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.
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.
We are now closing the live blog for the day. We'll be back at 7:30 a.m. Central European time to cover the latest events across the Middle East.
Iran Warns Israel Over Lebanon Strikes
Following Israeli military strikes on southern Lebanon on June 16 that left four people dead, Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters has threatened retaliation.
The strikes came after the announcement of a US-Iran agreement aimed at ending the conflict in the Middle East.
The Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters, which coordinates Iran's armed forces, said in a statement that if Israel does not halt its attacks in southern Lebanon, it should expect a "harsh response" from the Islamic republic.
The statement claimed that since US President Donald Trump announced the finalization of the agreement to end the war, the Israeli military had "violated" the cease-fire in southern Lebanon 84 times.
Earlier, Lebanon said Israeli attacks in the south of the country had killed four people.
Israel, meanwhile, said it had intercepted several rockets fired by Hezbollah and had carried out retaliatory strikes.
Report: US-Iran Memorandum Will Allow Tehran To Sell Oil 'Immediately'
The United States will allow Iran to immediately resume oil and fuel sales under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) aimed at ending the war in the Middle East, Reuters reports.
The sanctions waiver will also cover banking, transportation, and insurance services needed to facilitate the sales.
The provisions will take effect immediately once the MOU is signed, according to a senior US official.
The official told Reuters that the arrangement is a “performance-based agreement,” under which Iran will receive benefits only if it complies with its commitments, including having “no nuclear weapon,” neutralizing enriched uranium, and not disrupting navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
The US-Iran memorandum of understanding has already been electronically signed by both sides and is due to be formally signed in Switzerland on June 19 by senior officials from both countries.
Oil Prices Hit Lowest Level In 3 Months
Oil prices fell another 4 percent on June 16 to their lowest in three months as markets weighed the prospects of a resumption of oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz amid weak physical demand and a lack of details about an initial deal to end the Iran war.
Brent crude futures fell $3.20, or 3.85 percent, to $79.97 a barrel by 12:53 GMT (around 3:30 p.m. Tehran time), Reuters reported. The benchmark had earlier fallen to $79.61, its lowest level since March 3 and the first time since then that Brent had fallen below $80 a barrel.
US West Texas Intermediate crude also fell $3.52, or 4.36 percent, to $77.23 a barrel. Its daily low of $76.88 was its lowest since March 10.
Before the war began on February 28, Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude futures prices were in the range of $65 to $70 per barrel.
Oil prices fell nearly 5 percent on June 15 after US President Donald Trump announced a temporary deal to end the war with Iran, although full details of the deal have not yet been released.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on June 16 that Tehran and Washington will begin a new round of talks in Switzerland on June 19 to reach a final agreement.
Signing Of Iran-US Agreement To Take Place At Swiss Mountain Resort
Switzerland announced on June 16 that the signing ceremony for an interim agreement between the United States and Iran aimed at ending the war in the Middle East will be held at the Burgenstock mountain resort in central Switzerland.
The Swiss Foreign Ministry announced in a statement that it has been in close contact with the United States, Iran, Pakistan, and Qatar regarding the possibility of signing the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran.
"Currently, the signing of the document is scheduled for Friday, June 19, in Burgenstock, located in the canton of Nidwalden. This location has been suggested by Pakistani and Qatari mediators, as well as by the United States and Iran," the statement said.
Burgenstock is a famous residence and conference complex in central Switzerland that has previously hosted international meetings and diplomatic negotiations.
Iran and the United States signed the memorandum of understanding to end the war, which is structured in the form of a general document, electronically on June 15, and the document is scheduled to be signed in person on June 19 with the presence of senior officials from both countries.
Trump Says He Will Send Iran Deal To US Congress
US President Donald Trump announced on June 16 that he would send the peace agreement with Iran to the US Congress for review.
Speaking to reporters during a meeting with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France, Trump said: "I never thought of it, but I would.... I will send it to Congress. I like the idea. I mean, who wouldn't approve it?"
Some Republican lawmakers had previously called for lawmakers to review the text of the agreement.
Trump also promised to make the text of the Iran deal public "within the next day or two" and suggested he might even read the entire document publicly once a formal framework for its release is in place. According to Reuters, he said he was waiting for an official process before publishing the text but added that he had no objection to making it public.
"I would like to have a formal framework for this first, but I have no problem with publishing it; it is a great document," Trump said. He added that the agreement's central provision is straightforward: "Iran will never have a nuclear weapon."
Regarding the next phase of negotiations with Iran, for which a 60-day timeline has been set, Trump expressed optimism that progress would be rapid.
"I think it's going to go very quickly," he said, adding that Iran wants to finalize the process and return to normal economic and diplomatic activity. "Iran wants to finalize this. They need to get back to their normal activities and relations are now normalized, so I think this process will move very quickly."
Trump cautioned that the timeline could vary but reiterated his expectation of a swift outcome: "It might go faster, it might take longer, but it could be done very quickly."
Iran and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding to end the conflict electronically on June 15. According to US Vice President J.D. Vance, the document is approximately a page and a half long. A formal signing ceremony is scheduled to take place in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 19, with senior officials from both countries expected to attend.
Pre-Revolutionary Flags Fly At Iran's World Cup Opener, Defying FIFA Ban
Dozens of soccer fans displayed Iran’s pre-revolutionary Lion and Sun flag during the country’s World Cup opener against New Zealand in defiance of FIFA, which won a court hearing allowing it to prohibit the symbol inside venues. The Lion and Sun flag, flown over Iran before the Islamic Revolution in 1979, has become a symbol of resistance to decades of repressive theocratic rule in the country. It is also widely displayed by Iranian monarchist exiles.
