Iran & USA: 1) U.S.-Iran Latest: U.S. strikes Iran after Trump accuses Tehran of “foolish violation” of ceasefire – series of mini-articles; 2)U.S. and Iran open high-stakes nuclear talks amid rising regional tensions; 3)Israel and Hezbollah agree to halt fighting as talks between the U.S. and Iran hang in the balance
U.S.-Iran Latest: U.S. strikes Iran after Trump accuses Tehran of “foolish violation” of ceasefire
By Alex Sundby, Mark Osborne, Khaled Wassef, Frank Andrews, June 26, 2026
What to know about the Iran war today:
The U.S. carried out retaliatory strikes against Iran on Friday after Iranian forces hit a cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz a day earlier.
President Trump on Friday called Iran’s attack a “foolish violation” of the ceasefire, as Tehran and Washington appear to remain at odds on even basic points in their memorandum of understanding, including control of the strait and how Iran will spend its unfrozen funds.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the framework of a deal Friday between Lebanon and Israel, but Hezbollah, which has rejected similar past deals, was not part of the negotiations.
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“Violence will be met with violence,” Vance says after U.S. retaliatory strikes
By Alex Sundby,
Vice President JD Vance said “violence will be met with violence” after the U.S. carried out retaliatory strikes against Iran on Friday.
“Iran signed a ceasefire agreement. We have honored it. If they have disagreements about how the MOU is being applied, they can pick up the phone,” Vance said on social media, referring to the memorandum of understanding between the two countries. “But violence will be met with violence.”
U.S. hits multiple targets in retaliatory strikes against Iran, official says
By Eleanor Watson
U.S. aircraft hit multiple targets along the Strait of Hormuz and on Iran’s Qeshm Island during Friday’s retaliatory strikes against Iran, a U.S. official told CBS News after the strikes concluded.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-strikes-iran-drone-attack-cargo-ship-challenge-ceasefire-trump/Read more here.
House Dem says war isn’t “anywhere near over” as U.S. conducts retaliatory strikes
House Dem says war isn’t “anywhere near over” as U.S. conducts retaliatory strikes
A House Democrat said Friday’s retaliatory strikes by the U.S. against Iran showed that the war isn’t ending anytime soon.
“I don’t think this war is anywhere near over,” Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, a Democrat from Virginia, said on CBS News’ “The Takeout” Friday.
He also doubted the memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran would hold up.
“Iran is difficult to deal with in the first place, and then you have an administration that has showed itself to be incompetent when it comes to foreign affairs and diplomacy, and so that’s why you have the breakdown of all these frameworks,” Subramanyam said.
By Alex Sundby
A House Democrat said Friday’s retaliatory strikes by the U.S. against Iran showed that the war isn’t ending anytime soon.
A House Democrat said Friday’s retaliatory strikes by the U.S. against Iran showed that the war isn’t ending anytime soon. “I don’t think this war is anywhere near over,” Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, a Democrat from Virginia, said on CBS News’ “The Takeout” Friday. He also doubted the memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran would hold up. “Iran is difficult to deal with in the first place, and then you have an administration that has showed itself to be incompetent when it comes to foreign affairs and diplomacy, and so that’s why you have the breakdown of all these frameworks,” Subramanyam said
By Alex Sundby
Retaliatory strikes against Iran are ongoing, U.S. official says
Retaliatory strikes against Iran are ongoing, U.S. official says
A U.S. official told CBS News the retaliatory strikes against Iran are ongoing.
By Eleanor Watson: https://www.cbsnews.com/team/eleanor-morgan-watson/
U.S. strikes targets in Iran after drone attack on cargo ship
The U.S. military says it hit Iranian targets on Friday over Iran’s drone attack on a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first American strikes on Iran since the two countries agreed to extend an already rickety ceasefire last week.
The strikes targeted Iranian missile and drone storage facilities and radar sites, U.S. Central Command said in a statement posted to social media, calling it a “powerful response” to Iran’s “dangerous behavior.”
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-strikes-iran-drone-attack-cargo-ship-challenge-ceasefire-trump/
By Joe Walsh:
Will Iran face consequences for strike on ship? “You’ll find out,” Trump says.
President Trump was asked by a reporter in the Oval Office whether Iran would face any consequences for carrying out a drone strike on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
“You’ll find out,” Mr. Trump said.
Asked if the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran was still in place, the president said, “I don’t like the fact that they took a shot yesterday – actually four, we knocked down three – at a ship, not an allied ship, but a ship, a very expensive ship.”
“They shouldn’t be doing that,” Mr. Trump said.
By Alex Sundby
Trump says “nobody saw” drone that hit cargo ship in Strait of Hormuz
Describing the U.S. response to a drone strike that President Trump blamed on Iran, the president said one got through unnoticed and struck a ship on Thursday.
“We knocked down three of them. One of them, I guess – we didn’t miss it. Nobody saw it coming,” Mr. Trump said on Friday.
He made the comment while addressing the Faith and Freedom Coalition policy conference in Washington after remarking that Iran still has “some capability, not much.”
“You can’t do that stuff,” he added. Earlier on Friday he called the strike a violation of the ceasefire agreement between Iran and the United States.
CBS/AP
2)U.S. and Iran open high-stakes nuclear talks amid rising regional tensions
Courtesy Barrie360.com
By Staff, June 21, 2026
U.S. Vice President JD Vance and senior Iranian officials arrived in Switzerland on Sunday to formally launch negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program and to build on a fragile interim deal aimed at ending the war in Iran.
A Critical 60-Day Window for Negotiations
The framework agreement, signed last week, has triggered a 60-day period for top U.S. and Iranian negotiators to finalize the technical details. The outcome of these talks carries major implications for both the global economy and international security.
However, just days after the agreement was reached, it is already being tested. Fighting escalated in Lebanon between Israel and the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah. Compounding tensions, Iran’s military announced it had closed the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway through which roughly a fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas passes.
Delayed Arrivals and Diplomatic Build-Up
Vance had initially planned to arrive at the picturesque Bürgenstock resort near Lucerne on Friday. His departure was delayed after the fighting in Lebanon intensified, and Iranian officials cancelled their earlier travel plans.
By Sunday morning, delegations from the United States and Iran, along with mediators from Pakistan and Qatar, had arrived at the mountainside resort overlooking Lake Lucerne. According to the Swiss government, talks were expected to begin shortly.
Disputes Over Strait of Hormuz Status
U.S. Central Command disputed Iran’s claim that it had once again shut down the Strait of Hormuz. Officials said U.S. forces continued to monitor the situation to ensure shipping traffic remains uninterrupted. Vance also noted that millions of barrels of oil have moved through the strait in recent days.
Vance left the United States shortly after Iranian state television reported that Tehran’s negotiating team had landed in Switzerland. Iran’s delegation includes parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, alongside central bank and oil officials.
On the U.S. side, Vance joins special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, who had already begun working through the complex technical elements of the negotiations.
Broader Diplomatic Participation
The talks also include Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Qatari mediators. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said Sharif plans to hold separate meetings with delegations from Iran, Switzerland, and the United States to reaffirm Pakistan’s commitment to dialogue and lasting regional peace.
Vance and his wife, second lady Usha Vance, arrived at Emmen Air Base near Lucerne just before 6 a.m. local time, according to his office.
Political Pressure at Home
Although Vance is expected to stay in Switzerland for only “a day or two,” leaving much of the detailed negotiating work to Witkoff and Kushner, his involvement has drawn increased scrutiny. The vice president is reportedly weighing a 2028 presidential run.
Both Trump and Vance have faced intense criticism from factions within their own party. Republican hard-liners have compared the current agreement unfavourably to the Obama-era nuclear deal, which Trump and GOP leaders argued failed to halt Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Details of the Interim Agreement
The deal reached between Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian allows Iran to resume selling oil freely and provides access to billions of dollars in previously frozen assets. It also requires Iran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, believed to be stored at nuclear sites targeted in U.S. strikes last summer.
The agreement permits commercial vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without charge for 60 days, though it leaves open the possibility of future fees imposed by Iran. Trump warned Saturday that the U.S. could introduce its own tolls on the strait if no deal is reached within that period, stating on social media that such fees would compensate for acting as a “Guardian Angel” to Middle Eastern countries.
Market and Regional Impacts
The Trump administration has sought to reassure global markets that the Iran conflict has only briefly affected oil prices, despite concerns from Americans about rising gasoline costs ahead of the summer travel season. Following the announcement of the deal last week, oil futures dropped nearly 8%, with markets expected to react closely to the progress of the talks.
Ongoing Conflict Complicates Talks
Further complicating the negotiations, neither Israel nor Hezbollah is part of the U.S.-Iran agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to maintain Israeli forces in southern Lebanon until all threats are eliminated, while Hezbollah has said it will not stop its attacks unless Israel withdraws.
In the days following the agreement, fighting between Israel and Hezbollah resulted in 47 deaths in Lebanon and four Israeli soldiers killed.
3)Israel and Hezbollah agree to halt fighting as talks between the U.S. and Iran hang in the balance
Courtesy Barrie360.com and The Associated Press
By Erin Cunningham, Jon Gambrell And Aamer Madhani, June 19 2026
Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group agreed Friday to halt the heavy fighting in southern Lebanon that had threatened to unravel an interim peace agreement between the United States and Iran, officials said. Neither Israel nor Hezbollah immediately confirmed the truce.
It came after a heavy exchange of fire killed 47 people in Lebanon and four Israeli soldiers.
Hezbollah and Israel went to war shortly after the outbreak of the wider conflict, with Hezbollah firing rockets and drones at civilian communities in northern Israel and Israel seizing large swaths of southern Lebanon.
The agreement to end the Iran war calls for a halt to military operations in Lebanon and for its sovereignty to be respected. Neither Israel nor Hezbollah is a party to the deal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to keep Israeli forces in southern Lebanon until the threat is eliminated. Hezbollah has refused to halt its attacks unless Israel commits to withdrawing from Lebanon, which Iran says is also a condition of the wider agreement.
The deal aims to end the war between the U.S. and Iran, open the Strait of Hormuz to relieve the world economy, and relaunch talks on Iran’s nuclear program with a 60-day deadline for a final accord. But it already faces threats, chiefly from Lebanon, with the fighting there leading to a delay in the start of talks planned for Friday in Switzerland.
Firing goes on along Lebanese border
Hours after officials told news organizations about the truce, Israeli artillery fire could still be heard from northern Israel along the Lebanese border, and a large explosion was seen erupting inside Lebanon, according to an AP journalist in northern Israel.
Word of the attempt to halt the fighting came from two regional officials and a U.S. official. It was mediated by Qatar, the U.S. and Iran, the regional officials said. The three officials were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.
A Hezbollah official said an agreement to stop fighting could be announced soon, but he stopped short of confirming it was in place. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly on the matter.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office did not immediately comment. However, Netanyahu posted Friday on X that, on his orders, the army had “struck powerfully” 150 Hezbollah targets, killing dozens of militants.
Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said the military has not received different instructions from the government. He said Israeli forces were operating in a “forward defense zone” and will continue doing so.
Hezbollah and Israel had decreased their attacks after Iran and the U.S. reached a deal to stop the war on “all fronts,” including Lebanon.
Iranian and U.S. officials cancel travel to Switzerland
Iranian officials did not travel as planned to Switzerland, insisting that the fighting in Lebanon must stop before the talks can take place, according to the two regional officials, an Iranian official and a fourth person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive conversations behind the scenes. U.S. Vice President JD Vance also postponed his trip.
The interim deal has halted hostilities in Iran and the Gulf and reopened the Strait of Hormuz, after Iranian attacks and threats all but stopped the flow of oil and natural gas through the waterway, creating a global energy crisis.
But future talks are supposed to bring about a permanent end to the conflict, including addressing how to restrict Iran’s nuclear program — the core issue over which Israel and the U.S. went to war on Feb. 28.
On Friday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said consultations through mediators were ongoing regarding the next phase of negotiations to draft a final agreement.
Because the initial deal was signed digitally earlier this week, the talks in Switzerland were not urgent, and plans were underway to hold a meeting in the coming days, he said.
Fighting forces families to flee from villages
The Israeli military said four soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel, were killed in an attack on a tank in a village near the southern Lebanese city of Nabatiyeh. An explosive drone attack wounded another five, it added.
Israel then launched multiple strikes against “Hezbollah infrastructure sites” in Nabatiyeh and other areas, according to a military statement, which accused the militant group of “blatant ceasefire violations.”
Later, the military said it also struck targets in the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon, with Lebanese media saying the village of Douris was hit.
“Israel will not tolerate attacks on our soldiers or on our territory, and it will exact a very heavy price from Hezbollah for these attacks,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
Hezbollah acknowledged targeting Israeli tanks and said its attacks were in response to what it called Israel’s own violation of the ceasefire. It said the attacks came after Israeli forces attempted to reach the northern side of Ali al-Taher hilltop, a strategic point that overlooks Nabatiyeh and that Israeli troops have been trying to capture.
In southern Lebanon, many were forced to flee their villages.
“The situation is lawless, we couldn’t stay,” said Mustafa Zain, who was with his six daughters in a pickup truck.
Beyond the fighting, Israel’s occupation of large swaths of southern Lebanon is also a sticking point. Iran insists Israel must withdraw, but Netanyahu has said that forces would remain in a “security zone” of southern Lebanon as long as “Israel’s security needs require it.”
Israel’s actions have created a rift between Israel and the U.S., with Trump becoming increasingly critical of his close ally Netanyahu, who is also facing increasing criticism at home.
Much still needs to be resolved
The discussions in Switzerland were expected to focus on Iran’s nuclear program. Tehran maintains it is peaceful, though it has highly enriched uranium that could be used to build multiple atomic bombs, should it choose to do so, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Those talks are expected to be difficult. The 2015 nuclear deal, which Trump scrapped during his first term, took more than 18 months to negotiate.
The interim deal gives negotiators 60 days to come up with a nuclear agreement, but that can be extended. It outlines lucrative incentives if Iran does reach a new agreement, including the eventual lifting of all international sanctions and a $300 billion fund for postwar reconstruction.
Already Iran has won some concessions. Following the signing of the interim deal, the U.S. lifted its blockade of Iran’s ports and is allowing it to sell its oil freely. The deal also calls for Iran’s assets to be unfrozen — though it’s not clear how quickly.
___ Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Madhani reported from Zurich. Associated Press journalists David Rising in Bangkok, Abby Sewell and Bassem Mroue in Beirut, Samy Magdy in Cairo, Malak Harb in Tyre, Lebanon, Munir Ahmed in Islamabad and Areej Hazboun in Jerusalem contributed to this story.