Iran and US reach a tentative deal to end war as Israel rules out
withdrawing from seized land
[June 15, 2026]
By JON GAMBRELL and ELENA BECATOROS
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United States and Iran reached an
initial agreement early Monday that would extend their shaky ceasefire
and lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, but challenges
immediately loomed, including Israel insisting it would hold onto land
seized in Lebanon as it battles Hezbollah.
Details of the deal, which would potentially allow desperately needed
oil and natural gas to reach the global market through the critical
waterway, were not immediately released. Iran signaled implementation
would not start until the signing, which key mediator Pakistan said
would take place Friday in Switzerland.
But the memorandum of understanding over the war already faced hurdles.
Israel’s continued hostilities with the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah
in Lebanon, where Israel bombed Beirut’s southern suburbs Sunday, nearly
derailed the negotiations. Israel joined the U.S. in launching the war
on Feb. 28.
Israel says it won't withdraw from Lebanon
In the first official Israeli comments after the announcement of the
deal, Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel won’t withdraw from land
seized in Lebanon as the interim deal is pending. Katz said Israel plans
to stay “indefinitely” in lands it holds in Lebanon, as well as Syria
and the Gaza Strip. Iran has tied the interim deal over the war to
halting Israel’s attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Katz also threatened that if Iran attacks Israel over Israeli strikes in
Lebanon, Israel will strike Iran with “great force.”
Over the past 2 1/2 years, Israel has taken control of areas in Gaza,
Lebanon and Syria amounting to 1,000 square kilometers (386 square
miles) of territory — an area that is slightly smaller than New York
City.
Meanwhile, the deal between the U.S. and Iran gives just 60 days to
resolve what to do about Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium and
its atomic program. That took years to resolve in Tehran’s 2015 nuclear
deal with world powers. U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally
withdrew America from that accord in his first term, setting the stage
for the tensions that culminated in the war.
“Congratulations to all!” Trump wrote on social media as he celebrated
his 80th birthday Sunday with a UFC cage match fight at the White House.
He added, “I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait
of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal
of the United States Naval blockade,” which was imposed in retaliation
for Iran’s grip on the crucial waterway.
He soon hedged, however, saying the strait wouldn’t open until Friday’s
signing.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, confirmed the
agreement on state television but said Iran would not start implementing
it until it was signed Friday. He said the deal followed talks with
Qatar, another mediator.
World leaders applaud the agreement
Leaders from China to Europe welcomed the announcement. The closure of
the Strait of Hormuz has roiled international markets and sent prices of
fuel and other essential goods, including food, spiraling.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that China “hopes
the U.S. and Iran will sign the initial memorandum of understanding as
scheduled.” Beijing hopes that safe and free passage through the Strait
of Hormuz will be restored as soon as possible, he added.
France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot welcomed the agreement "that
should bring an end to hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon.”
He said that “all parties to the conflict must respect this agreement.”
Barrot said “for far too long” the war in Iran has driven prices of fuel
and fertilizer painfully high. With the ceasefire, he said dozens of
nations like France and the United Kingdom could send ships to protect
freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
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Displaced people pack their belongings as they prepare to return to
their village following the announcement of an initial ceasefire
agreement between the United States and Iran, in the southern port
city of Sidon, Lebanon, Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed
Zaatari)
The European Union’s top diplomat pledged support for further
negotiations over outstanding issues like Iran’s nuclear program.
“Fingers crossed that they will be also initialized on Friday,
because everybody needs the Strait of Hormuz to be open and actually
this war to stop,” Kaja Kallas, foreign policy chief of the
27-nation EU, said ahead of a gathering of foreign ministers in
Luxembourg on Monday.
But some of the ministers, like Luxembourg's Xavier Bettel,
expressed skepticism. “It’s a long time till Friday,” he said.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer also welcomed the breakthrough and
said it was vital that all parties in the region seize the
opportunity to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of
Hormuz.
“We will now work closely with our partners to support this
agreement and to ensure that it turns into a durable, lasting
peace,’’ he said.
Pakistan, a key mediator, announced the deal
Pakistan first announced the deal, with Prime Minister Shehbaz
Sharif saying “both sides have declared the immediate and permanent
termination of military operations on all fronts, including in
Lebanon.” He added that mediators this week will facilitate meetings
to “lay the foundation for the technical talks.”
Broader negotiations on outstanding issues like Iran’s nuclear
program would continue over the next 60 days, two senior Pakistani
officials said earlier Sunday, speaking on condition of anonymity
because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. If
the sides fail to reach a resolution within that time, the timeline
could be extended.
Iranian state television cited the secretariat of the Supreme
National Security Council as saying the war on all fronts “will end
immediately and permanently beginning tonight” — and that the U.S.
blockade “will be terminated immediately and in full.”
Qatari mediators later left Tehran following 17 hours of
negotiations, said an official briefed on the developments who spoke
on condition of anonymity due to sensitivity of the talks. Separate
preparatory meetings with each side will take place in Doha this
week, the official said.
It was not clear who from Iran would sign the deal on Friday. U.S.
Vice President JD Vance told Fox News the White House was still
figuring out who would attend: “I certainly plan to be there, but
it’s possible the president himself could be there.”
But concern among Republicans in the U.S. already could be seen.
They included U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who
described Vance as “the architect of the deal.”
“I am somewhat concerned that Iran’s view of the agreement seems
different than what the American negotiating team is claiming,”
Graham wrote online.
___
Becatoros reported from Athens, Greece. Associated Press writers
Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sam McNeil and Sylvain Plazy in
Brussels, Danica Kirka in London, Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv,
Israel, Simina Mistreanu in Taipei, Taiwan, Cathy Bussewitz in New
York and Cara Anna in Lowville, New York, contributed to this
report.
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