June 18, 2026 - US and Iran sign initial agreement

Our live coverage has moved Get the latest on the Iran war here. Read more All Catch Up 71 Posts Link Copied! Thursday's key developments • US-Iran agreement: Iran’s supreme leader said he authorized the signing of the agreement , despite holding a “different view.” The US and Iran have been working on laying out secret proposals for implementing the agreement, according to multiple sources. • US-Iran talks: Teams have a 60-day period to finalize a deal to end the war. Vice President JD Vance is no longer traveling to Switzerland for negotiations, according to the White House, which said plans for the talks had not been finalized. • Tension with Israel: Vance criticized the Israeli offensive in Lebanon , saying it got in the way of negotiations. In response to reports of Israeli displeasure with the agreement, he said, “If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world.” Read more Link Copied! Iran has plan to retaliate if US violates agreement, its National Security Council says By Lex Harvey Iran’s National Security Council said it has a plan for a “reciprocal response” if the US violates the peace agreement, according to a new statement reported by Iranian state media. The National Security Council will “not rest until the full rights of the Iranian nation have been restored,” said the statement reported by IRIB news. The statement further warned that “should any deviation or violation occur on the part of the United States, a reciprocal response will be carried out in accordance with a predetermined plan.” Read more Link Copied! Vance no longer traveling to Switzerland tonight, White House says By Alejandra Jaramillo Vice President JD Vance takes a question from a reporter during a news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on Thursday in Washington, DC. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images Vice President JD Vance is no longer traveling to Switzerland tonight as previously planned for talks with Iran, a White House spokesperson said, citing unresolved logistics surrounding the next phase of negotiations. “As the Vice President said at his press conference, the plans for the upcoming technical talks have not been finalized, and the U.S. delegation has been prepared to depart at the first available opportunity. But the logistics of these negotiations have never been simple or predictable,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “As of now the Vice President is not departing tonight. We will let you know as soon as we have a concrete update about next steps. We look forward to beginning technical talks as soon as possible,” the spokesperson added. Earlier Thursday, the vice president said he intended to travel to Switzerland, though he acknowledged the timing remained uncertain. Vance added that technical negotiations aimed at finalizing the agreement were expected to begin this weekend and said he was “certainly planning” to lead the US negotiating team. This post has been updated to clarify that Vance had planned to travel to Switzerland for technical talks. Read more Link Copied! Trump suggests Iran agreement is "unconditional surrender" By Alejandra Jaramillo President Donald Trump arrives for a Medal of Honor Ceremony in the East Room of the White House on Thursday in Washington, DC. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images President Donald Trump suggested the memorandum of understanding reached with Iran amounts to “unconditional surrender” and that the conflict demonstrated the breadth of his presidential powers. “We have the most powerful military in the world, by far,” Trump told Axios’ Marc Caputo in an interview clip released Thursday. Caputo then told the president that “at the beginning of the conflict, you had talked about you only wanted unconditional surrender and the MOU doesn’t look like unconditional surrender.” “Well, it really probably is unconditional surrender,” Trump replied. “It is?” Caputo pressed, before Trump responded: “I think so.” The comments come after the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding that begins a 60-day negotiating period toward a final agreement aimed at ending the war. CNN reported that as key Republicans on Capitol Hill first learned the details of Trump’s agreement with Iran, some were so stunned that they wouldn’t speak about it. But now, a significant bloc of GOP senators has begun to openly doubt the terms of Trump’s Iran negotiations — with many urging him to pivot his strategy entirely. Some, mostly those unburdened by reelection campaigns, are full-on hammering Trump’s agreement, with outgoing Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy summing it up as: “Iran’s left stronger, we are left weaker.” In the Axios interview, set to release on Friday, Trump was asked what he had learned about the exercise of power and the limits on his power as a result of the conflict. “There are no limits,” he said. “No, none. I haven’t learned that lesson yet. I know there are, but you know there are no limits. We defeated them totally militarily,” Trump insisted. Read more Link Copied! Hear Vance's stern message to Israeli officials who criticized Trump By CNN staff US Vice President JD Vance had strong words for members of the Israeli government who have criticized President Donald Trump over the US-Iran agreement. “If I was in the Cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world,” Vance said. If you missed it, here’s that moment from today’s briefing: Video Ad Feedback Vance issues stern message to Israeli officials who attacked Trump During a press briefing at the White House, Vice President JD Vance criticized Israeli operations in Lebanon, saying they’ve sometimes gotten in the way of negotiations. He also criticized members of the Israeli government for attacking President Trump over the US-Iran agreement. 1:26 • Source: CNN Vance issues stern message to Israeli officials who attacked Trump 1:26 Read more Link Copied! The US expects a "complete ceasefire" following initial agreement with Iran. Catch up here By Tori B. Powell Lebanese residents return to their destroyed homes following the agreement reached between the US and Iran in Nabatieh, Lebanon, on Monday. Houssam Shbaro/Anadolu/Getty Images President Donald Trump said Thursday the United States expects a “complete ceasefire on all fronts” as he called on “everyone in the Middle East” to uphold their commitments. The US and Iran signed an initial agreement , kicking off a 60-day period of negotiations on a final deal to end the war. Catch up on the latest: More on the ceasefire: The text of the memorandum of understanding calls for “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.” But Israel has once again vowed that it will not withdraw from Lebanon. Word out of Iran: Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, confirmed he authorized an agreement with the US, despite holding a different view on the deal. Khamenei said Trump had “out of desperation, resorted to various forms of pressure and leverage to bring about this outcome,” according to a text message read on Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB on Thursday evening. The latest on the strait: Iran’s Persian Gulf Waterway Management Authority (PGSA) will manage traffic through the Strait of Hormuz following the US-Iran agreement, the country’s Supreme National Security Council announced today. The maritime security threat level in the strategic waterway was also downgraded to “moderate” by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) following the US-Iran agreement to reopen it. Video Ad Feedback 'We trust President Trump': Israel's UN Ambassador reacts to Iran MOU 9:35 • Source: CNN 'We trust President Trump': Israel's UN Ambassador reacts to Iran MOU 9:35 And here’s how more have reacted to the US-Iran agreement: Some Republican lawmakers lit into the Trump administration’s memorandum of understanding with Iran today, especially over the billions of dollars that could be paid to Iran as part of a permanent truce. US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the agreement a “fiasco,” pointing to Senate GOP concerns with the memorandum and arguing Trump “gave away the store.” Meanwhile, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon said his country trusts Trump to negotiate a peace deal with Iran, as Israel is continuing strikes in Lebanon and potentially throwing uncertainty into diplomatic efforts. Aida Karimi, Alejandra Jaramillo, Mitchell McCluskey, Elise Hammond, Lauren Fox, Morgan Rimmer, Manu Raju, Ellis Kim, Adam Cancryn and Caitlin Danaher contributed reporting. Read more Link Copied! Iran's top negotiator warns US not to make excessive demands or face "crushing response" By Caitlin Danaher Iran’s parliament speaker and key negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has warned the United States that any breach of the agreement or excessive demands will be met with a “crushing response” as both sides work to negotiate a permanent truce over the next 60 days. “In the event of bad faith, breach of contract, and excessive demands by the opposing side, we have no hesitation in delivering a crushing response to the enemy,” Ghalibaf said in a post on X. “They were once slapped during the war; if they wish to tread that path again, they will receive an even harder slap,” he added. The Iranian official noted that his team of negotiators are seeking to “pursue the realization of the conditions and clauses of the agreement,” at the behest of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei. Earlier, Khamenei confirmed he authorized an agreement with the US, and claimed US President Donald Trump resorted to various forms of pressure and leverage “out of desperation” to secure the initial deal. Read more Link Copied! Thune calls Iran agreement "a step in the right direction" after White House briefing By Morgan Rimmer Senate Majority Leader John Thune speaks to reporters during a press conference, following the Republicans' weekly policy lunch, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on June 9. Annabelle Gordon/Reuters/File Senate Majority Leader John Thune called the US agreement with Iran “a step in the right direction,” though he acknowledged there will “continue to be a contentious conversation” over a final deal, after top congressional leaders were briefed by the White House. “There’s obviously more to come, and this … sort of sets the stage, if you will, for a negotiation. Hopefully, ultimately it leads to an end to Iran’s nuclear program,” he told CNN. Asked whether the briefing had assuaged any concerns he had with the financial incentives for Iran included in the initial agreement, Thune replied, “I think the, all of those financial incentives, perhaps with the exception of the toll on the blockade, those are all going to be contingent upon or conditioned upon things that happen later that the Iranians have to do.” “So I think this is – like I said, I view this as a first step in what will probably be somewhat long and continue to be a contentious conversation about what a final deal looks like, but I think it’s a, obviously it’s a step in the right direction, it opens up the strait and gets the shipping lanes open, and I think that’s a good, a good outcome for the economy,” he continued. Read more Link Copied! Security threat level in Strait of Hormuz reduced to "moderate," UKMTO says By Caitlin Danaher Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, on Thursday. Stringer/Reuters The maritime security threat level in the Strait of Hormuz has been downgraded to ‘moderate’ by the the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) following the announced agreement between the United States and Iran to reopen the strategic waterway. The threat level in the crucial maritime corridor had previously been declared “critical” due to ongoing regional military operations, according to the UKMTO, a British organization run by the Royal Navy that provides maritime security information. “Mariners should be advised of the existence of mines and expect naval presence as clearance operations continue,” the maritime organization said in an advisory note on Thursday. The organization also warned of expected congestion through transit routes, with naval