Weekend Recap: \\US-IRAN DEAL: CEASEFIRE FRAMEWORK ON THE VERGE OF SIGNING\\
By Sammy Tisser,
A senior Trump administration official held a phone briefing Friday outlining the terms of a memorandum of understanding the US and Iran are on the brink of signing. The MOU, as described, extends the existing ceasefire by 60 days, reopens the Strait of Hormuz, and kicks off technical-level nuclear negotiations. It does not immediately require Iran to dismantle its nuclear infrastructure or surrender its enriched uranium stockpile. Those outcomes are intended to be secured through follow-on talks during the 60-day window.
The official laid out five US goals the deal is meant to advance: reopening the strait and lifting the US blockade of Iranian ports; moving toward dismantlement of Iran's nuclear program; transferring Iran's enriched material out of the country for destruction; establishing long-term regional peace; and creating an inspections regime. In each case, however, the senior official acknowledged that the MOU itself does not mandate immediate action. The agreement establishes a "direct line" toward those outcomes rather than delivering them upfront.
Iran, for its part, would receive graduated sanctions relief only upon verified compliance. "The Iranians don't get anything upon signing," the official said, noting that economic benefits would be unlocked incrementally as Tehran fulfills nuclear commitments.
The official also cited two factors that strengthened the US negotiating position in recent weeks. First, Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz weakened as the US quietly moved significantly more oil through the channel than it had earlier in the conflict, eroding Tehran's leverage. Second, Iranian internal consensus on the MOU's nuclear language coalesced over the preceding days. The official said hardliner opposition within Iran was "quite minimal," and that those in contact with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei attested he was "comfortable" with where the negotiations stood. The official stressed the deal is structured around performance rather than trust, given the significant mistrust that remains between the sides.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed the deal was close but cautioned against premature reports on its contents, saying the signing would be done digitally, with each side signing remotely. He said the Strait of Hormuz administration would not revert to pre-war arrangements, describing Iranian and Omani sovereignty over the waterway. He also reiterated Iran's position that its enriched uranium stockpile should be diluted inside Iran rather than removed, a stance the US has not publicly accepted. Araghchi said he viewed Israel as the foremost opponent of the emerging agreement, accusing it of seeking pretexts to derail the deal.
On Saturday, President Trump posted on Truth Social that "the Deal is scheduled to get signed tomorrow, and immediately after it is signed, the Hormuz Strait is OPEN TO ALL." He added that "at the appropriate time, when all is calm, we will go in and get the Nuclear Dust, buried deep under the powerful sunken granite mountains," referring to Iran's buried enriched uranium stockpile. Trump closed by saying, "We look forward to working with Iran, and the entire Middle East, long into the future. Hopefully, this process will all work out quickly, easily, and smoothly. If it doesn't, we have the ultimate alternative, hopefully never to be used again."
Trump's post ran counter to Iran's foreign ministry, which had indicated earlier Saturday that Sunday was not the target date, citing hesitation on the US side. Trump also said separately that he had demanded Iran apologize for state media reports falsely claiming Tehran would receive billions in sanctions relief upon signing. Araghchi subsequently posted a statement urging caution in media reporting on the MOU's contents, which Trump viewed positively. Axios reported the signing would take place via a virtual meeting, with Pakistani and Qatari mediators co-signing. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif separately confirmed a framework had been agreed and that an electronic signing was expected within 24 hours, followed by technical talks next week.
\\WHAT THE DEAL DOESN'T COVER\\
Israeli officials reacted with deep concern to the reported terms, arguing they reflected Iran's core conditions rather than a balanced outcome. Senior officials told Channel 12 that the agreement does not immediately address any of the war's stated objectives. They noted that Iran's ballistic missile program is not addressed, proxy support is not halted, and uranium removal has been replaced with a dilution commitment. "This is the same framework as the Gaza deal," one official said, warning that US military leverage would erode once a formal ceasefire took hold.
A CNN report, citing five sources familiar with US intelligence, added a complicating dimension: Iran has reportedly collapsed tunnels and mined the entrances to its bombed Isfahan nuclear complex, making access to the buried enriched uranium far more difficult and dangerous. Experts cited in the report warned this raises the risk that Tehran could later claim it is unable to retrieve portions of its stockpile.
\\IRAN DEAL AND ISRAEL: FRICTION BUT NO VETO\\
President Trump called Prime Minister Netanyahu Thursday, shortly after announcing the deal was essentially done, reportedly catching Israeli officials off guard. According to a senior US official cited by Channel 12, Trump told the prime minister, "This is the deal. It's an excellent deal. It's time to end this war." Netanyahu did not push back forcefully. "Bibi didn't say much. Evidently, he understood that there's going to be a deal, and that he can't stop it," the official said.
At the briefing, the senior US official addressed Israeli concerns by stressing that the agreement does not require Israel to give up the right to self-defense. He said Trump and his team had been in continuous contact with Jerusalem, and that Israeli skepticism stemmed from "misreported details." Asked directly whether the US would allow Israel to continue striking in Lebanon, the official deflected, framing any ongoing Israeli action as contingent on Hezbollah and Iran's conduct. "If Hezbollah is firing rockets and Iran is funding them, then they haven't kept their end of the bargain," he said.
On Israeli concerns about the emerging deal and Defense Minister Israel Katz's assertion that Israel retains strike rights in both Lebanon and Iran, the official said the deal was "broad" and encompassed Lebanon, Iran, the Gulf states, and Israel. He expressed confidence all parties would get on board, while reaffirming that self-defense rights remain intact if Iran fails to comply.
Switzerland separately offered to host a physical signing ceremony, with the Swiss foreign ministry confirming it is in contact with both Washington and Tehran and has proposed itself as a venue should the parties agree.
\\G7: TRUMP TO MEET GULF LEADERS, DEMINE THE STRAIT\\
President Trump is set to meet with the leaders of Egypt, Qatar, and the UAE on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France next week to discuss efforts to end the war with Iran and plans to demine the Strait of Hormuz. Britain and France have both expressed interest in assisting with the de-mining effort and already have naval vessels at sea that could participate. Prime Minister Netanyahu is not expected to attend the summit, which convenes amid optimism that a deal could be signed within days.
\\UAE FUNDS FOR IRAN\\
Reuters reported Friday that the UAE has agreed to unlock billions in frozen funds for Iran, a move tied to a halt in Iranian attacks on the Gulf state during the war. Two regional sources put the total at $10 billion, with over $3 billion already transferred. Two other sources cited a higher figure of $20 billion. The UAE's foreign ministry flatly denied the report, saying claims of any fund release were "untrue and not based on any facts or reliable information." A UAE official did confirm that the country's foreign policy is focused on de-escalation and regional stability.
\\LEBANON: IDF STRIKES, HEZBOLLAH DRONES, ARMY RETREATS\\
Israeli forces continued operations in southern Lebanon over the weekend. The IDF struck more than 70 Hezbollah targets over a 24-hour period, including rocket launchers and infrastructure used to stage attacks. Seven Hezbollah operatives were killed in recent days after emerging from a tunnel near the Beaufort Castle area. The tunnel, which contained weapons and maps showing targeting plans for northern Israeli communities, is slated for demolition.
The IDF issued evacuation warnings for at least 24 towns and villages south of the Zahrani River, including areas near the Hezbollah stronghold of Nabatieh, ahead of airstrikes. Lebanese state media confirmed strikes in Rihan, Sujud, and surrounding areas. The Lebanese Armed Forces subsequently withdrew armored vehicles from the town of Kfar Tebnit, on the outskirts of Nabatieh. A Lebanese soldier was seriously wounded in an Israeli drone strike while traveling between Kfar Roummane and Nabatieh.
On the Israeli side, suspected Hezbollah drones triggered sirens in Western Galilee and the Galilee Panhandle. One drone struck a military zone in northern Israel near the Lebanese border with no injuries. A second was intercepted over an area of southern Lebanon where Israeli troops are active. Police sappers also worked to defuse an unexploded missile interceptor found near Yokneam.
US forces downed several Iranian drones that targeted commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, with CENTCOM reporting the strait remained open for transit.
\\UNRWA FIRES 70 STAFFERS IN GAZA\\
UNRWA announced the dismissal of 70 Gaza staff members, citing safety and security risks. The agency said the terminations did not constitute a disciplinary finding and noted that Israel had not provided substantive evidence despite repeated requests. Israel has long alleged that UNRWA employees were involved in Hamas activity, including participation in the October 7 massacre, and has provided what it says is evidence to that effect. UN Watch welcomed the dismissals while calling them insufficient, and criticized the agency for declining to explicitly acknowledge the basis for the terminations.
\\IRAN WORLD CUP: VISA DISPUTE\\
Iran's World Cup team supervisor said FIFA President Gianni Infantino failed to secure full visa access for federation members to attend the team's games in the US. Fifteen Iranian soccer federation members, including the supervisor, have been denied US visas. The State Department said the rejections were based on concerns about individuals attempting to exploit the visa system. FIFA did not respond to a request for comment.
\\KHAMENEI FUNERAL\\
Iranian state media announced that the funeral for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who died in strikes on Iran earlier this year, will begin in Tehran on July 4, with burial in Mashhad on July 9.
Topics: Iran, Strait of Hormuz, Lebanon & Hezbollah
Reported by Sammy Tisser for Bernie News Network. See our editorial standards and corrections policy.