live Commercial Traffic Through Hormuz Strait Surges After US-Iran Deal

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

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 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 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.

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

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.

Talks between the United States and Iran that were scheduled for June 19 in the Swiss resort town of Burgenstock won't take place as planned, according to a statement issued by Switzerland's Foreign Ministry on June 19.

"The planned talks between the US, Iran, Qatar and Pakistan have been postponed," the statement said.

"Switzerland remains ready to facilitate these talks. The relevant preparatory work at Burgenstock is continuing. No further information can be provided at present," it added.

The announcement followed comments from a White House spokesperson overnight indicating that US Vice President JD Vance had canceled a planned trip to Switzerland, where he was expected to meet with Iranian negotiators to start talks on a peace agreement to end their war.

The White House cited logistical challenges as the reason for postponing Vance's trip.

The meeting had been scheduled just two days after the leaders of the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) outlining steps to end the war in the Middle East. A 60-day period for talks on the broader peace agreement began on June 18.

Citing "logistics" issues, the White House said Vice President JD Vance has postponed a trip to Switzerland for direct talks with Iran originally scheduled for June 19, two days after the two countries' presidents signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) toward ending the Middle East war.

"The logistics of these negotiations have never been simple or predictable," a White House spokesperson was quoted by AFP as saying late on June 18.

"As of now the vice president is not departing tonight. We look forward to beginning technical talks as soon as possible."

It was not immediately clear if the start of the talks themselves would also be delayed, but dpa news agency quoted a White House spokesman as saying plans for the upcoming talks had not yet been finalized.

Iran's Tasnim agency said that "nothing has been confirmed" about the Tehran delegation's trip to Switzerland. Iran media cited unconfirmed reports that Tehran had delayed sending its own team because of ongoing Israeli attacks in Lebanon.

US President Donald Trump and Iranian counterpart Masud Pezeshkian signed the framework deal on June 17 aimed at ending nearly four months of war.

Under the interim agreement, Tehran and Washington have 60 days to reach a final settlement, including limits to Iran's nuclear program and the lifting of US sanctions on the Islamic republic. It also included a demand by Iran that Israel cease attacks in Lebanon.

In a June 18 press briefing, Vance told reporters that the 60-day window for the United States and Iran to reach a final settlement had already begun.

"I would say the 60-day period officially started today," Vance said.

Originally, it was suggested that a signing ceremony would be held on June 19 in Geneva, with Vance likely attending for the US side, along with senior diplomats from both countries.

However, Trump and Pezeshkian unexpectedly signed the MOU digitally on June 17.

Attention then turned to what were expected to be technical talks in Geneva, where negotiators will attempt to convert the MOU into a detailed implementation plan.

"The meeting this weekend in Switzerland will be quite critical," the senior US official said, adding that any failure by either side to meet expectations should become apparent "within days or weeks, not months."

With reporting by AFP and dpa

Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said he initially disagreed with the memorandum of understanding signed with the United States but accepted it after assurances from Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian.

"As a matter of principle, I held a different view," Khamenei said in a written message issued on June 18.

"Nevertheless in light of the commitment given to me by the esteemed President, in his capacity as Chairman of the Supreme National Security Council on behalf of himself and the other members, to safeguard the rights of the Iranian nation and the Resistance Front, and his explicit acceptance of responsibility in this regard, I authorized it."

"He [Pezeshkian] has also made it clear that, should the American side seek to make excessive demands, they [meaning Iranians] will not submit to them," the written message said.

Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared in public since he succeeded his father as supreme leader on March 8. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a US-Israeli air strike on February 28.

Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump signed the framework deal on June 17 aimed at ending nearly four months of war.

Under the interim agreement, Tehran and Washington have 60 days to reach a final settlement, including limits to Iran's nuclear program and the lifting of US sanctions on the Islamic republic.

"From this moment onward, we, that is, you, the proud nation, and this humble servant, shall await the fulfilment of the conditions that have been set out," Khamenei said in the written message.

"It is self-evident that any face-to-face negotiations that may take place in the future should not be construed as acceptance of the enemy's position."

US Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed that the naval blockade on Iranian vessels and ports has been lifted.

"All U.S. military blockade enforcement efforts have ceased," CENTCOM said in a post on X. "Our great Naval Ships will remain in the general area to make sure that all aspects of the agreement are adhered to, obeyed and in full force and effect."

The United States imposed the naval blockade in mid-April with the aim of preventing Iran from exporting its oil, the lifeline of its economy.

Washington's lifting of the naval blockade and Tehran's reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global oil and gas supplies, are part of a framework deal signed on June 17.