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Iran says Strait of Hormuz will be administered by Tehran
Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that the Strait of Hormuz will be administered by Tehran, state media reported on Tuesday.
Ghalibaf said "that the Strait of Hormuz will never return to its pre-war conditions and will be administered by the Islamic Republic of Iran, in accordance with international law", according to IRNA.
Lebanon and Israel begin US-backed direct talks on Tuesday
Under US pressure, Lebanese officials began direct talks with Israel in April in Washington, and a fifth round of negotiations is scheduled to begin on Tuesday.
The goal of talks will be "to end the cycle of violence for good," and "advance a comprehensive peace and security agreement between the two countries," a US State Department official told AFP on Monday.
"We are enabling Israel and Lebanon to negotiate as two sovereign states and to find a way to have peace and security," the official said.
Lebanese authorities are seeking the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the country and to separate the negotiations from the US-Iran deal.
Trump suggests US could withhold support from NATO allies
US President Donald Trump said Monday that he could refuse to help NATO countries as payback for the lack of support from member nations for the US military operation in Iran.
"We spent all of this money. And then when we want to maybe have help on small stuff... They say no we would rather not help," Trump said during a press conference in the Oval Office.
"Stupid thing to say, because we can say that to them if we want, and we might," he added.
Despite strained relations with the alliance, Trump is set to attend the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, next month.
Israeli leaders vow military action against threats in southern Lebanon
Israel's prime minister, defence minister and military chief said the military would continue to act to "neutralise" threats against Israeli soldiers and citizens, demolish militant infrastructure and maintain the security zone in southern Lebanon, according to a joint statement issued after a security discussion.
The statement added that the three officials "made it clear that the security of Israeli citizens and IDF forces will remain their guiding principle without compromise."
Oil falls as US waives Iranian sanctions and Nasdaq tumbles
Crude prices fell Monday after the US said it is temporarily lifting sanctions on Iran to allow it to export oil, while the Nasdaq retreated on concerns after AI investments by SpaceX and other tech giants.
US Vice President JD Vance said a "very good foundation" had been laid for negotiations towards a final deal with Iran, with mediators also claiming progress.
The US Treasury said later Monday it was temporarily lifting sanctions on Iran to allow the Islamic Republic to produce, sell and deliver crude oil and related products through August 21.
Oil prices continued to retreat as maritime trackers pointed to an uptick in tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
'I will do what I have to do' if Iran does not stick to deal, Trump says
US President Donald Trump said on Monday "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.
Agreement on release of $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets finalised, Iran's top negotiator says
Iran's top negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said that the signing for the release of $12 billion in frozen
Iranian assets has been finalised in the talks between Iran and the US held in Switzerland.
In comments given to state TV on his way back from talks on Sunday, the Iranian negotiator added that Tehran has agreed to have a communication line regarding ship passage in the strait of Hormuz to avoid conflict and incidents in the strategic waterway.
US-Iran peace deal 'won't even come close to the expansive detailed Obama agreement'
Larry Sabato, Director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics shares his analysis with FRANCE 24.
Note of pride says Iran World Cup team leaves LA with 'dignity'
A representative for Iran's national soccer team left a note in the locker room Sunday showing appreciation to Los Angeles, while mentioning peace and global unity, after a scoreless draw against Belgium in a World Cup Group G match.
Iran played each of its first two matches at Inglewood, California, amid political tension after the United States and Israel launched a coordinated attack on Iran in February.
"We came to Los Angeles with pride, competed with honour, and leave with dignity. Thank you, Los Angeles, for your hospitality. And thank you to every Iranian who gave their heart, voice, and soul for Iran throughout these 180 minutes," read the note, which was released by the Football Federation of Iran.
"May peace, respect, and friendship prevail among all nations."
Despite demanding travel requirements, Iran played in a home away from home to open the World Cup. There was fan support in large numbers in a city that has earned a portmanteau nickname of "Tehrangeles" because it boasts the largest Iranian population outside of Iran.
Iran fans with pre-Iranian Revolution "Lion and Sun" flags chant in the stands after a World Cup match between Iran and Belgium on June 21, 2026. © Imagn Images via Reuters
US hails 'good progress' with Iran after first round of talks concludes
Trump says Iran will agree to have weapons inspections
US President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Monday that Iran will agree to have weapons inspections to ensure "nuclear honesty" long into the future, echoing comments made by Vice President JD Vance.
Erdogan tells Iran's Pezeshkian Turkey welcomes Iran-US agreement
President Tayyip Erdogan told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday that Turkey welcomed the agreement reached between Iran and the United States and was ready to provide any support needed to help the process conclude peacefully, Erdogan's office said.
Israel PM says troops have 'full freedom of action' in south Lebanon to prevent threats
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that Israeli forces had been granted "full freedom" to engage any threat encountered in southern Lebanon, reaffirming that troops would remain deployed in the region for as long as deemed necessary.
"My directive, and that of the minister of defence, to the IDF is clear and has not changed: Our fighters in southern Lebanon have full freedom of action to thwart any direct or developing threat to them or to the residents of the North," Netanyahu said in a statement. "The IDF has no restrictions on this matter."
US Secretary of State Rubio to travel to Gulf amid Iran talks
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will begin a trip to three Gulf countries on Tuesday amid negotiations with Iran to end the war in the Middle East, his spokesperson said.
In his first trip to the region since the United States and Israel started the war on February 28, Rubio will visit the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain, State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement. The trip is scheduled to run through Thursday.
Rubio will discuss "the memorandum of understanding with Iran, efforts to secure full and free safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz, and the importance of peace and stability in the region," the statement said.
Iranian negotiators to visit Oman to discuss 'consolidating' Hormuz arrangements
Iran's top negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf is on his way to Oman to discuss joint efforts to "consolidate" Iranian arrangements for managing shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a statement on his Telegram channel on Monday.
The Iranian delegation also includes Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, the statement said.
Iran FM says no agreements or commitments negotiated with US on nuclear issue
Tehran did not negotiate on its nuclear programme and did not accept any new commitments in Sunday's talks with the US in Switzerland, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has told the official IRNA news agency.
Iran's interaction with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will continue in accordance with current
procedures, subject to the approval of Iran's parliament and the decisions of the Supreme National Security Council, Baghaei added.
Iran energy crisis will drive global electrification, IEA chief says
The Iran-related energy crisis will drive global electrification, as countries look to improve domestic energy security and protect themselves from fossil fuel price shocks, the head of the International Energy Agency has said.
“Many governments are reviewing their energy strategies, policies, partnerships and technology choices, and my expectation is this crisis is going to give an additional boost to electrification,” Fatih Birol said during the Octopus Energy Tech Summit at London Climate Action Week.
US says suspending sanctions on Iranian oil until August 21
The US Treasury has said it is temporarily lifting sanctions on Iran to allow the Islamic Republic to produce, sell and deliver crude oil and related products through August 21.
"All transactions" that were previously prohibited involving the production, sale, and transport of Iranian-origin crude oil "are authorized through 12:01 am eastern daylight time, August 21, 2026," according to a license published by the Treasury Department, which administers US economic sanctions.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent cited Tehran's commitment in ongoing negotiations to "free and open transit" in the Strait of Hormuz and permission for International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to enter their country as a reason for pausing the sanctions.
Lebanon ceasefire largely holds, but many 'uneasy' about returning home
A ceasefire largely held in Lebanon on Monday as the country experienced the longest lull yet in three months of war between Hezbollah and Israel, even as fear of renewed hostilities kept displaced people from going home.
A senior Lebanese security official said that adherence to the ceasefire had been "almost total" since Saturday evening, though the official said an Israeli tank fired shells towards a village near Tyre and Israeli forces fired sound grenades in two other locations on Monday. An Israeli drone buzzed over Beirut.
Hassan Wazni, director of a hospital in Nabatieh - a city in the south that has been heavily bombarded during the conflict - said there had been calm since Saturday evening.
"I'm monitoring the situation day by day, and most of the time I'm sleeping in the hospital. This is the longest a ceasefire has held," he told Reuters by phone.
But people were "uneasy" about returning to their homes in the city, he added, noting that a ceasefire declared on Friday had quickly collapsed, with 20 people in Lebanon killed by Israeli attacks on Saturday, according to Lebanon's civil defence.
People check their destroyed neighbourhood the village of Maifadoun, southern Lebanon on June 22, 2026. © Mohammed Zaatari, AP
Yesterday's key developments:
- US President Donald Trump threatened fresh strikes on Iran if it does not "stop its proxies in Lebanon ".
- US Vice President JD Vance hailed a "historic meeting" at the start of US-Iran talks in Switzerland .
- Iran state media reported that the country's nuclear programme was not discussed in the first day of talks.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said troops would stay in south Lebanon "as long as necessary".
-
The
Strait of Hormuz
remained closed, military sources told Iran's Fars news.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
