Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani said Sunday that his country “welcomes” the agreement between the US and Iran.
“We look forward to all parties engaging in the forthcoming negotiations in a positive and constructive spirit that will help consolidate this progress and build upon it,” al-Thani wrote in a post on X.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had earlier thanked Qatar for its help in the “mediation effort.”
Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs said the text of a memorandum of understanding with the United States has been finalized and will be formally signed Friday in Switzerland.
“The text of the memorandum of understanding has been finalized, and the official signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding will take place in Switzerland on Friday,” Kazem Gharibabadi told state media outlets.
“Our commitments will take effect starting Friday,” Gharibabadi stressed.
“Two issues will take effect immediately starting early this morning,” local time, he explained. “1. A permanent and immediate end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon. 2. The lifting and termination of the naval blockade that the United States had imposed against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he added.
Gharibabadi said the memorandum of understanding was “not solely the product of diplomatic efforts,” but also what he described as Iran’s “military achievements.”
The comment came after President Donald Trump announced earlier Sunday that an agreement with Iran had been reached and that the United States would end its naval blockade on the country, describing it as the most significant development in months of negotiations.
“The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
President Donald Trump announced Sunday that, following an agreement with Tehran, he was authorizing “the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade” of Iran’s ports.
Trump ordered the blockade in mid-April, around six weeks into the war, as Iran maintained a de-facto closure of the critical Strait of Hormuz. It was meant to further ratchet up the economic pressure on Tehran by blocking “noncompliant” vessels and cutting off Iran’s cashflow from the energy trade.
Though Trump said Sunday that he was authorizing the “toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz,” it does not mean that traffic in the waterway will immediately return to prewar levels. Iran has maintained its own restrictions, and US officials say Tehran has also laid mines.
US Central Command on Friday said that it had “redirected 139 compliant commercial ships and disabled 9 non-compliant vessels since April 13.”
The US has had a huge number of assets, including two aircraft carriers and more than a dozen destroyers, in the region throughout the war, many of which were involved in the blockade.
Vice President JD Vance said Sunday evening that he plans to attend the official memorandum of understanding signing ceremony between the US and Iran, though President Donald Trump may attend himself.
“I think we’re still figuring out the logistics on who’s going to attend that signing ceremony,” Vance told Fox News in a brief, televised phone interview, “I certainly plan to be there, but it’s possible the president himself could be there.”
The US Secret Service generally discourages simultaneous appearances by the president and vice president — especially in international settings — for security and succession purposes. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who emerged as a key mediator during the US-Iran war, announced earlier Sunday evening that a formal signing ceremony is scheduled for Friday in Geneva, Switzerland.
This comes shortly after Trump is scheduled to attend the annual G7 summit in nearby Évian-les-Bains, France.
Advisers to President Donald Trump celebrated the announcement of an agreement to end fighting between the US and Iran today, with officials acknowledging that the president had wanted a framework struck before greeting European leaders in France for the G7 summit.
Trump had wanted to enter the G7 summit in a position of strength and, specifically, have an agreement to tout on the Iran war, the sources said.
The war was expected to dominate many of the conversations set to take place in Évian-les-Bains this week, as surging oil prices from the Strait of Hormuz’s closure hung over the gathering. Trump lashed out at nearly all of the leaders he is set to face in France over their refusal to intervene to help reopen the critical waterway.
Trump is scheduled to leave for France after the UFC fight at the White House tonight.
President Donald Trump announced Sunday that an agreement with Iran has been reached and that the US will end its naval blockade on the country, marking the most significant development yet in months of negotiations.
“The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all!” Trump declared in a Truth Social post.
Details of the agreement were not immediately released, and Tehran has not commented on the announcement.
The president said he was authorizing the immediate removal of the US naval blockade, writing, “Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!”
Trump’s announcement came after he repeatedly expressed confidence throughout the day that an agreement would be finalized Sunday.
President Donald Trump said Sunday that he plans to issue a statement on an agreement with Iran “imminently,” as he continued to project confidence that an accord could be finalized soon.
Trump told The Wall Street Journal that any agreement would be signed electronically by himself or Vice President JD Vance.
The president said the agreement would include a commitment from Iran not to obtain nuclear weapons and an immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
The president’s comments came as he told Axios earlier Sunday that he still expected an agreement with Iran to be signed before the end of the day, despite uncertainty over whether Tehran will ultimately approve the proposed framework.
“I think they want to get it done. This has never happened to them before,” Trump told The Journal when asked about skepticism that Iran would agree.
The president said the agreement would include inspections, though he did not provide details on how they would be conducted. He also suggested sanctions relief could be considered while insisting Iran would not receive cash. “We’ll see how they behave,” Trump said.
“As far as regime change, I never cared about regime change. This is the third group we’ve dealt with, and this is the most rational group yet,” Trump said.
On Iran’s nuclear material, Trump said, “We’ll get the nuclear dust later on when we’re ready to go in and do it,” adding, “I’d say over the next month or two, there’s no rush,” and describing it as “harmless.”
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Sunday that “the Peace Deal between the United States of America and Islamic Republic of Iran has been REACHED.”
“Both sides have declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” Sharif said in a post on social media Sunday evening. Neither the US nor Iran is technically fighting in Lebanon. However, Iran’s Foreign Ministry earlier said that it holds the US responsible for Israeli strikes in Dahieh, a suburb of Beirut, on Sunday afternoon.
“The official signing ceremony will be on Friday, 19 June in Switzerland,” the prime minister added, thanking Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey for their help in the “mediation effort.”
“With the agreement now in place, mediators will facilitate a series of meetings this week,” Sharif’s post concluded. “These pre-implementation discussions will lay the foundation for the technical talks and the official signing ceremony.”
US President Donald Trump confirmed the Pakistani prime minister’s announcement minutes later. Iran has not yet officially commented on or confirmed the agreement, though Iran’s official news agency and broadcaster have cited Sharif’s announcement.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday blamed the US for Israel’s strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs and said the Islamic Republic is determined to take “all necessary measures” to exercise what it called its “legitimate” right to self-defense.
In a statement , the ministry said Washington bears “direct responsibility” for “the crimes committed by the Israeli regime” and for what it described as “that regime’s repeated violations of the ceasefire against either Lebanon or Iran.”
The ministry also said it “strongly condemns” Israel’s attack in a residential area of Dahieh in Beirut on Sunday afternoon, saying the strike resulted in the “killing and injury of several Lebanese citizens.”
Iran said the attack was “not only a clear violation of Lebanon’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also a blatant violation of the ceasefire understanding dated April 8 2026, between Iran and the United States.”
“It is evident that responsibility for the dangerous consequences of the Israeli regime’s warmongering against regional peace and security will lie with the United States and the Israeli regime,” the statement said.
The US signing of the memorandum with Iran is still on track to take place today despite Israel’s most recent strike in Beirut, President Donald Trump told CNN political and global affairs analyst and Axios reporter Barak Ravid in comments that sharply rebuked Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu.
Vance arrives at the White House
0:08 • Source: CNN
Vance arrives at the White House
0:08
Vice President JD Vance entered the White House West Wing on Sunday afternoon, video captured by CNN shows, hours after President Donald Trump said he still expected an agreement with Iran to be signed same day.
The vice president is expected to take part in any signing if and when a memorandum of understanding is finalized.
Vance entered the West Wing at 4:08 p.m. ET as the White House prepared to host the highly anticipated UFC fight on the South Lawn later Sunday, which also marks Trump’s 80th birthday. Vance is also expected to attend.
Earlier in the day, Vance indicated he planned to attend the fight, writing on X: “Happy Birthday to the GOAT. Looking forward to celebrating later today at the UFC fight!”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking an urgent meeting with US President Donald Trump, a Israeli source said, amid what appears to be growing tension over negotiations with Iran and the ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The source said Netanyahu is trying to arrange a meeting after Trump returns from the G7 in Europe next weekend or soon thereafter.
Trump strongly rebuked Israel on Sunday after the Israeli military struck Beirut in response to Hezbollah fire on northern Israel, saying the attack on the Lebanese capital “should not have happened.” He called Hezbollah’s attack “very small and meaningless.”
The public spat sharply contrasts with the unified front the two leaders publicly displayed at the outset of the Iran war and is the latest in a string of visible disagreements as Trump moved to end hostilities. Trump has already restrained Israel’s freedom of operation in Lebanon; he ordered Netanyahu to cancel attack plans on Iran last week after Tehran shot missiles at Israel for the first time since the April ceasefire.
According to the Israeli source, Netanyahu is seeking a meeting with the US president after he returns to the US from the G7 in Europe to clarify and communicate Israel’s positions in the negotiations.
Israel is particularly concerned about preserving its freedom of operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon as Iran pushes for Israeli withdrawal, the source said. Israel also worries the emerging agreement between the US and Iran will ease economic pressure on Tehran without touching the nuclear file, an outcome that would stabilize the Iranian regime at a moment when Israel seeks to further weaken it.
In response to CNN, the Prime Minister’s Office said the report of seeking an urgent meeting with Trump was “fake news.”
This post has been updated with comments from the prime minister’s office.
Iran’s top security official warned Sunday that Lebanon is central to Tehran’s regional security posture, saying any breach of the Islamic Republic’s “red lines” would not be tolerated.
Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, wrote on X that “the unity of the fronts has created a security chain in defense of the region.”
“Lebanon is our lifeblood, and any violation of the Islamic Republic’s red lines will not be tolerated,” he added.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also said in a post on X on Sunday that Israel “will never be able to isolate and corner any part of the Resistance’s pillars,” in an apparent reference to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
“The powerful diplomacy of Iran will guarantee the sovereignty and territorial integrity of beloved Lebanon, and will put an end to the Israeli regime’s madness and warmongering,” Ghalibaf, Iran’s chief negotiator in the talks, added.
“Carry on, and we will too,” Ghalibaf wrote.
The Iranian officials comments came after US President Donald Trump earlier Sunday urged Israel not to strike Lebanon as Washington and Tehran negotiate a memorandum of understanding related to the war.
“This morning’s attack on Beirut should not have happened,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Particularly on a special day when we are so close to a Peace Deal with Iran.”
Trump also told CNN political and global affairs analyst and Axios reporter Barak Ravid that the signing of the memorandum with Iran remains on track for later Sunday despite Israel’s latest strike on Beirut. In those comments, Trump sharply rebuked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The US signing of the memorandum with Iran is still on track to take place today despite Israel’s most recent strike in Beirut, President Donald Trump told CNN political and global affairs analyst and Axios reporter Barak Ravid in comments that sharply rebuked Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu.
During a short phone call with Ravid, Trump expressed his disagreement with Netanyahu’s decision to strike Beirut, telling Ravid, “(Netanyahu) has no f**king judgement. I let him know that.”
In an interview with Israel’s Channel 12, Ravid said Trump went further with his criticism of Netanyahu.
“Why did Bibi carry out that attack? Hezbollah fired and hit the middle of nowhere. Nobody was hurt. And then he had to carry out that f**king attack, and in Beirut of all places. It really angered me,” Ravid reported Trump said during the interview.
Earlier this morning, Trump called on Israel not to strike Lebanon while an agreement with Iran is “so close.”
“They called me and said, ‘Sir, Israel is attacking in Beirut’— an hour before we were supposed to sign the agreement,” Ravid said Trump told him. “I couldn’t believe it was happening. It’s very bad.”
This post has been updated with additional information.
The potential US-Iran agreement is being called the “Islamabad declaration,” multiple sources have said, in recognition of the key mediating role Pakistan has played in attempting to bring about an end to the war.
Pakistan has emerged as a key diplomatic bridge between the US and Iran, having hosted face-to-face talks between delegations from both countries back in April. Pakistani officials have passed peace proposals and counterproposals between the warring sides and helped to negotiate and extend the current ceasefire.
The country is well-placed to act as mediator given its cordial ties with both Iran and the United States, with Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir — who US President Donald Trump has called his “favorite field marshal” — leading Islamabad’s efforts.
Pakistan is also home to the largest population of Shia Muslims outside of Iran and, unlike Islamic countries in the Gulf region, does not host any US military bases.
Yesterday, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani held a phone call with his Pakistani counterpart to emphasize his support for Islamabad’s role in mediating talks.
Officials from Qatar — a key US ally in the region — have also held talks in Tehran to help mediate an agreement, according to sources.
Last week, a person familiar with the matter told CNN that US officials believe meetings between Iranian and Qatari officials in Tehran helped resolve some of the remaining sticking points on the agreement with the US.
And this morning, Qatari negotiators flew to the Iranian capital city to help facilitate the finalization of the agreement, a source with knowledge of the situation told CNN.
CNN’s Billy Stockwell contributed to this reporting.
US President Donald Trump is urging Israel not to strike Lebanon at a time when he says Tehran and Washington are “so close” to a deal.
Israel struck what it said were Hezbollah strongholds in southern Beirut on Sunday, placing further strain on negotiations around a US-Iran agreement that Trump has hoped to sign on his 80th birthday.
If the memorandum of understanding is signed by Washington and Tehran, it’s expected to kick off 60 more days of negotiation on the details of a pact ending the war.
If you’re just joining us, here’s where things stand:
“This morning’s attack on Beirut should not have happened,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding, “particularly on a special day when we are so close to a Peace Deal with Iran.”
Israel informed the US in advance of the strike on Beirut today, an Israeli source tells CNN. The source also said Israel took into consideration that the strike might lead Iran to retaliate with ballistic missile fire against Israel on the day of a potential signing.
Two senior Iranian figures have criticized the United States’ ongoing support for Israel in the wake of the strikes.
Meanwhile, Tehran has indicated it’s not yet made a final decision on the proposed US framework, and Iranian hardliners have in particular pushed back on some of the proposals in the text. Decisions on peace talks ultimately rest with the country’s supreme leader and Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Iran’s president said, amid the signs of disagreement between key factions in the country.
US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz deflected when he was asked earlier today to provide any specifics about the potential US-Iran memorandum of understanding. Waltz said more details will be left for future talks.
Former President Barack Obama said it was “doubtful” any agreement that emerges between the US and Iran will be “significantly different” or “an improvement” over the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, brokered under his administration in 2015.
An energy expert said Americans should expect elevated oil and gas prices through late summer even if the Strait of Hormuz reopens soon.
CNN’s Aida Karimi, Sophie Tanno, Julia Benbrook, Auzinea Bacon, Casey Gannon, Christian Sierra, Tal Shalev, Charlotte Reck and Oren Liebermann contributed to this report.
Decisions on the US-Israeli war with Iran and peace talks ultimately rest with the supreme leader and Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), Iran’s president has said, as some factions in the country have made it clear they are unhappy with the current deal on the table.
Preserving national unity and cohesion is the country’s priority today, Masoud Pezeshkian said according to Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
All political groups should feel bound to follow the decisions of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, President Pezeshkian stressed.
Meanwhile Ali Motahari, an Iranian politician and former deputy speaker of parliament, said that if the current deal is rejected and the war continues, Tehran could lose favorable conditions and later regret it, Iranian media outlet Jamaran reported. Motahari also said people should be told that the agreement would not mean overlooking US actions against Iran, according to the outlet.
His words come as hardliners have been taking to state-media with harsh criticisms of the reported details of the potential US-Iran deal, and some rallies have seen chanting against the negotiators.
Despite the discord, the regime is likely to have the final say.
CNN’s Tim Lister and Mostafa Salem contributed reporting.
On President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday, he had big plans. At home, the White House will host a UFC fight on the South Lawn. Abroad, Trump said he would be signing a ceasefire agreement with Iran.
But Lebanon has always been a key part of that ceasefire, and the fighting just flared at a critical moment. Iran has demanded a ceasefire in Lebanon as part of a broader regional agreement. Yet the fighting there has continued unabated, and today, it escalated once again.
The Israeli military carried out strikes on the Dahiyeh neighborhood of Beirut after Hezbollah fire crossed into northern Israel. The last time Israel struck Beirut, it led to direct Iranian ballistic missile fire again.
That threat from Tehran remains. Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said on social media after the strike that America “either lacks the will to fulfill its commitments or the ability to do so.”
When Trump announced the last Lebanon ceasefire earlier this month, he said on social media that “Israel will not attack (Hezbollah), and they will not attack Israel.”
That equation has fallen apart. On Sunday, Trump downplayed the Hezbollah attacks on Israel, calling them “meaningless,” while calling for “no more attacks by Israel anywhere in Lebanon.” But it’s a demand he’s made before after the April ceasefire, and it didn’t last long.
At least in public statements, Iran sees little difference between the US and Israel. Would Iran sign a deal with the US right after Israel struck its Beirut? Iran was never quite as bullish as the US when it came to the imminent signing of an agreement.
And another escalation in Lebanon — one which Tehran had previously vowed would lead to an Iranian response — makes it more likely that what were already complicated negotiations between the US and Iran just got harder.
President Donald Trump today called on Israel to not strike Lebanon as the US and Iran negotiate a memorandum of understanding on the war.
“This morning’s attack on Beirut should not have happened,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding, “particularly on a special day when we are so close to a Peace Deal with Iran.”
“Israel has the right to defend itself against threats, but the attack it was responding to was very small and meaningless, nobody was hurt, injured, or killed, and should not disrupt this important process,” the post continued. “We are very close to a Deal that will bring peace to the region, including to Lebanon, and all sides should stand down.”
The post came hours after Israel said it struck Hezbollah strongholds in southern Beirut in response to fire into northern Israel earlier today. Previous Israeli strikes on Beirut a week ago triggered an Iranian ballistic missile attack on Israel, threatening to undo US efforts to reach a ceasefire with Iran.
Israel last carried out strikes on Beirut a week ago, when Netanyahu said: “We will not allow firing on our territory or on our communities, and we will act accordingly.”
Earlier this month, the US mediated a new fresh ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon under which Israel committed not to target Beirut if Hezbollah did not target Israeli civilians. Hezbollah rejected the new agreement.
“There should be no more attacks by Israel anywhere in Lebanon, but there should also be no more attacks by any other party, including Hezbollah, against Israel,” Trump wrote in his post. “This could be the beginning of a long and beautiful peace — Let’s not blow it!”
Earlier this morning, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that the administration was still on track to sign the memorandum with Iran despite the strikes by Israel.
“From all I know, we are on track. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when,” Hegseth said on CBS Face the Nation.
