President Trump and Iranian President Pezeshkian signed an interim deal to end the war in Iran (Reuters)
The framework agreement extends the ceasefire by sixty days and includes a $300 billion private fund designed to stimulate investment in Iran, with more than half of that amount already committed, according to a source with direct knowledge of the deal (Reuters)
U.S.-Iran Framework Agreement Faces Questions Over Implementation
Questions surrounded the U.S.-Iran interim deal to end the war in the Middle East as shippers said it could take weeks for confidence to return after any reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and fundamental questions about the agreement’s terms remained unanswered (FT)
Reuters reported that the U.S. military had overseen scores of secretive ship-to-ship oil transfers to keep Gulf energy exports flowing since early May, using drones and helicopters to guide tanker convoys near the Strait of Hormuz—employing a shuttling technique long used by Iran to circumvent sanctions (Reuters)
Challenges to U.S.-Iran Agreement Persist
Vice President JD Vance described the preliminary agreement with Iran as a major step towards peace; however, he acknowledged that the United States still had “very important details to figure out,” including how to “destroy and dispose” of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium (CNBC)
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the terms for dealing with Iran’s nuclear program would be finalized in the sixty days following the initial signing (Al Jazeera)
Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, wrote on social media that Israel is not bound by the U.S.-Iran agreement, as Israel will not “compromise on anything less than the dismantling of Hezbollah” (X)
Although President Trump previously announced that the Strait of Hormuz would be “permanently toll-free,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, said in a news briefing that Iran could still charge fees “in exchange for the services that are provided” (NYT)
Additionally, shippers in Asia and Europe remain wary, saying that navigation will only restart once a deal to reopen the waterway is passed on Friday, June 19 (Reuters)
Global oil prices fell about 5 percent, hitting their lowest levels in more than three months, in response to the deal (CNN)
Pakistan: U.S.-Iran Agreement Reached
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that the United States and Iran reached a peace agreement that covers Lebanon; Sharif said a signing ceremony would take place on Friday, June 19, in Switzerland (NYT)
President Trump confirmed the announcement on social media, saying that the U.S. naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz would end (BBC)
The preliminary agreement—the text of which has not been published—also includes a cessation of hostilities for sixty days (NYT)
U.S., Iran Reportedly on the Verge of Interim Deal
Pakistan announced that the United States and Iran were close to an agreement; the text covers the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, phased lifting of sanctions on Iran, and the release of frozen Iranian assets (AP)
However, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Iranian media that the Strait of Hormuz would not return to its pre-conflict status quo and that Iran and Oman would maintain sovereignty over the strait (Guardian)
Regional officials also told news outlets that Iran would reiterate its commitment not to develop a nuclear weapon, but that comprehensive talks on the fate of Iran’s nuclear program would be postponed to future negotiations (NYT)
Iran Closes Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s foreign ministry said that the latest round of U.S. strikes on Iran has effectively rendered the April 8 ceasefire “meaningless,” warning of “highly dangerous consequences” that may arise from further escalation; Iran also announced that the Strait of Hormuz was closed to all maritime traffic in response to the recent military strikes (NYT)
President Trump threatened to attack Iran “very hard” tonight, warning via social media that he could take Kharg Island, the heart of Iran’s oil economy (NYT)
Hours later, Trump announced that he had “canceled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran” that he had previously threatened, given progress on a peace deal (NYT)
Separately, U.S. Central Command announced that U.S. forces disabled another vessel attempting to transport Iranian oil in the Gulf of Oman (CENTCOM)
U.S. and Iran Trade Strikes After Trump’s Warnings
President Trump announced in a social media post that Iran has “taken too long to negotiate a deal” and that they will “pay the price;” shortly thereafter, Trump told reporters that the United States would resume attacking Iran (NYT)
Trump also announced that he had directed the U.S. military to “execute a secret mission” to support oil tankers and commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz last month; he claimed that over 200 U.S. commercial ships have carried more than 100 million barrels of oil through the Strait since then (CNN)
U.S. Central Command later announced that it carried out a “precision” strike on a vessel in the Gulf of Oman attempting to transport oil from Iran in violation of the U.S. blockade, killing three Indian sailors (Reuters)
The U.S. military later continued strikes on Iran, which the U.S. Central Command once again characterized as “self-defense” in response to Iran’s “unwarranted and continued aggression” (CENTCOM)
Iran responded with a round of strikes targeting U.S. military assets in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan (BBC)
Separately, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denounced U.S. air strikes that have damaged drinking water facilities in southern Iran (NYT)
U.S. Strikes Iran After Downing of U.S. Helicopter
President Trump announced that the United States was compelled to respond after Iran shot down a U.S. Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz on Monday (FT)
U.S. Central Command characterized the response as “self-defense strikes” (CNN)
Iran then launched a series of retaliatory strikes on U.S. bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan (CNN)
Nearly all were intercepted, according to initial U.S. assessments (NYT)
Iran, Israel Announce End to Strikes
Iran and Israel said they would both end military operations after President Trump called on both countries to “stop shooting” (Reuters)
Iran and Israel Trade Strikes
For the first time since President Trump announced a ceasefire on April 8, Iran launched ballistic missiles toward northern Israel in retaliation for IDF airstrikes across southern Lebanon, including a strike that killed three Lebanese army soldiers (NYT)
Trump told reporters on Sunday that he would caution Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against responding (Reuters)
However, Israel later retaliated by launching strikes on military sites in central and western Iran (Axios)
Top Iranian Official Says Peace Deal Hinges on U.S. Releasing Frozen Iranian Assets
Mohsen Rezaei, military adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, said that negotiations to end the war are “at a deadlock” and that a potential peace deal between the United States and Iran hinges on the Trump administration agreeing to release $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets (CNN).
Iran Says It Fired Warning Shots at U.S. Warships in Gulf of Oman
Iranian state media reported that the country’s navy had directed missiles and drones at U.S. warships in the Gulf of Oman as a warning, charging that U.S. forces were interfering with shipping and confiscating tankers and cargo ships—claims that followed the U.S. military’s announcement that it had stopped a sanctioned, stateless tanker in the Indian Ocean the night before (Reuters)
U.S. House Passes War Powers Resolution
The United States House of Representatives passed the War Powers Resolution, which aims to prevent further escalation in the war against Iran until hostilities are authorized by Congress (Al Jazeera)
Although the measure must pass through the Senate and is likely to be vetoed by President Trump, the move reflects growing congressional concern over the conflict (NPR)
Separately, Iran attacked U.S. ally Kuwait’s international airport, killing one and injuring dozens (Reuters)
Iran Suspends Talks Over Expanding Israeli Offensive in Lebanon
Iranian news agency Tasnim said that Israel’s expanding offensive in Lebanon constituted a breach of the ceasefire, prompting it to suspend talks with the United States (FT)
Oil prices spiked in response to the news, as Iran also announced it would seek “complete closure” of the Strait of Hormuz (NYT)
President Trump faulted Democrats and Republicans in Congress for hindering his ability to negotiate in a social media post (Truth Social)
U.S. Official: Iran, U.S. Agree in Principle on Deal to Reopen Strait of Hormuz
A senior U.S. official told reporters that the United States and Iran had agreed in principle to a deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and compel Iran to dispose of its highly enriched uranium; Iranian officials have not commented on the recent announcement (NYT)
Earlier in the day, President Trump had said he instructed his negotiators not to rush into a deal, contradicting his statement from yesterday that a deal was close to being signed (AP)
Trump: Deal With Iran “Largely Negotiated”
President Trump announced in a social media post that a peace deal to end the war with Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz is mostly negotiated and would be announced shortly; however, an Iranian state news agency disputed Trump’s claims on the Strait of Hormuz, insisting they would remain under Iranian management (CNBC)
Iran, Oman Discussing Service Fee for Strait of Hormuz
Iran and Oman, a U.S. ally, are reportedly in discussions to create a fee system to charge vessels for services while transiting the Strait of Hormuz; the proposal contradicts President Trump’s assertions that the waterway should remain free (NYT)
Iran Consolidating Control of Strait of Hormuz
A Reuters investigation found that Iran has consolidated control over the Strait of Hormuz through a tiered system that privileges ships linked to allies Russia and China, followed by countries with close ties like India and Pakistan; ships not covered by a government agreement are paying upwards of $150,000 to securely transit the waterway (Reuters)
Trump Comments on Iran During Visit to China
Trump said that both he and Chinese President Xi Jinping feel “very similar” about how the war should end (WaPo)
He told Fox that Xi agreed not to provide military equipment to Iran (Fox News)
A BRICS foreign ministers meeting in New Delhi ended without a joint statement after members voiced differing positions over the situation in the Middle East, host India said (AP)
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called for fellow BRICS member the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to reconsider its policy toward Tehran after accusing Abu Dhabi of facilitating military operations against it, according to Iranian state media (Reuters)
Trump-Xi Meeting Addresses Iran War
On Iran, the White House said China opposed charging tolls in the Strait of Hormuz, expressed interest in buying more U.S. oil, and agreed that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon (White House)
China’s readout merely said that the two sides discussed the Middle East (Chinese MoFA)
Meanwhile, Iranian news outlets reported that Tehran had allowed some Chinese vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz following contacts from Beijing (NYT)
The talks come as the Washington Post reported that a U.S. intelligence report assesses that the Iran war is weakening Washington’s strategic edge against Beijing; a Pentagon spokesperson said that any such claims were “fundamentally false” (WaPo)
Separately, Saudi Arabia has floated the idea of a regional nonaggression pact that includes Iran to its neighbors once the war is over, unnamed diplomats told the Financial Times; it could be based on the Helsinki process that managed tensions during the Cold War, two unnamed Western diplomats said (FT)
Israel-UAE Clash on Report of Visit
The UAE rejected an assertion by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office that Netanyahu had made a covert visit to the UAE during the Iran war; underscoring the topic’s sensitivity, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi suggested on social media that Tehran’s security services already knew of Netanyahu’s visit and called collusion with Israel against Iran “unforgivable” (NYT)
Separately, a motion to limit Trump’s war powers failed in the U.S. Senate for the seventh time since the start of the Iran war; the measure failed by only one vote, after Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) joined Democrats and two other Republican senators for the first time to support limiting Trump’s powers (NYT)
Iran’s Missile Capabilities
Unnamed sources with knowledge of U.S. intelligence assessments told the New York Times that Iran still has around 70 percent of its prewar missile stockpile and has restored access to thirty of its thirty-three missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz, where Iranian missiles could threaten U.S. ships; asked for comment, a White House spokesperson repeated Trump’s divergent claim that Iran’s military had been “crushed” in the conflict and the acting Pentagon press secretary said Operation Epic Fury was a “historic accomplishment” (NYT)
Meanwhile, Reuters reported that Saudi Arabia carried out multiple strikes on Iran in retaliation for Iranian attacks during the war; an unnamed Western official said the attacks occurred in late March (Reuters)
Trump: Ceasefire on Life Support
Trump declared the ceasefire with Iran was on “life support”—suggesting a potential return to fighting—while his administration announced plans to address the war’s costs for U.S households (White House)
The costs of the war are also taking a toll inside Iran, with layoffs across the private sector from tech to manufacturing, the New York Times reported (NYT)
Both Trump and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf suggested that economic pain would lead the other side to make concessions (Iranian Parliament)
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that it seeks a regional end to the war, including an end to the fighting in Lebanon; Iran’s latest proposal also focused on halting maritime attacks against Iranian vessels and unfreezing Iranian assets (Tasnim News Agency)
Amid the diplomatic impasse, new reporting emerged about additional countries’ roles on the battlefield: the United Arab Emirates (UAE) struck Iran in early April, unnamed sources told the Wall Street Journal, while unnamed U.S. officials told CBS News that Pakistan allowed Iranian planes to park on its airfield in a move that could shield them from attacks (WSJ;CBS)
Trump Rejects Iranian Proposal
Trump rejected Iran’s latest peace proposal as “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE,” though he neither specified what aspects he objected to nor immediately announced a return to hostilities (Truth Social;Times of Israel)
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said that Trump was “giving diplomacy every chance” before resuming military action (ABC)
In an interview with CBS News, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war is “not over,” and there was still “work to be done” on dismantling Iranian enrichment sites and ballistic missiles; he suggested Iran’s enriched uranium could be removed from the country through a deal or military means (CBS)
Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) all reported drone attacks over the weekend, with the UAE openly blaming Tehran for the strikes; drones attacked a ship in Qatari waters and entered Kuwaiti and Emirati airspace (Al Jazeera)
UAE Comes Under Renewed Iranian Attack
The Emirati defense ministry said it had intercepted missiles and drones fired at its territory by Iran; there were no immediate reports of damage (WSJ)
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticized Washington today for its push for a “military adventure” when diplomatic solutions were available, adding “Iranians never bow to pressure” (Iran FM)