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Drones, ceasefire dispute
Iranian drones struck Bahrain on Saturday, after Bahrain said the attack followed U.S. strikes on Iran, and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed the drones targeted a "U.S. terrorist army".
“Donald Trump: Iran will not have a nuclear weapon”
President Trump on Friday called Iran's attack a "foolish violation" of the ceasefire, as Tehran and Washington remained at odds on control of the strait and how Iran will spend its unfrozen funds.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the framework of a deal Friday between Lebanon and Israel, but Hezbollah rejected it on Saturday, calling it a "disgrace" and promising to keep fighting Israeli forces.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that Israel reached "a historic achievement" that allows Israel's right to maintain a security zone inside Lebanon, as long as it is required for security.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a video statement Saturday evening that the trilateral agreement's basic condition is that there will be no redeployment by Israel in southern Lebanon "as long as" Hezbollah is not disarmed throughout Lebanon.
Rubio deal and nuclear access
The U.S. and Iran's interim peace agreement gives inspectors from the U.N. nuclear watchdog access to the Islamic Republic's nuclear sites, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi told a news conference in Japan on Friday, "What is undeniable is that we have an MOU," and said, "In order to supervise, we need to inspect."
The memorandum also says both sides agreed to reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz toll-free for at least 60 days and to end all hostilities, including in Lebanon, where fighting has persisted between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.
In Washington, Republicans on Capitol Hill criticized the emerging Iran deal’s details, including a proposed $300 billion reconstruction and economic development fund for Iran and the lifting of U.S. sanctions.
Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., told MS NOW, "I wouldn’t lift anything until they do what they’re supposed to do," arguing that unfreezing formerly frozen funds again does not come from a position of strength.
Economic lifeline, political backlash
A preliminary peace agreement between the United States and Iran hands Iran’s leadership an economic lifeline through sanctions waivers that allow Iran to sell oil in U.S. dollars and commitments to unfreeze Iranian assets.
The Washington Post reported that over the course of the 60-day negotiation period laid out in the agreement, Iran’s total economic gain could be around $30 billion, including from oil sales and unfrozen assets, according to Esfandyar Batmanghelidj.
The same report said the deal proposes a $300 billion investment fund for the "reconstruction economic development" of Iran backed by the Persian Gulf monarchies, with the fund’s "mechanism for implementation" decided over the 60-day talks.
In Israel, the Jerusalem Post framed the political stakes around whether Israel must put its own interests first, citing concerns about what the agreement will mean for Iran’s nuclear program and its sponsorship of Hezbollah and Hamas.
In a June 17 statement on the Senate floor, Chris Murphy of Connecticut said, "I knew the deal was likely going to be humiliating for the United States of America," and added that he did not know it would be "this humiliating" or "this bad."
