United States Waives 60-Day Iran Oil Sanctions After US-Iran Talks in Switzerland

The United States waived Iran oil sanctions for 60 days as Vice President JD Vance said it created a "foundation" for a successful final deal, with the US and Iran also agreeing to a roadmap toward a final deal within 60 days.

“The United States’ top diplomat is set to travel to the Middle East later this week to discuss regional issues, including the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Iran and the future status of the Strait of Hormuz”

Al Jazeera

DW reported that Trump said, "If Iran doesn't live up to their agreement, I will do what I have to do," while the same coverage tied the move to Iran agreeing to nuclear IAEA inspections and to US-Iran talks on a framework for ending the war.

Al Jazeera

CBS News said negotiators from the U.S. and Iran met at a resort in Switzerland on Sunday as the two countries launched a 60-day sprint to negotiate over the fate of Iran's nuclear program, with more talks on tap Monday.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that the United States issued a temporary 60-day general license authorizing the production, delivery, and sale of Iranian oil, citing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s post on X on June 22.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain from Tuesday, June 23 to Thursday, June 25, with DW and Al Jazeera both tying the trip to the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and efforts to secure safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

DW quoted State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott saying Rubio would discuss "efforts to secure full and free safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz" and shared priorities across the region with Gulf Cooperation Council members.

Apa.az

Al Jazeera said Rubio is due to visit the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain from June 23-25, and it reported that in Bahrain he will meet with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to discuss shared priorities across the region.

Apa.az framed the trip as an opportunity for the Trump administration to sell its preliminary Iran accord directly to Gulf Arab allies, while also citing Gulf officials’ concern about a possible $300 billion reconstruction fund for Tehran and worries that the MoU fails to address Iran's ballistic missile program.

As the US-Iran talks continued in Switzerland, CBS News said a diplomat told CBS News that an emergency session on the fighting in Lebanon was added to the agenda because the conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah endangers the U.S.-Iran ceasefire.

CBS News also reported that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed again, Iran said Saturday, after accusing the U.S. and Israel of violating the memorandum of understanding by Israeli troops not withdrawing from southern Lebanon, while the same reporting described a U.S. senior diplomat claiming mechanisms to keep the strait open and that a ceasefire in southern Lebanon holds.

DW said Vance told reporters that the US is setting up a "de-escalation mechanism" to prevent more fighting between Lebanon and Hezbollah, and it added that Vance said the mechanism would require coordination with the Lebanese Armed Forces and that it would require the Iranians to rein in Hezbollah.

Al Jazeera reported that Kpler said 71 vessels passed through the waterway over the weekend, compared to a daily average of between 100 and 131 before the US and Israel launched their war on Iran in late February, and it noted that the MoU states Iran may not charge transit fees during a 60-day negotiation period.