Iran and US agree peace deal including Lebanon

A US-Iran agreement, continued regional violence and diplomatic fallout.

Here is The New Arab's final recap of tonight's events before we conclude:

US-Iran deal reached

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that a US-Iran agreement had been reached, including an “immediate and permanent termination of military operations” on all fronts, reportedly covering Lebanon. He said mediators would hold further meetings ahead of a signing ceremony scheduled for 19 June in Switzerland.

Shortly afterwards, Donald Trump confirmed on Truth Social that the deal was “now complete”, though Iran had not officially confirmed the agreement at that stage.

Later updates suggested the deal would include a 60-day negotiation period covering sanctions relief, nuclear issues, reconstruction, and monitoring mechanisms, with implementation dependent on verification of commitments.

Iranian officials also indicated that a US naval blockade would be lifted and that negotiations would continue, while stressing conditionality and reciprocal obligations.

Regional escalation continues

Despite diplomatic claims, violence and tensions persisted across the region:

• Israel was accused by Lebanon of using herbicides as a weapon
• Israeli strikes killed at least six people in Gaza
• Hezbollah claimed 17 attacks on Israeli forces in southern Lebanon
• Iran warned of a “strong response” following Israeli strikes in Beirut
• An Israeli commander was reported killed in a targeted strike

Iran also reportedly suspended flights in parts of its western airspace amid rising tensions.

Diplomatic reactions and uncertainty

• Iran’s leadership signalled cautious engagement with negotiations but emphasised distrust of the US
• Officials stressed that any agreement would depend on strict verification of US commitments
• Mediators including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey were repeatedly acknowledged for their role

Wider political reaction

• UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres both welcomed reported progress towards peace

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday welcomed the US-Iran peace deal with its permanent ceasefire and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz as a "critical step" toward resolving the war in the Middle East.

"The Secretary-General hopes that the parties will build on this new momentum and redouble their efforts towards a final resolution of the conflict," Guterres said in a statement attributed to his spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

 British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday welcomed the agreement reached between The United States and Iran to end their war.

"We are clear that toll-free freedom of navigation must now be restored in the Strait of Hormuz," he said, adding that "Iran must never have a nuclear weapon." 

US President Donald Trump has described the reported agreement as restoring normal flow through the Strait of Hormuz and ending US naval restrictions on Iranian ports.

However, it remains unclear what “opening” the strait means in practice, as it is not under direct US control.

Since the escalation of the conflict, Iran has reportedly gained leverage over the waterway by threatening or targeting shipping passing through the strategic chokepoint.

Any disruption there has had significant global economic consequences, given its importance for oil and gas transit.

If confirmed, the agreement would largely return conditions to a pre-war status quo, though previous reports note Iran would retain increased leverage through its influence over shipping routes.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi has said a “permanent and immediate” end to the war and military operations will be announced tonight, including in Lebanon, according to state media. He said the US naval blockade on Iran will also end.

Gharibabadi said negotiations will continue for 60 days, covering sanctions relief, nuclear issues, reconstruction, and monitoring mechanisms for both sides’ commitments.

He added that any obligations Iran accepts will depend on reciprocal US implementation.

He said an official signing ceremony is planned for Friday, with verification of US commitments to follow.

Tehran also claimed the agreement was reached after “heavy defeats” for its adversaries and described the outcome as a “brilliant victory”.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced that a US–Iran agreement is now in place, with mediators set to facilitate a series of meetings this week ahead of a formal signing ceremony scheduled for Friday 19 June in Switzerland.

Shortly afterwards, Donald Trump confirmed on Truth Social that the ceasefire deal with Iran was “now complete”.

However, there has been no official confirmation from Iran, and details remain unclear. Here is The New Arab's breakdown of what are the key reported facts so far:

• According to Sharif, both sides have agreed to an “immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts”, including Lebanon.
• The official signing ceremony is expected on 19 June in Switzerland.
• Trump said traffic through the Strait of Hormuz should resume without fees, describing it as “toll free”.
• The US is said to have agreed to lift its naval blockade on Iranian ports.
• Technical talks are expected to continue throughout the week.

President Donald Trump said Sunday that a peace deal with Iran is "now complete," announcing the Strait of Hormuz is open and the United States will lift its naval blockade.

"The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all!," Trump said on his Truth Social network, shortly after mediator Pakistan said both sides had reached an agreement.

"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. Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!"

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has provided further details on the reported US–Iran agreement, saying it includes an “immediate and permanent termination of military operations” across all fronts, including Lebanon.

Writing on X, Sharif said both sides had agreed to halt fighting immediately as part of the deal.

He added that the official signing ceremony is scheduled to take place in Switzerland on Friday 19 June.

The prime minister thanked both the United States and Iran for their commitment, as well as Qatar for its role in supporting efforts to reach the agreement.

He also expressed appreciation for the leadership of Saudi Arabia and Turkey, crediting them with making “immense contributions” to the process.

Sharif said a series of meetings would take place this week to lay the groundwork for technical discussions ahead of the formal signing ceremony.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced that Iran and the US have reached a peace deal expected to be signed in Switzerland on June 19.

More updates to come.

Sources within Palestinian factions have told The New Arab that they submitted a revised "roadmap for completing the implementation of US President Donald Trump's comprehensive peace plan for Gaza" to mediators on behalf of the Palestinian factions on Saturday.

According to the sources, the full text of the 15-point roadmap was redrafted during a trilateral meeting involving representatives of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

The sources said Hamas representatives subsequently handed the revised 15-point document to mediators for transmission to the US administration and the Israeli government.

They added that amendments to 14 of the 15 points were relatively minor. However, the eighth provision, concerning the handover of weapons, proved the most contentious and was described as the central sticking point in the negotiations.

The clause was the subject of extensive discussions over several days, both among the Palestinian factions themselves and between the factions and mediators.

The sources said the factions had made significant concessions in light of the severe humanitarian crisis facing Palestinians in Gaza.

"Our people's suffering in the Gaza Strip was the primary and overriding consideration throughout these discussions," the sources said.

They acknowledged that mediators continue to have reservations about some of the provisions, particularly the eighth clause, but stressed that the factions had gone as far as they could.

"The matter now rests with the US administration and the Israeli government," the sources added.

The United States is reportedly considering a range of incentives to discourage Iran from retaliating against Israel following Sunday's strike on Beirut.

According to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, citing an Israeli official, Iran has rejected several proposals from US President Donald Trump urging Tehran not to respond militarily to the attack.

The official said Trump has been pressing Iran to exercise restraint, while Washington explores possible measures aimed at persuading Tehran to delay any retaliatory action.

However, the official added that Israel cannot rule out the possibility that US diplomatic efforts could succeed.

Iran has reportedly taken precautionary measures affecting air travel in the western part of the country amid rising regional tensions.

The Tasnim news agency said that flights from western Iranian airports have been suspended until further notice.

However, the Mehr news agency, citing Iran’s Civil Aviation Authority, reported that no new navigational warnings or nationwide flight restrictions have been issued.

Gaza's civil defence service and hospitals said Israeli attacks killed at least six people on Sunday, in the latest violence to hit the Palestinian territory despite a months-old ceasefire.

An Israeli airstrike on the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza killed four people and wounded several others, said the civil defence agency.

Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital said it received four bodies from the strike and treated five injured people.

Two other people were killed by Israeli gunfire in separate incidents in the southern Khan Yunis area, the civil defence said.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the incidents.

At least 986 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect on October 10 last year, according to Gaza's health ministry, which operates under Hamas authority and whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations.

An Iranian official has warned of a “strong response” following Israeli strikes on Beirut earlier today.

Ebrahim Azizi, head of Iran’s parliamentary national security committee, condemned the attacks in the Dahiyeh district of the Lebanese capital, describing them as a “crime” carried out by Israel.

He also criticised the United States, claiming the attacks demonstrated that Washington was “weak” and “without credibility”, and unable to restrain Israel.

“A strong response is coming,” he said.

Hezbollah has said it carried out 17 attacks on Israeli forces operating inside Lebanon on the same day, targeting troops and military vehicles across several locations in the south of the country.

According to the group, the strikes hit Israeli positions in Nabatieh, Bint Jbeil, Majdal Zoun, Sour, Qanatara and Marjayoun.

Hezbollah also claimed it fired missiles at Israeli drones operating over Jezzine and near Saida, and separately targeted a military truck.

US President Donald Trump has said a deal with Iran could be reached within hours, telling Fox News that an agreement is expected in the “next two to three hours” as mediators suggest negotiations are approaching a breakthrough.

Reuters, citing an official involved in the talks, reported that mediators are increasingly optimistic that a US–Iran agreement is “nearly over the line”.

The remarks come as diplomatic efforts intensify to de-escalate the wider regional conflict and prevent further Israeli escalation, with Tehran continuing to resist pressure to accept terms that would allow Israel to maintain its current campaign of attacks across the region.

US President Donald Trump said Sunday that a peace deal with Iran was still on track to be signed within hours, despite an Israeli strike on Beirut that he said had delayed the plan.

"It shook it up. It delayed the signing by a few hours. It was supposed to be now. Now it is scheduled for a few hours from now," Trump said in a phone call to the Axios news outlet.

Trump fumed at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the attack on Beirut, saying, "it is so bad -- I couldn't believe it. An hour before we are supposed to sign the deal."

Using a string of expletives, Trump told Axios he raged at Netanyahu after Israel struck Beirut's southern suburbs on Sunday, killing three people, in response to what it said was Hezbollah fire at northern Israel.

"Why did Bibi (Netanyahu) have to do a fucking attack?" Trump told Axios. "I was so pissed off. I let him know. He has no fucking judgement. I let him know that."

Tehran insists that any agreement to halt the war must include the parallel conflict in Lebanon, where Israel has been pursuing a campaign against the Iran-backed movement Hezbollah.

🚨President Trump told me: "Why did Bibi have to do a fucking attack? I was so pissee off. I let him know. He has no fucking judgement. I let him know that" https://t.co/qkMkbkNYxJ

— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) June 14, 2026

The Israeli military has claimed it killed senior Hezbollah commander Ali Moussa Dakdouk in a strike in south Lebanon over the weekend.

In a statement Sunday, it said Dakdouk had been a member of Hassan Nasrallah's security team and a commander in the elite Radwan unit.

Hezbollah has not confirmed Dakdouk’s death.

The head of the Iranian parliament's national security committee says a "strong response is coming" to Israel's strike in Beirut earlier today.

"Today’s crime by the Zionist regime in Dahieh, Beirut once again proved the U.S. is weak without credibility, as it is not even capable of controlling this illegitimate regime," Ebrahim Azizi posted on X.

"A strong response is coming."

Today’s crime by the Zionist regime in Dahieh, Beirut once again proved the U.S. is weak without credibility, as it is not even capable of controlling this illegitimate regime.
A strong response is coming.

— ابراهیم عزیزی (@Ebrahimazizi33) June 14, 2026

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday said the country's highest security authority supports the "path of dialogue", after hardliners criticised Tehran's negotiating team in talks with the United States.

"The Supreme National Security Council has concluded that the path of dialogue should be pursued," Pezeshkian said in a meeting with media executives, according to the presidency's website.

He added that the council was in charge of "decisions regarding war and negotiations".

Barack Obama said it was unrealistic to expect that any deal between US President Donald Trump and Tehran would mark a "significant improvement" over his own nuclear pact 11 years ago.

In interview excerpts released Sunday on ABC News talk show "This Week," the former president also suggested it was better to negotiate a deal that falls short of all of Washington's requirements in order to avoid an outright war.

"It is doubtful that any agreement that arises is going to be significantly different or a significant improvement from the deal that we had in the first place," Obama said, referring to 2015's landmark pact that Trump abandoned.

Obama said his own deal "had worked for a long stretch of time before... the United States pulled out of it."

Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least six Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, health officials said, as mediators stepped up efforts to salvage the US-brokered ceasefire.

Medics said an Israeli airstrike killed at least four people near Al-Yeman Al-Saeed Hospital in the Jabalia refugee camp, north of the enclave, while two others were killed in separate shooting incidents in Khan Younis, in the south, and Gaza City.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the incidents.

Lebanon has accused Israel of using a chemical herbicide as a weapon in a complaint to the UN Security Council, the foreign ministry said on Sunday.

It said that Israeli forces sprayed glyphosate across several Lebanese villages close to the border in February. Soil samples from Aita al-Shaab, Ras an-Naqura, and al-Dhayra showed concentrations of the weedkiller up to 22,750 microgrammes per gramme – thousands of times higher than normal levels, according to a scientific report..

The Chemical Weapons Convention bans using herbicides as a method of warfare.

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