The call to prayer, also known as the adhan, is being heard again in southern Lebanon after a long absence. On the night of June 14th, the Lebanese people rejoiced over the upcoming US-Iran agreements, which include a ceasefire in Lebanon.
The world will therefore be in suspense until June 19th, when the United States and Iran are expected to sign the draft agreement to launch the Middle East and West Asia peace process, which they will do in Switzerland. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Gharibabadi stated: “The final text of the memorandum of understanding has been agreed upon: the formal signing of the Islamabad MOU will take place on Friday in Switzerland. After the official signing, the text of the agreement will be published. Before the signing, we will also explain the various aspects of the memorandum of understanding through public media and announce the results achieved. This memorandum of understanding does not imply trust in the enemy and was drafted despite mistrust. We will monitor the implementation of the commitments made by the United States.”
According to Iranian sources, the 14-point agreement radically changed course after Israel’s latest attack on Beirut. Iran was preparing for a new attack on Israel there, and it appears that at that time the delegation in Qatar obtained more concessions to prevent an attack on Israel by the Pasdaran. The United States and Israel have neither confirmed nor denied this report.
Fars has issued new details on the text of the Iran-US agreement: “The previous version included clauses to ensure the exercise of sovereignty and agreements with Iran; now, however, it states that the ‘future management of maritime navigation services in the Strait of Hormuz’ will be determined by Iran and Oman. The explicit use of the term ‘maritime services’ implies that the United States will recognize Iran’s right to collect tariffs. This principle is reiterated elsewhere in the text, such that Iran accepts only 60 days of free passage for ships. This means that the United States has accepted the principle of collecting tariffs and has only obtained a 60-day discount from Iran. But after these 60 days, the Islamic Republic of Iran intends to benefit from the financial revenues derived from the passage of commercial vessels through this strait for the country’s economic development, providing security, navigation, environmental, and insurance services. In this regard, a key principle has been the cooperation of the other side of the Strait of Hormuz.” Hormuz, or Oman, and the necessary negotiations have been conducted to involve the Omani side.”
Among the obstacles to reaching the peace agreement is Israel’s position on Lebanon. Trump: “Bibi accepts the agreement.” But Israel Katz, Israeli Defense Minister, stated on June 15: “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have a clear policy that the Israeli army will remain indefinitely in the security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza to protect the borders and Israeli settlements from jihadist groups. These areas will be evacuated by local residents, and all terrorist infrastructure, both underground and above ground, including homes in border villages used as terrorist positions, will be destroyed. For this reason, we oppose the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Lebanon, despite all existing and future pressure. Prime Minister Netanyahu has made this clear to US President Trump and other senior American officials, and I also communicated the same to US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth yesterday. If Iran attacks Israel because of developments in Lebanon, we will respond with full force and clearly demonstrate the balance of power to them.”
In any case, US Secretary of Defense Hegseth stated that the United States will continue to maintain significant military forces in the region and will reimpose the blockade against Iran if the latter fails to fulfill its obligations.
From the G7, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that the G7 is ready to deploy a naval mission to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. A joint Anglo-French task force is reportedly already in place, with support from the Netherlands and Italy. France says it can deploy fighter jets, minesweeping teams, and the Charles de Gaulle Airport within 48 hours. The mobilization represents a direct challenge to Tehran’s declared post-war sovereignty over the vital energy chokepoint. Macron rejected the possibility of any maritime toll, arguing that it violates Western interpretations of international law and threatening that the G7 will bypass the critical point entirely by building alternative global trade routes.
According to CNN, Netanyahu insisted on an urgent meeting with Trump immediately after his return from the G7 summit in France, by the end of next week or shortly thereafter. Netanyahu told Trump that he will continue the operation in Lebanon. Israel will not withdraw its troops from Lebanon and does not consider itself bound by the Lebanon clause in the Iran deal, according to Israeli media reports.
Following the news of the Iranian Security Council’s acceptance of the draft agreement, Trump declared: “The agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to everyone! I hereby authorize the full and unconditional opening of the Strait of Hormuz and, simultaneously, the immediate lifting of the US naval blockade. Ships of the world, start your engines. Let the oil flow!”
When Iran threatened to heavily bomb Tel Aviv, Trump offered additional benefits, such as the withdrawal of US naval vessels from Hormuz. Following this, “Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) has decided to continue dialogue with the United States on resolving the conflict following renewed Israeli attacks on Lebanon,” announced President of the Islamic Republic Masoud Pezeshkian.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Gharibabadi: “Iran’s military strength was decisive in reaching the agreement, with the armed forces ready to strike the Zionist regime if negotiations fail. Talks continued until an hour ago, with Iran refusing to sign until every single demand was incorporated into the text.”
Clarifying the contents of the agreement, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei declared in the early afternoon of June 15: “The developments of the last four hours indicate the finalization of a memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States to end the imposed war launched by the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran on all fronts, including Lebanon.” As the agreement was nearing its final stages, the Israeli regime carried out a terrorist attack on a residential area in Lebanon, killing a senior Hezbollah commander along with several civilians. Despite this act, the Islamic Republic of Iran, prioritizing its overall interests and those of the resistance front, did not allow the diplomatic momentum to be undermined, and the crime ultimately turned into an opportunity to further strengthen unity within this front. It is emphasized that the establishment of a ceasefire and the end of the war in Lebanon are an integral part of the comprehensive agreement for the cessation of conflict (approved on April 8). The repeated reference to ‘Lebanon’ in the recent memorandum of understanding reflects the country’s strategic importance in the reconciliation process. The explicit reference to ‘ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon’, coupled with the strong emphasis on ‘respecting the sovereignty, national independence and territorial integrity of Lebanon’, clearly defines the legal and economic framework for the agreement. This is a structural part of this international commitment. Iran, while demonstrating its seriousness, will closely monitor future developments and use all its strategic tools to ensure that the other parties fully comply with their obligations.” Tasnim News Agency
“The release of frozen Iranian assets and compensation for war damages are two key economic priorities of this Memorandum of Understanding, and the United States is committed to respecting them.” “Iran considers access to its assets a legal right and continues to firmly demand reparations for this illegal war.” “Under this Memorandum, the United States is obligated to lift all primary and secondary sanctions, UN Security Council resolutions, and those of the International Atomic Energy Agency.”
“Details related to nuclear and economic issues will be finalized within 60 days of the signing of the final agreement.” “Furthermore, with the signing of this memorandum on Friday, all restrictions on the sale of Iranian oil, oil products, and petrochemical products will be lifted immediately.” “The security, dignity, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Lebanon are of paramount importance to Iran, and the country has concretely demonstrated its commitment to this.”
He further stated: “The security of the Strait of Hormuz is of great importance to Iran, and all measures taken in recent months have been fully compliant with international law. Under the memorandum of understanding, Iran, as a coastal state, in cooperation with Oman and in consultation with relevant parties, will ensure the safety and safe passage of vessels through this strategic waterway.” “Iran intends not simply to collect fees, but will define and collect costs related to navigation services, environmental protection, and ship insurance jointly provided by Iran and Oman.” “The memorandum does not include detailed nuclear provisions; instead, it stipulates that, within 60 days of signing, bilateral talks will be held exclusively on nuclear issues and the mutual lifting of sanctions.” “Iran’s positions regarding enrichment and stockpiling of highly enriched uranium are fully clear and based on its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). However, it remains to be seen how developments will evolve during these 60 days of negotiations.”
And now a look at the military scenarios in the Middle East and Western Asia, updated at 4:00 PM on June 15. The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that U.S. forces have diverted 142 ships in support of the U.S. naval blockade of Iran. 42 ships have been allowed to pass with humanitarian aid.
The Israeli Chief of Staff: “We are closely monitoring events, maintaining the highest levels of vigilance and readiness in all areas. Lebanon is the focus of our attention.”
On June 14, in southern Lebanon: “The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) attacked Hezbollah targets on the outskirts of Beirut in response to the bombing of Israeli territory.” according to Netanyahu’s office. At 10:00 PM on June 14, a large wave of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) attacks was reported in southern Lebanon. Two soldiers were injured by a rocket fired by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
At 2:50 AM on June 15, Italian time, the Lebanese people rejoiced over the agreement reached between Iran and the United States, with Iran confirming that the agreement calls for an end to fighting on all fronts, including Lebanon. The Israeli army left tanks and military vehicles on both sides of the roads before withdrawing from southern Lebanon. Following the Memorandum of Understanding, residents of the Nabatieh region in southern Lebanon returned to their homes.
Channels linked to the Shiite alliance said that preparations were underway to launch rockets from the area of the Yemeni capital Sana’a in the event of Israel violating the agreement.
On June 14, Warlord reported: “Visible vessel movements in the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours, tracked via the Automatic Identification System (AIS) on MarineTraffic.com, show that no vessels have passed through the Iranian traffic separation system, but several have transited Omani waters via the previously established “Project Freedom” safe route.”
The first vessel to pass through the Strait of Hormuz since the announcement of a ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran is believed to be a Maltese-flagged LNG carrier called “Disha,” which navigated using the Iranian traffic separation system (TSS). However, “The Strait of Hormuz is closed until further notice, and the Revolutionary Guard Navy has not allowed any vessels to pass for over 96 hours.”
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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