentosa Ship Brokers said, as per Al Jazeera.

US Iran news LIVE: Gideon Levy, author and columnist at Haaretz, has described the situation between the United States, Israel and Iran as “still very explosive.” He warned that recent developments could significantly reshape Washington’s approach to Israel, as per Al Jazeera. He said Israel “only lost in this game,” and added that there were influential voices in the Republican Party, the White House and the State Department who were “much more critical about Israel than Trump himself.”

Levy cautioned that if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu damages ties with US President Donald Trump, Israel could face an unprecedented diplomatic challenge, with consequences becoming clear “within a very short time.” He further argued, “For the United States and for Donald Trump personally, Israel is an obstacle and it will be treated as an obstacle from now on.”

US Iran news LIVE: Israeli political leaders across the spectrum have sharply criticised the US-Iran agreement.

National security minister Itamar Ben Gvir said on his Telegram channel: “Trump’s agreement does not bind us… We are not party to this agreement. It does not safeguard our security… We must not settle for anything less than the dismantling of Hezbollah. We must not withdraw from a single inch of territory that our soldiers have captured and cleared of terrorist infrastructure”.

Finance minister Bezalel Smotrich called the deal “bad for Israel”, adding: “We will have to continue the campaign to bring down the [Iranian] regime ourselves, using creative means, and ensure that Iran never acquires nuclear weapons.”

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett described the agreement as a “dangerous turn for Israel’s security”.

Yair Golan, head of the left-wing Democrats Party, said Israel’s military achievements have been “erased” with the “stroke of a pen”.

US Iran news LIVE: Britain’s Court of Appeal has ruled that the government acted lawfully in designating activist group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation under the Terrorism Act 2000. The decision overturns a February High Court ruling that found the ban unlawful and disproportionate, marking a legal victory for the government in its efforts to proscribe the group. The case centred on whether the use of terrorism legislation to ban Palestine Action was justified.

US Iran news LIVE: The Indian Army has selected the **MEPRO X6** telescopic sight from Israeli defence optics company Meprolight for its NEGEV machine guns, the company announced on Monday. The fixed 6x magnification sight, designed for assault rifles and light machine guns, was chosen after extensive testing for reliability, durability and accuracy. Under a technology transfer agreement, Meprolight will share manufacturing know-how with RRP Defense to support the Make in India initiative, with local production in India. The sights will be supplied to the Army through Bharat Electronics Limited, which will act as the prime contractor for the programme.

US Iran news LIVE: China on Monday welcomed the memorandum of understanding set to be signed between the United States and Iran, praising Pakistan for its mediation efforts and expressing hope that the agreement would be implemented according to schedule. In a statement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said it hopes the Strait of Hormuz will once again be safe for free navigation, describing this as being in the common interest of regional countries and the wider international community. Beijing also said it would continue to promote peace and stability in the Middle East in line with the four-point proposal put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping and contribute to achieving lasting peace in the region.

US Iran news LIVE: Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency reported on Monday that "important changes" had been made to the final text of the memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington. Citing an informed source, the report said the revised text explicitly recognizes Iran and Oman's sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and their role in determining the future of maritime services in the strategic waterway. The source added that Iran would allow toll-free passage for commercial vessels through the strait for 60 days, after which it plans to introduce safety, navigation, environmental and insurance services, with revenues from ship traffic earmarked for economic development.

US Iran news LIVE: The United Arab Emirates on Monday reaffirmed the importance of dialogue, diplomacy and adherence to international law as the foundation for strengthening regional security and stability

US Iran news LIVE: Indian benchmark indices rallied on Monday as easing Gulf tensions boosted global risk sentiment and sent oil prices sharply lower. The Nifty 50 rose 0.98% to 23,853.90 and the Sensex gained 0.97% to 76,264.33, extending two-session gains to about 3% and 3.3%, respectively. Brent crude fell 5.2% to around $82.8 a barrel, its lowest since March, after the US and Iran announced a preliminary peace deal. The rupee strengthened 0.41% to 94.71 per dollar, while India's 10-year bond yield declined. Analysts said lower oil prices could ease inflation and trade deficit pressures, with Monarch Networth Capital projecting the Nifty could reach 27,000-28,000 by year-end despite being down 8.7% in 2026 so far.

Market breadth was positive, with 14 of 16 sectors ending higher. Small-cap and mid-cap indices rose 1.1% and 1.3%, respectively. Middle East-exposed engineering giant Larsen & Toubro climbed 3%, while oil-sensitive stocks such as BPCL, HPCL, Indian Oil, cement makers and airline IndiGo advanced. The main laggard was Aurobindo Pharma, which fell 4.7% after the US FDA raised serious concerns about a facility in Telangana. (Bloomberg)

US Iran news LIVE: The US and Iran have agreed to a preliminary peace memorandum, brokered by Pakistan, that includes an immediate ceasefire and a formal signing in Switzerland on Friday. The deal envisages reopening the Strait of Hormuz, lifting the US blockade on Iranian ports, and launching 60 days of talks on Iran’s nuclear programme and sanctions. Iran has agreed to freeze further nuclear activity pending a final accord, while both sides have discussed potential sanctions relief. The framework also aims to halt military operations in Lebanon, though key disputes over regional security and Iran’s nuclear future remain unresolved.