live US Announces New Lebanese-Israeli Talks In Washington Next Week

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.