Latest news on the war. Tehran closes the Strait of Hormuz; Iran-US talks begin today in Switzerland

The Strait of Hormuz is expected to remain closed until several conditions set out in the memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States have been met. This is according to the Tasnim news agency, which is close to the Pasdaran. The demands listed include the release of at least $12 billion in Iranian assets, the implementation of exemptions from oil sanctions, and Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon. According to the Revolutionary Guards, reopening the strait in exchange solely for the lifting of the US naval blockade would be a “strategic mistake” and a breach of the agreement between Tehran and Washington, which should be implemented in full.

The Strait of Hormuz is expected to remain closed until several conditions set out in the memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States have been met. This is according to the Tasnim news agency, which is close to the Pasdaran. The demands listed include the release of at least $12 billion in Iranian assets, the implementation of exemptions from oil sanctions, and Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon. According to the Revolutionary Guards, reopening the strait in exchange solely for the lifting of the US naval blockade would be a “strategic mistake” and a breach of the agreement between Tehran and Washington, which should be implemented in full.

A spokesperson for the US Central Command (Centcom) told Al Jazeera Arabic that Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz. The spokesperson stated that US forces are monitoring the situation to ensure the continued flow of shipping through this vital waterway. Earlier, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had announced that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed due to ongoing Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that Israel will remain in southern Lebanon “for as long as necessary to defend its western borders”, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office. The Prime Minister has instructed the IDF to “respond forcefully to any attack by Hezbollah and to take action to remove threats against our forces”. If Hezbollah attacks us again, “we will strike back forcefully once more”.

Hezbollah claims that the escalation of Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon is aimed at “sabotaging” the provisional agreement between the United States and Iran. “In light of the claims and lies that the Israeli enemy continues to spread regarding Hezbollah’s alleged violations of the ceasefire agreement, we affirm that such statements are completely unfounded,” reads a statement issued by the group’s press office and reported by Al Jazeera. “These actions form part of the enemy’s persistent attempts to mislead public opinion and are part of its clear and brazen effort to sabotage the agreement between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America”, Hezbollah further argues that Israel has committed more than 300 “violations” of the ceasefire since dawn on Friday, including air strikes, the firing of white phosphorus shells and the use of “internationally banned cluster bombs”.

On Saturday, the Pakistani Minister of the Interior met with the Iranian Foreign Minister in Tehran as part of efforts to follow up on the memorandum of understanding recently signed between Iran and the United States.

The Iranian-backed Lebanese militia Hezbollah has accused Israel of being “fully responsible” for ceasefire violations in the east and south of the country. The movement stated in a press release that Israeli military operations “are no longer mere violations of the ceasefire agreement, but constitute a clear act of aggression and the continuation of the war in every sense”. Hezbollah therefore attributed “full responsibility” to Israel, arguing that the Israeli state “has never respected the terms of the ceasefire”, including the recent agreement between the United States and Iran.

“Following a day of escalating tensions, on the instructions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz, and in coordination with the United States, the IDF was ordered to cease fire in Lebanon.” This was reported by Channel 12.

“Commercial shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz increased on 20 June, whilst US forces continued to operate in the area to ensure freedom of navigation.” This is according to a statement from Centcom. “Safe navigation through the international waterway remained unaffected today, with 55 merchant ships transiting the strait, carrying large quantities of goods and over 17 million barrels of oil to global markets,” the statement continued. “US forces,” it explains, “remain present and vigilant to ensure that all aspects of the agreement with Iran are respected, observed and fully effective.”

Vice-President JD Vance is expected to leave for Switzerland today for talks with Iran. This is according to CNN, citing several sources.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that technical talks between Iran and the United States will take place in Switzerland tomorrow. Following “the signing of the memorandum of understanding in Islamabad, technical-level talks will take place in Burgenstock, Switzerland, on 21 June”, according to the ministry’s official account on X. “Representatives from the US and Iran will take part in the discussions alongside representatives from Pakistan and Qatar”.

The Lebanese Ministry of Health has stated that the death toll from the war between Israel and Hezbollah has now exceeded 4,000. Today, the Lebanese Civil Defence reported 16 deaths in the Nabatiye area, whilst the Ministry itself reported seven deaths in Qennarit, in the district of Sidon.

TV: Tehran delegation is about to travel to Switzerland

Dubai (United Arab Emirates), 20 June (LaPresse/AP) – Iranian state television has announced that a delegation from Tehran is due to travel to Switzerland for talks with the United States. The broadcaster cited the Foreign Ministry spokesperson as its source. The trip, originally scheduled for Friday, had been cancelled. The new announcement came shortly after the Iranian Joint Military Command announced a further closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to ongoing Israeli attacks in Lebanon. The Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Bagahei, told state television that “any memorandum or agreement is ultimately put to the test when it enters the implementation phase”.

The US Vice-President JD Vance, in an interview with Fox News, stated that there is “no evidence” that “the Iranians are closing the Strait of Hormuz”. “It will take some time to clear the mines, though,” he noted. “We have moved 16 million barrels out of the Strait of Hormuz in the last 24 hours alone. That is practically the same level as before the war began. And this suggests that the Strait is indeed open”, he added. Tehran had previously announced the closure of the Strait in response to what it considers “violations of the Memorandum of Understanding by the United States and Israel” over Israeli attacks in Lebanon.

“We have taken this measure due to the United States’ clear failure to honour the commitments it undertook – as set out in the first article of the Iran-US Memorandum of Understanding – as well as the Zionist regime’s continued violation of the ceasefire in southern Lebanon, the ruthless killing and displacement of hundreds of Lebanese, and also in view of the fact that the forces of the Zionist occupying regime have not withdrawn from southern Lebanon,” stated the Khatamolanbia Central Command in a press release. “This is the first step in response to the enemy’s failure to honour its commitments and, should the aggression continue, Tehran will plan and implement further measures to compel the enemy to honour its commitments,” it added, as reported by Tasnim.

War in Iran and the Middle East, 20 June.

Iran has announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to shipping following violations of the agreement with the US, namely Israel’s air strikes in Lebanon. This was reported by the Iranian military command.

Another very tense day in diplomatic relations between the United States and Italia. US President Donald Trump has launched a fresh attack on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni following the sudden exchange of words that erupted in the wake of the G7 summit in Evian. From the social media platform Truth further criticism of the Italian government: ‘Now that the United States has defeated Iran militarily, it wants to be friends again to boost its “numbers”. No, thank you.’

The Israeli attack on a private home in Sohmor, a small town in the Bekaa Valley, has left at least four people dead, according to the Lebanese National News Agency (NNA). The previous death toll had been reported as one. One person was injured, whilst a child remains trapped under the rubble, the NNA added, noting that rescue workers are trying to free him.

With these three further deaths, today’s death toll from the Israeli attacks in Lebanon has risen to 26.

Following the decision by the Prefect of Paris to ban the Iranian resistance demonstration against the death penalty – which had been in the planning stages for months and was set to attract tens of thousands of participants from across Europe – the leaders of Nessuno tocchi Caino, who were in Paris, Sergio D’Elia, Secretary, Elisabetta Zamparutti, Treasurer, and Roberto Rampi of the Executive Committee, made the following statement:

“The decision is particularly serious given that the demonstration is against the death penalty in Iran, the world’s leading country in terms of executions – a record few would envy, with over 2,000 carried out in 2025 and more than 900 this year. It is also serious because the demonstration is being organised by the movement led by Maryam Rajavi, who for decades has endured and denounced the Iranian regime’s repression and systematic violation of human rights.”

The Parisian prefectural authorities appear to be subservient to the Iranian clerical and military authorities. When a demonstration against executions and the dictatorship is prevented, it is not only the freedom of the Iranian people that is undermined. It is the very credibility of Europe as a space of freedom and rights that is called into question.

The French authorities’ decision is all the more worrying because it coincides with a crucial phase in relations between Iran and the West and with the signing in Versailles of the agreement between Iran and the United States. A coincidence that risks becoming symbolic of a political choice: to silence the victims and opponents of the Iranian regime at the very moment when an agreement is being sought with their persecutors.

If that were the case, it would send a devastating signal.

The prefect’s decision is a remnant of the French Napoleonic tradition and, subsequently, the Italian Fascist tradition. It is an expression of centralised administrative power aimed at limiting local autonomy and democratic participation.

Marco Pannella taught us to be wary of any administrative authority that claims to take the place of the law. When a prefect decides who is allowed to demonstrate and who is not, we are no longer in the realm of democratic freedoms but in that of administrative arbitrariness.”

Resistenza iraniana

Nella foto, il direttivo dell’associazione Nessuno tocchi Caino insieme a membri della resistena iraniana a Parigi

Hezbollah has stated that its fighters clashed overnight with Israeli forces attempting to infiltrate the strategic hills overlooking the southern town of Nabatieh. “Once again, taking advantage of the ceasefire, last night the enemy attempted an infiltration towards the Ali Taher hills”, the Iran-backed group said in a statement, adding that the fighters ambushed the Israeli troops and “engaged them with appropriate weapons”. “Whilst committed to the ceasefire, (Hezbollah) will show zero tolerance for any Israeli attempt to extend its occupation,” the pro-Iranian movement stated in the note.

The Iranian news agency Tasnim has warned Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi against travelling to Europe to meet the US envoy Steve Witkoff. “Mr Araghchi! There is no justification for meeting Witkoff”, wrote Tasnim, which is considered close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The agency emphasised that the first article of the memorandum of understanding – which calls for a cessation of fighting on all fronts, including Lebanon – “has, in practice, been completely violated”. This part of the memorandum “has been openly and officially violated by Israel’s extensive military actions in southern Lebanon”, Tasnim stated, adding that “any continuation of talks with US officials would be a grave mistake and would effectively give the United States permission to continue violating the memorandum”. “Negotiating officials should not only suspend all further talks, but, before it is too late, they should also completely close the Strait of Hormuz”, Tasnim added.

A further seven people were killed in an Israeli attack on a village near the city of Sidon, in southern Lebanon, despite the ceasefire announced yesterday with Hezbollah. This was reported by the state news agency NNA. The attack on Qannarit killed “seven people and injured a further 13, according to a preliminary toll”, the agency stated.

“Lebanon is not an enemy of Israel. The problem is Hezbollah, which repeatedly drags Lebanon into destruction, depriving the Lebanese people of stability, security and prosperity”. This was stated by Colonel Ella Wawiya, spokesperson for the IDF, in a post on X. If Hezbollah were to stop violating agreements and carrying out hostile activities, according to Wawiya, “calm and stability could be achieved for both sides, Israelis and Lebanese”. “A different future for the Lebanese is possible. A future based on stability, development and prosperity, rather than on a continuous spiral of clashes,” added the Israeli colonel.

In a post on X, the broadcaster Al Jazeera announced that its cameraman, Ahmed Washah, had been killed in an Israeli air strike on a house in the Al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.

The Israeli army has confirmed that it killed Ahmed Wishah, the Al Jazeera cameraman who died in an air raid on the Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, claiming that he was a “Hamas terrorist”. A spokesperson for the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) told AFP this, specifying that the attack had been deliberately targeted at him. Al Jazeera had previously issued a strong condemnation, describing the killing of its staff member as a “despicable violation of all international laws and norms”.

Technical-level talks between the United States and Iran are expected to begin in Switzerland “in a day or two”. This is according to Anadolu, citing Pakistani government sources. “Pakistan, along with other mediators, is in contact with both sides, who are expected to meet in Switzerland in one or two days to launch the next phase of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding,” said a source close to the mediation process. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi left for Tehran today to discuss the next phase of the talks with the Iranian leadership, as confirmed by Iranian state media and Pakistani sources. The United States and Iran were due to hold talks in Switzerland yesterday to begin a 60-day period of negotiations, but Tehran postponed the meeting in protest against Israel’s “continuous” violations of the ceasefire in Lebanon.

Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah has stated that the pro-Iranian movement has “the right” to respond to Israeli attacks, whilst Israel continues its raids on Lebanon despite the announcement of a new ceasefire the previous day. “There is talk of a ceasefire. For us, what matters is that the enemy fully and completely respects this ceasefire and does not attempt to attack our country and our villages, nor to occupy new positions,” Fadlallah said in a statement, adding that “the resistance has every right to confront this enemy when it attacks us, because it is the aggressor and the occupier”.

An Israeli military official has stated that Hezbollah fired more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon overnight, just a few hours after the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed group was supposed to have come into effect. This is according to Israeli media reports. The official said that the IDF had responded by striking “Hezbollah targets” in southern Lebanon, adding that stability for both Lebanon and Israel could be achieved if Hezbollah stopped violating the ceasefire agreements.

The Pakistani Minister of the Interior Mohsin Naqvi is due to meet the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi during his visit to Tehran. This was stated by the spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Esmaeil Baqaei , as quoted by the ISNA news agency. Baqaei added that Naqvi’s visit forms part of Islamabad’s commitment to mediating negotiations between Iran and the United States .

At least 16 people have died in Israeli attacks in the southern region of Nabatieh, according to the Lebanese Civil Defence.

US administration officials are establishing informal contacts with the opposition in Israel: until now, the opposition has been trying to establish a link, and now the US administration is taking the initiative. This is according to a report by Channel 12. The United States has for some time expressed concern about the presence of extremist elements within Netanyahu’s government and believes there is a significant likelihood of a change of government in Israel. With 100 days to go until the Israeli elections and against the backdrop of the crisis between the US administration and the Israeli government, the US administration is “exploring alternatives”. Channel 12 reported that, for the time being, Donald Trump does not intend to shift his support from Netanyahu to anyone else, but within the US administration it is believed that new informal systems of trust and mediation need to be established.

For years, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards have thrived in the shadow of sanctions, building a vast commercial empire spanning oil, shipping, telecommunications and ports. Now, as Tehran and Washington prepare for talks on a deal that will end the war and could unlock billions of dollars for Iran and reopen its economy to global investment, this elite force is set to be one of the biggest beneficiaries: according to Reuters online, citing four high-level Iranian sources who claim that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is in a privileged position to secure a large share of the financial benefits arising from the easing of sanctions, the resumption of oil exports and foreign investment. Their central role could, however, prove to be one of the many obstacles to an agreement: with the Revolutionary Guards so firmly intertwined with Iranian business affairs, their designation as a terrorist organisation could significantly complicate efforts to free the economy from sanctions. One of the sources described the Revolutionary Guards as the real winners of the war, stating that, having ensured the survival of Iran’s Islamic system, they were best placed to benefit from any lifting of sanctions, having already managed most of Iran’s operations to circumvent sanctions over the past few decades. The Revolutionary Guards do not publish financial data, but any effort to revive the economy will expand their considerable financial influence, said a second high-level source. Given that Iranian investment law requires foreign companies to collaborate with local partners, the large number of companies linked to the Pasdaran means that these act as a filter for potential investors in Iran’s most profitable sectors: this reality means that Western companies entering the Iranian market may find themselves operating alongside, or through, entities linked to the Guard, even without direct involvement, with the risk of incurring any sanctions still in force.

The Lebanese army has stated that an Israeli attack killed one of its soldiers in the south of the country today, despite the new ceasefire agreement reached the day before between Israel and Hezbollah. “An Israeli enemy attack targeted an army soldier on the Kfar Rumman–Nabatieh road, resulting in his martyrdom,” read a statement from the army, adding that “the continuation of these brutal Israeli attacks aims to hinder any solution that would restore stability in Lebanon”.

Most Americans continue to disapprove of the way President Donald Trump is handling the Iran issue, whilst his overall presidential approval rating remains stable. This is according to an AP-NORC poll conducted whilst Trump was suggesting that an agreement had been reached with Iran. The poll highlights just how unpopular the war, which began on 28 February, is amongst Americans, even though the Republican president has shifted abruptly from threats against Iran to reopening negotiations. Support for his handling of the war remains strongly polarised along party lines. In particular, around two-thirds – 65 per cent – of US adults disapprove of the way Trump is handling matters with Iran. But whilst the overwhelming majority of Democrats and independents view Trump’s actions negatively, only 28 per cent of Republicans are dissatisfied. Americans’ views on how the president is handling Iran are broadly in line with his overall approval rating, which stands at 37 per cent, unchanged from an Associated Press-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research poll conducted in May.

The new poll was carried out between 11 and 17 June, immediately after Trump backed down from his threats to escalate the war with Iran. The poll was released as Trump announced a deal with Iran and authorised the lifting of the US naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, concluding shortly before the agreement was signed on Wednesday. Support for Trump’s actions on Iran has been low in recent months. But in interviews, some Republicans were unhappy with the outcome of this week’s agreement, which gives Iran an immediate advantage by allowing it to sell its oil freely once again.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stated that Ankara is engaged in intensive diplomatic efforts to achieve a lasting peace between Iran and the United States and supports the guarantee of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

“Turkey is engaged in intensive diplomatic efforts to achieve a lasting peace between Iran and the United States. We attach great importance to ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” said the Turkish leader during a meeting with Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in Istanbul, according to a statement from the Turkish presidency.

“Tehran is prepared to proceed step by step and to continue the diplomatic process with Washington, provided the other side demonstrates the same seriousness and ensures that Israel complies with the terms of the recent memorandum of understanding signed between Iran and the United States”. This was stated by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh. Israel’s “continuation of the war” would have “serious and immediate consequences”, he added, speaking to Al Jazeera and condemning the recent Israeli attacks on Lebanon. “Iran seeks peace on all fronts, including Gaza. Lebanon was included in the memorandum of understanding partly because of its direct involvement in the conflict,” he said.

The fog of war, the uncertainty surrounding the truth amidst the chaos of battle, makes it difficult to determine whether Hezbollah or the Israeli army struck first. And for the time being, it is impossible to tell whether this is merely a setback in the complicated process of the Memorandum of Understanding or its very end, just 24 hours after it was signed.

If the Israelis had started it, it would confirm that Bibi Netanyahu does not want the agreement: for him, war is the stage from which to conduct his upcoming election campaign. If it had been the Lebanese Shia militia (the most likely scenario), it would be equally worrying: of all Iran’s proxies, Hezbollah is the most obedient. Therefore, the order to attack would have come from Tehran, that is, from that faction of the regime opposed to a deal with the US.

Pakistani Home Minister Mohsin Naqvi is due to travel to Tehran today for talks with senior Iranian officials. This is according to the IRNA news agency. According to Al Arabiya, which cites anonymous Arab sources, the Pakistani Home Minister’s aim is to closely monitor the progress of the negotiations between Iran and the United States.

New Israeli air strikes in southern Lebanon have killed five people today, according to reports from the official Lebanese news agency NNA (National News Agency), despite yesterday’s announcement of a new ceasefire between Israel and the pro-Iranian group Hezbollah. The air strikes hit more than a dozen locations after midnight and on Saturday morning, killing three people in Arab Salim, one in Deir Zahrani and another in Dweir, the NNA reports.

The United States is working with Qatar on a plan to release $6 billion in funds for Iran, earmarked for humanitarian expenditure, as an incentive to reach a final agreement on the crisis. This is according to the Wall Street Journal, citing informed sources.

“The United States is working with Qatar on a plan to allow Iran access to billions of dollars’ worth of frozen assets for humanitarian expenditure,” the newspaper reports.

US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi are meeting today in Switzerland for their first talks since the agreement signed a few days ago, whilst the ceasefire in Lebanon appears to be giving new impetus to efforts to transform a provisional agreement on the war with Iran into a lasting regional settlement.

Israel and Hezbollah agreed on Friday to a ceasefire in Lebanon, promising an end to the escalation of fighting that had cast doubt on the negotiations between the United States and Iran, which are crucial for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the stabilisation of oil supplies.