(2026-06-19). US-Iran talks in Switzerland delayed, Israel strikes Lebanon. newarab.com 
Welcome! | Here are the latest updates of the day: | The White House says US Vice President JD Vance has delayed a planned trip to Switzerland to lead a new round of talks with Iran following the signing of a memorandum of understanding to end the war. Vance had strongly defended the deal against criticism, mainly from Israel.
| US Central Command (CENTCOM) declares it has ended its blockade on Iranian ports as Tehran says it will issue permits for commercial vessels to transit Hormuz
| Israel continues attacks on Lebanon and Gaza. It launched a wave of attacks across southern Lebanon, killing several…
(2026-06-19). On TV, Vance scorns Netanyahu for sabotaging Trump's Iran deal as Israel vows to remain in Lebanon. hindustantimes.com Fresh tensions are emerging between Washington and Tel Aviv as Vice President JD Vance publicly pushed back against growing anxiety inside Israel over Donald Trump's Iran deal. Vance dismissed what he called a "weird panic" among Israeli officials and warned that Israel's biggest problem is not the U.S. president. Meanwhile, Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed that Israeli forces would remain in southern Lebanon as long as security demands require it. The dispute has raised questions about whether continued operations in Lebanon could undermine Trump's carefully negotiated agreement with Tehran and expose new cracks in…
(2026-06-18). US, Iranian versions of MoU reveal shared roadmap to end war despite differences in wording. tribune.com.pk 
The US and Iranian versions of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at ending months of war in the Middle East reveal broad convergence on the deal's core provisions, despite differences in political emphasis, legal detail, and the way each side frames sensitive issues such as Lebanon, sanctions, the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran's nuclear program. | The Iranian and US versions of the memorandum drew renewed attention after Tehran said early on Thursday that the agreement had become fully official following its signing by the presidents of both countries. | Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei s…
(2026-06-18). Hezbollah chief says Lebanon at moment after US-Iran deal. al-monitor.com Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem on Wednesday urged Lebanese authorities to take advantage of a "pivotal" moment following a US-Iran deal to end the Middle East war, ahead of Israeli-Lebanese negotiations next week.American and Iranian officials, as well as mediator Pakistan, have said the deal includes Lebanon, where Israel and Hezbollah have been at war since March 2.Lebanese President Joseph Aoun instead insisted his country's negotiations with Israel in Washington were independent of the regional deal.
(2026-06-18). US, Iranian versions of memorandum reveal shared roadmap to end war despite differences in wording. tribune.com.pk The US and Iranian versions of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) aimed at ending months of war in the Middle East reveal broad convergence on the deal's core provisions, despite differences in political emphasis, legal detail, and the way each side frames sensitive issues such as Lebanon, sanctions, the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran's nuclear program. | The Iranian and US versions of the memorandum drew renewed attention after Tehran said early Thursday that the agreement had become fully official following its signing by the presidents of both countries. | Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said…
(2026-06-18). Trump's War on Iran Ends with a "Triumphant" Tehran and a Diminished U.S.: Vali Nasr. democracynow.org 
The United States and Iran have officially signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war in Iran. The 14-point agreement includes an immediate end to fighting on all fronts including Lebanon, an end to the U.S. naval blockade on Iran and the full resumption of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. It also proposes easing oil sanctions on Iran, unfreezing Iranian assets and launching a $300 billion investment fund to rebuild Iran, all while tabling the question of Iran's nuclear program, which is instead set to be negotiated over in the coming months. | "The United States is mor…
(2026-06-18). Headlines for June 18, 2026. democracynow.org Trump and Pezeshkian Sign Memorandum Aimed at Ending U.S. War on Iran, Israel Attacks Lebanon, Killing One and Wounding Three, Despite U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Deal, Ukrainian Drones Attack Moscow, Sparking Massive Oil Refinery Fire, Israeli Attacks on Gaza Have Killed Over 1,000 Palestinians Since October "Ceasefire", Rep. Ro Khanna Is First U.S. Lawmaker to Sign Anti-AIPAC PEACE Pledge, Peace Activists Celebrate as Maryland Public Pension System Divests from Israeli Bonds, U.N. Says Gang Violence Has Displaced 1.5 Million Across Haiti, Haitian Immigrants Call on Supreme Court to Toss Case Seeking to End…
(2026-06-18). Israel Hits Lebanon With Drone Strikes Hours After US and Iran Sign Agreement. truthout.org The Israeli military carried out drone strikes in southern Lebanon on Thursday, just hours after the presidents of the US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding that establishes a framework for negotiations to end the war launched by the Trump administration and Israel in late February. Lebanese media reported that "an Israeli drone dropped a munition on Beit Yahoun… |
(2026-06-18). US Treasury imposes sanctions on Lebanese officials, others for aiding Hezbollah. al-monitor.com WASHINGTON, June 18 (Reuters) – The U.S. government on Thursday announced sanctions against several Lebanese officials it said were aligned with Hezbollah and members of the sanctioned Alaa Hassan Hamieh business network for obstructing Lebanon's peace process and delaying the disarmament of Hezbollah.The U.S. Treasury Department said its Office of Foreign Assets Control was also designating individuals in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Oman who it said were raising funds and operating front companies to generate revenue for Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group.
(2026-06-18). Apologies to all the people in Lebanon. mronline.org 
It bears thinking that the world needs to apologize to Lebanon and to Palestine as the genocide by Israel grinds on from Gaza City to Beirut.
(2026-06-18). Three Killed in Lebanon Attacks as Israel Issues New Occupation Map. news.antiwar.com Israeli officials continue to maintain that their war in Lebanon will continue irrespective of peace deals reached related to it. Underscoring that, the Israeli military issued a new map detailing the extent to which they are occupying southern Lebanon. The map shows a 'security zone' that spans the entire Israel-Lebanon border, includes the southernmost Mediterranean …
(2026-06-18). Israel is dropping toxic chemicals on farmland in South Lebanon. thecanary.co 
Israel has sprayed toxic cancer-linked chemicals on agricultural land in Southern Lebanon, in yet another attempt to ethnically cleanse Lebanese people from their native land. I$rael once again sprayed cancer-linked chemicals on agricultural land in south Lebanon on Friday, an act condemned as a war crime and a bid to make the border region uninhabitable […] | By
(2026-06-18). Israel 'football-shaped cluster bomb' sparks alarm in Lebanon. newarab.com 
A suspected unexploded cluster bomb shaped like a small football has been A picture, reportedly taken in the town of Doueir in south Lebanon, circulated widely on Lebanese social media this week and showed an object resembling a small football lying on the ground. The New Arab could not independently verify the image. | A Lebanese army source told The…
(2026-06-18). US sanctions Lebanon officials for 'delaying' Hezb disarmament. newarab.com 
(2026-06-18). Senate bill adds restrictions on US effort to train Lebanon army: What to know. al-monitor.com Lawmakers want to know the number of Lebanese special forces recruits, their equipment and religious background as part of a planned $36 million DOD train-and-equip project aimed at dismantling Hezbollah.