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⚡️ During the Middle East recap for June 14, readers will find out what Israel did to cause the diplomatic process with Iran and the US to nearly crash, but what also ultimately pushed a peace deal agreement, including comments from officials and press speculation regarding the deal.
Israel Attack Dahieh, Beirut:
⚡️ An Israeli airstrike was ordered by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz following three drones infiltrating Israeli airspace from Lebanon on Sunday, killing three people, and wounding another 15, according to Lebanese Civil Defence reports.
Trump’s Comments On Dahieh Attack:
⚡️ President Trump issued a statement on Truth Social saying the attack on Beirut shouldn’t have happened, particularly on a day when the US were so close to a deal with Iran.
🔹 Trump said Israel had a right to defend itself against threats, but the attacks on Sunday morning it was responding to were very small and meaningless, nobody was hurt, injured, or killed, and should not disrupt the important process.
🔹 According to Trump, there should be no more attacks by Israel anywhere in Lebanon, but there should also be no more attacks by any party, including Hezbollah, against Israel, adding that this could bring lasting peace, and let’s not blow it.
⚡️ Secretary of War Pete Hegseth Hegseth said: “As far as I know, we are on our way to signing the deal, not a question of when, but if,” stating Hezbollah needed to stop firing missiles at northern Israel, and Israel needed to encourage them to stop doing that: “Israel was very measured in its response,” he added.
Media & Official Responses Relating To Dahieh:
⚡️ Deputy Commander of Iran’s Khatam Al-Anbiya Central Headquarters: ‘The Zionist aggression against Dahieh, Beirut, will not be left unanswered.”
⚡️ Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf: “The Zionists’ incursion into Dahieh once again demonstrated that America either lacked the will to fulfil its commitments or the ability to do so.”
⚡️ Spokesman for the National Security Committee Ebrahim Rezaei said there should be no calculation error: “Even if we want an agreement or understanding, the path to it is to discipline the Zionist regime.”
⚡️ Head of Iranian Parliament’s National Security Commission Ebrahim Azizi said a strong response is coming following the attack on Beirut.
⚡️ Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr said that ‘the response was forthcoming.’
⚡️ Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli strike on a residential area in Beirut on Sunday, describing the attack as a violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as a breach of the ceasefire agreement between Iran and the US.
⚡️ Major General Ali Abdollahi, commander of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, warned that all capabilities were stronger than ever under the orders of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.
⚡️ Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, strongly condemned the attacks on Sunday, reported BBC Persian, noting the statement said the attacks occurred despite the ceasefire and at a time when the US and Iran were expected to reach an agreement that paved the way for a peaceful resolution.
⚡️ Israeli Army Radio: Israel carried out the strike in Beirut’s southern suburbs after they assessed Iran wouldn’t respond.
⚡️ i24NEWS: Israel declined to comment on whether there was prior coordination with Washington ahead of the latest strikes.
⚡️ Fox News: Diplomat from the negotiations said the strikes in Dahieh were complicating efforts to finalise a deal with Iran, and was a ‘clear attempt by Israel to undermine the deal.’
⚡️ Channel 14: Israel now assess Iran will carry out a missile attack on Israeli territory in retaliation for the attack on Dahieh.
⚡️ Channel 14: The US is currently trying to prevent any upcoming Iranian attacks on Israeli territory through various intermediaries, and the message that Israel conveyed in return is: “If the Iranians attack us, we will respond strongly and quickly.”
⚡️ Channel 12: The United States is exerting heavy pressure on Iran not to respond.
⚡️ Channel 12: Trump’s Truth Social post is a resounding slap in the place, a senior Israeli official said: “The restrictions have gone up a level, the expectation that Israel will not strike anywhere in Lebanon does not align with the narrative of a strategic ally.”
⚡️ Channel 15: Israel raises alert level over fears of Iranian ballistic launches in the near future.
⚡️ Yediot Ahronot: Israeli sources say preparations are underway for a potential Iranian missile attack.
⚡️ Yediot Ahronot: Israel’s Security Cabinet is due to convene on Sunday night at a secret location.
⚡️ Maariv: Netanyahu told Trump during a call that Israel would not agree to a full withdrawal from Lebanon, including the five points held by the IDF, and also rejected withdrawing from Syrian territory, which Israel occupied since the fall of Bashar al-Assad.
⚡️ IDF: Preparation under way for possible Iranian ballistic missile attack in the coming hours.
⚡️ IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir: Assessment being conducted with ‘all relevant commanders’ following strike on Dahieh, and current assessment is that Iran will fire missiles at Israel.
⚡️ IDF Spokesperson: IDF Changes Home Front Command defence policy nationwide effective June 14 at 6pm until June 15 at 8pm: “The IDF Home Front Command says it is restricting gatherings to 5,000 people nationwide.”
⚡️ Following the Dahieh attack, the IDF said several ‘suspicious drones’ struck Israeli territory, close to the border with Lebanon, without triggering any siren alerts, but no injuries were reported, and the incident is under investigation.
⚡️ Channel 12: Israeli officials assessed that President Trump would announce soon he was going to ‘give something’ to the Iranians in return for not attacking Israel, but an Israeli cabinet minister warned: “As far as we are concerned, Iran is Trump’s issue, and he has the right to pursue an agreement, but Lebanon is ours, and we must not agree to the Iranian equation.”
⚡️ Ynet: An Israeli official accused President Trump of ‘normalising fire against Israel’ following criticism of Israel’s strike on Beirut and calls for restraint, also stating that Trump demanded Netanyahu halt fire in Lebanon and begin a withdrawal, both of which Netanyahu rejected.
The Deadlock Over Strikes Continued Into The Night:
⚡️ Senior advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Akbar Velayati, said the miscalculation in Beirut ended patience, and the order was given, warning that zero hour had arrived, and the launchers were ready.
⚡️ Assistant to the Iranian Supreme Leader and member of the Expediency Council Mohammad Mokhber said that the division of roles in appeasement and aggression between America and the Israeli regime is repetitive and unacceptable, warning that in defence of Lebanon, “we have no pleasantries with anyone, and we will give a regretful lesson to the aggressors.”
⚡️ Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said: “They can never catch any part of the pillars of resistance alone and isolated,” praising the diplomacy of Iran alongside the resistance to guarantee the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon ‘and will dismantle the crazy antics and warmongering of the Israeli regime.’
⚡️ Ynet claimed that Tehran was considering postponing its planned missile retaliation on Israel to give Trump’s appeasement efforts a chance and potentially reach a framework deal, noting that Qatar was mediating talks, which reportedly involved the immediate removal of the naval blockade on Iran and reopening the Strait of Hormuz immediately, rather than a phased process.
🔹 Sources claimed Iran had planned to carry out a missile strike on Sunday evening, potentially timed during major television broadcasts, but delayed it several times following direct messages received from Trump, who warned that any attack triggering a wider cycle of escalation could jeopardise negotiations and leave Iran responsible for the collapse of the diplomatic effort.
⚡️ NYT confirmed that as the US and Iran scrambled to finalise a deal, Qataris had been leading the negotiations during Sunday afternoon attempting to hash out the remaining details, according to regional officials.
⚡️ President Trump attacked Senator Jack Reed on Truth Social, at the same time reiterating that Iran wouldn’t have a nuclear weapon.
⚡️ Trump repeated the claim about nuclear weapons in a second follow-up Truth Social post that congratulated Victoria Coates for media reporting.
⚡️ NYT said that Iran had called off its planned retaliatory strikes after President Trump, through intermediaries, urged Tehran to exercise restraint, according to 3 Iranian officials.
Fars News said that Iran had cancelled negotiations and was preparing an attack on Israel following the attack on Dahieh, but in the end, last-minute concessions from President Trump, including preserving Lebanon’s territorial integrity, Israel’s withdrawal from the Lebanon border, and the immediate lifting of the blockade, persuaded Iran to refrain from attacking.
Negotiation News:
⚡️ President Masoud Pezeshkian commented on previous remarks made by senior Iranian officials recently, stating that what’s mentioned in the national media about war and negotiation doesn’t necessarily reflect the views of the Supreme National Security Council, the Supreme Defence Council, or even the guidelines of the Supreme Leader of the Revolution.
🔹 Regarding the negotiations, the resolution of the Supreme National Security Council is the basis of action, Pezeshkian said, stating whatever was approved and deemed appropriate by the Supreme Leader would be mandatory for everyone.
🔹 “Even if my personal opinion differs, I consider myself obliged to follow the final decision of the system, because I believe that they will decide based on foresight and consultation with the wise people of the country, taking into account the interests and benefits of the nation, not under the pressure of specific political currents,” the President said.
🔹 Pezeshkian continued: “I have said before and I emphasise again today that I regret neighbouring countries being exposed to the consequences of military actions, but of course, our operation targeted the US bases on the soil of these countries.”
🔹 According to the President, a significant part of the country’s diplomatic efforts in recent weeks had yielded positive results, noting that many issues and misunderstandings with the Gulf region countries are on the path to resolution, but negotiation didn’t mean abandoning principles, and the ‘Islamic Republic of Iran will not bow to any kind of bullying or illegal pressure,” he warned.
⚡️ President Trump told Axios that a US deal was still on the table to be signed on Sunday despite the Israeli strike in Beirut and the Iranian threat to retaliate, saying: “Why did Bibi have to do a fucking attack? I was so pissed off,” and that: “I let him know – he has no fucking judgement – I let him know that!”
⚡️ Meanwhile, President Trump told Fox News that he would ask Iran not to retaliate with missile strikes following the Israeli attack, saying a deal would be signed ‘within 2-3 hours,” while Netanyahu was told not to carry out any further strikes in Lebanon that could jeopardise the deal: “What the fuck are you doing?” Trump asked Bibi after the strike in Beirut.
⚡️ President Trump told the Wall Street Journal that he planned to announce the deal soon, though confirmed Tehran hadn’t yet confirmed its acceptance of the agreement, noting it would be signed electronically by either himself or JD Vance, and would include the commitment not to obtain nuclear weapons, alongside the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
🔹 Trump said the removal and processing of Iran’s nuclear material could take place at a later stage, stating: “We’ll get the nuclear stuff later on when we’re ready to go in and do it,” adding that there was no rush and that it could be addressed over the next month or two.
🔹 Responding to doubts over whether Iran would agree, Trump said both sides wanted the conflict to end, adding: “I think they want to get this done – this has never been happened to them before.”
🔹 Trump also said he didn’t like the attack on Beirut, because Hezbollah ‘fired small missiles, and missed their mark by a lot,” adding that Iran had to fire back, then Netanyahu would fire back, and the whole thing never stops in the Middle East, and said that he never cared about regime change: “This is the third group I’ve dealt with, and this is the most rational group,” he said.
Peace Is Announced – Deal Signing On Friday!
⚡️ Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was one of the first to publish a statement, taking to X announcing that a deal had been reached between the US and Iran, confirming the signing will take place on Friday (June 19) in Switzerland, saying both sides have ‘declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations’ on all fronts, including Lebanon.
⚡️ US President Trump took to Truth Social around the same time to say the ‘deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,’ offering a congratulations to all involved, stating that the Strait of Hormuz would be fully open, toll-free, and the US would remove the naval blockade of Iranian vessels.
⚡️ President Trump wrote another statement on Truth stating the ‘great deal’ will bring peace and security to the whole region, which many presidents had tried but failed, adding that with the opening of the Strait upon the signing of the deal on Friday, for purposes of mine removal, will mean oil can flow on both ends again for the region, and for the world.
⚡️ IRIB News confirmed live on air that a deal had been reached with the US: “The Islamic Republic of Iran officially forced the American-Zionist enemy to end the war on all fronts,” the journalist said.
⚡️ Tasnim News Agency confirmed the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz will occur after the signing of the MoU on Friday in Switzerland.
⚡️ Following the announcement and with mediation provided by Qatar, Prime Minster MBA Al Thani welcomed the agreement on the MoU, extending thanks to Pakistan and regional countries who participated in creating the conditions to reaching the understanding, affirming Qatar would remain a steadfast supporter of efforts and endeavours aimed at strengthening security and stability in the region.
⚡️ British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer welcomed the agreement, but urged both parties to make sure they implement the MoU and finalise the details of a nuclear agreement.
⚡️ Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan welcomed the agreement, adding that it ‘constitutes an important milestone on the path to establishing lasting peace and stability in the region.
⚡️ President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he viewed the agreement as an important development for establishing peace and tranquillity in the region, welcoming it with satisfaction, thanking Pakistan for their mediation efforts, as well as the initiatives of Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
⚡️ France, Germany, Italy and the UK said in a joint statement they were prepared to lift relevant sanctions on Iran if Tehran takes clear, verifiable steps regarding its nuclear program, emphasizing that Iran must never obtain a nuclear weapon, and said they are ready to work with the US, Iran and the IAEA to ensure that objective is achieved.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council On The Deal:
⚡️ The Supreme National Security Council released a statement which said that after several months of intense negotiations, the final text of the MoU was agreed on the evening of June 14, stating that according to the agreements, the war will end on all fronts, including Lebanon, permanently and immediately, while the naval blockade would also be lifted immediately.
🔹 According to the statement, the signing of the MoU will be officially carried out on Friday, June 19, but negotiations for the final agreement are postponed until the ‘other party fulfils its commitments according to the MoU.’
Trump to NYT On The Deal:
⚡️ President Trump told NYT after the deal was signed that PM Netanyahu was a ‘difficult person’ but should accept what the US have done for Israel, while also claiming that under the agreement reached with Iran, the Strait of Hormuz would be ‘permanently toll-free.’
🔹 Trump said he would restart military attacks on Iran or make the US the ‘guardian of the Middle East’ in return for 20% of the region’s revenues if the negotiation failed to produce a final nuclear deal.
🔹 According to Trump, the decision to attack Iran in February and impose the naval blockade after Tehran had closed the Strait of Hormuz had ‘remade the Middle East in America’s favour.”
🔹 Trump said that the US and Iran were still negotiating key elements of a final nuclear agreement, including whether Tehran would agree to suspend enrichment for 15 to 20 years, stating that any eventual agreement would allow Iran only low-level uranium enrichment that ‘could never be used by the military,’ stressing that the restrictions would ensure Iran couldn’t develop a nuclear weapon.
🔹 During his conversation with the NYT, President Trump appeared in a celebratory mood, discussing the upcoming UFC event on the White House South Lawn and the possibility of rain disrupting it: “This happens in wartime,” he remarked.
Iran’s Deputy FM On The Deal:
⚡️ Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the MoU had been finalised, with the official signing ceremony taking place in Switzerland on Friday, but the lifting of the US naval blockade would happen immediately.
🔹 Gharibabadi attributed the agreement not only to diplomacy but also to Iran’s military achievements, the sacrifices of its martyrs, and the steadfastness of its people, declaring that Iran achieved great victories in the war and that all of Iran’s important positions had been included in the memorandum, the full text of which will be published after the official signing.
🔹 The Minister said the MoU didn’t mean trusting the US, noting it had been drafted despite the lack of trust, while Iran would monitor the implementation of the US commitments, and “wherever we see a shortfall in the other side’s implementation of commitments, we will naturally act in a balanced manner.”
🔹 Gharibabadi said some of the revisions Iran sought were facilitated by the events that took place in Lebanon and by the statements issued by the armed forces, which helped move the negotiations forward: “The armed forces were prepared to deliver a decisive response,” he said.
🔹 Trump also took positions and criticised the Israeli regime, while Hezbollah gave strong and decisive responses to the Israeli regime’s terrorist action, adding that the display of military strength and the threats were what helped the process of finalising the text and advancing certain issues that remained unresolved before.
🔹 Iran did not agree to the MoU until final points were incorporated into the demands of the text, and negotiations continued until one hour before the announcement of a deal, the minister noted, but warned that Iran will always be ready to confront any conspiracy.
🔹 Mediators will still be present at the upcoming negotiations, Gharibabadi continued, stating that on Friday, there will be an official signing, and heads of the two delegations will have talks to determine the arrangements for the upcoming negotiations.
🔹 Until then, the issue of the US side’s commitments regarding the end of the war, lifting the blockade, and the release of assets will be verified, and entering the 60-day negotiations is conditional on the implementation of the American commitments.
🔹 The end of all sanctions against Iran, both primary and secondary, as well as an end of Security Council and Board of Governors resolutions, will be among the topics discussed within the 60-day period, and all sanctions will be lifted if a final agreement is reached.
🔹 Gharibabadi said the second topic to be negotiated during the 60 days is the nuclear issue, while the reconstruction and economic development will also be negotiated with a framework finalised within this time, and another topic is determining the executive mechanism for monitoring the proper implementation of the parties’ commitments.
VP Vance On The Deal:
⚡️ US Vice President JD Vance said that President Trump had created the real space to transform the region cooperation between the Gulf Arab allies and the Israelis, and now hopefully a new era with the Iranians: “This is just a great thing for the American people,” he told Fox News.
🔹 Vance said that he knew Americans had suffered due to high gas prices and President Trump had been concerned about that fact, but now a deal is signed it will drive down the cost of energy, not just now but for the long term, and create a real engine of prosperity in the Middle East where US benefit from those lower energy prices, gas prices, and don’t have the ‘same risk of chaos that we’ve had for the last generation.’
🔹 “I know this has been a hard time for a lot of Americans, but we have achieved something great for them,” he said, adding that if the Iranians comply with the deal, it is going to “fundamentally transform the Middle East for the next 50 years.”
🔹 Vance said: “It’s going to make the Middle East more investable, this region of the world has been a basket case for my entire life and longer than that,” adding that What President Trump has really “set us to do is to certainly eliminate the nuclear threat of Iran – that’s done.”
Speculations Following The Deal Announcement:
⚡️ Maariv reported that PM Netanyahu told President Trump that Israeli forces would not withdraw from Lebanon and that Israel does not consider itself bound by the Lebanon clause in the US-Iran MoU.
⚡️ NYT said that Parliament Speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf, the lead negotiator, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, will travel to Geneva to sign the agreement alongside VP JD Vance on Friday, in a meeting that would mark the highest level direct engagement between Tehran and Washington in 47 years.
⚡️ Also reported by the NYT were claims that Tehran delayed finalising any agreement until after midnight local time to avoid having the historic moment of it coinciding with President Trump’s 80th birthday on Sunday, stating the seven-and-a-half hour time difference allowed both to maintain their preferred timeline, because Trump announced the deal was finalised Sunday (US time) while Iran now maintain it was signed on Monday.
News From The USA:
⚡️ Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on Sunday afternoon that the US would make sure the military option is still there, claiming the US had controlled the Strait of Hormuz ‘this whole time.’
🔹 The War Secretary said that the military might would stay in the Middle East as long as necessary: “We can snap that blockade back at any point, and they can’t do anything about it,” Hegseth warned, saying that Iran knew that, which is why the US had leverage in the talks.
🔹 Hegseth also noted the document said Iran would never have a nuclear weapon, won’t seek one, won’t buy one, won’t have one, adding that the regime is more devastated than it’s been in 47 years, and that’s why they’re at the negotiating table: “We did this from a position of strength,” he claimed: “President Trump led with military might.
🔹 According to Hegseth, Iran can’t see and sense the US capabilities around the strait, claiming that the last couple of nights were ‘very devastating for them’ as far as ‘their ability to understand what’s going on through the Strait.’
🔹 Hegseth said once the deal is signed, the expectation is that Iran will stop shooting drones at commercial shipping, to which Face the Nation interviewer Brennan said: “They did that just on Friday, a drone collided with an Apache helicopter just last week – they still have the capacity to hurt our friends and partners.”
⚡️ US CENTCOM said the guided-missile destroyer USS Milius was continuing operations in regional waters to support the blockade against Iran, noting that as of June 14, the US forces had redirected 142 commercial vessels and disabled another 9 for failing to comply with orders.
News From Iran:
⚡️ Despite multiple media reports that suggested Iranian airspace had been cleared on Sunday night, Mehr and Tasnim reported no new NOTAMs had been issued, and Majid Akhavan, spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Organisation, said that the issuance of the previous NOTAM was related to restrictions in the west part of Iran, and not a new announcement.
