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US-Iran Talks Face Early Test In Switzerland
BURGENSTOCK, Switzerland -- What was supposed to be the first face-to-face technical engagement between the US and Iran after their surprise memorandum of understanding (MOU) has instead become an early test of whether the fragile diplomatic opening can survive the pressures of a wider regional war.
The talks, expected to take place at Switzerland’s Burgenstock resort with Qatar and Pakistan helping facilitate, were abruptly postponed on June 19, just hours after senior officials had begun signaling to reporters that the meeting was expected to go ahead.
Then the plans unraveled.
Vice President JD Vance, who had been expected to lead the US delegation, delayed his trip.
Switzerland’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the talks were off -- at least for now.
And Iran declared there was “no urgency” for immediate engagement, arguing the initial memorandum had already been digitally signed and that the next phase would depend on the implementation of agreed terms.
The message from all sides was deliberate: This is a delay, not a collapse.
Read the full report here.
Iranian Artist Marjane Satrapi Honored At Paris Memorial
Iranian-born author Marjane Satrapi, who wrote the hit graphic novel Persepolis, was laid to rest on June 19 in Paris amid tributes honoring her work.
Her graphic novel was later adapted into a Cannes-winning animated film. Known for her wit, provocative and irreverent storytelling, and outspoken positions on human rights, Satrapi was buried at Père Lachaise Cemetery amid commemorations from international artists.
US Announces New Lebanese-Israeli Talks In Washington Next Week
The United States and Lebanon announced that the next round of Lebanese-Israeli talks will be held next week in Washington, as Beirut and Tel Aviv agreed to renew a fragile cease-fire.
The announcement came on June 19 from the US State Department after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun spoke, following an agreement between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah to halt fire after the latest Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah is a militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon. It is considered a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union has blacklisted its armed wing.
According to State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott, during the phone call with Aoun, Rubio "reiterated the need to disarm" Hezbollah and reaffirmed US support for "Lebanon's efforts to create a fully sovereign Lebanese state that is at peace with all its neighbors."
While Iran and the United States announced that they had reached an agreement to end the war on June 17, hostilities in Lebanon were a key part of the deal and are now subject to an immediate and permanent cessation.
Speaking to Axios on June 19, US President Donald Trump said Washington would be able to keep Israel from renewing attacks inside Lebanon, citing his "good" relations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and saying that he believed the United States could keep him "sane."
With reporting by Reuters and Axios.
Tehran Rejects Vance's Remarks About Return Of UN Nuclear Inspectors To Iran
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei has rejected suggestions that inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would soon be allowed to return to Iran to resume inspections of nuclear facilities.
"Inspections of facilities to which the IAEA's access was suspended due to military attacks will depend on the course of negotiations and their outcome, he said on June 19.
Earlier, US Vice President JD Vance said in an interview with NBC, following the announcement of the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran, that IAEA inspectors would "absolutely" return to Iran.
Baqaei also added that Iran is planning to hold a meeting soon, after discussions between Iranian and US representatives that had been scheduled to take place in Switzerland on June 19 were canceled.
"Given that the signing of the text of the[memorandum of understanding] was done digitally on June 18, there is no urgency to hold the said meeting in Switzerland, but we are planning to hold a meeting in the coming days," Baqaei, said.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Farda
Trump Says Iran Will 'Get No Money, Not Ten Cents'
US President Donald Trump has said that Iran entered negotiations with the United States from a position of weakness and would not receive any money during the talks.
"We didn’t meet out of desperation, Iran did," he wrote in a Truth Social post on June 19.
"They are FINISHED! We’ll play out the 60 days. They get no money, not ten cents!" he added, referring to the 60-day period for implementing the US-Iran peace agreement that was signed on June 17."
In subsequent post, Trump said the war had "diminished Iran" and repeated his earlier claims that the country's air force, navy, air defense systems, and effective radar network had been destroyed.
He also criticized Democratic lawmakers in the United States, writing that despite all this, they claim Iran is in a better position now than it was four months ago. He added: “How stupid can some people be?”
Trump has previously described critics of the agreement with Iran as "jealous, bad people, or stupid."
However, some Republican politicians have also criticized the contents of the US-Iran agreement.
Israel And Lebanon's Hezbollah Agree To Renew Cease-Fire
Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to renew a cease-fire hours after Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon as a peace memorandum negotiated between the United States and Iran entered its second day.
“We understand that after the exchange of fire earlier today, Israel and Hezbollah are now in a ceasefire,” a senior official told Reuters, adding that the United States, Qatar, and Iran helped arrange the truce.
Israel has been launching strikes targeting Hezbollah militants in Lebanon since March 2, two days after the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran, when Hezbollah forces opened fire in support of Tehran, which has consistently expressed strong support for Lebanon and linked the conflict to a broader regional settlement.
Hezbollah is a militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon. It is considered a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union has blacklisted its armed wing.
A truce that has been in place since April 17, and was prolonged later in April, May, and June, has reduced fighting between Israel and Hezbollah but has not stopped it. Hundreds of people have been killed in strikes since then, and each side has accused the other of numerous violations.
While Iran and the United States announced that they had reached an agreement to end the war on June 17, the deal requires Washington, Tehran, and their allies to declare an immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon.
Beijing Welcomes US-Iran Deal As 'Significant' Step Towards Peace
- By Colin Hood
Beijing has praised the deal signed by Washington and Tehran to end the war in Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, told reporters on June 18 that the agreement is a significant step toward “easing tensions and consolidating the momentum of the cease-fire.”
The US and Iranian presidents signed the memorandum of understanding at an official ceremony at the Palace of Versailles in France on June 17 following a Group of Seven (G7) summit in the country.
At a regular press conference, Lin emphasized Beijing’s engagement in efforts to end the conflict, including Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s four-point roadmap for “maintaining and promoting peace and stability” proposed after the US and Iran failed to reach a breakthrough during talks in Islamabad in April.
Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, has been at the center of Beijing’s mediation strategy. He has held more than 30 phone calls and meetings with senior officials from countries affected by the conflict, which began when the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28.
During a phone call with Wang on June 17, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi “sincerely thanked China for its active role in promoting negotiations and reaching an agreement.”
China has worked closely with Pakistan, a close ally, to moderate the conflict indirectly.
On March 31, Beijing and Islamabad launched a joint five-point peace initiative which focused on reopening and safeguarding vital shipping routes and starting peace negotiations.
Qalibaf Says US Talks Must Respect Tehran's "Red Lines"
Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said on June 19 that upcoming talks with the United States would remain bound by Tehran's "red lines" despite this week's agreement ending the war between the two countries.
In remarks published by the state news agency IRNA, Qalibaf said Iran would remain committed to protecting its national interests and warned that any attempt to exceed agreed limits would draw a strong response.
"If the enemy seeks to be excessive, we have proven that our fingers are on the trigger," he said.
His comments came after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei endorsed the agreement while stressing that direct negotiations with Washington "will not mean accepting the enemy's point of view."
The memorandum of understanding signed by Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump lays the groundwork for 60 days of negotiations on Iran's nuclear program and sanctions relief.
However, conservative figures in Iran voiced skepticism about US intentions.
Hossein Shariatmadari, editor of the ultraconservative Kayhan newspaper, said: "The Americans do not honor any commitments," while some lawmakers expressed concern over potential international inspections of Iranian nuclear facilities.
With reporting by AFP
Commercial Traffic Through Hormuz Strait Surges After US-Iran Deal
The number of commercial vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz reached 25 on June 18, according to various trackers, marking the highest number since mid-April.
The increase comes following an agreement between Iran and the United States to open the energy chokepoint as part of a memorandum of understanding to end the war and engage in further talks to reach a permanent deal.
Plans to hold negotiations in Switzerland on June 19 were scrapped but that does not appear to have impacted Iran’s intention to keep the strait open.
Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) said in a notice on June 19 that it was waiving transit feels for the 60-day negotiation period but that vessels looking to cross the strait must submit transit requests ahead of arrival.
“Verified Strait of Hormuz crossings reached 25 on [June 18], marking a notable increase in daily maritime activity,” the shipping-data firm Kpler wrote in a post on X on June 19.
Another marine intelligence company, AXSMarine, confirmed the number, adding that the strait had seen the largest volume crossings since April 18.
“Pre-conflict commercial traffic through the Strait was around 110 crossings per day,” it said in a news release.
Since March 1, crossings averaged 7.6 per day, according to AXSMarine.
While the uptick in crossings suggests operating conditions are improving, “unresolved implementation details and continued dark crossings indicate a continued elevated degree of caution with ship operators,” Kpler said.
Following US and Israeli strikes that ignited war on February 28, Iranian forces effectively shut down the strait. Dozens of shipping attacks were reported by maritime authorities during the conflict, which paused after a cease-fire agreement on April 8.
Before the war, the strait carried around 20 percent of global oil and liquefied natural gas traffic.