Israel Will Not Be Bound By US-Iran Deal, Says National Security Minister
In the first official Israeli reaction to the agreement between Iran and the United States, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said that US President Donald Trump's deal "does not bind us" and that Israel was "not party to this agreement."
In his Telegram post on June 15, he added that Israel "must not settle for anything less than the dismantling of Hezbollah" and should not withdraw from territory captured in southern Lebanon.
Separately, Israeli Defense Minister Israeli Katz said on June 15 that his country's forces would remain in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza indefinitely, hours after the Washington and Tehran announced their agreement to end the conflict in the Middle East, including in Lebanon.
Katz said the Israel Defense Forces would remain in security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza "for an unlimited period of time, in order to protect the border and Israeli communities from there against jihadist elements."
He did not make make any direct reference to the US-Iran agreement in his statement.
With reporting by AFP
First Iranian Crude Exports In 2 Months Leave Hormuz
The first shipments of Iranian crude oil in two months have departed the Strait of Hormuz, according to ship-monitoring firm TankerTrackers.com. This comes just days before senior Iranian and US officials are expected to sign a preliminary agreement in Switzerland aimed at ending the war. Using satellite imagery and shipping data, TankerTrackers said it had verified Iran's first crude oil exports since a US naval blockade was imposed two months ago.
Trump Says US Could Resume Military Action If Iran Fails To Follow Agreement
US President Donald Trump said the United States could resume military action against Iran if he is dissatisfied with the implementation of the memorandum of understanding reached between Washington and Tehran, as world leaders hailed the potential end to the war.
Speaking alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, on June 17, Trump stressed that the memorandum was only a preliminary agreement and warned that military action could resume if Iran failed to meet US expectations.
"It's a memorandum of understanding. And if I don't like it, we'll go back to shooting at them, dropping bombs on their head," Trump said.
He added: "If they don't behave, we'll go right back to dropping bombs right smack in the middle of their head, OK? Because they misbehaved for 47 years."
Trump also dismissed reports that the United States would invest $300 billion in Iran under the memorandum, saying such claims were false. He said, however, that Washington would not prevent other countries from investing in Iran.
The US president also said the memorandum does not provide for direct US payments to Iran. He further rejected claims that it mandates the immediate lifting of sanctions, saying any sanctions relief would be tied to future negotiations and Iranian compliance.
Iran and the United States announced on June 16 that they had reached a memorandum of understanding to end the conflict. Both sides are expected to formally sign the agreement in Switzerland on June 19.
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Iran's Uranium Stockpile May Put Kazakhstan At The Center Of A Nuclear Deal
As negotiations over Iran's nuclear program continue, the fate of Tehran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium remains one of the most difficult issues to resolve.
Before US and Israeli air strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) estimated that Iran possessed 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent. While not weapons-grade, the material is significantly close to the 90 percent enrichment level generally associated with the production of nuclear weapons.
The question now confronting negotiators is what should happen to that stockpile as part of a broader agreement between Tehran and Washington. In recent weeks, Kazakhstan has been mentioned as a possible third-party custodian.
IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi said last month that Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev was open to the idea of storing Iranian uranium, and Astana later confirmed its willingness.
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Canada: US-Iran Agreement Could Be 'Game Changer' In Region
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said a deal between the United States and Iran to end the Middle East war could be a "game changer" for the region and beyond.
Speaking to reporters on the third day of the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, Carney said that despite the "risks" involved, "this agreement must be implemented."
Carney added: "The very existence of this agreement -- and the fact that so many countries have participated in its development and have a stake in its success -- will itself generate positive side effects."
In a joint statement issued late on June 16, G7 leaders welcomed the agreement, describing it as representing "important progress and opportunity" for the Middle East.
The statement added that the memorandum of understanding "provides a historic opportunity to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon" and creates a framework for negotiations aimed at addressing broader regional security concerns.
Australia Lowers Security Alert Level For Travel To Middle East
Australia has lowered its travel warning level for several countries in the Middle East, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel, following a preliminary agreement between Iran and the United States to end the war.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced on June 17 that the official travel advice for these countries has changed from "Do not travel" to "Consider travel necessity."
Wang, however, stressed that Australians should continue to avoid nonessential travel to the Gulf region, noting that "the security situation in the Middle East can deteriorate rapidly and without warning."
Pope Welcomes Agreement Between US, Iran
Pope Leo XIV has welcomed reports of an agreement between Iran and the United States to end the war. On June 16, he described the accord as the result of "promising efforts in dialogue and negotiation" and expressed hope that it would be formally signed on June 19.
Praising the interim agreement, Pope Leo said "thanks be to God" that the two sides had reached an understanding and voiced hope that it would bring a lasting end to the conflict.
"There are still several issues to be resolved, but it is always better to do this through dialogue and negotiation, rather than by returning to war," he added.
Pope Leo's previous statements criticizing the Iran war had angered US President Donald Trump.
In early April, the Pope condemned threats directed at the Iranian population, saying: "Today, as we all know, there has also been this threat against the entire people of Iran. And this is truly unacceptable!" He added that the issue was not only one of international law but also "a moral question concerning the good of the people as a whole."
The remarks came after Trump warned that "a whole civilization will die tonight" if Iran failed to meet a US deadline for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's Sharif University Reports $48.8 Million In Damages During War
The president of Sharif University of Technology says that during the war with the United States and Israel, about $48.8 million worth of damages were incurred by the university's equipment and technological infrastructure, and the amount allocated by the government for reconstruction only covers a quarter of the resources needed by the Tehran university.
University head Masud Tajrishi said on June 17 that the damages represent "a significant portion of the university's technological facilities."
"The university is currently continuing to provide services with minimal facilities, such that some services, including artificial intelligence infrastructure, are unavailable, and the capacity of fast computing has also been reduced to about 10 percent," he said.
The Science Ministry, Tajrishi said, has only allocated $14.6 million in compensation for the university, which only covers about a quarter of the resources needed.
He predicted that within the next year, about 25 percent of the services and facilities lost in the war will be restored.
Sharif University was targeted by US and Israeli air strikes on April 7. According to reports, its computing center, which operates in the field of information and communications technology, was bombed and destroyed in the attack.
Vance: Text Of Memorandum Not Released Due To 'Sensitivities'
US Vice President JD Vance said on June 16 that the US government has not yet released the text of its memorandum of understanding with Iran because of ongoing diplomatic sensitivities involving both Tehran and regional mediators.
Speaking on The Megyn Kelly Show, Vance said there were "some sensitive diplomatic issues going on" and that Iran, along with mediators including Pakistan and Qatar, had asked Washington to proceed carefully with the process.
"There are sensitivities in the Arab and Muslim world that we try to be responsive and considerate of," Vance said, explaining the delay in publishing the document.
Vance also emphasized that the memorandum is only a preliminary framework rather than a detailed agreement. "The MoU is about a page and a half, so it is a very general document," he said, adding that key issues would be addressed during a technical negotiation phase.
The vice president suggested the United States is negotiating from a position of strength and could move on if future talks fail.
"If they stick to this agreement, I think it would be much better for the United States and it would be much better for Iran," Vance said.
"But if they don't abide by the agreement, the straits will remain open, we will still have done very significant damage to their nuclear program, and ultimately, we can get on with our lives as a country," he added.
US President Donald Trump said earlier on June 16 that negotiations have entered a second phase, which he described as easier than the first. The 60-day stage is expected to focus on technical issues related to Iran's nuclear program and enriched uranium stockpiles.
G7 Leaders: US-Iran Deal A 'Historic Opportunity'
G7 leaders view the framework agreement between the United States and Iran as a "historic opportunity" to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, according to a statement issued by group members early on June 17.
The statement says the agreement between Washington and Tehran, which is scheduled to be signed by senior representatives of the two countries at an official ceremony in Switzerland on June 19, has the potential to "bring peace and tranquility to the entire region."
The heads of these countries, emphasizing their support for the implementation of the provisions of the agreement, announced their readiness to help facilitate the process.
Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, the leaders say "the right to free passage without hindrance and the need to pay tolls is the foundation of international trade."
The G7 leaders also emphasized the need to continue negotiations to reach "a comprehensive and unbreakable diplomatic agreement" aimed at confronting "Iran's threats in the region and beyond" and ensuring that "Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon."
Regarding the conflict between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah group, the statement emphasized support for Lebanese political efforts to disarm Hezbollah through "an immediate and firm cease-fire," and called for preserving Lebanon's territorial integrity "with appropriate international security guarantees."
Hezbollah is both a militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon. It is considered a terrorist organization by the United States, although the European Union has only blacklisted its armed wing.
The leaders of the United States, France, Germany, Britain, Italy, Canada and Japan, along with representatives of the European Union, attended a G7 summit held in the French city of Evian on June 16.
3 Tankers Carrying Iranian Crude Oil Leave Strait Of Hormuz
The first tankers carrying Iranian crude oil have left the Strait of Hormuz since the US naval blockade began two months ago, a ship-tracking website announced on June 17.
This comes as senior representatives of Iran and the United States are scheduled to sign a preliminary agreement in Switzerland aimed at ending the war on June 19.
The website Tanker Trackers, which tracks the storage and transportation of oil cargoes, has confirmed the movement of "Iran's first crude oil export in two months," based on digital data matched with satellite imagery.
At least two tankers of the National Iranian Tanker Company, including two very large supertankers carrying crude oil named "Diona" and "Hero 2", have passed through the US Navy's maritime blockade zone, loading a total of 3.8 million barrels of Iranian crude oil from the country's terminals and are moving towards their destinations," Tanker Trackers wrote on X.
The company then announced that a third Iranian tanker had passed through the US naval blockade.