After the signing of the agreement ending the war between the United States and Iran and Israeli strikes on Lebanon, Israel concluded a ceasefire with Hezbollah this Friday. The Trump administration has raised its voice against the Jewish state, whose offensive endangers future negotiations.
The essentials
- ​​Is the war in Iran coming to an end? The United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday June 17 that “immediately” ends conflicts throughout the Middle East. And this Friday, June 19, Israel and Hezbollah concluded a ceasefire only a few hours after a series of Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon, according to an American official. However, the Israeli government has repeated its desire to annihilate Hezbollah and avenge the loss of Israeli soldiers. But the American president and vice-president have also raised their voice against their historic ally, but hindering the success of the agreement with Iran.
- Warnings on the resumption of fighting were formulated by Iran and the United States. The Iranian National Security Council has announced plans for retaliation in the event of violation of the agreement by the United States or excessive American demands. Donald Trump also threatened to “drop bombs” if Iran “does not behave well” during the negotiations.
- Negotiations must continue in order to find a final agreement within 60 days, i.e. mid-August. They were to begin this Friday, June 19 in Switzerland, but have been postponed to an unknown date. Tehran and Washington are working to develop secret proposals for the implementation of the 14 points of the memorandum of understanding, including the end of the Iranian nuclear program, the limitation of Iranian ballistic capabilities, the securing of the Strait of Hormuz and the conditions for the lifting of sanctions against Iran.
- The Strait of Hormuzreopened after the signing of the memorandum of understanding, but the resumption of traffic must take place gradually. The American blockade on the Iranian gates has also been lifted. Iran’s Persian Gulf Waterways Management Authority will manage traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and will not charge any rights of passage for 60 days, the Iranian regime said. Donald Trump maintains that no tolls will be put in place.
And directly
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22:09 – “Israel remains firmly committed to an immediate ceasefire,” but..
END OF LIVE – On X, this Friday evening, the Israeli ambassador to the United States affirmed that his country was ready to commit to an immediate ceasefire on one condition, however. “Israel remains firmly committed to an immediate ceasefire […] If Hezbollah honors the agreement and ceases its hostilities, it will be greeted with calm,” Yechiel Leiter wrote on the social network.
Israel remains firmly committed to an immediate ceasefire. At 11:30 this morning, Israel halted all offensive operations; Hezbollah and Iranian claims to the contrary are bold lies.
If Hezbollah honors the agreement and ceases its hostilities, they will be met with quiet.
—Ambassador Yechiel (Michael) Leiter (@yechielleiter) June 19, 2026
20:07 – A “global ceasefire” necessary for the next discussions between Israel and Lebanon
The US State Department announced Friday that the next talks between Israel and Lebanon will be held next week, June 23-25 in Washington. However, during a telephone conversation on Friday between the American Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and the President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, the latter insisted on the fact that a “comprehensive ceasefire” constituted a “fundamental basis” for moving forward in negotiations with the state Hebrew, while strikes are still taking place.
17:15 – “No urgency” before a new meeting with the United States, according to Iran
The spokesperson for the Iranian government, Esmaeil Baghaei, said there was “no urgency” to meet representatives of the United States. “Given that the signing of the text took place electronically on June 18, there is no urgency to hold the said meeting in Switzerland,” declared Esmaeil Baghaei. The Iranian nevertheless indicated that a meeting should be held “in the coming days”.
16:35 – The United States assured Iran that Israel would not intensify strikes in Lebanon
The 60-day negotiations between the United States and Iran which were to begin this Friday were postponed and Iran demanded guarantees on an end to the clashes between Israel and Lebanon – especially Israeli strikes – before the discussions resume. A request made while Israel carried out deadly strikes in Lebanon this Friday morning after the death of four Israeli soldiers in Lebanon. The United States “transmitted” to Iran the information according to which Israel would not further intensify its attacks in Lebanon and that it “was now up to Hezbollah” to put an end to the clashes, reports CNN. It is unclear how the Trump administration transmitted the information to the Iranians and whether this will be enough to reschedule the planned technical discussions.
16:24 – The death toll from the latest Israeli strikes in Lebanon rises to 47 dead
Israeli strikes carried out during the night from Thursday to Friday left 47 dead according to the new report from the Lebanese Ministry of Health. This morning, the same source counted 18 dead or around thirty injured.
15:43 – Israel and Hezbollah agree on a ceasefire
Israel and Hezbollah have agreed on a cease-fire, an American official announced this Friday, after a series of Israeli strikes in Lebanon which jeopardized the new agreement between the United States and Iran. The truce, supposedly to come into force this Friday afternoon, was negotiated by the American, Qatari and Iranian mediators, declared the official to AFP on condition of anonymity. However, an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson refused to acknowledge a ceasefire during a press briefing Friday afternoon.
15:07 – Iran sets its rules for the use of the Strait of Hormuz
After the signing of the agreement between Iran and the United States, traffic began to be restored in the Strait of Hormuz which must be completely opened within 30 days. This Friday, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) created by Iran to manage the seaway declared that during the 60 days of negotiations “tariffs relating to security, safety and environmental services, as well as Iranian assurances related, will not be collected from the shipowners and will be taken care of by the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran”, implying that they will have passed this deadline. But Donald Trump assures that the Strait of Hormuz will be accessible “without toll for 60 days and thereafter.”
The PGSA has also specified instructions that ships must respect in order to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Among them, registering and obtaining a permit and insurance to use the sea route and presenting the documents 48 hours before arriving in the area.
13:05 – Netanyahu promises to make Hezbollah “pay a very heavy price”
Israeli Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will make Hezbollah “pay a very heavy price” after the recent attacks which left four dead and several injured within the Israeli army present in southern Lebanon. “My directive is clear: Israel will not tolerate “attacks against our soldiers or against our territory, and he will make Hezbollah pay a very heavy price for these attacks,” he wrote on
12:44 – Trump and Vance restore balance of power with Israel
The American president and vice-president had words for Israel on the night of Thursday to Friday. Donald Trump, speaking to Axios, claimed to have “good” relations with the Israeli Prime Minister, but re-established a balance of power between them: “Bibi Netanyahu and I worked well. But he will tell you: it’s us who have the weapons, it’s us who hold the reins. It’s us who have the B-2 bombers, etc. Without Donald Trump, Israel would have been annihilated,” he said, speaking of himself in the third person. He added that the United States owed the Israeli leader “to keep his head on his shoulders” in particular to reason with him and prevent him from continuing the offensive in Lebanon. On this subject, Donald Trump assured that Israel “will[a] what[‘il] told them.”
Vice-President JD Vance’s speech was more virulent. “If I were a member of the Israeli government, I would perhaps not attack the only powerful ally I have left in the world,” he declared in a warning tone to warn the Jewish state.
12:10 – Iran demands guarantees on an end to fighting before resuming negotiations
Before the resumption of talks with the United States, Iran asked for guarantees on the end of the clashes in Lebanon, a diplomat familiar with the matter told CNN: “The Iranians asked for guarantees on the end of hostilities in Lebanon, as provided for in the signed agreement.” This source added that “mediators are currently working to resolve the problem.”
11:31 – Iran evokes a “response” in the event of non-compliance with the red lines set by the regime
Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stresses the need to respect the “red lines” set by Iran in future talks with the United States. “As we have demonstrated throughout previous negotiations, we remain firm in respecting the conditions and the lines established red lines, and in defense of the interests of the Iranian nation,” he declared in his remarks reported by the Irna agency. And added: “If the enemy proves excessive” in its demands, “we have proven that we are ready to retaliate and that we will not hesitate to inflict a scathing response.”
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Learn more
The start of the war in Iran, launched by the United States and Israel
On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched a joint military strike operation on Iran. On the Israeli side, the operation is called “Roaring Lion”, on the American side “Epic Fury”. The objectives range from the overthrow of the regime to the weakening of the Iranian nuclear program, including the destruction of the military capabilities of the Islamic Republic, judged as a threat, in particular by Israel.
In addition to targeting the Iranian arsenal, the Israeli-American coalition will lead a campaign to eliminate Iranian leaders. A significant number of political figures from the regime were killed in the first hours of the conflict, including the supreme guide Ali Khamenei. His son Mojtaba Khamenei, who took over on March 8, 2026, was also targeted and his state of health will quickly become the subject of speculation.
Iran’s response and the contagion in Lebanon and the Middle East
From February 28, 2026, Iran responded to strikes by the United States and Israel, by launching hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles towards Israel and towards American military bases in the Gulf, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
On the night of March 1 to 2, in response to the death of Ali Khamenei, Hezbollah, an ally of Iran, launched salvos of rockets and drones from Lebanon towards northern Israel. The Israeli army called this offensive an “official declaration of war” and launched a vast bombing campaign in Lebanon.
On March 2, 2026, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, instantly blocking numerous cargo and oil ships, and suspending a significant portion of global oil traffic. The International Energy Agency called the shutdown “the largest supply disruption in history.”
Signing of an agreement between Iran and the United States
After numerous exchanges between Iran and the United States carried out by Pakistani and Qatari mediators, the two countries concluded and signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday June 18, 2026. The text provides for the end of the clashes, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s renunciation of nuclear weapon, but the details of its commitments must be discussed in a new 60-day negotiating session. The text – signed by Donald Trump in Versailles – also provides for the release of a fund of 300 billion dollars for the development of Iran and a lifting of sanctions, on the sole condition that all Iranian commitments are respected according to American officials to CNN.
On Wednesday June 17, Bloomberg published a document that it presents as the contents of the 14-point agreement concluded between Iran and the United States to end the war and hold new negotiations. Neither country confirmed that it was accurate and up-to-date content of the text. Here is the content reported and translated into French:
- The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States, as well as their allies in the current conflict, declare that, effective upon the signing of this Memorandum of Understanding, the war ends immediately and definitively on all fronts, including in Lebanon. They now undertake not to take any hostile action against each other and to refrain from any threat or use of force. The final agreement will confirm the provisions of this article as well as those of the other articles.
- The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States undertake to mutually respect their sovereignty and territorial integrity and not to interfere in their respective internal affairs.
- The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States undertake to negotiate and conclude a final agreement within a maximum period of sixty daysextendable by mutual agreement.
- Upon signing this memorandum of understanding, the United States will lift the naval blockade, prevent any hindrance or obstruction against the Islamic Republic of Iran and restore, within a maximum period of thirty days, maritime traffic to its normal level. Ship traffic must be proportional to the volume observed before the war on the Iranian side. The United States also undertakes to withdraw its forces from surrounding areas within thirty days of the conclusion of the final agreement.
- Upon signing this memorandum of understanding, the Islamic Republic of Iran will immediately take the necessary measures to ensure, within thirty days, the resumption of merchant ship traffic between the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman to its pre-war level, taking into account the need to eliminate technical obstacles and neutralize mines.
- The United States, with its regional partners, is committed to developing a comprehensive plan, agreed by both parties, for the reconstruction and economic development of the Islamic Republic of Iran, with guaranteed financing of at least $300 billion. The terms of implementation of this plan, as part of the final agreement, will be defined within sixty days.
- The United States commits to ending, according to a timetable to be agreed in the final agreement, all types of sanctions currently targeting the Islamic Republic of Iran, including resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, those of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as well as all unilateral sanctions American, primary and secondary.
- The Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms that it will never produce nuclear weapons. Iran and the United States agree that the fate of enriched materials and all other mutually agreed nuclear issues, including Iran’s nuclear needs, will be adequately addressed in the final agreement. This will confirm the provisions of this article.
- Iran and the United States agree that, pending a final agreement, the status quo will be maintained: Iran will keep its nuclear program in its current state, while the United States will not impose new sanctions or strengthen its forces in the region.
- The United States undertakes that, upon the signing of this Memorandum of Understanding and until the sanctions are lifted, the United States Department of the Treasury will grant waivers authorizing exports of Iranian crude oil, petrochemical products and their derivatives, as well as all related services, including banking, insurance and transportation.
- The United States undertakes, as negotiations progress towards a final agreement, to unlock and make fully available frozen or restricted Iranian funds and assets. These funds, whether held in a master account or transferred, may be used for any final payment determined by the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran and will be fully available. The United States undertakes to issue all authorizations and licenses necessary for this purpose.
- Iran and the United States agree to establish an implementation mechanism responsible for overseeing the effective implementation of the final agreement and future compliance with its commitments.
- After the signing of this Memorandum of Understanding, and upon receipt of guarantees regarding the initiation of the implementation of Articles 4, 5, 10 and 11, as well as their continued implementation, Iran and the United States will enter into negotiations on the final agreement only for the remaining articles.
- The final agreement will be approved by a binding resolution of the United Nations Security Council.
