Agreement reached in Switzerland to lift oil sanctions, but the Lebanon issue remains unresolved. Iran walks out of talks following threats from Trump

It is almost complete – according to Adnkronos, Ansa reports it is complete Editor’s note - a draft agreement for a provisional exemption from US sanctions on the sale of Iranian oil and petroleum products is almost complete and will soon be implemented, according to Hossein Ghorbanzadeh, an economist with the Tehran delegation in Switzerland, as quoted by Fars. The core of the agreement is based on five points: ending the war on all fronts, lifting the blockade, reopening the Strait, the temporary exemption, and the release of frozen Iranian assets, he explained.

The negotiator also explained that the terms of the agreement will not be implemented until the issue of the war in Lebanon has been resolved. An Iranian source quoted by CNN explains that the negotiations are at a standstill but have not yet broken down, due to Trump’s threats. Behind-the-scenes talks are under way to restart the negotiations, the source adds.

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem rejects the possibility of an Israeli security zone in the south of the country, as suggested by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “It is not possible for Israeli forces to remain in Lebanon. There are no security zones for Israel… we have a national army to deploy, responsible for maintaining security and with which we cooperate,” said Qassem in a televised address. “Israel is an aggressor and must leave. America is responsible for this.”

“The draft temporary exemption from sanctions on oil and its derivatives has been finalised and will shortly enter the implementation phase.” This was stated by Hossein Ghorbanzadeh, a member of the Iranian negotiating team, as quoted by the Fars news agency. According to the official, “the issue of Lebanon was the main focus of today’s negotiations and received greater attention than any other topic in the bilateral, multilateral and main meetings. Until the issue of ending the war in Lebanon is resolved, the other clauses of the memorandum of understanding will not enter the implementation phase.”

“In today’s negotiations, we discussed the issue of our frozen assets and how to unfreeze them.” This was stated on state television by Hussein Gurbanzadeh, a member of the Iranian delegation negotiating with the United States.

He added that the discussions had focused on easing sanctions relating to Iran’s energy sector. “In Switzerland, we discussed a temporary exemption from sanctions on oil and oil products, and the final draft of a proposal on this matter has been finalised.”

The person responsible for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is the President of the United States, Donald Trump. This was stated by the German Defence Minister, Boris Pistorius, who called for the reopening of this vitally important waterway. “Ultimately, it was Donald Trump who put the cork in the bottleneck of the Strait of Hormuz, not us, but it is in our interest to remove it,” Pistorius emphasised in an interview with the German broadcaster ARD. The Strait of Hormuz was effectively blocked during the hostilities that began on 28 February with US and Israeli attacks against Iran. Tehran had agreed to reopen it under a preliminary agreement signed by Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian, and maritime traffic had begun to recover. On Saturday, however, Iran stated that it would close the Strait again due to Israeli attacks in Lebanon.

The Iranian negotiating delegation has left the negotiating venue in protest against Donald Trump’s threats. This was reported by Tasnim, citing a source close to the negotiating team. The negotiations have been suspended and remain at a standstill, the source added.

According to sources at the Quai d’Orsay, the French Foreign Minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, is due to travel to Switzerland on Monday, where talks between the United States and Iran are taking place. According to the same sources, Mr Barrot is also expected to hold talks with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, Mohammed Ben Abderrahmane Al Thani.

Iranian state television has reported that bilateral talks between delegations from Tehran and Qatar have begun in Switzerland, following the conclusion of the first round of talks between the United States and Iran.

The Iranian delegation involved in negotiations with the United States in Switzerland has lodged a protest following the threats made by Donald Trump on ‘Fox News’. “The Iranian delegation has lodged a protest with the Americans and is now considering options for an appropriate response to Donald Trump’s recent verbal threats,” Press TV reported.

If the deal falls through, “we’ll take the Strait of Hormuz” and “destroy” Iran. This was stated by the hawkish Republican Senator Lindsey Graham in an interview with CBS, in which he said he had spent “four and a half hours with Trump on Friday”. “Trump will take the Strait by force if the deal falls through. We will control it and impose a toll. If Iran opposes our control, we will destroy it,” Graham explained. Addressing the Lebanese people, Graham then sent a message: “Help is on its way. Hezbollah has been terrorising your country for a long time, but it is about to end.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated that Israel will not compromise when it comes to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear warheads or maintaining pressure on Hezbollah, he said, whilst direct negotiations between the United States and Iran are taking place in Switzerland. “Whatever diplomatic developments may occur, I will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. As long as I am Prime Minister of Israel, this will not happen,” he declared in a speech at a memorial service marking the 50th anniversary of the death of his brother Yoni, who was killed whilst commanding an elite IDF unit during the operation to rescue the hostages on the hijacked aircraft in Entebbe. “I have dedicated my life to this sacred mission ever since Yoni’s death,” he added.

“During the first 80-minute round of talks” between the United States and Iran in Switzerland, “no negotiations took place regarding Iran’s nuclear programme”. Iranian television has confirmed this, adding that the focus was on the implementation of the memorandum of understanding and the situation in Lebanon.

Meanwhile, the Director-General of the National Iranian Oil Company, Hamid Bovard, a member of the delegation in Switzerland, stated that the lifting of oil sanctions had been discussed during today’s talks. “The US naval blockade has been lifted and Iran has begun exporting oil. Initially, Iranian vessels have passed through the restrictive lines and headed for their destinations,” he said, as quoted by the IRNA news agency. “In recent days, almost half of Iran’s oil has been exported to other countries and, following the full implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding, exports will resume without interruption.”

“Traffic through the Strait is flowing fairly smoothly.” This was stated by the US Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright, in an interview with Fox News. Wright added that in the last 24 hours, 67 tankers had passed through the Strait of Hormuz, “roughly the same number as we had before the conflict”.

After 80 minutes of negotiations, the four-way talks between the United States and Iran – in which mediators from Pakistan and Qatar also took part – were temporarily suspended for a brief break and internal consultations. This was reported by the Iranian media.

According to a diplomat briefed on the talks, the ongoing negotiations between US and Iranian officials in Switzerland are focusing on the war in Lebanon, the Strait of Hormuz – a key chokepoint for nuclear traffic – and Iran’s nuclear arsenal. The diplomat told CNN that the meetings had begun as an “open and very honest dialogue”. The participants – it is explained – are also discussing the structure of the 60-day negotiation period, following the 14-point memorandum of understanding signed last week by Tehran and Washington.

Remarks by the Iranian President, Masoud Pezeshkian.

“The United States would like the first round of talks to conclude with Iran inviting UN inspectors to visit its nuclear sites, which have been bombed by the United States and Israel”. This was reported on X by Axios journalist Barak Ravid, citing two regional sources and noting that the last such visit took place in June 2025.

The conflict in Iran and the Middle East, 21 June.

“The American delegation and the organisers of the negotiation meeting had planned for a handshake and a group photo between the Iranian and American delegations at the start of the multilateral meeting”, but “the head of the Iranian negotiating team and members of the delegation objected to these formalities and announced that they would not take part in the group photo with the American delegation”. This was reported by the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim, citing a source close to Tehran’s negotiating team. “Following Iran’s opposition and its absence from the ceremony, the live stream and group photo took place without the Iranian delegation, which subsequently entered the meeting venue.”

“Iran must immediately stop its well-paid proxies in Lebanon from causing trouble. Otherwise, we will strike Iran again very hard, just as we did last week, but with even greater force.” Donald Trump made this statement on his social media platform, Truth.

The Iranian president “would do well to behave himself, otherwise we’ll take over his country”. Donald Trump said this in an interview with Fox, emphasising that once the 60-day deadline for the talks has passed, he can do “whatever he wants”.

Donald Trump told Fox that he had spoken to the Iranians during the night, warning them not to close the Strait. “If you close it, you won’t have a country anymore. You won’t even be able to get back to your bloody country,” said the president, recounting his message to Tehran.

If Iran fails to reach an agreement, we will levy tolls in the Strait of Hormuz. Donald Trump made this statement in an interview with Fox, without ruling out the possibility that the United States might take control of the Strait. “We could do that, if necessary,” he added, emphasising that the United States could become the Strait’s “Guardian Angel” and take 20 per cent of the oil.

Vice-President JD Vance speaks of a “historic meeting” in Switzerland and explains that the United States’ aim “is to reshape the Middle East through diplomacy. We are now envisaging a future of collaboration to promote peace and prosperity”.

“What the President has asked us to do is to turn the page and transform our relationship with the Iranian people, extending a hand to tell the Iranian people that if their leadership is prepared to give up being a source of regional instability, if it is prepared to give up its long-term nuclear ambitions, then the United States is prepared to radically transform our relationship with that country.” These are the words of US Vice-President JD Vance – as reported by the American media – on the sidelines of the ongoing meeting in Switzerland with the Iranian delegation regarding the Memorandum of Understanding signed by Washington and Tehran. Vance emphasised that “never before have Iranian and American leaders met at such a high level”.

“We have made progress in the last few hours.” This was stated by Vice-President JD Vance in Switzerland, where he is holding talks with Iran, expressing the hope that further progress can be made in the coming hours.

In an interview with Fox News, Israeli President Isaac Herzog stated that a peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon “cannot exist if Iran exerts such a great influence”. “How can peace be achieved between Israel and Lebanon when Hezbollah controls Lebanon? It is a terrorist organisation armed from head to toe by Iran,” he added. Herzog then spoke about relations between Israel and the United States, describing them as “very close”. “Expressing concern is entirely legitimate, because Israel is on the front line in this war. It is we who are bearing the brunt of Iranian missiles,” he emphasised.

Representatives from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan and Turkey met in Cairo, coinciding with the start of talks between Iran and the United States in Switzerland, and, in a joint statement, urged the two adversaries to reach a “swift and successful conclusion” that is “lasting, verifiable and mutually acceptable”, taking into account regional concerns, particularly the security and stability of the Gulf States. Saudi Arabia, which was targeted by Iranian attacks during the conflict, joined the mediator Pakistan, alongside Turkey and Egypt, in facilitating the negotiations just a few weeks after the start of the war in the Middle East.

“Iran has no intention of negotiating with the Director General of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi. His presence was proposed by the United States, but Iran opposed it.” This was reported by the Iranian news agency Tasnim, citing informed sources. The aim of the negotiating team – it is explained – “is solely to implement Article 13 of the memorandum of understanding, with particular emphasis on Article 1 of the memorandum (the one concerning the cessation of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, ed.) and on issues such as the release of Iranian assets and the lifting of oil sanctions”.

Iran has begun talks in Lucerne with the United States and Qatar on Lebanon and frozen funds. This was reported by Iranian state television.

“Safeguarding the lives of our soldiers and our citizens is an absolute priority, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have made clear: Israel will not withdraw from the security zone in Lebanon.” This was stated by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, as reported by the Israeli media. “There has never been, and there is no, restriction on IDF soldiers in Lebanon acting to eliminate threats. The ceasefire announced yesterday leaves the IDF in all its positions within the security zone that protects the northern settlements,” he added.

The first talks on Iran have begun at the Bürgenstock Resort in Lucerne. Vice-President JD Vance and special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner welcomed the Pakistani mediators: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Chief of the General Staff of the Army, Field Marshal Asim Munir, according to the pool of reporters covering Vance. They shook hands, embraced and thanked one another. Journalists were allowed into the room for less than a minute. Vance said he would speak to them later and did not answer a question about the message he wished to convey to the Israeli Prime Minister regarding military actions in Lebanon.

Al Jazeera has rejected allegations by the Israeli Defence Forces that one of its cameramen, who was killed yesterday in Gaza, was a Hamas operative. The Qatari broadcaster said in a statement that it “condemns the baseless accusations by the Israeli occupation army, which seek to justify its crimes against Al Jazeera journalists and cameramen in Gaza, the most recent of which is the killing of cameraman Ahmed Wishah”. Last night, the IDF said in a statement that Wishah had been killed in a “precision strike” alongside two other Hamas militants, and that he had served in the militia as a “sniper operative”. “Alongside his work as an Al Jazeera photojournalist in recent years, Wishah was an operative in Hamas’s military wing,” the army said, without providing any evidence to support the allegations. In its statement, Al Jazeera claimed that an “Israeli incitement campaign has relentlessly spread false accusations and baseless allegations” against its staff. The broadcaster described the effort as a “smear campaign” and “a transparent and futile attempt to justify the deliberate targeting of journalists and cameramen”, adding that “these attempts fool no one”. According to the NGO Reporters Without Borders, Israeli forces have killed more than 220 journalists since the war in Gaza broke out, of whom at least 70 were killed whilst carrying out their professional duties. The IDF has stated that it does not deliberately target journalists.

Iran “will never back down” from its right to enrich uranium, and the United States “will eventually have to accept this”. This was stated by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at a conference in Tehran, according to reports in the Iranian state media, as talks between delegations from Washington and Tehran get underway in Switzerland.

Nine people have been killed and 41 injured as a result of Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, according to a statement from the Gaza Ministry of Health and a report by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. The ministry stated that 1,021 people have been killed and 3,249 injured in the Strip since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into force in October 2025.

The Israeli Defence Forces have stated that they killed two members of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in a “targeted strike” in Gaza last week, according to reports in several Israeli media outlets. The targets of the raids, Hussein Qadra and Mohammed Farra, were part of a financial network run by Hamas that facilitated the transfer of over 500 million shekels – approximately 147 million euros – to the group’s military wing, according to the Israeli armed forces.

The fifth round of direct talks between Lebanese and Israeli delegations in Washington will focus on a gradual withdrawal from ‘pilot demilitarised areas in southern Lebanon’. This is according to Channel 12, which adds that the Lebanese army is seeking guarantees and rejects any Israeli involvement in security management. A Lebanese military source stated that the army is not opposed in principle to the proposal, but is seeking clarification on the geographical and legal boundaries of the areas concerned. According to the source, the military delegation will ask the Americans for precise explanations regarding the meaning of the concept of ‘pilot zones’ and the arrangements for their management.

The semi-official Iranian news agency Fars, citing military sources, reports that the Strait of Hormuz “remains closed and the Revolutionary Guards Navy will not issue transit permits until further notice”.

Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, will lead the country’s delegation to Switzerland to take part in talks with the United States, according to a report today by the Iranian news agency Saberin News.

Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, played a central role throughout the series of negotiations conducted by Iran to bring the conflict to an end.

The ongoing conflict in Lebanon between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah will be at the top of the agenda for the talks between Iran and the United States in Switzerland, alongside issues such as frozen Iranian funds and the country’s oil sales, as announced by Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei in a video shared by the state news agency IRNA. “The Zionist regime continues to violate its commitments in Lebanon; this issue will be the main topic of discussion in today’s talks,” said Baqaei, referring to Israel. “Also on the agenda will be the issue of making Iranian assets that are frozen or subject to restrictions available, as well as discussions regarding the granting of the necessary licences for the sale of Iranian oil,” he added.

92.1 per cent of Israelis believe that Iran emerged victorious from the war with the Israel-US alliance. These are the findings of a survey conducted by the Agam Institute in collaboration with the Hebrew University and reported by The Times of Israel. 82.9 per cent of those surveyed believe that the military campaign has weakened Israel’s long-term security, and 86 per cent view the outcome negatively. Furthermore, 72.5 per cent do not believe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he claims that Israel has made significant gains and removed an existential threat, with 87.8 per cent of Israelis believing that the country has failed to achieve its objectives or has achieved them only partially. As for Netanyahu’s own performance, 56.4% say that the Prime Minister’s handling of the campaign was poor or a failure. The poll finds that 48.2 per cent of Israelis support renewed and significant military action against Hezbollah, even at the risk of a clash with US President Donald Trump.

The Pakistani Prime Minister, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, has landed in Zurich to take part in the talks between the United States and Iran scheduled for today. This was announced by his office, which posted a video on X showing him stepping off the plane and arriving in the Swiss city. Shortly before, Marshal Asim Munir, Chief of the Pakistani Armed Forces and the main mediator between Tehran and Washington, had arrived.

Tehran will not accept an agreement on paper unless Washington fully honours its commitments. This was stated by Mohammad Mokhbar, adviser and assistant to Iran’s Supreme Leader, on the eve of the talks in Switzerland. In a post on X, Mokhbar said that the United States understands the economic pressure. “The Americans understand the language of economics and cost-benefit analysis better,” he wrote. “If the agreement remains merely on paper, the flow of energy in the Middle East will also come to a halt,” Mokhbar argued. “Our negotiators will not be satisfied unless commitments are fully implemented and the nation’s rights are respected,” he added. Mokhbar also paid tribute to the victims of the conflict, stating that Iran will not forget them.

Israel’s expansion, in its various forms, has accelerated sharply since 2023. According to calculations by the US-based Associated Press, over the past two and a half years the Netanyahu government has taken control of numerous tracts of land in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria, seizing more territory from neighbouring countries than it has done in decades.

According to the agency, this is a militarily occupied area, larger than many major cities, covering around 1,000 square kilometres (386 square miles), over which Israel has stated it intends to maintain control indefinitely. Tel Aviv regards these as buffer zones necessary to protect the country from attack by enemy militias.

US Vice-President JD Vance has arrived in Switzerland for the official start of negotiations with Iranian leaders aimed at curbing Tehran’s nuclear programme and consolidating the fragile interim agreement to end the war in Iran. This is reported by the AP. According to the spokesperson, as reported by international media, the plane carrying Vance and his wife landed at Emmen Air Base, near Lucerne, in central Switzerland. The new round of negotiations is expected to begin later today. The Iranian delegation, comprising Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, arrived late yesterday evening. Alongside US and Iranian officials, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the country’s Chief of Defence Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, will also be present at the talks. Pakistan acted as a mediator during the war and hosted a previous round of talks between the US and Iran. “Pakistan will continue to support the implementation of the agreements between Tehran and Washington,” the Pakistani Foreign Ministry stated in a press release ahead of the talks. Vance hopes to make progress “on the nuclear issue” and on the “ceasefire in Lebanon”. “The situation is actually improving and tensions are easing somewhat. It will be something we will have to manage constantly to ensure that both Israel and Lebanon are safe. That is fundamentally the objective: to make the whole region safe,” said the US Vice-President, speaking to the press before boarding his flight.

Il convoglio con a bordo il vicepresidente degli Stati Uniti JD Vance arriva al resort Buergenstock di Obbuergen, in Svizzera, il 21 giugno 2026. Dopo la firma di un accordo quadro di pace avvenuta questa settimana in Francia, le delegazioni degli Stati Uniti e dell’Iran si incontrano presso il resort Buergenstock per discutere ulteriori dettagli e questioni tecniche. EPA/URS FLUEELER

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has promised that Israel will remain in the security zone it controls within Lebanon for years to come and will not withdraw even if the United States makes an explicit request to that effect. In an interview with the ultra-Orthodox daily *Makor Rishon* published at the weekend, as reported by *The Times of Israel*, Smotrich adds that, in his view, such a request from the United States will not come, because “they understand what our red lines are”. When asked whether the army would remain in Lebanon for years, the far-right minister replied: “Yes, and I say this as someone who is currently conducting negotiations on the defence budget for the next decade.” When asked whether Israel should establish military outposts and full-scale bases in the security zone, Smotrich replied: “Absolutely. We will remain there until Hezbollah disarms, and I think even beyond that, because we need defensible borders”. “Until Hezbollah disarms, we will not move a millimetre. This,” concludes Smotrich, “is the position of the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister, and mine too, and we are determined to stand by it.”

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”.

Seven people have died in Israeli air strikes in Lebanon. Five people, including a child and a woman, were killed in a town in eastern Lebanon, whilst two Palestinians were killed in the Tyre region in the south of the country. This is according to the Ministry of Health. The attacks took place before a lull observed by an AFP correspondent at the end of the day, when the Israeli army was ordered to cease fighting with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, whilst continuing to operate in the area for ‘defensive’ purposes.