Iran-US war latest: White House reveals deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz

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Iran-US war latest: White House reveal details of deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz

‘Peace has never been this close as it is now,’ Pakistan’s prime minister says as he claims ‘final text’ of peace deal has been reached

The White House has revealed details of the deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran’s foreign minister said a peace deal with the US “has never been closer”.

A senior administration official has said the peace deal should be signed “in the next few days”, adding it “accomplishes the core objectives that the President of the United States set out for this mission”.

He said: “First, it reopens the straits and lifts the blockade. At number two, it leads to the dismantling of the Iranian nuclear program.”

Swiftly after the Iranian foreign minister’s post, Pakistan’s prime minister said that the “final text” of a peace deal has been reached.

Shehbaz Sharif said in his post on X: “Pakistan is now working closely with both sides to finalise the next steps. Peace has never been this close as it is now.”

Iranian state media earlier claimed that a draft agreement between the US and Iran includes a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war in Lebanon.

Israel expects Trump to uphold country's key interests in Iran deal

Israeli defense minister Israel Katz said in a separate statement that Israel also expects Trump to uphold key Israeli interests, including weakening Iran's missile program and proxy network.

Katz warned that Israel could still act independently toward Iran and that the country would not pull out of the zones it is occupying in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza, nor would it withdraw from the northern refugee camps of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

The deal was largely being brokered by Pakistan, led by its army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, the regional officials said, with backing from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, and Qatar.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain13 June 2026 00:30

Officials say a deal could be signed in the coming days

Three regional officials said the emerging deal is expected to include the phased lifting of sanctions on Iran and the release of frozen Iranian assets.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations.

They said they expect a signing ceremony for the agreement in the coming days after officials in Washington and Tehran approve it.

Trump on Thursday claimed significant progress in the negotiations, just hours after he threatened to escalate attacks and seize Iran’s oil industry.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel is not a party to the deal being negotiated. He said in a statement Friday that he and Trump were in “full agreement” that Iran must not have nuclear weapons.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain12 June 2026 23:30

The oldest elected US president is turning 80, but it’s not Trump’s age that has medical experts worried

Health experts tell Rhian Lubin their concerns over the 79-year-old commander-in-chief run deeper than all those apparent physical ailments that have cropped up in the past year:

resident Donald Trump turns 80 on Sunday, following more than a year of exhibiting visible symptoms typical for an octogenarian, including bruising on his hands, swollen ankles and legs, and appearing to nod off during meetings and high-profile events.

Medical experts warn, though, that it’s not so much these obvious symptoms and his age that Americans should be most concerned about, but the conduct and behavior on display during his second presidency.

“It's not that he's 80, but let's not ignore the red flags on the field,” Dr. Henry Abraham, a Nobel Prize-winning professor of Psychiatry Emeritus at Tufts University School of Medicine, told The Independent. “There are people in their 80s and 90s who have all their marbles.”

As oldest elected US president turns 80, it’s not his age that has experts worried

Health experts tell Rhian Lubin their concerns over the 79-year-old commander-in-chief run deeper than all those apparent physical ailments that have cropped up in the past year

Maryam Zakir-Hussain12 June 2026 22:30

Trump says Obama’s Iran nuclear deal was ‘horrible’ but his is unlikely to be any better

The self-proclaimed master of negotiation insists he can forge a better deal for the US and the world with a rogue nation he claims to have defeated, but, writes Andrew Feinberg, it’s not clear any such thing is possible:

As Donald Trump threatens to escalate attacks on Iran, backs off amid claims that negotiations towards a new deal to end the war are going well, then backtracks on that, there remains a big unanswered question: Can he cut a better Iran nuclear deal than Obama did?

For months, Trump has been simultaneously proclaiming that the war he started against Iran more than 100 days ago is almost at end and boasting that he will end the war with a peace agreement with Tehran that does more to curb the Islamic Republic’s nuclear ambitions than the 2015 nuclear agreement he pulled the U.S. out of during his first term.

Trump says Obama’s Iran nuclear deal was ‘horrible’ but will his be any better?

The self-proclaimed master of negotiation insists he can forge a better deal for the US and the world with a rogue nation he claims to have defeated, but, writes Andrew Feinberg, it’s not clear any such thing is possible

Maryam Zakir-Hussain12 June 2026 21:45

Why targeting Iran’s vital oil hub at Kharg Island carries major risks

Iran's Kharg Island, home to a terminal through which the country exports most of its oil, has emerged as a focus of the war launched in late February by the United States and Israel.

Strikes on oil infrastructure on Kharg — or a ground invasion — would severely curb Iran's oil exports, a key source of revenue for the Islamic Republic. An assault would also mark a major escalation that could provoke even heavier retaliatory attacks on Gulf Arab infrastructure and further drive up oil prices. The skyrocketing cost of fuel is already threatening the world economy.

Why targeting Iran’s vital oil hub at Kharg Island carries major risks

Iran’s Kharg Island is home to a terminal through which the country exports most of its oil

Maryam Zakir-Hussain12 June 2026 21:15

A ceasefire in name only: How war in the Middle East is only getting worse

Ceasefires have been announced, often to great fanfare, in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. So why is there still so much fighting?

In just the last few weeks, Israeli forces have captured more territory in Gaza and killed two top Hamas militants there, as well as more than a dozen other people.

And the fighting in Lebanon showed no sign of letting up. Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed at least 13 people on Wednesday, Lebanese security sources said, while Hezbollah claimed fresh attacks against Israeli forces.

A ceasefire in name only: How war in the Middle East is only getting worse

Ceasefires have been announced, often to great fanfare, in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. But fighting is continuing on all three fronts

Maryam Zakir-Hussain12 June 2026 20:45

Pakistan says US and Iran agree on ‘final’ text of a peace deal

Pakistan’s prime minister said Friday the United States and Iran have agreed to wording of an agreement aimed at ending their war in the Middle East and that mediators were working with both sides to finalise a deal.

Three regional officials said the emerging deal is expected to pave the way for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the phased lifting of sanctions on Iran, and the release of frozen Iranian assets. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations.

A senior US administration official, who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House, said that technical details on how to remove Iran’s enriched uranium, according to the emerging memorandum of understanding, would be worked out during a 60-day period following the two sides signing off on the agreement.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain12 June 2026 20:18

Technical details are still in flux for emerging Iran deal, US official says

A senior US administration official said that a deal with Iran was 80% to 85% done, and the US side believes “most of the people who have authority” in the Iranian government want to sign onto to the deal “but not everybody.”

The official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House, said that technical details on how to about removing Iran’s enriched uranium, according to the emerging memorandum of understanding, would be worked out during a 60-day period following the two sides signing off on the agreement.

The official did not detail who the US envisions taking charge of removing the uranium, which is believed to be entombed under three nuclear sites that were battered by US strikes last year.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain12 June 2026 20:00

Eight times ‘TACO’ Trump backed down from his threats to ‘destroy’ Iran

President Donald Trump walked back his threat to hit Iran “VERY HARD” on Thursday night, claiming an agreement to end the war had been finalised in yet another U-turn.

The US leader has been mocked for adopting a “Taco” stance on several issues, an acronym that stands for Trump Always Chickens Out, in reference to his habit of backing down on strong threats of force.

Writing on Truth Social Thursday afternoon, Trump said: “Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved, I have, as President of the United States of America, canceled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening.”

Maira Butt and Alex Croft report:

Eight times ‘TACO’ Trump backed down from his threats to ‘destroy’ Iran

The US leader has consistently made threats on social media without following through

Maryam Zakir-Hussain12 June 2026 19:30

JD Vance seeks to clear up 'fake information' around Iran deal

The vice president of the United States has said he is “seeing a lot of fake information about a potential deal to reopen the Strait and end Iran's nuclear weapons program”.

In a post on X, he wrote: “The deal is structured to ensure that the US and its allies concerns are prioritized, and that if the Islamic Republic of Iran meets its obligations, then economic benefits will flow to them and to the entire region. This deal has the potential to remake the region and lead to lasting peace.”

Maryam Zakir-Hussain12 June 2026 19:10