President Donald Trump has warned Iran against breaking a ceasefire agreement as the US partially lifted sanctions on Iranian oil for the first time in decades.
"If Iran doesn't live up to their agreement, or if they're not behaving, I will do what I have to do," Trump told reporters on Monday.
The US has partially lifted sanctions on Iranian oil exports following “encouraging” talks over ending their months-long war.
The Treasury on Monday issued a 60-day sanctions waiver that would allow Iran to sell oil in US dollars for the first time in decades.
However, Iran reportedly denied a claim by Vance that Tehran would allow nuclear inspectors back into the country following initial talks in Switzerland.
Vance said discussions with the International Atomic Energy Agency could be happening "as soon as today". But Iran's foreign ministry said Tehran had made "no new commitments" on nuclear inspections.
Iran’s lead negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, insisted on Monday that the Strait of Hormuz would be managed by Iran and follow international laws.
"Hopefully we can activate the strait again, in terms of passage, and bring prosperity back to regional and global economy," he said.
Key Points
- US partially lifts Iran oil sanctions
- Talks between Iran and US conclude in Switzerland - report
- Iran disputes Vance's nuclear inspection claims
- Iran's lead negotiator insists Strait of Hormuz will be managed by Iran
- Trump says 'I will do what I have to do' if Iran violates agreement
Iran warns against 'exaggeration' following agreement
09:30 , Maira Butt
Iran’s foreign minister spokesperson Esmail Baqaei has warned against “exaggeration” as technical talks proceed following a ceasefire agreement signed last week
“If power is not proven in war, it will not be proven through exaggeration after agreement either.,” he wrote on X on Tuesday.
“Agreement stands on the shoulders of respect and fidelity to reality; and any self-congratulatory narrative constructed to compensate for past failures will, above all, destroy that very process of agreement.
“Then, defeat and failure extend beyond the battlefield and seep into the negotiating table as well.”
Tehran has no plan to let IAEA inspectors visit nuclear sites, says foreign ministry spokesperson
08:55 , Maira Butt
Iran has neither held a meeting with International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi in Switzerland nor plans for the U.N. nuclear watchdog to inspect Iran's damaged nuclear facilities, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Esmaeil Baghaei said there was no protocol for such inspections, adding that Iran would continue its current obligations as a member of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and under its safeguards agreement with the IAEA.
Naftali Bennett accuses Netanyahu of misleading Israeli public
08:30 , Maira Butt
Former Israeli prime minister and opposition politician Naftali Bennett has accused Benjamin Netanyahu of misleading the Israeli public in relation to the war in Lebanon.
“When Netanyahu and Israel Katz announced yesterday at 11pm at night that the IDF has freedom of action in Lebanon—they didn't tell the truth,” he wrote in a post on X.
“It's not true. The truth is that our boys' hands are tied in Lebanon.”
He said that he had spoken to Israeli soldiers who had told him that Hezbollah are “re-establishing themselves, repairing infrastructure, arming up, and returning to activity, and our soldiers are forbidden from opening fire on them.”
Trump allies defend him to Israelis anxious over Iran deal
08:00 , Maira Butt
American allies of President Donald Trump this week defended him to an Israeli public anxious about a US interim deal with Iran and White House criticism that together appeared to signal fissures in Israel's decades-old alliance with Washington.
“The United States and Israel have an unbreakable bond,” Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, said on Sunday after acknowledging there was an “enormous level of anxiety about the relationship.”
UK ‘did not like’ Starmer refusing to be drawn into Iran war, says Trump
07:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Donald Trump has said the British public “did not like” Sir Keir Starmer’s refusal to be drawn into the war against Iran, as he again derided the outgoing prime minister as “not Winston Churchill”.
The president also repeated his claim that Sir Keir had “hurt himself very, very badly” over his stance on immigration and energy, while declaring him “a very nice man” and “sort of a friend of mine”.
Trump made his comments at the White House after Sir Keir quit as Labour leader, having acknowledged he had lost the support of his MPs, and with former Greater Manchester mayor and new MP Andy Burnham waiting in the wings.
More here.
UK ‘did not like’ Starmer refusing to be drawn into Iran war, says Trump
Britain to have surplus of energy for winter despite Iran war, forecasts show
07:15 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Britain has more than enough electricity supply to meet demand through the winter months, despite households facing higher bills following the Iran war, according to the energy system operator.
The National Energy System Operator (Neso) nonetheless cautioned over “tight days” during potential cold snaps this winter.
In its early winter outlook, the electricity system is forecast to have a surplus of 5.5 gigawatts between the end of October and the end of March next year.
This represents an 8.8 per cent buffer of peak winter demand, which is slightly below the margin forecast for 2025, but greater than the years before that.
Neso, which is a publicly-owned body, independent of government, is tasked with ensuring that the supply of electricity remains balanced with demand for it.
If supply cannot meet demand, then the country risks blackouts.
Neso said its modelling – which stress-tests thousands of scenarios based on electricity demand, weather conditions and generation – shows that Britain’s electricity system is expected to remain stable this winter.
Watch: Qatar PM appears to snub JD Vance at US-Iran peace talks
07:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The Strait of Hormuz's future is unsettled even as more ships venture through
06:55 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Ship traffic has picked up in the Strait of Hormuz since Iran and the US signed an interim deal to end a war that constricted global oil supplies and fueled inflation, but questions surrounding control of the vital waterway and whether vessels will be charged tolls to cross it could interfere with negotiations to forge a lasting peace.
Tehran and Washington clashed over the Strait of Hormuz again this past weekend. Citing Israel's latest attacks on Lebanon, Iran declared that it reclosed the strait.
The US was quick to contest that. Maritime tracking data showed that dozens of ships passed through on Saturday and Sunday, though far fewer than the daily average before the war.
More here.
The Strait of Hormuz's future is unsettled even as more ships venture through
Iran central bank governor says no obligation to by American produce
06:45 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Iran's central bank governor Abdolnaser Hemmati has responded to Donald Trump's claims that the released Iranian funds will be used to buy US produce.
Hemmati said Iran has “no obligation to buy” agricultural products from the US.
He told the Tasnim news agency that the agreement says the first $6bn can be used to buy “basic goods and medicine”.
However, he added that “if the price and quality of American inputs are more suitable compared to other countries, we have no obstacle to purchasing from that country."
He said the $6bn could be used to purchase other non-sanctioned goods.
Rubio heads to the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain
06:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
US secretary of state Marco Rubio will travel to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain this week as the Trump administration has stepped up efforts to end the war with Iran, while Gulf countries remain uneasy about a proposed deal.
The state department announced yesterday that Rubio would visit the three countries for bilateral meetings with leaders to discuss the memorandum of understanding reached last week between the US and Iran.
Rubio will discuss "regional priorities," "efforts to secure full and free safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz, and the importance of peace and stability in the region," the department said in a statement.
While in Bahrain, Rubio will also meet with Gulf Cooperation Council officials "to discuss shared priorities".
Talks between Iran and US conclude in Switzerland - report
06:15 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The technical talks between Iran and the US in Switzerland have concluded, according to Iran's state media.
Both nations will set up negotiating groups on nuclear power and sanctions, it said.
Turkish president offers support for US-Iran agreement
06:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed the agreement reached between Iran and the US during a telephone call with his Iranian counterpart and pledged Turkey's continued support for the process to conclude peacefully.
A statement from the Turkish president's office said that during his conversation with Masoud Pezeshkian, Erdogan also urged vigilance "against those who want to sabotage the negotiations", in an apparent reference to Israel.
Turkish officials have constantly accused Israel of wanting to derail the negotiations.
Oman reaffirms commitment to 'toll-free' passage through Hormuz
05:52 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Omani foreign minister Badr Albusaidi said discussions with Iranian officials in Muscat focused on ensuring "toll-free safe passage" through the Strait of Hormuz.
Albusaidi in a post on X said the discussions with Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and foreign minister Abbas Araghchi focused on the recent Iran-US memorandum of understanding, "especially the Strait of Hormuz paragraph".
"We affirmed the commitment to international law and toll-free safe passage," Albusaidi said.
Welcomed Iran’s Speaker of Parliament HE Dr. Ghalibaf and FM Dr. Araghchi in Muscat this evening. Constructive discussions on the recent Iran-US MOU, especially the Strait of Hormuz paragraph. We affirmed commitment to international law and toll-free safe passage. https://t.co/vveFdQP3EW
— Badr Albusaidi - بدر البوسعيدي (@badralbusaidi) June 22, 2026
US president Donald Trump had briefly warned he would blow up Oman if it failed to “behave”.
Pentagon seeks $80bn from Congress for Iran war
05:40 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The Pentagon has told senators it needs roughly $80bn, mostly to cover the cost of the US war against Iran, adding to what is already a sizable military spending boost being sought by president Donald Trump.
The White House Office of Management and Budget has yet to make a formal request to Congress. But defence secretary Pete Hegseth has been making the rounds on Capitol Hill.
A top deputy defence secretary told senators about the Iran funding request last week, according to two people familiar with the situation but not authorized to discuss it publicly.
The push for billions of dollars in Iran war funding comes at a fraught political moment. Lawmakers are skeptical of the deal Trump struck with Iran to bring an end to the war, and wary of next steps.
The White House has requested a remarkable $1.5 trillion for the Pentagon — a nearly 50 per cent increase over the current fiscal year's funding levels.
Oil prices fall below $78 a barrel
05:20 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Oil prices inched down this morning, extending losses from the previous session, as investors looked for clearer signs of progress in restoring crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz following US-Iran peace talks.
Brent crude futures fell 20 cents, or 0.3 per cent, to $77.70 a barrel and US West Texas Intermediate declined to $73.74 a barrel, down 12 cents, or 0.2 per cent.
Prices fell more than 3 per cent yesterday after the US granted Iran a 60-day sanctions waiver following initial peace talks, and as officials reported a lull in hostilities in Lebanon under the broader agreement.
Iran's lead negotiator insists Strait of Hormuz will be managed by Iran
04:40 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The lead negotiator of the Iranian delegation, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, insisted that the Strait of Hormuz would be managed by Iran and would follow international laws.
Qalibaf, who is also the speaker of the parliament, spoke with Iran's state media on a plane on his way back from Switzerland.
"Hopefully we can activate the strait again, in terms of passage, and bring prosperity back to the regional and global economy" he said.
Qalibaf confirmed that the issue of releasing the frozen assets, as well as the sale of Iranian oil were discussed in the talks with the US.
Iran disputes Vance's nuclear inspection claims
04:20 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Iran has reportedly denied a claim by US vice president JD Vance that Tehran would allow nuclear inspectors back into the country following initial talks in Switzerland.
Vance said discussions with the International Atomic Energy Agency could be happening "as soon as today".
However, Iran's foreign ministry said Tehran had made "no new commitments" on nuclear inspections.
Since the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in 2025, inspectors have visited the Islamic Republic.
US partially lifts Iran oil sanctions
04:14 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The US has partially lifted sanctions on Iranian oil exports following “encouraging” talks over ending their months-long war.
The US Treasury yesteday issued a 60-day sanctions waiver after the first talks under a nascent peace deal.
US vice president JD Vance said talks with Iranian officials in Switzerland had laid a good foundation for a final peace deal, although Iran denied that it had begun discussions of its nuclear program.
Watch: Trump says Israel would be 'eviscerated' without him
04:00 , Rebecca Whittaker
Netanyahu's claims about Iran's nuclear program run counter to public evidence
03:00 , Rebecca Whittaker
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that Iran would have developed a nuclear weapon and used it on Israel were it not for the two recent wars. There is no public evidence for that assessment, which runs counter to those of the U.N. nuclear watchdog and U.S. intelligence agencies.
For decades, Netanyahu has made dire predictions about Iran's disputed nuclear program, most famously at the United Nations with visual aids. The rhetoric has escalated since the U.S. and Iran reached an interim peace deal this month, and as Netanyahu faces elections later this year.
Read more here:
FACT FOCUS: Netanyahu's claims about Iran's nuclear program run counter to public evidence
Recap: What did the US and Iran agree in Switzerland?
02:00 , Rebecca Whittaker
Negotiators for the US and Iran met in Switzerland over the weekend for talks on a lasting resolution to the conflict.
Mediators Pakistan and Qatar said they had agreed to a roadmap towards a final deal on ending their war in 60 days.
They also said the two sides had agreed to a mechanism to end fighting between US ally Israel and Iran-aligned Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.
And they said they had opened a communications line to help ensure safe passage for commercial ships through the strait, a vital global supply route for oil and liquefied natural gas.
Technical talks will continue for the rest of the week in the Qatari-owned Swiss mountain resort of Buergenstock, the joint statement said.
Vance claims Iran will allow nuclear inspectors in after hailing ‘great progress’ in peace talks
01:00 , Rebecca Whittaker
JD Vance said on Monday that Iran has agreed to allow nuclear inspectors into the country again following an initial round of discussions aimed at resolving the conflict with the United States.
Speaking after discussions in Switzerland, the US vice president said the development was “probably what we’re most excited about as Americans”, and that plans could be drawn up as soon as this week.
Iran’s nuclear programme has been at the centre of the dispute with the US and Israel since before the conflict erupted, and remains the focus of the new 60-day window for talks to finalise a deal to end the war.
Read more here:
Vance claims Iran will let nuclear inspectors in following ‘great progress’ in talks
Watch: Vance claims Trump wants to 'turn over new leaf' in ties with Iranian people
Tuesday 23 June 2026 00:00 , Rebecca Whittaker
What did the US and Iran agree in Switzerland?
Monday 22 June 2026 23:00 , James Reynolds
Negotiators for the US and Iran met in Switzerland over the weekend for talks on a lasting resolution to the conflict.
Mediators Pakistan and Qatar said they had agreed to a roadmap towards a final deal on ending their war in 60 days.
They also said the two sides had agreed to a mechanism to end fighting between US ally Israel and Iran-aligned Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.
And they said they had opened a communications line to help ensure safe passage for commercial ships through the strait, a vital global supply route for oil and liquefied natural gas.
Technical talks will continue for the rest of the week in the Qatari-owned Swiss mountain resort of Buergenstock, the joint statement said.
Recap: Iran agreed to allow more nuclear inspectors, Vance says
Monday 22 June 2026 22:00 , James Reynolds
JD Vance told reporters in Switzerland on Monday that Iran had agreed to admit inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as talks continue.
He said the development “is probably what we’re most excited about as Americans”.
“That is a major milestone for the American people, and the first step in permanently denuclearizing or permanently ending a nuclear weapons program in Iran, and that’s exactly what we wanted to do,” he added.
'I will do what I have to do,' if Iran violates agreement says Trump
Monday 22 June 2026 21:41 , Rebecca Whittaker
Donald Trump has stressed "I will do what I have to do" if Iran does not stick to its agreement with Washington.
"If Iran doesn't live up to their agreement, or if they're not behaving, I will do what I have to do," Trump told reporters.
Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed an interim US-Iran deal last week.
Trump said on Monday Iran was supposed to use the money being unfrozen to buy food exclusively from the United States.
"All that money's coming back in the form of purchases of food which they desperately need. They have 91 million people, they can't feed them. So, the money that we lift is going to go to our farmers," Trump said.
Trump says Iran will 'never have a nuclear weapon'
Monday 22 June 2026 21:38 , Rebecca Whittaker
Donald Trump has claimed the Strait of Hormuz is open and that Iran will “never have a nuclear weapon.”
Speaking in the Oval Office the US president said: “The strait is totally open, you know that, and we're negotiating.
“We'll see how that all goes, but we have two things: we have an open strait, and we have a country that will never have a nuclear weapon, will never ever have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump says Strait of Hormuz is open and threatens Iran to 'stick to an agreement'
Monday 22 June 2026 21:14 , Rebecca Whittaker
Donald Trump has suggested the Strait of Hormuz is "totally open" while publicly signing an executive order related to quantum computing in the Oval Office.
He added that “if Iran doesn’t stick to an agreement, I will do what I have to do.”
His comments come after Iran hit back at the president after he threatened to “take over the rest of the country” if the Strait of Hormuz is closed again.
Number of ships passing through Strait of Hormuz plummets again after Iran closes waterway
Monday 22 June 2026 21:00 , James Reynolds
Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has plummeted after Iran declared the vital waterway closed again - although a handful of ships appear to still be attempting to transit the route.
Five vessels were seen heading into the Strait of Hormuz on Monday morning, two days after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said that the channel would be closed due to Israel’s continued attacks in Lebanon.
Five ships also crossed on Sunday, down from 26 spotted a day earlier, according to ship tracking data from analytics firm Kpler.
Number of ships passing through Strait of Hormuz plummets again
