• The US and Iran have concluded a day of high-level talks in Switzerland, mediated by Pakistan and Qatar.
• US President Donald Trump has threatened to hit “Iran very hard again” over its support for Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
• Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has dismissed Trump’s threats, saying the US should be careful with its rhetoric.
• Hussein Gurbanzadeh, ‌a member of Iran’s negotiating team, told state television that the first day of talks covered the release of frozen Iranian assets and temporary relief from sanctions on oil.
• Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz says Israeli troops will not withdraw from Lebanon.
• Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem says his group will respond to any ceasefire violations by Israel, adding that Israeli troops will not remain in Lebanon.

US, Iran wrap up ‘constructive day’ of talks, marked by ‘multiple highs and lows’

The first round went well. There were initial statements that were made, and then came the threat by Trump, and since then, there have been multiple highs and lows.

It was supposed to be a day in which they would talk about the Strait of Hormuz, Lebanon, as well as the nuclear issue and related sanctions.

The Iranians say they have made some progress because of discussions on the nuclear issue, some sanctions relief and oil exports.

And the Americans came in with the hope that they would make headway over the nuclear issue.

But the underlying factor in all of this is the mistrust that continues to exist between these two sides.

Still, it has been a constructive day, according to the mediators, because these sides were brought together into one room, despite all the efforts by various actors to torpedo these talks.

‘Now the hard work begins’

Mark Kimmitt, former US State Department official and retired military general, says the talks in Switzerland are merely the beginning of the “hard work” ahead for technical negotiators.

“We do need the major leaders appearing at the first to demonstrate the commitment of the two countries. While it may appear performative, it really is diplomatically necessary. But now, the hard work begins on very, very substantial issues,” he said.

“The most important sign of progress was the fact that the technical negotiators from both sides are remaining in Switzerland, hopefully to hammer out some of the key issues, primarily in the nuclear file.”

Kimmit went on to say that the inclusion of Lebanon in the talks was likely to cause significant difficulties throughout the negotiations.

Tehran has insisted on an end to Israel’s attacks on Lebanon and accused Washington of not honoring its commitments under the MoU by failing to stop the Israeli assaults.

“It complicates it tremendously,” Kimmit said. “I think it was foolish of the Iranians to couple that file with the US-Iranian negotiations, and I think it was foolish of the Americans to buy into that. The fact remains, it’s not often the case that external powers can solve an internal problem in an internal conflict between two different countries.”

Katz says Israeli forces will stay in Lebanon but doesn’t mention offensive operations

Netanyahu and his defense minister, Israel Katz, say they are not going to be withdrawing their troops from southern Lebanon, with Katz also saying the military will continue to eliminate threats from Hezbollah.

But what military analysts are noting is that Katz did not say anything about offensive operations, or assaults or attacks, and that seems to be in response to American pressure.

According to the Israeli Broadcasting Authority, the Israeli military has finished its offensive operations, and that’s why it’s looking to scale down some of the forces deployed in southern Lebanon.

There seems to be an insistence among Israeli officials that there would be no withdrawal from the so-called “Yellow Line” in Lebanon. Of course, the Israelis are still talking about wanting to stay in areas they’ve occupied as late as May, and they kept pushing forward and forward into southern Lebanon.

But there seems to be an understanding among some officials that there needs to be – even if it’s called a minor withdrawal – something that they can give the Americans ahead of the talks expected in Washington on Tuesday.

So they might be looking at redeploying and pulling their troops back from the Beaufort Castle, which we saw the Israelis move into in late May, as well as areas that the Israeli forces have been wanting to push further into, including the Ali al-Tahir Hill area, further north.

Iran says first day of talks focused on ‘clauses necessary to begin final negotiations’

Esmaeil Baghaei, the spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, has spoken to Iranian media on the first day of talks with the US.

According to the IRIB broadcaster, he said that “discussions were held on the remaining clauses [of the MoU] that are necessary to begin final negotiations”.

Iran says ‘good progress’ made on release of Iranian assets, relief from oil sanctions

Baghaei about the first day of talks with the US:

He said the Iranian delegation insisted that the war must end on all fronts, including Lebanon.

Discussions were also held on the “issuance of necessary licences for oil sales, and the release of Iranian assets”, and “good progress was made”.

Iran says ‘mechanism set up’ on transit through Strait of Hormuz

Baghaei says discussions were held on the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, and “a mechanism was set up, which is important”.

Iran says its delegates refused to continue quadrilateral talks after Trump’s threat

Baghaei has told Iranian media that the Iranian delegation refused to continue quadrilateral talks with the US, Pakistan and Qatar in Switzerland after Trump issued a “threatening statement” during the discussions.

“Qatar and Pakistan tried to continue the talks, and we said it would not be a quadrilateral meeting,” he says.

“The Iranian delegation’s view is that we must force the other side to implement its commitments,” he adds.

Pakistan, Qatar say US-Iran talks were ‘positive, constructive’

Mediators Pakistan and Qatar have issued a joint statement on the US-Iran talks in Switzerland, saying they were conducted in a “positive and constructive atmosphere”.

“Encouraging progress has been made, including the creation of a mechanism for further technical talks,” the statement said.

US, Iran establish high-level committee to oversee talks

From the joint statement from Pakistan and Qatar:

• Building on the MoU, the parties have agreed to the establishment of a high-level committee, which will provide political oversight on the mediation.
• Chief negotiators will report regularly to the committee and lead working groups focused on the nuclear issue and sanctions, as well as a monitoring and dispute resolution group to ensure the effective implementation of the MoU and on other matters.
• The high-level committee has agreed on a roadmap for a final deal to be reached within 60 days, laying the foundation for the immediate commencement of further technical talks.
• In addition, a communication line between the parties has been formed to avoid incidents and miscommunication, with the aim of safe passage for commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

US, Iran to create ‘de-confliction cell’ to ensure end to ‘military operations in Lebanon’

The joint statement from the mediators says the US and Iran “agreed on the creation of a de-confliction cell, between the parties, the Lebanese Republic and facilitated by the Mediators, to ensure the adherence of the termination of military operations in Lebanon as per the MoU”.

A mechanism already existed after the 2024 war. The problem was that the U.S. oversaw it while Israel violated the ceasefire over 15,000 times with absolute impunity, killing hundreds of Lebanese. And one of its central missions was disarming the resistance.

This time, Israel isn’t a direct participant and Iran is involved. That means there is finally someone at the table willing to push back when Israel violates the agreement.

Pakistan, Qatar say technical talks will continue in Switzerland

The mediators say “technical talks will continue for the remainder of the week at the Burgenstock resort on all issues”.

They thanked the US and Iran for their “ongoing commitment to diplomacy and a peaceful resolution to the conflict” and promised that the mediators “will continue to do their utmost to ensure that the negotiations continue to be conducted in a constructive atmosphere with the aim of reaching a final deal”.

US says its forces present in skies, seas ‘throughout’ Middle East

The US military’s Central Command has said that US “forces continue to be present in the skies, on land, and at sea” throughout the Middle East.

CENTCOM shared a photograph of two warplanes it said were conducting a “routine patrol”.

Earlier, it also published images of US troops on board the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea.

Iran’s Araghchi says ‘major progress’ made on ending ‘Lebanon war’

Iran’s foreign minister has shared a post responding to Pakistan and Qatar’s statement.

“Tireless Pakistani and Qatari mediation has delivered major progress to end Lebanon War,” Araghchi wrote.

“Oil and [petrochemical] exports are waived, blockade lifted, some frozen assets released, and major reconstruction and development plan launched for Iran,” he added.

However, he concluded by saying that the first “real test” will be the “Lebanon de-confliction cell”.

Iran says work of its negotiation team ‘complete’

Esmaeil Baghaei told Iranian media that the work of Tehran’s negotiating team in Switzerland was now “complete” and that technical teams would continue their work.

“It was agreed that technical teams will continue their work on the issues necessary for the effective implementation of this memorandum of understanding,” he said. “At this stage, the work of the negotiating delegation is complete, but the technical teams will continue their work tomorrow.”

‘Ceasefire appears to hold’ in Lebanon after days of deadly attacks

There has been a cautious calm in Nabatieh as a ceasefire appears to be taking hold. But it has followed a very brutal and bloody couple of days for this city and the surrounding towns and villages.

Israeli troops have been pushing to seize high ground around the city for weeks now. After capturing the historic Beaufort Castle weeks ago, they sought to advance to another ridge line close to the city – the Ali Taher Hills. But despite at least six or seven assaults, they haven’t managed to take it.

And it has proved disastrous for them. In their most recent attempt, four Israeli soldiers were killed, and a number of others wounded. Hezbollah claims it ambushed those Israeli troops and fired rockets at the evacuating force.

And that sparked the extremely brutal Israeli response on the city and the surroundings over the last couple of days.

Hundreds of Israeli air attacks landed on Nabatieh and the surrounding towns and villages. It was very, very violent. People in the hospital here said that these were the worst days of the war for them, as families had returned to their homes because they thought there was going to be a ceasefire that was supposed to be in place from 4pm on Friday.

But instead, they were killed by Israeli air strikes that hit those homes at dawn across Friday and Saturday.

Displaced Lebanese return to shattered Nabatieh after Israel halts attacks

Displaced residents returned to Nabatieh after Israel ordered a halt to fighting in southern Lebanon, inspecting homes and businesses damaged by months of air strikes.

While some hope that reconstruction can begin soon, many remain uncertain that the ceasefire will hold.

US, Iran agree on roadmap to reach a final deal within 60 days

After the marathon 12-hour meeting, and lows and highs, the mediators have released a joint statement.

The statement from Pakistan and Qatar reads that the first session of the high-level talks between Iran and the United States has ended. It was a productive session, and they were constructive talks that were held there. Now, they’re going to be building on the MoU and, immediately throughout this week, technical-level talks here in Switzerland are going to continue.

They have now formed a high-level committee that is going to be providing political oversight over the mediation and subgroups that will work on the nuclear issue, the sanctions issue, and on monitoring and dispute resolution.

And this committee has also agreed on a roadmap of reaching a deal within the next 60 days.

In addition, they have also agreed upon a communication line, which will be available to all sides, so that they can avoid incidents, especially regarding the Strait of Hormuz, so that it remains open for all commercial vessels during this 60-day period. The parties have also agreed to a de-confliction cell to monitor and improve the situation in Lebanon and the termination of all military operations on Lebanese territory.

It appears that the mediators are satisfied, that this was a constructive process.

‘A lot of work still remaining to be done’ in Switzerland

Following that statement from the mediators, the spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry has also responded.

Esmaeil Baghaei, who also speaks for the high-level Iranian delegation holding the talks, said the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, must end, and that all clauses of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) had been discussed.

But he said that since US President Donald Trump issued that threat, the parties ended the quadrilateral format of the meeting. They then met with the mediators and discussed all issues, including oil exports and the unfreezing of assets, while the Qataris and Pakistanis tried to steer these talks and keep them on track.

Still, it appears that there has been movement.

According to the mediators, there has been constructive engagement, and the working groups formed by the negotiators are to begin work immediately. A lot of work still remains to be done and it is not yet clear how these groups will be formulated, in which capacity they will work, or what format any future meaning will take.

Iran, US, Israel – Memorandum of misunderstanding

Israeli actions in Lebanon – and US President Donald Trump’s failure to stop them – could lead to the breakdown of Iran-US diplomacy, argues Jeremy Scahill, co-founder of Drop Site News.

Scahill says that chances are “very, very slim” for talks to move beyond a memorandum of understanding to a comprehensive agreement between Iran and the US to end the US-Israel war on Iran.

If the White House “hasn’t been able to force Israel to abide by the minimal set of agreements” in the Trump-brokered Gaza ceasefire of October 2025, Iranian leaders are skeptical about progress in their talks as well, Scahill says.

Results US and Iran achieved on the first day

• According to Pakistan and Qatar, the US and Iran have agreed on a 60-day roadmap to reach a final deal.
• A high-level committee has been established to provide political oversight of the mediation.
• Chief negotiators will regularly report to the committee and oversee working groups, including on Tehran’s nuclear programme and US sanctions on Iran.
• The parties have set up “a communication line” on the Strait of Hormuz and a “de-confliction cell” to end military operations in Lebanon.
• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi separately declared “major progress” in ending the war in Lebanon.
• He also said the US has waived sanctions on Iranian oil exports and released some of Iran’s frozen assets. He added that a major reconstruction and development plan for Iran has been launched.

Trump’s threats against Iran aimed at ‘maintaining leverage’

Joey Hood, a former senior US diplomat who served as ambassador to Tunisia, says Trump’s threats to hit Iran very hard appear to be a bid to “maintain some level of leverage after having apparently given away quite a bit of it in this MOU”.

Hood said that the MoU, in his view, “demonstrates quite a fair bit of unwarranted optimism”.

For instance, neither the government of Lebanon nor that of Israel were included in the negotiations, and are now being called upon to enforce a ceasefire between Hezbollah and the Israeli military.

“So it’s giving Iran that veto power over Lebanon that it doesn’t deserve in any way, because it has been a driver of instability [there] all these years. So the MoU seems to be saying, we accept Iran’s regional leadership role, including over its proxies, but Trump is saying in his tweets, we actually don’t accept that,” Hood said.

“So it seems to be some way of trying to get them to the table, but maintaining leverage at the same time,” he added.

Technical talks between US and Iran will be ‘really hard’

Thomas Warrick, a non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, says the upcoming technical talks will be “really hard” and could take longer than the 60 days included in the interim deal.

“You’re not going to have a deal on the nuclear file, without also having a deal on the sanctions and the frozen assets,” Warrick explained. “So this is a situation where one side gives on what the other side wants the most and then gives up in return what the other side wants.”

On the nuclear issue, “the biggest problem is that removing or downgrading the enriched uranium is going to take several thousand people, probably 1,000 Americans, going into some of Iran’s most sensitive nuclear sites,” he said, referring to Washington’s demand for a role in diluting Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile.

“I can’t imagine Iran being very happy with that idea,” he said.

Warrick also noted that lifting economic sanctions imposed on Iran will not necessarily be easy where the sanctions were imposed by Congress.

“Congress is very unhappy with this deal right now. And it is not at all clear that Congress would agree to lift some of those sanctions that Iran wants lifted,” he said.

“So it’s not just that the technical talks are going to be hard. They are really hard, and some of these are going to involve discussions that are clearly going to have to go beyond the next 60 days.”

Head of IRGC’s Quds Force warns Israel to leave southern Lebanon

The head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’s Quds Force has warned Israel to leave southern Lebanon or face a repeat of its unconditional withdrawal from the country in 2000.

Esmail Qaani said in a post on social media that if Israel persisted in its “aggression and occupation”, it would be kicked out in “humiliation and defeat”, according to state-run Press TV.

“If you do not withdraw from southern Lebanon on your own feet, the epic of the year 2000 will be repeated once again, the same year you fled this land in disgrace,” Qaani said. “The choice is yours.”

Liberation Day is celebrated every May 25 in Lebanon to mark the withdrawal of Israeli soldiers from the south of the country in 2000, after 22 years of occupation.

Netanyahu says Israel will stay in southern Lebanon buffer zone

Netanyahu says Israel will remain in a security zone in southern Lebanon for as long as it deems necessary.

The Israeli-established buffer zone spans about 602 square kilometers (230 square miles), about 6% of Lebanon’s land area.

Question: Did Iran get what it wanted?

As of now, mostly yes.

Because Iran had conditions for starting the technical talks.

They were saying that the Memorandum of Understanding – particularly Articles, 1, 10 and 11 – had to be initiated and implemented. They were saying that without the start of the implementation of these articles, the technical talks were not going to start or move forward.

So now that they have decided that technical talks in Switzerland are going to continue throughout the whole week, we see that there is progress.

Indeed, the Iranian foreign minister has confirmed that Iran has received what it wanted.

He said Iranian oil and petrochemical exports are waived, the blockade has been lifted – that was another condition of Iran. He said some of Iran’s frozen assets have now been released, and also the construction and development plan for Iran has been launched.

So these are quite important developments for Iran.

More questions than answers on Lebanon after US-Iran ‘deconfliction cell’ announcement

Authorities have announced a “deconfliction cell” to be put in place, which seems to be a good first step towards some permanent peace. But it's unclear what this exactly means.

Presumably, it means some sort of disengagement between Hezbollah and Israeli forces and maybe the establishment of a demilitarized zone to separate the two sides. But, as always, there are more questions than answers.

This is an agreement that has been reached between Iran and the US, but there’s no question of Hezbollah and Israel accepting it, presumably given the fact that the two senior partners have both agreed to this. The junior partners will be brought round, but there are going to have to be compromises on both sides.

For the Israelis, this is very difficult. They have said they’re not going to withdraw from Lebanon. For Netanyahu, this causes all sorts of political problems at home. He has many hardliners in his own government calling for the Litani River, for example – further north in Lebanon – becoming the new de facto border with their territory.

So, it’s going to be difficult to get any kind of withdrawal of Israeli soldiers that was agreed in the memorandum of understanding between Iran and the US.

Then, there are all sorts of questions about who administers this and makes sure that both sides agree to uphold this so-called deconfliction cell in the south.

"...becoming the new de facto border ..."

The Israelis have never submitted a single, comprehensive official map defining all of its land borders to the United Nations, which makes it possible to move up the 1967-borders 'endless' times. This looks suspiciously a strategy being part of their "Greater Israel" idea.

This means, everything what the Israelis are doing, not doing, and saying, not saying .. it is all planned, masterminded and designed for decades.

Reformist politician backs Iran’s negotiating team

Esmail Gerami Moghaddam, chairman of Iran’s National Trust Party, says reformists in the country were firmly behind Tehran’s negotiating team, despite reservations about the US.

“We all know that the Americans cannot be trusted,” Gerami Moghaddam told the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA).

“We all know that during past negotiations, they dishonestly and with undemocratic methods, and even under the guise of negotiations, harmed our Iran. All people are aware of these issues, but the regime has decided to reach an understanding at some point,” he said.

Gerami Moghaddam said “no agreement is signed without the will of the leadership,” adding that factions seeking to exploit public sentiment were “feeding the enemy’s mill”.

The National Trust Party is an Iranian reformist party founded in 2005 by former parliament speaker Mehdi Karroubi.

‘Iranians say that until everything is finalized, nothing is final’

In Iran, the sentiment is one of skepticism, rooted in the history of relations between the United States and Iran.

Iranians say that until everything is finalized, nothing is final.

So what we see here is that officials – from the foreign minister, the chief negotiator and the president, to those who oppose the memorandum of understanding or any engagement in talks with the US – are consistently saying that the US is not trustworthy.

They are referring particularly to the deep, bitter experience of the JCPOA, the nuclear deal signed by Iran in 2015.

It was a landmark agreement, expected to be a turning point in relations between the two countries.

Iranian lawmaker says Strait of Hormuz part of Iran’s ‘sovereign waters’

Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, has issued a warning over the Strait of Hormuz during the US-Iran talks.

“You make threats; we take action. The Strait of Hormuz is neither your personal casino nor the backyard of modern-day pirates, these are Iranian sovereign waters, and the ultimate decision rests with the noble people of Iran and its brave armed forces,” he said on X.

Passage through the Strait of Hormuz is heavily restricted after Iran’s declaration on Saturday to reclose the waterway in response to regional ceasefire disputes.

Azizi is one of the most hawkish voices on foreign policy in Iran’s legislature and has consistently taken a hard line stance on both the nuclear file and the Strait of Hormuz.

According to the UNCLOS, Iran's territorial waters cover the northern half of the Strait of Hormuz, extending 12 nautical miles from its mainland coast and islands.

Technically, the entire Strait of Hormuz falls within the territorial waters of Iran and Oman; there are no "international waters" (High Seas) in the strait. Instead, the waterway is governed by the UNCLOS transit passage regime, which grants all vessels the right to navigate freely through it.

The entire navigable width of the Strait of Hormuz is considered an "international strait." Because the strait is narrow, its waters are entirely made up of the territorial seas of Iran and Oman.

US-Iran ‘deconfliction’ plan represents ‘strategic dilemma’ for Israel

Israeli commentators described what happened in Switzerland as a strategic dilemma for Israel because you have to remember this changes all the rules, this changes all the norms that Israel has been used to.

The past ceasefire with Hezbollah was managed between the US and Israel. It gave Israel freedom of action. Israel was able to stay in southern Lebanon, continue to destroy Lebanese villages, kill more than 600 Lebanese people and forbid the return of the Lebanese to their villages.

This is different.

There’s a different dynamic that is larger than the Lebanese dimension of it, and Israel feels that it will be compelled to play along. Right now, the thinking, the planning, the manoeuvring in Israel centres around how much compromise can Israel do without completely losing the confidence of the Israeli public.

The Israeli minister of defence said that Israel will remain in southern Lebanon, but importantly, he also said it will remain in Beaufort Castle. Now, why is that important?

That’s because it’s beyond the “Yellow Line”, beyond the Litani River, and it is deeper than the 8km [5 miles] that Israel seems to suggest that the United States wants Israeli troops to pull back to now.

Emergency workers recover 13 bodies in southern Lebanon

Lebanese Civil Defense teams have recovered the bodies of 13 people from under rubble in the Nabatieh and Marjayoun areas of southern Lebanon.

In a statement, the Civil Defense said its crews were also working to clear secondary and main roads in Nabatieh and the towns of Dibbine and Blatt to remove debris and facilitate traffic.

The Lebanese Health Ministry said the death toll from Israeli strikes since March 2 has reached at least 4,106 with 12,153 wounded.

Oil prices fall after US-Iran talks conclude in Switzerland

Oil prices declined after US-Iran talks concluded in Switzerland with Tehran saying it secured waivers for oil and petrochemical exports, easing worries about a supply shortage in global markets.

Brent crude ⁠fell $1.68, or 2.09 percent, to $78.89 a barrel by 06:33 GMT.

Prices climbed to $82.30 at the start of trading, prompted by a bumpy start to the negotiations, with threats from President Trump to restart the war on Iran and Tehran’s announcement it again ⁠closed the Strait of Hormuz.

“The decline has been driven primarily by improving prospects for a diplomatic breakthrough between the United States and Iran … reviving hopes ‌that sanctions on Iran could eventually be eased,” said Sugandha Sachdeva, founder of SS WealthStreet, a New Delhi-based research firm.

Iran Foreign Ministry spokesperson: US cannot ‘shirk its obligations’

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson says that talks with the United States in Switzerland had yielded progress on sanctions relief and oil exports.

Baqaei told IRNA, the state news agency that negotiations ran for approximately 18 hours and discussions had advanced on several fronts.

“The sale of Iranian oil, issuing the necessary licenses for oil exports, and releasing Iran’s restricted or frozen assets were among the issues discussed in detail,” he said, adding that these matters “should, as a rule, enter the implementation phase soon.”

The meeting was briefly suspended after threatening statements by President Trump prompting Iran’s delegation to withdraw. Baqaei said exchanges continued through the mediators: “We were determined to use this opportunity to ensure that the other party’s commitments were fulfilled.”

On the nuclear file, Iran’s foreign minister warned the US against “repeating excessive and illogical views,” with Baqaei making clear that formal nuclear negotiations had not yet begun.

“This arrangement of commitments itself creates a kind of guarantee, all of these mechanisms must be implemented in such a way that the other party cannot shirk its obligations.”

“The basis is commitment for commitment any step we take must be accompanied by mutual implementation of commitments by the other party.”

Iran’s negotiating team departs Switzerland after US talks

Iran’s top negotiators have left Switzerland for Tehran after 18 hours of intensive talks, Iranian state media reports.

Iran’s delegation was led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati, Deputy Oil Minister Hamid Boord, and Ali Bakri, an experienced nuclear negotiator.

According to the ISNA and Tasnim news agencies, the technical team – led by Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi – remains in Switzerland and will continue technical negotiations on the Islamabad memorandum of understanding.

Talks with Lebanon could reshape Israeli policy as political tensions mount

For Israel, talks in Washington, DC this week might offer a breakthrough because they could lead to an arrangement with the Lebanese government that would relieve Israel of American pressure, and perhaps chart a different path forward.

Remember, the mechanism in place in 2024 for the ceasefire in Lebanon excluded Hezbollah, giving Israel free rein, while the de-confliction mechanism designed in Switzerland on Monday excludes Israel.

What the Israelis are hoping to do is to reach an agreement for those trial zones in southern Lebanon, whereby Israel withdraws from specific areas, and hands them over to the Lebanese army – provided Hezbollah is not present.

And it’s up to Israel – from an Israeli perspective – to judge whether the Lebanese army has reached the goalposts that Israel wants.

It’s not clear whether that will be possible. The domestic dynamic of all of that, of course, is there is a lot of tension, and the coalition partners of Prime Minister Netanyahu are very nervous. They don’t want any of this to go through.

Lebanese president, US Vice President Vance and Qatari PM discuss Lebanon ceasefire

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has held a phone call on with US Vice President JD Vance, White House Senior Advisor Jared Kushner, and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the presidency said in a statement.

The call addressed ways to consolidate the ceasefire in Lebanon and de-escalate Israeli military operations, the presidency said. The officials discussed steps to be taken in this regard, including the possibility of establishing a coordination cell to monitor implementation.

Israel won’t pull back from Lebanon ‘security zone’: Foreign Minister Sa'ar

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar has told New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters that Israel would respect the Lebanon ceasefire as long as Hezbollah does not breach it.

“We don’t have territorial ambitions in Lebanon, but we will not withdraw from the security zone and expose our citizens to Hezbollah’s attacks and possible invasion,” Sa'ar said in a post on X, referring to land in southern Lebanon occupied by Israel.

Lebanon’s sovereignty has been breached for decades, Sa'ar said, by what he described as Iran’s “indirect occupation” through Hezbollah.

“It’s the interest of both Lebanon and Israel that Hezbollah’s terror state will be dismantled,” he added.

"Lebanon’s sovereignty has been breached for decades.."

In all cases, meaning intrusions of the country's airspace by Israeli warplanes between 2013 and the years before the fall of Bashar al-Assad, to carry out bombardments on Iranian presence in Syria. The Israelis used the country as a bait to divert response attacks by Syria to Lebanon. But Damascus never launched response attacks.

Antagonists may use Lebanon to further war goals

Lebanon remains vulnerable as it could be exploited by any party seeking to derail the ongoing US-Iran negotiations, an analyst says.

“The conflict now in Lebanon is waiting for another spark,” said Mohanad Hage Ali from the Malcolm H Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut.

“It just became a buffer zone, a kind of a punching bag in which anyone who wants to score can use it, whether to get at the US-Iran negotiations – which Israel specifically is not very happy about – or from the Iranian side, where a faction unhappy with how negotiations are going can sabotage them through the Lebanon front.”

China calls on Iran and US to sustain momentum in peace talks

China hopes Iran and the US will maintain the momentum of their negotiations and work towards positive progress, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun says.

Guo also expressed China’s support for mediation efforts by Pakistan, Qatar and other parties when asked about the Iran-US talks in Switzerland, the Xinhua news agency reported.

“China supports Pakistan and Qatar and all relevant parties in their mediation efforts,” Guo said.

The comments were made after Pakistan and Qatar announced progress in ongoing diplomatic efforts between the US and Iran following the conclusion of the first round of high-level talks in Switzerland.

Iran-US talks conclude successfully, Pakistan PM says

Negotiations ⁠between ⁠Iran and the US have concluded successfully ⁠in Switzerland, Pakistani Prime ⁠Minister Shehbaz Sharif says.

“The discussions were held in ‌a positive and constructive atmosphere and yielded encouraging progress, including agreement on a roadmap toward ⁠a final deal ⁠within 60 days, the establishment of a ⁠high-level committee to ⁠provide political oversight, ⁠and the commencement of further technical talks,” ‌he said in a post.

“Pakistan will continue to play its honest and sincere role in advancing dialogue and diplomacy towards a peaceful and lasting resolution.”

Questions remain over new de-confliction effort in south Lebanon

Mohanad Hage Ali, from the Malcolm H Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, says it remains unclear how successful de-confliction efforts for Israeli forces and Hezbollah will be in southern Lebanon.

“You have the mechanism with the United States, Israel, Lebanon, and UNIFIL, and then you have this new mechanism also trying to work with both sides. But if an attack occurs on either side of the border and is interpreted as an escalation that requires a response, things can go out of hand,” Hage Ali told Al Jazeera.

“It’s so entangled with the negotiations process that it’s quite difficult to say this is a real ceasefire. I think this remains difficult.”

“You have the mechanism with the United States, Israel, Lebanon, and UNIFIL,.."

He refers to a mechanism already existed after the 2024 war.

Israeli drone attack kills high school girl on way to write exam

It had been a relatively quiet morning, with people moving through the streets of Al-Rimal, Gaza City’s commercial district, trying to go about their daily routine.

But that calm was shattered the moment the missiles were fired by Israeli drones. They could be seen and heard coming from the eastern part of Gaza City. After the mechanical hum, the rushing sound of missiles came down the street a few seconds later, targeting two vehicles.

Eyewitnesses described 15 seconds between the first, the second, and the third strike. Many of the residential buildings and shops in the area were destroyed.

There were a number of casualties. Medical sources described many of the injuries as critical, and most victims were hit by shrapnel.

The only confirmed fatality here was a high school girl on her way to a testing centre in Gaza City for students to write their general examination. She was killed instantly in the Israeli strikes.

"Israeli drones"

Since October 2023, there has been hundreds of videos documented about Israeli drone attacks in Gaza and Lebanon on vehicles. None of the videos show that the driver if not with their passengers were either members of Hamas or Hezbollah.

Considering that systematically provided standardized justification is part of a policy, doctrine or directive, these attacks are documented as terrorism in the act of war.

Israeli ex-minister criticises government over handling of Lebanon

Tzipi Livni, Israel’s former foreign minister, has blasted the far-right government’s moves in Lebanon after it invaded and occupied the south in March as the war on Iran unfolded.

Writing on X, Livni said the current mechanism in US-Iran negotiations to halt Israeli attacks on Lebanon represent a failure that could have been avoided.

“This is terrible for Israel and it’s happening because the government has not leveraged military achievements for security,” she said.

Livni outlined what she said she had proposed at the time: an Israeli-led mechanism involving the US, Israel, and Lebanon to enforce UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and disarm Hezbollah. “Iran and Hezbollah were at their weakest, the goal of disarming Hezbollah was acceptable to the world, and the IDF could have continued to operate in accordance with changes on the ground,” she said.

“The government must go, and the conception must change. Whoever promises only more military force and a knockout blow without a strategy and a diplomatic plan promises the next failure.”

Trump threats during talks may have provided ‘extra leverage’ for Iran

Diplomacy is back on track but the big question mark is Lebanon. But what has been achieved with the “high committee” there is a structure, a process.

Both sides have different things they want on the agenda that the other side doesn’t want to talk about. For example, the US wants to talk about ballistic missiles and Iran’s regional proxies. That’s not something Iran wants to talk about.

So they’re going to be difficulties going forward, but there is a structure and that’s important. These were difficult talks. The Iranians did not appear on camera at the start when the mediators and the US gave their statements. They did not want to take part, they said, in a photo opportunity.

And at one point – after President Trump made the incendiary social media post – the Iranians didn’t join the second session that took place.

Indirectly, it may actually be Trump’s intervention helped the Iranians because they are canny negotiators and the fact they had that moment of protest may have given them just a little bit extra leverage.

President Aoun: ‘No one negotiates on Lebanon’s behalf’

President Joseph Aoun says Lebanon welcomes international moves to end Israel’s war but it will not accept interference in its internal affairs.

Aoun said the state, not religious sects, is responsible for protecting all Lebanese people and building a strong, unified nation remains the top priority.

“Political competition is legitimate but it must not obstruct the state’s progress,” he said.

Iran has demanded that Israel stop its deadly attacks and pull out of war-battered southern Lebanon in support of its ally Hezbollah during negotiations with the US.

JD Vance talks to the press in Burgenstock on US-Iran talks

US Vice President JD Vance talks to the press in Burgenstock, Switzerland, on progress in the US-Iran talks.

It’s the first comments by a senior US official after the main negotiations wrapped late on Sunday.

He says negotiators “made a lot of good progress” in Iran talks, adding the discussions were “very good”.

Vance said a “very good foundation” was laid for a successful final agreement with Iran.

Vance hails ‘great progress’ after ‘a little bit of threatening and whining’

JD Vance says the Iranian delegation “threatened to walk out” during the talks, or “at least there were social media threats that they would walk out”, but adds that the negotiations well past 1am last night.

“So they didn’t walk out, and their technical team is still here in Burgenstock working with our technical team,” the US vice president told reporters.

“What we told the Iranians yesterday is, ‘When you guys exchange in what us millennials might call trash talk, you can’t expect the president of the United States not to respond and not to correct the record.”

He concluded his response by saying there was “a little bit of threatening” and “whining but at the end of the day, the talks continued and we made great progress”.

Vance hails UN inspectors going back into Iran

IAEA nuclear inspectors are set to return to Iran to verify its compliance with the preliminary agreement, the US vice president says.

“Our hope is that we get to the final deal and a permanent settlement. But right now, I think we’ve made great progress and we should all celebrate that in terms of when the nuclear inspectors are going to start,” Vance told reporters.

The US vice president said he phoned UN nuclear inspectors at 2am last night to let them know the developments, however, no one picked up the call.

“As you can expect, not many people are answering their phone at two in the morning,” said Vance. “I expect that will happen at the minimum this week, but we think even some of those conversations with the inspectors and with the IAEA could happen as soon as today.”

Vance suggests US may agree to unfreeze Iran assets for US purchases

The US vice president has also touched on the issue of Iran’s frozen funds.

“We wanted to make sure that we set up a process where if we ever unfreeze Iranian assets, we can ensure that Iranian money goes to help the people of Iran and not to fund terrorism,” Vance told reporters.

“Jared Kushner actually came up with a very interesting solution with the Qataris, where basically – again if there is any frozen Iranian assets that are unfrozen – then we have approval over that process, the Qataris have approval over that process, and then the money would actually go to buy American corn and American wheat for the benefit of the Iranian people.”

This look like similar to the Chinese loans to developing countries. Borrowers have to purchase Chinese services and goods instead receiving cash. There is a difference between what the US intend to, and what the Chinese loan system is, as the latter must be paid back, including rate that comes with the loan.

Achievements in US-Iran talks ‘right approach to diplomacy’

Ali Vaez, director of the Iran Project at the International Crisis Group, says “good and sufficient progress” has been achieved for this round of negotiations between the US and Iran in Switzerland.

Both sides were able to “consolidate” the Islamabad memorandum of understanding because without that “really there would have been nothing to build on and this could have relapsed into conflict”, Vaez said.

“So some of the mechanisms, I think, are absolutely essential for moving forward and also having a plan, a timeline, a set of milestones for how to reach a comprehensive agreement in the next 60 days – as ambitious as that is. But this is the right approach to diplomacy.”

Pakistan hails US-Iran progress as technical talks continue in Switzerland

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has welcomed “substantial progress” made during technical negotiations in Burgenstock, Switzerland.

In a statement, Dar also expressed appreciation for constructive engagement by the United States and Iran toward implementing the Islamabad memorandum of understanding.

A team from Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry will remain in Burgenstock for the remainder of the week to continue technical-level discussions with the parties, he added.

Qatari, French ministers discuss Middle East stability at Swiss talks

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has met Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on the sidelines of the Burgenstock meeting in Switzerland.

The two discussed the latest developments in the Middle East with a focus on efforts to “consolidate security and stability” following the signing of the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran.

Sheikh Mohammed reaffirmed Qatar’s full backing for ongoing US-Iran negotiations saying Doha supports “dialogue and peaceful means as the path to sustainable solutions” on outstanding issues between the two sides.

Summary of what JD Vance have said

• Negotiators made “a lot of good progress” in Iran talks and a “very good foundation” has been set for a successful final deal with Iran.
• Despite the Iranian delegation threatening to walk out, negotiations continued until the early hours this morning.
• IAEA nuclear inspectors are set to return to Iran to verify its compliance with the preliminary agreement.
• The US could agree to unfreeze Iranian assets for the purchase of US soy, corn and wheat.
• Vance said the Strait of Hormuz “is open”, the US wants to wants to make sure of proper coordination on Lebanon, and technical talks will continue in days and weeks to come.

Qatari PM praises US-Iran deal for ‘stopping the war’

Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani:

• With the memorandum of understanding signed by the US and Iranian presidents, we have reached a state of stopping the war.
• The preliminary agreement between Washington and Tehran took great effort with our partners in Pakistan and regional and international support to create suitable conditions for negotiations.
• The aim of the memorandum of understanding is to stop the war and lay the foundation for further talks.
• Other issues being discussed between Washington and Tehran include Iran’s nuclear file, the status of the Strait of Hormuz and regional security.
• The initial agreement establishes an institutional framework for the ongoing negotiating process.

Progress in Iran-US talks real but process is still fragile

JD Vance said the Iranians didn’t walk out. He said there was a little bit of threats, a little bit of whining, that they threatened to walk out, but didn’t actually walk out.

I don’t think it really matters. I think it shows that there has been some real progress here, but the process is still very delicate and fragile.

There is a process that can now be a structure for the negotiations. The technical talks continue and there are various mechanisms in this process that if there’s a problem, then they will get to the problem straight away, resolve it without it derailing the whole process.

He mentioned the Strait of Hormuz and Lebanon as particular areas where they are going to focus.

China highlights Iran’s ‘sovereignty, security, and national dignity’

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has met Iran’s Deputy Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ghadir Nezami on the sidelines of a BRICS meeting in New Delhi.

The 14-point US-Iran agreement embodies the “spirit of equality”, adheres to the goals of the UN Charter, and is based on the norms of international relations, the Foreign Ministry quoted Wang as saying.

Implementation of the deal will help consolidate the “hard-won” ceasefire, open new prospects for improved Iran-US relations, and contribute to restoring peace in the Middle East, he added.

“As Iran’s comprehensive strategic partner, China has always maintained a fair and objective stance, supports all efforts conducive to peace, supports Iran in safeguarding its sovereignty, security, and national dignity,” said Wang.

He also praised Tehran’s efforts to improve relations with Gulf nations and other regional states. Nezami, meanwhile, expressed appreciation for Beijing’s political support, according to the Iranian embassy in India.

Iran’s President Pezeshkian to visit Pakistan tomorrow

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will make a one-day visit to Pakistan on Tuesday.

Habib Abbasi, director-general of public relations at the president’s office, said the trip would follow up on prior agreements and explore new areas of bilateral trade cooperation.

Abbasi said Pezeshkian would “express appreciation” for Pakistan’s mediation efforts between Iran and the United States, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.

Qatar PM: ‘The hard work has started’ on Iran-US final deal

Talks in Switzerland were “very important” to lay the foundation for future negotiations between the US and Iran, says Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani.

“Let us remember that the memorandum that’s been signed is to create the right environment and the right framework for the negotiation to take place, and to stop the war and stop the consequences of the war,” he said.

The talks will also impact the “security of the region and the global economy, and that’s been achieved”, Sheikh Mohammed said.

“We came up with the whole framework for the technical teams to continue, and we want to make sure that – given the delicacy of that issue – that the process is institutional and well-established and hopefully resilient to any external factors that can affect it,” he added.

US treasury issues 60-day Iran-related general license for oil sales

The US Treasury Department has issued ⁠a general ⁠license for Iran that authorizes the production, delivery, and sale of crude ⁠oil and petrochemical ⁠and petroleum products of ⁠Iranian-origin through ⁠August ⁠21.

“In line with the ongoing productive talks in Switzerland, Iran has committed to free and open transit in the Strait of Hormuz and to permit International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA] inspectors into their country,” Treasure Secretary Scott Bessent said in a post.

Oil tanker traffic begins slow recovery through Strait of Hormuz

Two crude tankers ⁠with ⁠about two million barrels of oil sailed through ⁠the Strait of Hormuz, ship tracking data ⁠shows, in a sign that traffic is picking up.

Separately, two supertankers – which can carry a maximum of four million barrels of crude – sailed into the ⁠Gulf through the strait ⁠with one showing the Iraqi port of Basra ⁠as its destination, according to tracking data ⁠and analysis from Kpler.

The shipping movement through Hormuz is still a fraction of ‌the average daily crossings of 125 vessels before the US-Israel war on Iran ‌was launched on February 28.

Iran ready to respond to any potential threats: Security official

Ghadir Nezami, Iran’s deputy secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, warns despite ongoing negotiations with the US its military forces remain on alert and ready to address any threats.

The US and Israel have twice attacked Iran over the past year during peace talks, and Iranian officials have repeatedly expressed distrust.

The Iranian embassy in India posted images of Nezami as he met Chinese officials, including Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in New Delhi on Monday.

Lebanon praises Syrian president’s stance on non-intervention

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam held a phone call with Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani over fast-moving developments in the region.

The call follows recent comments by Trump suggesting Syria could step in to confront Hezbollah “if Israel cannot finish the job”.

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa explicitly rejected the prospect of a military incursion in an interview on Sunday, saying Damascus is exclusively pursuing diplomatic, political, and economic avenues to restore regional stability.

Salam commended what he described as the “brotherly and forthright stance” expressed by al-Sharaa, according to a statement from Lebanon’s prime minister’s office.

Switzerland good first step but Lebanon remains key sticking point

The talks in Switzerland can be viewed as both a good first step but also a process with a long way to go, an analyst says.

“The last high-level negotiations that took place in Islamabad broke without any kind of resolution or a real follow-on process. So I think this is positive,” said Ross Harrison, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute.

There seems to be symmetry between the US and Iranian positions and it appears the outlines of the interim deal are being enforced. However, there are three dynamics watch during the talks.

“One is the process itself and that’s positive, the deconfliction dynamics, the IAEA inspectors,” Harrison said. “The other is the strategic piece, and it appears that Iran and the United States both believe they have more to gain on the negotiating table than on the battlefield.”

“The sticky part is going to be the politics – the politics in Israel, the politics in Tehran, and the politics in Washington. And politics can often be a spoiler,” he said.

“The biggest sticking point, however, is going to be the condition of southern Lebanon. It appears Iran can impose its will on Hezbollah, but remains to be seen how far the US will go with Israel, and to what degree the Israelis will listen.”

Netanyahu says troops in Lebanon have ‘full freedom of action’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his directive to the Israeli military has not changed and troops have “no restrictions on this matter”.

“Our fighters in southern Lebanon have full freedom of action to thwart any direct or developing threat to them or to the residents of [northern Israel],” he said in a video statement.

“My stance is firm on our remaining in the security zone in southern Lebanon for as long as is required,” Netanyahu added.

If full freedom of action means any act even those amounting to committing international crimes, then Netanyahu can be accused of inciting the committing of these crimes.

Lebanon ‘ceasefire’ largely holds, but fears persist it may collapse

A “ceasefire” has largely held in Lebanon as it experienced the longest lull yet in three months of war between Hezbollah and Israel, even as fear of renewed hostilities kept displaced people from returning home.

An unnamed Lebanese security official told Reuters that adherence to the ceasefire had been “almost total” since Saturday evening, though the official said ⁠an Israeli tank had fired shells towards a village near southern Tyre city, and Israeli forces fired sound grenades in two other locations on Monday.

An Israeli drone, meanwhile, buzzed over Beirut.

Hassan Wazni, director of a hospital in Nabatieh – a city in the south, heavily bombarded by Israel – said there has been calm since Saturday night.

“I’m monitoring the situation day by day, and most of the time, I’m sleeping ‌in the hospital. This is the longest a ceasefire has held,” he told Reuters by phone.

Rubio to travel to Bahrain, Kuwait and UAE

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to visit Bahrain, Kuwait and the UAE tomorrow.

He will attend a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting in Bahrain, and is set to discuss the MoU and the Strait of Hormuz during his visit.

‘Now this is a real negotiation’

Matthew Bryza, a former US ambassador and negotiator, says the situation looks promising after the Switzerland negotiations, although the Trump administration is “taking a lot of flak from the hawks” in the United States.

“But my take is this is good. The talks are now serious now that you’ve got these technical groups negotiating and you’ve got the oversight coordinating commissions or committees,” he says.

“Now this is a real negotiation.”

Efforts being made on Strait of Hormuz issue

A line of communication has been formed to avoid miscommunication in order to make sure the transiting of vessels could be conducted within the Strait of Hormuz in a safe way.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson was also talking about a sort of progress in the trajectory of talks on this matter.

But we know that starting Saturday, Iran announced the closure of the strait. They’re saying that at this point, ships and vessels should not approach the strait or they will jeopardize their safety and security.

This is just one part of a bigger context in which are are other remaining points of contention.

Iran to continue cooperation with IAEA under established procedures

Iran will continue its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in line with existing procedures, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told IRNA.

The interactions with the IAEA will take place in “accordance with the approvals of the Islamic Consultative Assembly and the decisions of the Supreme National Security Council”, IRNA quoted Baghaei as saying.

US-Iran mechanism to uphold Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire met with ‘scepticism’

Political economist Joseph Daher has expressed “scepticism” about a new US-Iran deconfliction mechanism aimed at preserving the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

“Past experiences have shown that mechanism processes have not been very successful,” Daher said, noting Israeli violations continued under previous agreements.

Israel’s military still occupies more than 600 -square kilometers of south Lebanon, and has made several statements about preventing the return of tens of thousands of displaced people, he said.

According to Daher, the key issue is whether Washington will act decisively. “Will the US impose sufficient pressure on Israel to respect Lebanese sovereignty, withdraw its occupation forces from south Lebanon?”

On the relationship between Hezbollah and Iran, Daher said Tehran has “no interest in seeing a further weakening” of Hezbollah because it would expose “a weakening in socio-political influence in the region”.

How Iran uses its unfrozen assets is going to be a sticking point in negotiations

According to the governor of the Central Bank of Iran, the issue of there being conditions on how Iran uses its frozen assets was a complicated part of the negotiations.

He said it’s going to be the decisions and guidance of the central bank how these frozen assets are going to be spent.

Starting from the initial days of negotiations, we were talking about somewhere between $6 billion and $25 billion of Iranian assets frozen in different international accounts as a result of US sanctions.

In the bigger picture, we know that between $100-120 billion of frozen assets are locked in international accounts.

That’s one of the sticking points, alongside many others, such as war reparations, sanctions and also limitations when it comes to the oil exports.

Iranian negotiators Ghalibaf and Araghchi head to Oman

Iran’s top negotiator, Ghalibaf, and Foreign Minister Araghchi are travelling to Oman to discuss the management of the Strait of Hormuz.

The two are set to discuss consolidating Iranian arrangements for managing the strait and enhancing bilateral coordination, Ghalibaf posted on Telegram.

‘Administration of the Strait of Hormuz would never return to the pre-war situation’: Ghalibaf

On his flight, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf praised the negotiating teams for lifting the blockade through diplomatic means, adding that “the administration of the Strait of Hormuz would never return to the pre-war situation”.

“We were and are distrustful of the Americans, and it is a condition of reason that we will continue to be distrustful in the future,” he said.

“If we had wanted to do this by military means, it would naturally have been a war and would have caused damage; but you saw that the blockade was lifted overnight.”

“The Zionist regime is strongly opposed to the negotiation process because it sees its own destruction in this path and wants to sabotage it,” he added, referring to the government in Israel.

Iran energy crisis will ‘boost’ global electrification: IEA chief

The ⁠Iran-related global ⁠energy crisis will drive electrification, as ⁠countries look to improve domestic ⁠energy security and protect themselves from fossil fuel price shocks, the ‌chief of the International Energy Agency has said.

“Many governments are reviewing their energy strategies, policies, ⁠partnerships and technology ⁠choices, and my expectation is this crisis is ⁠going to give ⁠an additional ⁠boost to electrification,” Fatih Birol said.

With Israel and Hezbollah missing, deconfliction cell’s effectiveness remains to be seen

It’s not clear in how the deconfliction cell is going to work.

It’s going to be the US, Iran, Qatar, Pakistan and Lebanon but the parties which are not mentioned are the ones doing the fighting on the ground: Israel and Hezbollah.

It is basically a communication mechanism so things don’t spiral out of control. The deconfliction room will aim to ensure both sides don’t jump to conclusions, but how they actually feed that information on the ground remains to be seen.

Hezbollah has said it will abide by the ceasefire if Israel does. This is the longest period of calm we’ve had in south Lebanon since the beginning of March.

It is not clear what Hezbollah will do in response to the Israeli occupation.

Iran deal could have been achieved in February: Analyst

The US could have had a deal with Iran months ago without war, Ali Vaez, Iran Project Director with the International Crisis Group said.

“The irony of the situation is that this is a deal that was available to the US on February 26, two days before the US decided to go to war against Iran with Israel.

“And the deal that was on the table in Geneva at that time had a lot of these details already negotiated and so we had to go through this massive tragedy at a huge cost to the global economy, so many lives lost, to get back to where we were before.”

The analyst misses an event.

On February 27th, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have told Trump that Iran was going to attack. The two "envoys" were in contact with Netanyahu while in mediation with Iran led by Oman in Geneva.

In the following month, the Pentagon debunked Kushner's/Witkoff's claim by saying that Iran wasn't preparing before Netanyahu launched the resumption of his preemptive 12-day war on Iran, which he started on June 13, 2025..

Israeli commentators criticizing lack of representation in talks

They have not publicly discussed this and have not announced if they are accepting or rejecting.

But, when we talk about what the Israelis have been saying – the commentators, the journalists – they’re criticizing what they believe is the lack of Israeli presence on this committee.

They say it’s not a new idea, that it was an idea that was already proposed and implemented in Lebanon for a committee to oversee the ceasefire in November 2024. But they’re saying that committee has failed to achieve its goals in terms of monitoring the ceasefire, as well as what they believe is the role of the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah at the time.

So there seems to be pressure, American pressure on Israel.

"... the lack of Israeli presence on this committee."

In 2024, the Israelis were in a similar mechanism. However, they now have chosen to exempt themselves from participating in the whole of the process because it would then entail that the Israelis must withdraw from Lebanon, which they already continue to refuse to do so. They also have repeatedly said that they are not part of the MoU and are not binded to this agreement. So, the Israelis don't have the legitimacy and the right to have a seat in the "new" mechanism.

Trump says Iran ‘will agree’ to weapons inspection as part of deal

“Everybody is fully aware that Iran will agree to have Major Weapons Inspections in order to ensure “Nuclear Honesty” long into the future,” Trump posted on social media.

Increasing death toll in Lebanon from Israeli attacks

Lebanon’s Health Ministry says at least 4,175 people have been killed and 12,164 wounded from Israeli attacks across Lebanon since March 2.

Death toll in Gaza from Israeli attacks rises to 73,035

The death toll from Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 2023 has risen to 73,035, with 173,368 wounded, Wafa is reporting, citing medical sources there.

Israeli attacks across Gaza have killed 1,005 Palestinians since the US-brokered “ceasefire” was agreed in October.

Deal depends on how US defines Iranian compliance

It’s all going to depend on the process and it’s all going to depend on what the US defines as Iranian compliance.

The announcement of the waiver of the sanctions on the export of Iranian oil was made by the treasury secretary. It shows very clearly how this process is designed to go.

In terms of the MoU, the Strait of Hormuz would be opened immediately, the waiver of sanctions would be issued and these will happen simultaneously.

Turkey welcomes US-Iran deal, warns of sabotage attempts: Erdogan to Pezeshkian

Turkey's president has told his Iranian counterpart that Ankara welcomes the US-Iran agreement.

During a phone call, Erdogan told Pezeshkian that is is important to be vigilant against those seeking to sabotage negotiations, adding that he’s ready to provide any support needed to help the process.

Lebanon’s president, Qatar’s PM discuss ceasefire efforts

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has held a joint phone call with Qatar’s PM Sheikh bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and senior US officials.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry says the talks focused on “ongoing political and diplomatic efforts aimed at strengthening adherence to the ceasefire in Lebanon” and building on momentum from the recent US-Iran MoU.

Trump will claim credit for progress in Switzerland despite return to ‘status quo’

The Trump administration is likely to portray the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran, and the latest progress in negotiations in Switzerland, as a major diplomatic success, academic Paul Musgrave said.

“The Trump administration is going to look at every clause in this agreement and the agreement itself, and say that this is due to the negotiating prowess of President Trump and now Vice President Vance,” the associate professor of government at Georgetown University in Qatar says.

However, he argued that an outside observer would see the deal differently.

“In many ways, this is a return to the status quo, except that Iran now has substantial leverage,” he said, noting that key elements such as inspections and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz existed before the war.

Musgrave added that Washington may highlight increased regional support for the MOU and the economic benefits of easing sanctions on Iranian oil exports.

“Allowing Iranian oil onto world markets is going to help American consumers,” he said, though he cautioned that many Americans may view the policy as “at best, a mixed blessing”.

Strait of Hormuz remains closed despite progress

Developments are moving back and forth in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz starting Saturday. Then it said the continuation of the aggressions by the Israelis on the Lebanese territories was the cause behind the closures.

At this point, according to Iranian sources, the strait is said to be completely closed. But we have to keep in mind that the foreign ministry spokesperson came out to say that progress has been made and the two sides are trying to formulate a mechanism in terms of making sure that safe passage of ships and vessels and oil tankers could take place.

Vance calls Switzerland talks productive but warns ‘you can’t trust anybody’s words’

JD Vance has described his time at talks Switzerland as “very productive” but cautioned “you can’t trust anybody’s words”.

“We set up the mechanism to ensure not only the Straits of Hormuz are open, but will stay open,” the vice president said.

He went on to repeat that Iran has allowed weapons and nuclear inspectors “into the country for the first time in a long time”.

Iran’s chief negotiator arrives in Oman

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf has arrived in Muscat for talks on new arrangements for the Strait of Hormuz.

He was welcomed by Omani Foreign Minister, Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, and is set to meet with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said.

He will also be joined by Iran’s FM Araghchi.

Deconfliction plan for Lebanon seen as victory for Iran

Iran is touting the “deconfliction cell” to end military operations in Lebanon as a victory in its talks with the US.

“The fact that today, as a result of the steadfastness and resistance of the negotiating team, the opposing side has been compelled to retreat on the issue of Lebanon and has ceased the killing and massacre of the oppressed people of that country, this is no small achievement,” President Pezeshkian said, according to Iran’s IRNA.

Iran seeing a big benefit financially from talks with the US

The US has said since the start that as talks progress, Iran will see the benefit financially. And they’re seeing a big benefit.

They’ve been able to sell oil before but at hugely discounted rates because the buyers were worried about getting across American sanctions and finding themselves on the wrong end of that.

But now, allowing them to effectively get access to the market, it means they can sell at market value, which means millions more coming in to Iran.

The US has made it clear that as long as the talks keep progressing there are benchmarks that, if they reach, then there will be more sanctions taken away. It will give the Iranians the chance to make more money.

‘I will do what I have to do’ if Iran does not stick to agreement, Trump says

“If Iran doesn’t live up ⁠to their agreement, ⁠or if they’re not behaving, I ⁠will do ⁠what I ⁠have to do,” the US president told reporters.

“As long as they respects us, we are not going to have any trouble.”

Iran’s VP says country has ‘no trust in the enemy’

Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref says the country has “no trust in the enemy”.

“Even in the event of an agreement with the United States, there is no guarantee that hostile actions will stop,” he said, the ISNA news agency reports.

“Therefore, maintaining the country’s readiness and increasing deterrence power through the development of science and technology is a permanent necessity for the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

Trump says any unfrozen Iranian funds will be used to buy food from US

The US president says that any Iranian ⁠money that is unfrozen will be used by Tehran to buy food exclusively from the US.

“All that money’s coming back in the form of ⁠purchases of food, which they desperately need. They have 91 million ⁠people; they can’t feed them,” he told reporters. “So, ⁠the money that we lift is going to go to our farmers.”

Separately, Iran’s central bank governor said Tehran is not obliged to buy agricultural inputs from the US under existing agreements, according to the Tasnim news agency.

Golden opportunity for US and Iran to agree to range of issues

The US and Iran now understand that this is the time not just for nuclear negotiations, but for broader issues, a former Iranian nuclear negotiator says.

“The US and Iran have started direct negotiations at the highest ever level after the revolution in 1979,” said Seyed Hossein Mousavian, a Middle East security and nuclear policy specialist at Princeton University.

And for the first time, this is a negotiation about nuclear and regional issues, he added.

“That’s why in the first round of negotiations, they agreed on opening the Strait of Hormuz, lifting the sea blockade, waiving sanctions on petrochemicals and oil, and the partial lifting of Iranian assets.”

Mousavian said this is a golden opportunity because it comes after 47 years in which the US has attempted every coercive measure – sanctions, maximum pressure, isolation, cyber attacks, military strikes – and all have failed.

“The US and Israel, the two nuclear powers, they attacked Iran twice, and failed to bring regime change in Iran.

“Both Iran and US parties have strong incentives to end decades of hostilities and military confrontation, because the most recent had an enormous cost on the US, Iran, Israel and the region.”

Oman’s foreign minister meets Iran’s Ghalibaf and Araghchi

Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi has met his Iranian counterpart and the speaker of the Iranian parliament to discuss cooperation between the two countries and how to serve their common interests.

“Both sides affirmed the importance of utilizing the current diplomatic moment to support peace efforts, enhance de-escalation and stability, in accordance with the principles of international law and good neighborliness, in a way that bolsters opportunities for de-escalation,” Oman’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

It added that the top officials discussed preserving the region’s security and “the safety of maritime navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and international waterways”.

Trump’s threatening rhetoric not acceptable to Tehran

There is no official response from Iran to the latest comments and new threats from Trump.

These latest remarks from Trump highlight that a lack of trust between both sides still exists, despite the ongoing high-level talks that have been going on in Switzerland.

Iran is verifying what has been signed in that MoU.

At the same time, this type of rhetoric from Trump, especially when it comes to threatening language, is not acceptable to the Iranians.

Talks moving in the right direction

In Washington the idea is that, as they move through the process and, in their words, “certain benchmarks” are met by the Iranians, they will get more access to money that has been frozen; more assets will be released.

But, there are still a lot of discussions to go, but this is a start, and both sides are hoping they can build on this because at least things are moving in the right direction in the early days of these talks.

Oman’s FM reaffirms commitment to ‘toll-free’ passage in Strait of Hormuz

Oman’s foreign minister says he reaffirmed Muscat’s commitment to ensuring toll-free passage through the Strait of Hormuz during discussions with senior Iranian officials.

In a post on X on Monday, Badr Albusaidi said that there have been “constructive discussions on the recent Iran-US MOU, especially the Strait of Hormuz paragraph”.

“We affirmed commitment to international law and toll-free safe passage,” he added.

Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi and Parliamentary Speaker Ghalibaf visited Oman on Monday to discuss cooperation between the two countries.

Last month, Trump threatened to “blow up” Oman following reports that Muscat, alongside Tehran, could charge vessels a fee for transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Israel issues Lebanon attack threats despite ‘ceasefire’

Israel is continuing its threats against Lebanon, despite the “ceasefire“.

“The [Israeli army] will continue to act with determination in order to neutralize threats against our soldiers and our citizens, demolish terrorist infrastructure, and maintain the security zone in southern Lebanon,” the Israeli’s Prime Minister’s office said in a tweet.

Strait of Hormuz is huge win ‘financially and strategically’ for Iran

Henry Ensher, a former US ambassador and deputy assistant secretary of state, says Washington is tacitly allowing Tehran to control the Strait of Hormuz, handing Iran a significant victory, “both financially and strategically”.

“I find it stunning the extent to which Iran has now been seemingly granted control or at least a role in the management of the Strait of Hormuz,” Ensher said.

“There’s nothing in the MoU, and you don’t hear American officials talking about the need to return the strait to its full status as an international waterway, open to all. That seems to be off the table, and it’s all about how the littoral states, mostly Iran, are going to control the strait.”

Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz at the outset of the war in response to US and Israeli attacks on its territory. Since then, Tehran has continued to exert control over the strategically vital waterway, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil and LNG transited before the conflict.