Iran issues new warning over ceasefire as G7 leaders meet Trump

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Iran-US war latest: Tehran issues stark new warning over fragile ceasefire as G7 leaders meet Trump in France

A White House official said Trump’s Iran deal does not include Israel’s conditional withdrawal from Lebanon amid its conflict with Hezbollah

Iran on Tuesday issued a stark new warning to the United States over the fragile ceasefire agreement as G7 leaders met with Donald Trump in France to discuss next steps.

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said that any Israeli attack or occupation of territory in Lebanon going forward would be a breach of the agreed terms, after Israel indicated on Monday it had no plans to withdraw.

“In our view, the two parties to this memorandum are the US and Israel on one side, and Iran and Hezbollah on the other,” he said, despite Israel’s exclusion from the talks that culminated in a provisional agreement this week.

With the agreement already under strain ahead of an official signing ceremony on Friday, Trump was in France on Tuesday to speak with allies about how to end the crisis and ensure stability in the Middle East.

Later in the day, they will be joined by other leaders to hold a working session on ‘forging new partnerships and rebuilding international solidarity’.

Trump in France for meetings with G7 leaders

Donald Trump was in France on Tuesday for the second day of the G7 summit, where world leaders were expected to discuss security for Ukraine and Europe, and ending the Middle East crisis.

The group - which includes the leaders of the US, France, Britain, Italy, Germany, Canada and Japan - will hold a working lunch on ‘ending crises and ensuring stability in the Middle East’ with representatives from Egypt, the UAE and Qatar.

Later in the day, they will be joined by other leaders to hold a working session on ‘forging new partnerships and rebuilding international solidarity’.

James Reynolds16 June 2026 10:30

Witkoff and Kushner could fly to Moscow after Iran 'deal' signing, says Kremlin

The Kremlin says in a statement that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner could fly to Moscow once done with preparations for the Iran deal signing, expected this Friday.

Talks on ending the Ukraine war have been on hold since the US started the conflict with Iran in February.

James Reynolds16 June 2026 10:28

Ending war in Lebanon 'most important issue' says Araghchi

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said an end to the war in Lebanon was the ‘most important issue’ in the deal with the United States.

“This is perhaps the most important issue in the memorandum - the declaration of an immediate and permanent end to the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” he said.

Israeli officials have argued that Israel is not bound by the agreement as they were not involved in the talks. But Araghchi said in Tehran’s view, the two parties to the memo are the US and Israel on one side, and Iran and Hezbollah on the other.

“Without the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territories they occupied during this war, the war has not fully come to an end,” he said, adding that further Israeli attacks on Lebanon would be considered a “violation” of the memorandum of understanding.

James Reynolds16 June 2026 10:11

Despite framework deal, obstacles to peace remain

Donald Trump announced a framework deal to end the war with Iran on Sunday, potentially ending weeks of drawn-out speculation.

The focal text is yet to be published, with JD Vance suggesting on Monday a version could be seen this week. But even without a deal to consider, obstacles were already starting to emerge.

1. Iran and the US have notably only agreed on a memorandum of understanding which would pave the way for more talks on sensitive issues like Iran’s nuclear programme and sanctions relief. Those issues have proven thorny for years; under the current arrangement, the US and Iran would have just 60 days to reach consensus.

2. Iran and mediator Pakistan said that the US and Iran had agreed to end the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon where Israel’s military continues to operate. But Israel, not a party to the talks, insisted on Monday it would continue operating in the south. At least one person was reported to have been killed.

3. The preliminary agreement aims to end all fighting in the region and lift the dual US/Iranian blockades around the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said this could begin on Friday, but analysts say it could take weeks to return to normal traffic volumes. Trump has acknowledged there are still mines to clear, and shipping leaders say they will not rush into action ‘given the experiences in the last couple of months’.

4. While Donald Trump insisted the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened ‘toll free’, Iranian state media reported that traffic would henceforth be regulated by Iran and Oman. Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday it could charge ‘maritime fees’ for passage through the Strait.

James Reynolds16 June 2026 10:00

Iran outlines hopes for nuclear talking points

Iran’s deputy foreign minister on Tuesday outlined the nuclear issues they expect to be discussed in the next phase of talks. These were:

- The enrichment of nuclear materials

- Existing stockpiles of materials

- Iran’s civilian nuclear needs

James Reynolds16 June 2026 09:38

The Independent View: America has lost its war with Iran

Editorial: If the ceasefire holds, Donald Trump’s ill-starred foray into the Middle East will have left the Iranian regime stronger than it was before the conflict:

America has lost its war with Iran

Editorial: If the ceasefire holds, Donald Trump’s ill-starred foray into the Middle East will have left the Iranian regime stronger than it was before the conflict

James Reynolds16 June 2026 09:30

Iran warns any attack on Lebanon is a violation of the agreement

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi warned on Tuesday that any Israeli attack on Lebanon or continued presence on Lebanese territory from now on would constitute a violation of the interim agreement with the US.

“In our view, the two parties to this memorandum are the US and Israel on one side, and Iran and Hezbollah on the other,” he said, after Israel’s defence minister said the military would aim to remain in Lebanon and continue operations.

Israel, which was not involved in the bilateral talks between the US and Iran, maintains that it is not bound by the agreement, threatening to derail the tentative agreement as it stands and putting Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu on a collision course with Donald Trump.

Araghchi added on Tuesday that the US and Iran would start a new round of negotiations on Friday in Switzerland aimed at reaching a final agreement after the official start of an interim agreement.

James Reynolds16 June 2026 09:11

Watch: Vance says US-Iran deal text may be released early

James Reynolds16 June 2026 09:00

How will Iran's nuclear programme be monitored in the event of a peace deal?

JD Vance told NBC News on Monday that nuclear inspectors will “absolutely” be allowed to return to Iran as part of the deal to end the war.

The signing of a preliminary agreement should pave the way for 60 days to negotiate thorny issues like Iran’s nuclear programme and US sanctions. But Vance indicated that the US already had some assurances on the nuclear issue.

“In fact, one of the core parts of the agreement is that the (International Atomic Energy Agency) and the United States are going to help Iran destroy the highly enriched stockpile, and that’s something that’s spelled out very clearly” in the memorandum of understanding the US and Iran have already agreed to, NBC quoted Vance saying.

James Reynolds16 June 2026 09:00

Strait of Hormuz reopening will take 'weeks', tanker giant says

Shipowners will not resume crossing the Strait of Hormuz for weeks until they are confident the US-Iran deal is ‘material’, the head of Japan’s Mitsui OSK Lines said in an interview published today.

Mitsui OSK, one of Japan’s big three shipping firms has a fleet of more than 900 vessels, including bulk carriers, tankers and ferries.

“What will have to come in place is not just a simple agreement between the relevant countries, but it has to be material and translated into the real situations in the Strait of Hormuz, so that shipping lines can make themselves comfortable to go through,” Mitsui OSK's Jotaro Tamura told FT before US President Donald Trump announced a deal to end the war in Iran.

“Given the experiences in the last couple of months, I think it’s reasonable to assume that it may take at least a couple of weeks or if not a month,” Tamura told the paper.

The agreement between Washington and Tehran being finalised had not changed Tamura's view, the FT report said.

James Reynolds16 June 2026 08:30