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The Middle East Recap for June 12 includes interviews, official statements, press speculation, and much more, from a Friday that contained mixed reactions and contradictory reports from dawn ’til dusk.
FM Abbas Araghchi Explains The US-Iran Deal:
⚡️ Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was interviewed by Iranian TV, saying that Western officials could not believe Iran would have resisted so stubbornly, stating the resistance was primarily due to the self-sacrifice of the armed forces, and ‘we owe a debt of gratitude to the armed forces and the martyrs.’
🔹 Araghchi said the second factor in Iran’s resistance was the presence of the devoted people in the field: “Smaller than all of these was diplomacy, where we tried to be the voice of Iranians, defend Iranian people, and support the armed forces,” he added.
🔹 Ending the war is best when Iran holds the upper hand, Araghchi continued, saying: “We are truly victorious on the battlefield, we stood against the world’s apparent superpower for 40 days,” stating that agreement and ending the war would ‘consolidate victory: “Negotiation and the negotiator rely on field power – negotiation without field power does not succeed,” Araghchi said, adding: “Iran is truly the victor on the field.”
🔹 The final agreement hasn’t been reached yet, Araghchi said, but if it is finalised, he promised to explain every single clause: “The agreement includes two stages,” he pointed out: “And we have moved the nuclear issue to the second stage,” saying that he’d prefer to disclose the details of the understanding once it was finalised.
🔹 However, in the agreement, Araghchi said the United States would state in writing it respected Iran’s sovereignty, but the text of the understanding had been changed many times so far: “The memorandum includes the nuclear issue, sanctions relief, reconstruction, and blocked funds,” Araghchi revealed.
🔹 Araghchi confirmed that the agreement had opponents, and the forefront was the Israeli regime, which was looking for ‘pretexts and opportunities to undermine it,’ but said that Iran would never leave Hezbollah in Lebanon alone, and the MoU to end the war would also encompass Lebanon and all other fronts.
🔹 “If we were going to yield to threats of attacking our infrastructure, we would have done so earlier,” Araghchi continued, saying: “We sent a message to the other side that threats have the opposite effect, and if they want to move toward war, we are ready.”
🔹 Araghchi also revealed that ending the war in the agreement also meant Israel’s withdrawal from the occupied areas in southern Lebanon, which Iran have stated explicitly to the other side: “If what is stated in the memorandum of understanding is not implemented, negotiations on the final agreement will not take place,” he warned.
🔹 The FM said an agreement would be reached when both sides have a certain level of satisfaction: “There is no agreement where one side is 100 and the other is nothing,” he said, noting the difference to previous agreements is that Iran haven’t reached a final agreement, and this was just the first step or phase: “If the first phase agreements are not implemented, we will not move to the second phase,” he added.
🔹 Araghchi said the nature of the other side was to breach the trust between the country’s, creating a thousand and one problems in implementation to bring this experience: “We must expect various issues in the implementation by the other side,” the FM said, adding: “We are facing entities that do not fulfil their commitments – we must block their way in this regard.”
🔹 There would be no concessions around the Strait of Hormuz either: “The Strait of Hormuz is undoubtedly under the sovereignty of Iran and Oman, and there is no international waterway in the Strait of Hormuz,” he said, noting that for many years, this waterway was open to all ships: “Iran and Oman ensured its security and provided services, and until now, all services were free,” he said.
🔹 “But the future administration of the Strait of Hormuz will not be like before,” Araghchi warned, saying that no one could challenge the sovereignty of Iran and Oman over the Strait, adding that there had been very good consultations with Oman in this regard which had positive outcome: “We will probably have a specific statement and plan with Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz soon,” he said.
🔹 Fees will be charged for services in the Strait instead of them being provided for free, which has been confirmed, but added that according to international laws, charging tolls for the Strait of Hormuz wasn’t possible, however, collecting service fees was allowed: “This important matter has been confirmed,” he said: “Payment of fees is required.”
🔹 Iran’s blocked assets are due to be released if the MoU is signed, and none of the assets can be blocked again, Araghchi said, adding: “A reconstruction plan has been considered to compensate for Iran’s losses.”
🔹 Two issues of lifting sanctions on Iran and the nuclear issues have been postponed to the final agreement, along with the issue of enrichment and stocks of enriched materials: “Our position has always been that if 60% enriched materials are to be determined, the only way is to dilute them in Iran,” Araghchi noted, adding: “We are trying to point out that the solution to the issue (enriched materials) will be in this direction.”
🔹 Several scenarios could occur during the 60-day negotiation period, Araghchi pointed out, noting that an extension of the deadline could happen if the talks progressed well, or there could be failure to reach an agreement due to the futility of the negotiations: “We will decide based on the circumstances at the time what will happen if we do not achieve results,” he said.
🔹 Araghchi confirmed the MoU was less than two pages long and had been reviewed word for word many times, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has carefully considered all the requested points: “When they realised that they would not achieve their demands by war, they requested negotiations,” he said.
🔹 The reason for the war was that Iran did not give up national interests in the negotiations, resisting US demands: “The enemy will not achieve in negotiations what it did not achieve in the war,” Araghchi repeated: “If the final stage of negotiations is completed, the understanding will be signed remotely by both parties and announced publicly,” he said, adding: “It may happen in the next few days, but the media should not create confusion.”
Vance Denied Report Details, Slammed Media Articles:
⚡️ US Vice President JD Vance denied reports about a potential agreement with Iran that had been surfacing throughout Friday, saying: “The Iranians are not receiving any cash, and no funds are being released for simply signing a deal or attending a meeting.” he said, adding that any economic benefits would depend on Iran meeting obligations under a future agreement.
🔹 Vance also criticised reporting based on unconfirmed claims, arguing that some critics were relying on anonymously sourced social media posts while dismissing other sources, and said President Trump would: “Get us a good outcome, one way or another.”
Trump Spoke to Axios:
⚡️ President Trump told Axios that a deal could be signed this weekend or Monday, while viewing Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s post on the nuclear deal as ‘very positive,’ alleging that Iran privately apologised for putting out false information through the media, which had claimed Tehran would receive billions in frozen assets immediately after signing.
🔹 However, two other sources allegedly told Axios that as of Thursday evening, the deal had been approved on the Iranian side at high levels, but not likely by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
Official’s Comments Regarding A Deal:
⚡️ Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that there was an incessant misinformation campaign waged by those who wanted to sabotage a deal amid ongoing intense mediation efforts, adding that setting aside the noise, it is confirmed that a final, agreed upon text of the peace deal has been reached and Pakistan is now working closely with both sides to finalise the next steps – Peace has never been as close as it is now.
⚡️ Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on X that commitments made must be kept: “No ifs, no buts, no excuses – for the close deal ahead, there is no other way – you reap what you sow,” he wrote.
⚡️ Prior to the televised interview, FM Abbas Araghchi said on X that the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding has never been closer to completion: “Pending its finalisation, the media should refrain from entering speculation about its content,” he said, adding: “In line with our responsibilities and approach, all details of the agreement will be shared to the public in due course.”
⚡️ Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that reports of being close to an understanding were nothing new, but the main problem had been the contradictory statements from ‘the other side,’ stating Iran was in the internal finalisation stage, and a meeting of relevant bodies was underway, however, couldn’t confirm speculation about the text and was too early to comment about any signing.
⚡️ Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said Iran would never pursue weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, stating that Iran’s power dominates the Strait of Hormuz region: “No vessel can enter this area without our permission,” he said, adding: “Our finger is on the trigger and we have no fear for our lives,” IRNA reported.
⚡️ Senior military advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mohsen Rezaee, said after Araghchi’s interview that Trump has agreed to release $24 billion in frozen assets, but hasn’t explicitly announced this.
Israel Preparing For Future Iranian Confrontations:
⚡️ Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that President Trump was leading an agreement with Iran based on ‘American’ interests, which included the shared interests with Israel of preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, and expected Trump to uphold this principle, as well as additional principles regarding missiles and terror proxies: “Together we have dealt Iran heavy blows that set its capabilities back many years,” he said.
🔹 Katz said that Israel must ensure that in the future they have the ability to ‘act independently to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons,’ stating that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and himself had instructed the IDF to prepare accordingly.
🔹 “Israel will not withdraw from the security zones in Lebanon, Syria, or Gaza,” he warned, saying that the IDF would continue to defend borders from Mount Hermon, the Lebanese mountains, the regions of Samaria, and most of Gaza, against ‘threats of Jihadist forces and organisations,’ as a central lesson ‘from the events of October 7.’
🔹 Katz said the IDF would not withdraw from the camps in northern Samaria, which had been evacuated of residents, and if necessary, would also expand the operation to include ‘additional terror camps,’ because Israel’s security doctrine was clear: “We act against threats both near and far, and we strive for decisive outcomes rather than compromises or concessions,” he said.
🔹 Much is at stake during this period, Katz claimed, saying that Israel were determined to lead a strong security policy that would prevent harm to their achievements and would not endanger their ability to fight against the ‘Shiite axis of evil’ led by ‘Iran and the Sunni axis of evil,’ led by the ‘Muslim Brotherhood.’
Media Speculation:
⚡️ Fox claimed Iran had agreed to a performance-based deal that would require many concessions before receiving any sanctions relief, alleging that Iran’s nuclear material would be removed and destroyed, the program dismantled, and no money released until commitments had been fulfilled.
⚡️ Mehr News Agency said that the Iranian deal was the same proposed 14-point plan that was mentioned two weeks ago, repeating claims of no talks about enrichment or the nuclear file, while claiming $24 billion in frozen assets would be released, and at least $12 billion upon the signing of the MoU.
⚡️ Channel 12 Israel claimed that a senior US administration official had said that under the agreement with Iran, all of the nuclear material in Iran’s possession would be destroyed and removed: “The Iranian nuclear program will be dismantled,” the official said, adding that no funds would be released until Iran performed the actions it had committed to.
⚡️ In a later report, Channel 12 claimed President Trump had demanded Iran issue a public clarification about the deal, warning of consequences for failure to do so, while saying during a conversation with Israeli PM Netanyahu: “This is the deal, it’s an excellent deal, and it’s time to end the war.”
⚡️ Reuters were told by a senior US official that the Iran deal accomplished the core US objectives, which will see the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the United States would receive the enriched material.
⚡️ Kan said the US and Iran were closer than ever to a principle agreement, with a possible signing this weekend, but the political echelon instructed the IDF to avoid actions that could jeopardise the deal, which the Prime Minister’s office called ‘fake news,’ claiming Israeli forces would remain in the security zone in Lebanon with the freedom to ‘act against immediate threats.’
⚡️ Reuters claimed the UAE had agreed to unlock billions of dollars for Iran, with at least $10 billion to be released under a tactical shift following weeks of Iranian attacks on the Gulf State, claiming $3 billion had already been delivered.
⚡️ The UAE directly rejected reports aligning it to the transfer of billions of dollars to Iran, including a claimed $3 billion payment that had circulated in the news for around three days, stating that no frozen Iranian assets had been released, moved, or processed through the country, calling the allegations false and unsubstantiated.
⚡️ Al Jazeera were told by Hezbollah MP Hussein Al-Hajj Hassan they have been clearly informed by Iran that Lebanon is included in the ceasefire, and that Israel will withdraw from Lebanese territory in accordance with the agreement, but added that Hezbollah can’t make a commitment if Israel doesn’t commit first.
⚡️ CNN claimed Iran had sealed off parts of its highly enriched uranium stockpile by collapsing tunnels and placing explosive mines around entrances amid concerns over a potential US operation to seize material, making it significantly more difficult and dangerous, complicating efforts to retrieve or remove the stockpile under any future agreement.
The Strait Escape:
⚡️ Continuation of US activities in the Strait of Hormuz continued overnight, with explosions heard near Qeshm and Sirik, initially presumed to be linked to movements in the Strait, reported by Mehr News Agency, while IRIB news claimed the explosion was a warning shot fired near the Sirik port.
⚡️ Reuters reported that US Central Command had shot down several drones over the Strait, followed by a statement on X by CENTCOM who said: “Iran launched multiple one-way attack drones in an attempt to strike commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” adding that they were all downed, and traffic flow ‘continues unimpeded.’
News From Iran:
⚡️ Iranian Deputy Oil Minister and Head of Iran’s Petrochemical Association Hassan Abbaszadeh stated that around 38% of Iran’s petrochemical capacity, which was either lost or affected during the war, had returned to production, with two major petrochemical complexes returning to production this week, adding that the industry had prepared sufficient multi-month reserves before the war, IRNA reported.
⚡️ Fars News Agency blasted FM Araghchi after an earlier tweet in relation to the nuclear deal, accusing Araghchi of supporting a narrative the US President was trying to promote, while saying his ambiguous response failed to reject Trump’s claims of a private Iranian apology, and that the leaked terms were ‘fake.’
News From The USA:
⚡️ US military commanders allegedly rushed preparations for a potential ground operation to seize Iranian uranium, but President Trump paused the plans over concerns it could trigger a severe Iranian retaliation, prolong the conflict, and result in significant casualties, CNN reported.
🔹 General Dan Caine was reportedly briefed on the operation at CENTCOM headquarters before presenting options to Trump, while discussions over Iran’s uranium stockpile continue as part of ongoing negotiations.
⚡️ CBS News claimed the US were drawing up contingency plans to secure Iran’s nuclear materials if a peace deal was reached, centred on elite JSOC units who were trained for counter-proliferation missions, claiming Iran held an estimated 972 pounds of 60%-enriched uranium across multiple facilities, with some potentially moved to an underground site allegedly near Natanz, known as Pickaxe mountain.
🔹 If the operation was ordered, CBS claimed it could require up to 1,000 troops and simultaneous raids across all known stockpile locations, making it one of the most complex special missions ever attempted.
⚡️ Satellite images published by MenchOsint showed that Iranian missiles or drones had struck aircraft fuel storage bladders and a newly constructed hangar (completed in 2025), at Isa Air Base in Bahrain, which hosts US forces, during the latest 48-hour wave of attacks.
Other News:
⚡️ Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis and Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a call to discuss the prospects of the new MoU between Iran and the United States in a phone call, as Geneva became earmarked for the location of the signing.
