Vice president JD Vance has claimed that Donald Trump may decide to release Washington’s agreement with Iran before Friday.
The agreement, which was electronically signed by leaders in the US and Iran, is expected to be signed in person at a summit in Geneva at the end of this week.
Vance told CNN that the memorandum of understanding was a general document running to no more than a page and a half, and that a lot of the details would be worked out during future negotiations. Trump had previously said that the text of the MOU would be released “pretty soon… sometime after Friday”.
Earlier, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he and Trump “don’t always see eye-to-eye” after the US president grew frustrated at Israel’s attacks on Lebanon. Netanyahu was asked about his relationship with Trump during a press conference which came after the US president announced he had signed a peace agreement with Tehran.
Trump had earlier described his Israeli counterpart as a “very difficult guy” who should be “very thankful” to the US. Netanyahu said they were partners, and that they often agree but sometimes disagree.
Iran draw 2-2 with New Zealand in politically charged World Cup clash
Iran twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with New Zealand in an exciting World Cup clash at Los Angeles Stadium, as protests against Tehran’s government and a tentative agreement to end the US-Iran war formed a charged backdrop to the match.
New Zealand took an early lead when Elijah Just volleyed home from inside the box after being set up by Chris Wood.
The goal was celebrated by some fans critical of the Iranian government, many of whom carried Iran’s pre-revolutionary Lion and Sun flag. Some also booed Iran’s national anthem before kickoff.
But most of the crowd of more than 70,000 appeared firmly behind Team Melli, chanting “Ir-ran! Ir-ran!” and erupting when Ramin Rezaeian equalised shortly after the half-hour mark.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar16 June 2026 06:15
Strait of Hormuz transit will take ‘weeks’ to resume
Shipowners will not resume transit through the Strait of Hormuz for weeks until they are confident that the US-Iran deal is “material”, the chief executive of Japan’s Mitsui OSK Lines told the Financial Times.
“What will have to come in place is not just a simple agreement between the relevant countries, but it has to be material and translated into the real situations in the Strait of Hormuz, so that shipping lines can make themselves comfortable to go through,” Mitsui OSK’s Jotaro Tamura said
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar16 June 2026 06:05
Editorial: America has lost its war with Iran
It was never likely that the Islamic Republic of Iran would gift Donald Trump a peace agreement, even a measly one, for his 80th birthday, something he could immediately proclaim after the “historic” cage fight on the south lawn of the White House. However, having falsely declared 39 times since he went to war with Iran in February that peace was at hand, this time might really be different.
If the Pakistani authorities brokering the deal, the Iranians and the Americans all say that the “memorandum of understanding” (MoU) will indeed be signed by the end of the week, then there is, at last, some cause for realistic optimism.
However, caution remains – because the indications are that the as-yet unpublished and (curiously) unleaked MoU will settle comparatively little. It will, in essence, be an undertaking to talk about some future, more durable agreement. If recent history is anything to go by, the obstacles to that will remain formidable. MoU or not, an unstable region has been rendered even more dangerous by the unforced war of choice launched by Israel and America. The world will be coping with its repercussions for months, if not years.
More here.
America has lost its war with Iran
Editorial: If the ceasefire holds, Donald Trump’s ill-starred foray into the Middle East will have left the Iranian regime stronger than it was before the conflictAlisha Rahaman Sarkar16 June 2026 05:56
Strait of Hormuz to be ‘toll-free’ under Iran deal
The US said that ships will move toll-free through the Strait of Hormuz under an Iran peace deal signed by president Donald Trump, and insisted Tehran would have to fulfill its commitments before getting any economic benefits.
They included a possible $300bn reconstruction fund for the war-battered country, but the release of funds will be “tied to performance,” a senior Trump administration official said in a call with reporters.
Iran’s foreign ministry said that the deal would allow it to charge maritime service fees on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, rather than imposing “tolls”.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar16 June 2026 05:18
Trump’s Iran deal greeted with scepticism on Capitol Hill
Republicans on Capitol Hill said they need more information about the agreement between the US and Iran announced by president Donald Trump, and some are expressing skepticism as they ask the White House for details.
The agreement announced on Sunday to end the war in Iran, set for a ceremonial signing on Friday in Geneva, is centred around reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the US naval blockade in the region, along with financial incentives for Iran if it meets certain benchmarks.
But Senate Republicans and Democrats who returned to Washington said there were still many unanswered questions about the deal and they need thorough briefings before it is finalised.
“I just don’t know enough about it,” Senate majority leader John Thune told reporters in the Capitol. “Even the people who follow this stuff closely up here don’t know that much about it.
“I think that my understanding of what it entails — and, again, not having seen anything — it would require, I think the issues are going to be compliance, and how are you going to enforce that,” Thune said.
Thom Tillis of North Carolina asked: “If it’s a secret deal then how can I take it seriously?”
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar16 June 2026 05:06
Iranian-American congresswoman says deal achieved at ‘enormous cost’
Iranian-American congresswoman Yassamin Ansari welcomed the US-Iran deal but said it was achieved at an enormous cost.
“An end to the war is a positive step,” Ansari said in a post on X.
“Congress must have an extensive review of any final agreement signed with the Islamic Republic,” the Democratic congresswoman added.
She said that the deal “comes after a conflict that inflicted enormous costs and leaves both the United States and the Iranian people worse off”.
“Tremendous loss of life, international instability, and skyrocketing gas prices. This never should have happened in the first place.”
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar16 June 2026 04:50
Oil rebounds on concerns about US-Iran peace deal
Oil prices rebounded on concerns about the lack of details in a preliminary agreement ending the war between the US and Iran and the realisation the resumption of supply through the key Strait of Hormuz may take longer than thought.
Brent crude futures gained 26 cents, or 0.3 per cent, to $83.42 a barrel and US West Texas Intermediate rose to $81.12 a barrel, up 46 cents, or 0.3 per cent.
Even with the current agreement, it remains unclear how quickly the curtailed supply will be able to return to the market.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar16 June 2026 04:35
Vance says Trump may release US-Iran agreement before Friday
US vice president JD Vance told Fox News that president Donald Trump may decide to release Washington’s agreement with Tehran before Friday.
The agreement, which was electronically signed by leaders in the US and Iran, is expected to be signed in person on Friday.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar16 June 2026 04:25
Iranian Americans wave flag as Iran play first World Cup match
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar16 June 2026 04:15
Iranian Americans wave protest flags as Iran play first World Cup match
Iran kicked off their World Cup in Los Angeles in front of a crowd that consisted of both fans cheering them on and Iranian Americans waving symbols of protest against the Tehran government.
The run-up to the match has been one of extraordinary drama off the pitch, with the team playing on US soil barely 24 hours after a peace deal was announced to end the war that began when the US and Israel attacked Iran in February.
The footballers had flown into the US on Sunday from their training base in Tijuana, Mexico.
Los Angeles is home to the biggest Iranian community outside Iran, many of whom fled the country after the Islamic Revolution.
Iranian American football fans say they have been left torn between excitement at seeing the team on the world’s biggest stage, anger at Tehran’s crackdown on protesters and concern about Washington’s bombing campaign.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar16 June 2026 04:10NewerOlder