On Sunday, US President Donald Trump announced that Washington and Tehran had signed a memorandum of understanding to extend their ongoing ceasefire by 60 days and open the Strait of Hormuz, while holding negotiations on a long-term resolution to the conflict over Iran\u2019s nuclear program.<\/p>\n
The MOU, already signed digitally, is set to be formally signed in Switzerland on Friday.<\/p>\n
That same day, Iran and the US will start a new round of negotiations to reach a final agreement, Iran\u2019s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said.<\/p>\n
According to Axios, Trump aides Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will attend the meetings alongside Vance, as will Araghchi and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammed Ghaber Ghalibaf.<\/p>\n
Announcing the talks, Araghchi warned that any Israeli attack on Lebanon or continued presence in Lebanese territory would constitute a violation of the interim agreement with the United States.<\/p>\n
Israeli troops are currently stationed deep within southern Lebanon, and the Israeli military has struck targets throughout the country, ever since the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group<\/a> attacked Israel on March 2 in support of Tehran.<\/p>\n Araghchi said Tuesday: \u201cIn our view, the two parties to this memorandum are the US and Israel on one side, and Iran and Hezbollah on the other.\u201d<\/p>\n \t During a press conference<\/a> on Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that Israel is not a party to the memorandum of understanding and does not yet know the full details of the agreement.<\/p>\n Opposition figures in Israel \u2014 as well as some ministers in Netanyahu\u2019s own government \u2014 have lambasted the premier<\/a> over the US deal, calling it a diplomatic failure and a danger to Israel\u2019s security, in part because of concerns it will hamper Israel\u2019s efforts in Lebanon.<\/p>\n In his press conference, Netanyahu declined to say whether Trump would seek to prevent Israel from striking Iran alone or acting independently against Hezbollah, but said Israeli troops would remain in the buffer zone in southern Lebanon \u201cfor as long as necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIran wanted us to withdraw from there. That did not happen. Do you know why it did not happen? Among other reasons, because I stood very, very firm. I was very, very resolute on this matter. And I think our American friends respect that resoluteness and that firm stance,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Asked about Trump\u2019s harsh public criticism<\/a> of Netanyahu in recent days, Vance said Monday that \u201cIsrael is often a good partner, we also have aligned interests, but also sometimes we\u2019re going to disagree on issues.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that \u201cthat\u2019s totally reasonable, even our closest allies, from the United Kingdom to Israel, we sometimes have disagreements.\u201d<\/p>\n \t Vance said Monday that Trump may choose to release the agreement before Friday, but said holding off for now was a matter of \u201crespecting the diplomatic sensibilities.\u201d<\/p>\n An administration official, briefing reporters on Monday, had said the text would likely be released in the next 24 to 48 hours.<\/p>\n Amid confusion over what is actually in the MOU, The Wall Street Journal<\/a> reported on Monday that some of Trump\u2019s own senior aides were surprised by his announcement it had been signed.<\/p>\n Trump inked the deal Sunday while speaking to journalists, allies and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone, and as he prepared to attend the cage fights being held on the White House lawn in honor of his 80th birthday that day, according to the report.<\/p>\n Trump: Iran agreed never to have a nuclear weapon<\/p>\n In a social media post overnight Monday-Tuesday, Trump declared that \u201cIran has agreed to never have a Nuclear Weapon!\u201d in an apparent reference to the MOU.<\/p>\n Iran has long insisted it does not seek a nuclear weapon, and made such a commitment in the 2015 deal that Trump vilified and withdrew from in 2018.<\/p>\n Both of Trump\u2019s administrations, along with Israel, have refused thus far to take Tehran at its word, something the US president seemed to indicate he was now prepared to do.<\/p>\n \t Trump also wrote in his Truth Social post that \u201cthe story that the US is paying Iran 300 million Dollars is Fake News, put out\u201d by Democratic operatives \u2014 an apparent reference to several reports discussing a $300 billion fund for Iran\u2019s reconstruction.<\/p>\n Hours earlier, one of his top aides said the US had discussed with Iran \u201cthe possibility of releasing frozen funds, sanctions relief and a big $300 billion fund to rebuild their country,\u201d which would be tied to concessions in subsequent nuclear talks.<\/p>\n A Financial Times<\/a> report, citing a source briefed on the talks, said the Trump administration is indeed considering a $300 billion fund, which would be created for companies keen to invest in the country, and would not come from governments.<\/p>\n Separately, Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Monday that under the agreement with the US, Tehran will receive $24 billion in frozen funds. But Vance said in interviews that the figure \u201cdoesn\u2019t appear anywhere in any of the texts that we\u2019ve talked about with the Iranians.\u201d<\/p>\n CIA chief said to warn Iran won\u2019t concede on nukes<\/p>\n Before the MOU was signed, senior US officials reportedly warned Trump that, according to intelligence, Iran was not willing to make the nuclear concessions Washington has demanded.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AP26134416649642-e1780719561827-640x400.jpg\")
<\/a>
\n\t\tIranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrives for a meeting during the two-day BRICS summit in New Delhi, India, on May 14, 2026. (AP Photo\/Manish Swarup)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/F260615OFPOOL03-640x400.jpg\")
<\/a>
\n\t\tPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a press conference at the Prime Minister\u2019s Office in Jerusalem, June 15, 2026. (Olivier Fitoussi\/POOL)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AP26163641990740-640x400.jpg\")
<\/a>
\n\t\tA woman walks through a room displaying, at left, photographs of slain Iranian nuclear scientists and military commanders at the former US Embassy, now an anti-American museum, in Tehran, Iran, on June 12, 2026. (AP Photo\/Vahid Salemi)<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AP26096638190655-640x400.jpg\")
<\/a>