Live: US strikes Iran again as tensions threaten fragile truce
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US officials have confirmed that Iran's national team will be required to leave the United States within hours of the final whistle of its World Cup group-stage matches in Los Angeles and Seattle.
The policy drew criticism after questions were raised about the handling of visas and travel arrangements for the Iranian squad following its opening match.
Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Fifa Task Force, defended the arrangement, telling The Associated Press: "We were clear this was the process."
The United States, one of the co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup, has faced scrutiny over the travel restrictions imposed on the Iranian team amid wider tensions between Washington and Tehran.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the agreement between the United States and Iran offers an opportunity for regional stability and economic security, stressing that "the agreed-upon peace must now hold".
Writing on X, Merz said the leaders of the Group of Seven nations were united in supporting the accord. "We are united on this as G7," he wrote.
Merz said the agreement presents "an opportunity for the stability of the region and for the global economy" as efforts continue to restore normal shipping through the strategic waterway, the Strait of Hormuz.
The German leader had earlier said Berlin had already dispatched mine-clearing vessels to the region ahead of an anticipated full reopening of the strategic waterway.
Pope Leo welcomed the interim agreement between the United States and Iran, saying "thanks be to God" that the two countries are preparing to formalise their accord on Friday.
Speaking to reporters outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, the pontiff said he hoped the agreement would bring a lasting end to the conflict.
"There will still be several points to settle, but it is always better to do so through dialogue, through negotiations, and not by returning to war," Leo said.
"I hope that it truly is a solution to the war, that the war really is over, and that we can move forward." The pope's remarks came after he had previously criticised the US-Israel war on Iran and called for a negotiated resolution.
Maritime tracking service TankerTrackers says two Iranian supertankers have successfully exited a US Navy blockade area, marking "Iran's first crude oil exports in two months".
According to the group's statement on X, automatic identification system data and satellite imagery from 15 June confirmed that the National Iranian Tanker Company's vessels Diona and Hero 2 left the blockade perimeter "carrying a combined total of 3.8 million barrels of Iranian crude oil between them".
TankerTrackers said the development marked a significant step for Iran's oil exports after weeks of disruption.
The group also reported that a third NITC tanker, Stream, "is approaching the blockade line from the EEZ [exclusive economic zone] of Pakistan; where it spent the past 7 weeks waiting to enter Iran".
BREAKING: CRUDE OIL DEPARTS IRAN FOLLOWING A TWO MONTH LONG NAVY BLOCKADE
— TankerTrackers.com, Inc. (@TankerTrackers) June 16, 2026
According to AIS data which we corroborated yesterday (2026-06-15) by satellite imagery, at least two National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) VLCC supertankers named DIONA (9569695) and HERO2 (9362073) have… pic.twitter.com/tSesQTcC6K
A new poll conducted by Israel's public broadcaster Kan suggests limited support among Israelis for the agreement reached between the United States and Iran.
Of 555 respondents surveyed on Tuesday, 18 percent said they supported the deal, while 55 percent said they opposed it.
The survey also found that 70 percent of respondents "still fear the Iranian threat" despite recent US and Israeli attacks on Iran's military infrastructure.
Forty percent said President Donald Trump would still be "considered a 'great friend of Israel', even after the signing of the agreement", while 32 percent said they believed the US president's "position in relation to Israel will change".
The death toll from Israel's genocide in Gaza has risen to 73,008, with a further 173,260 people wounded since October 2023, according to medical sources cited by the Palestinian news agency Wafa.
Hospitals across the besieged enclave received the bodies of five Palestinians and treated eight wounded people over the past 24 hours, the sources said.
They added that since the ceasefire that came into effect on 11 October last year, 997 Palestinians have been killed and 3,152 injured. The bodies of 784 victims have also been recovered from beneath the rubble and from other locations across the territory.
Medical officials said an unknown number of victims remain trapped under collapsed buildings and in areas inaccessible to rescue teams, with emergency crews continuing to face major obstacles in reaching those affected by Israeli attacks.
Iran is set to receive sanctions relief for the sale of its oil and related petroleum products as part of a memorandum of understanding with the US that could also unlock $300bn for the redevelopment of the Islamic Republic, according to the text of the agreement circulating in US media.
The details have been reported by several media outlets, but Bloomberg obtained a full draft of the memorandum which appears to usher in sweeping gains for Iran without addressing key US war objectives.
For example, the memorandum cited by Bloomberg does not address the fate of Iran’s enriched uranium, long considered a sticking point in negotiations.
Nor does it mention Iran’s conventional military forces, like its ballistic missile arsenal, which Trump entered the war calling a threat to the US.
The memorandum also says that the ceasefire includes “all fronts, including in Lebanon”, reaffirming a key Iranian demand that is sure to anger US ally Israel.
Read more: Full text of US-Iran deal promises sanctions relief and phased access to frozen funds: Report
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said Berlin is prepared to contribute to efforts aimed at maintaining stability in the Middle East following an interim agreement between Iran and the United States to end the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Speaking at the G7 summit, Merz said Germany had consistently indicated its willingness to participate in any international effort to support regional security.
"We have always said that we are ready to play our part," he said. "Indeed, we have already sent the first mine-clearing boats or ships to the region."
Iran's armed forces have accused Israel of violating the ceasefire in southern Lebanon 84 times since the US-Iran agreement was announced on Sunday.
In a statement carried by Iranian state media, the unified command of Iran's army said the alleged violations demonstrated Israel's continued military escalation in Lebanon despite efforts to reduce regional tensions.
The statement warned that Israel "should expect a harsh response" if it "continues to commit crimes and massacre the oppressed people of Lebanon".
The comments come as Israeli forces continue to carry out strikes across southern Lebanon, including a series of attacks in Nabatieh governorate that Lebanese media reported killed at least four people earlier this week.
Southeast Asian countries could face sharply rising energy costs unless they accelerate efforts to diversify their energy supplies, according to a new report released on Tuesday by the International Energy Agency (IEA).
The report says disruptions linked to the US-Israeli war on Iran, including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, triggered an energy shock across the region, leading to higher fuel costs and increased inflation.
In response, several countries have expanded investment in alternative energy sources, with rising electric vehicle sales, renewed interest in nuclear power and rapid growth in rooftop solar and other renewable energy projects.
However, the IEA warned that without broader structural reforms, the region's annual energy import bill could rise from $80bn in 2024 to $245bn by 2035.
The report also noted that the conflict has reinforced reliance on coal during periods of supply disruption, complicating efforts to reduce fossil fuel use.
"Diversification of energy sources and supply routes is now a central priority," IEA executive director Fatih Birol said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had not seen the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran as of Tuesday evening, according to a person familiar with the matter cited by the Associated Press.
Netanyahu's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
While Israel is not a party to the agreement expected to be signed later this week, the deal could have significant implications for its military operations in Lebanon.
Iran's foreign minister has said the agreement includes a requirement for Israel to withdraw from Lebanese territory, where Israeli forces continue to occupy areas in the country's south and carry out regular attacks targeting Hezbollah.
Israeli officials, however, have indicated that they do not intend to withdraw, setting the stage for potential friction over the implementation of provisions linked to ending the US-Israeli war on Iran and reducing regional tensions.
The US rebuffed an Israeli request to see the memorandum of understanding it signed with Iran, according to reports by US and Israeli media outlets.
ABC News reported on Tuesday that Israeli officials have been briefed on the agreement, but that Israel has not been provided the text.
The agreement, which was signed digitally by Iran and the US on Sunday, extends a fragile ceasefire between the two sides for 60 days and reopens the Strait of Hormuz, but the details of the text remain unclear.
US officials, including Vice President JD Vance, have taken to network TV to defend the MOU. Vance said the “coolest thing” about the diplomacy was that the US was now talking to the Iranians.
Read more: US refused to share Iran deal text with Israel: Report
US President Donald Trump threatened to attack just one Arab Gulf country during the war on Iran: Oman. Now, it is emerging as the biggest winner from a new Middle East order being hashed out by the US and the Islamic Republic.
That assessment may seem counterintuitive at first glance, but due to its geography, business acumen, and Tehran’s newly demonstrated heft in the region, western, Arab, and even some US diplomats see the new order unfurling with Oman on top.
Oman’s rapid turn of fortune also underscores a bigger shift in the Middle East, some analysts say.
In the war’s early days, when other Gulf states opened their military bases to the US and joined the attack on Iran, Oman was called an outlier among its neighbours because of its criticism of the US and its reluctance to enter the fray.
But Muscat's decision has been vindicated by a ceasefire that is widely viewed as a victory for Iran in the Gulf.
“Oman’s position, which was always conciliatory to Iran, has now become the approach of other Gulf countries,” Bernard Haykel, a scholar of Middle Eastern studies and professor at Princeton University, told Middle East Eye.
Read more: 'From outlier to trailblazer': How Oman offers a glimpse into the post-war Gulf
The Israeli military says it intercepted several rockets launched by Hezbollah towards its forces operating in southern Lebanon.
In a statement posted on Telegram, the army said it subsequently targeted and destroyed the launcher used in the attack.
The military also said it carried out a strike on a vehicle in southern Lebanon after firing what it described as a "warning" shot.
The claims come amid a surge in Israeli attacks across southern Lebanon. Earlier on Tuesday, Israeli strikes in Nabatieh governorate killed at least four people, including in what Lebanese media described as a deadly "double-tap" attack targeting the same area more than once.
Oil prices have fallen sharply to their lowest levels in three months, as markets reacted positively to the anticipated signing of a formal agreement between Washington and Tehran later this week.
Brent crude futures dropped $3.29, or four percent, to $79.88 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude fell $3.82, or 4.7 percent, to $76.93, according to Reuters.
The decline extends losses seen earlier in the day, when oil prices had already fallen by more than two percent.
Both benchmarks had been trading between $65 and $70 a barrel before the US and Israel launched their war on Iran on 28 February, with concerns over regional instability and potential supply disruptions having pushed prices higher in the months since.
