US Iran war LIVE updates: Iran to set up Hormuz ‘hotline’ with US to avoid misunderstandings as talks conclude

US Iran War LIVE Updates: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio faces a delicate mission this week pitching Washington’s Iran peace deal to Gulf Arab leaders who fear excessive concessions will strengthen Tehran and reshape the region’s security balance and oil flows.

Rubio will meet them in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, before traveling to Kuwait and Bahrain, where he will meet officials from the Gulf Cooperation Council, a grouping of monarchies that also includes Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman.

At issue are elements of a draft agreement that include no limits on Iran’s ballistic missiles, a proposed $300 billion reconstruction fund and provisions that could expand Tehran’s regional influence and control over critical oil shipping lanes.

All six GCC nations are strategic U.S. allies that offered some degree of logistical support to Washington during the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran that began four months ago and all were buffeted by Iranian airstrikes as a result.

(Reuters)

US Iran War LIVE Updates: Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said on Monday that the Strait of Hormuz can “never return to what it was before the war,” adding that it will be “managed under Iranian arrangements.”

“I was among the first to say clearly at the start of the war, everyone should know that management of the Strait of Hormuz will never return to the way it was before the war,” he said, adding that “Iran has never trusted the Americans and never will.”

Ghalibaf, speaking to Iranian media on the flight back from negotiations in Switzerland, also said that Iran has agreed to set up a “telephone hotline” for the strategic waterway to “prevent and resolve any misunderstandings” with the US and other countries as ships pass through it.

He added that the US and Iran have “reached an agreement to establish coordination mechanisms — a telephone hotline and a center so that if any ambiguity or issue arises, ships can contact that center,” CNN reported. Read more here

US Iran War LIVE Updates: Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker HE Ghalibaf arrived in Muscat on Monday, as part of their official visit to Oman.

Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Albusaidi recieved and extended a heartfelt welcome to the Iranian delegation.

In a post on X, the Foreign Ministry of Oman wrote, “His Excellency Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi @badralbusaidi, Minister of Foreign Affairs, received this evening His Excellency Dr. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Consultative Assembly of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the accompanying delegation, in the presence of His Excellency Dr. Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as part of his official visit to the Sultanate of Oman.”

The Ministry stated that the leaders held key discussions on topics ranging from the relations of cooperation between Oman and Iran, along with a “constructive” talk on the Iran-US MoU, and the announcements made regarding the Strait of Hormuz.

“During the meeting, they discussed the relations of cooperation and good neighborliness between the Sultanate of Oman and the Islamic Republic of Iran, and ways to develop them in a manner that serves common interests, alongside exchanging views on the latest developments in the regional situation. Both sides affirmed the importance of utilizing the current diplomatic moment to support peace efforts, enhance de-escalation and stability, in accordance with the principles of international law and good neighborliness, in a way that bolsters opportunities for de-escalation and preserves the security of the region and the safety of maritime navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and international waterways,” it wrote.

“The meeting was attended by His Excellency the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al Hinaai, His Excellency Musa Farhank, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran accredited to the Sultanate of Oman, and a number of officials from both sides,” it added.

(ANI)

Iran war LIVE: Vice President JD Vance on Monday said his lengthy talks with senior Iranian officials in Switzerland created a “good foundation for a successful final deal” as they seek a permanent end to the war that the U.S. and Israel began in late February.

Vance and U.S. officials claimed progress on multiple fronts, including the establishment of “mechanisms” to ensure the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global energy shipments, stays open and to address fighting between Israel and Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon, where a ceasefire appeared to be holding.

The interim deal to end the fighting in Iran, signed last week by the leaders of the U.S. and Iran, sets a 60-day period for negotiations on key issues, including the future of Tehran’s nuclear program amid concerns that Iran wants to use it for military purposes, a claim the country denies.

(AP)

Iran war LIVE: Iran foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf arrived in Muscat on Monday, as part of their official visit to Oman.

Oman’s foreign ministry stated that the leaders held key discussions on topics ranging from the relations of cooperation between Oman and Iran, along with a “constructive” talk on the Iran-US MoU, ANI news agency reported.

US Iran War LIVE Updates: US President Donald Trump on Monday said he would take whatever steps he considers necessary if Iran fails to follow through on any agreement reached after the first round of technical discussions between the two countries in Switzerland.

Speaking at the White House Oval Office during the signing of two Executive Orders on quantum technology, Trump said any failure by Tehran to comply would invite a response from Washington.

“If Iran doesn’t live up to their agreement, or if they’re not behaving, I will do what I have to do,” Trump told reporters. Read more here

US Iran War LIVE Updates: Gold fell as inflationary concerns overshadowed early optimism around negotiations to resolve the Iran war.

Bullion slipped as much as 1.2% to below $4,140 an ounce, erasing a modest gain in the previous session. Higher consumer prices stoked by nearly four months of conflict in the Middle East have raised the likelihood that central banks will hike borrowing costs – a headwind for precious metals, which don’t pay interest.

Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Austan Goolsbee said Monday he was concerned about inflation and questioned whether all the factors driving prices higher were temporary. “We’ve been dealing with an inflation problem that’s well above the target and has been going the wrong way,” he said in an interview on American Public Media’s Marketplace radio program.

(Bloomberg)

US Iran War LIVE Updates: US President Donald Trump on Monday (local time) reiterated Vice President JD Vance’s assertion that Iran is prepared to accept extensive weapons inspections as part of ongoing diplomatic efforts following recent talks between Washington and Tehran in Switzerland under the 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU).

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Iran would agree to stringent inspections aimed at ensuring transparency regarding its nuclear activities.

“Everybody is fully aware that Iran will agree to have Major Weapons Inspections in order to ensure ‘Nuclear Honesty’ long into the future,” Trump wrote in his post.

(ANI)

Iran war LIVE: Iranian crude is flooding onto the global market again, just as the US waives sanctions on the cargoes, permitting far more countries to buy them.

More than 30 million barrels departed for Asia in the past week — a mix of crude that had been blockaded by the US, and exports from Kharg Island, the nation’s top export facility in the northern Persian Gulf.

Ultimately, because the gush mostly reflects a clear-out of cargoes that were blockaded, the export rate will drop again. Shipping rates of 2 million barrels a day are high for Iran in recent years.

Even so, the short-term surge could see Tehran benefit from increased sales at smaller price discounts given the potentially wider customer base that the sanctions waiver will allow.

(Bloomberg)

Iran war LIVE: US President Donald Trump on Monday said that he will get “problems solved real fast” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the latter refused to remove the forces from southern Lebanon, despite the ongoing US-Iran peace talks.

When asked how he would ensure that the Israeli PM doesn’t sabotage the negotiations regarding the 14-point MoU, Trump refused to inform his plan but recognised himself as a “problem solver.”

“I’m not going to tell you what I’m going to do, but it gets solved. I’m a problem solver. I get problems solved real fast, including with Bibi,” Trump told reporters.

President Trump’s statement comes in light of Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement yesterday that Israeli forces will continue to remain in Lebanon.

(ANI)

Iran war LIVE: Here’s a quick recap:

-US-Iran negotiations gain momentum: JD Vance said negotiators have made “significant progress” in discussions with Iran, adding that a strong foundation has been created for a possible final agreement.

-Weapons inspections: Trump said Iran ” will agree” to international inspections of its nuclear facilities.

-Iranian negotiators return home: Iran’s senior negotiating team is heading back to Tehran after intensive discussions in Switzerland. Meanwhile, technical experts will remain in Switzerland to continue working on details based on the Islamabad memorandum of understanding.

-Sanctions on Iranian oil: The US Treasury Department has issued a temporary sanctions waiver allowing the sale of Iranian crude oil, petrochemicals and petroleum products until August 21.

-Iranian President to visit Pakistan: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is scheduled to make a one-day visit to Pakistan on Tuesday.

-Lebanon ceasefire largely holds despite tensions: A ceasefire in Lebanon has remained mostly intact, reducing fears of immediate escalation. However, continued uncertainty and concerns over renewed clashes have prevented many displaced residents from returning to their homes.

Iran war LIVE: The United States waived sanctions on Iran for 60 days from Monday after the first talks under a nascent peace deal, while officials reported a sustained lull in fighting in Lebanon under the agreement aimed at ending hostilities across the region. The developments followed a weekend that had appeared to put the week-old accord in jeopardy, including threats from U.S. President Donald Trump to restart the war if Iran disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz after Tehran declared the strategic waterway closed. Tanker traffic through the strait started to pick up on Monday and oil prices resumed their slide. U.S. Vice President JD Vance said talks with Iranian officials in Switzerland had laid a good foundation for a final peace deal, although Iran denied that it had begun discussions of its nuclear program. U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, and Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed thousands and displaced millions. The Iran war has also shaken markets around the world and raised global oil prices, which settled 3% lower on Monday after Vance reported progress had been made.

The two sides, trying to build on the interim deal they signed last week, agreed a roadmap towards a permanent agreement within 60 days at the talks in the Qatari-owned Swiss mountain resort of Buergenstock, mediators Pakistan and Qatar said.

They also agreed on a mechanism to end fighting in Lebanon between U.S. ally Israel and Iran-aligned Hezbollah, and opened a communications line to help ensure safe passage for commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz in order to avoid conflict in the strategic waterway. In the first of several steps envisaged under the agreement to provide economic relief to Iran, the U.S. Treasury announced a waiver until August 21 on sanctions, allowing Tehran to sell oil and related products and receive payment for them.

(Reuters)

Iran war LIVE: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and US Vice President JD Vance discussed a de-confliction mechanism for Lebanon on Monday, Aoun’s office said, as Vance said the move aimed to prevent spiralling Israel-Hezbollah violence.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nonetheless declared that Israeli forces had been granted “full freedom” to engage any threat encountered in southern Lebanon, reaffirming that troops would remain deployed in the region for as long as deemed necessary.

“My directive, and that of the minister of defence, to the IDF is clear and has not changed: Our fighters in southern Lebanon have full freedom of action to thwart any direct or developing threat to them or to the residents of the North,” Netanyahu said in a statement.

(AFP)

Iran war LIVE: US President Donald Trump on Monday said he would take whatever steps he considers necessary if Iran fails to follow through on any agreement reached after the first round of technical discussions between the two countries in Switzerland.

Speaking at the White House Oval Office during the signing of two Executive Orders on quantum technology, Trump said any failure by Tehran to comply would invite a response from Washington.

“If Iran doesn’t live up to their agreement, or if they’re not behaving, I will do what I have to do,” Trump told reporters.

Iran war LIVE: Iran, however, disputed the US version of events. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran’s engagement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would continue only under existing safeguards obligations and in line with decisions made by Iran’s Parliament and the Supreme National Security Council.

Speaking to Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA, Baqaei said, “Iran’s interactions with the Agency, in accordance with Iran’s obligations under the Safeguards Agreements, will continue according to existing procedures and comply with the laws enacted by the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majlis) and the decisions of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC).”

Iran war LIVE: The US has authorized the sale of Iranian oil and fuels as part of an agreement to end the war against Tehran, a sweeping change after years of economic sanctions.

The US Treasury Department issued a wide-ranging 60-day license that allows Iran to sell crude and petroleum products through Aug. 21. The license, which allows payments to be made in US dollars, comes as both sides are engaged in fragile discussions for a lasting peace deal.

The waiver even allows the US to import Iranian crude oil and other petrochemical and petroleum products, opening the door for the first such shipments in decades.

The stunning reversal comes after almost a decade of sanctions including a “maximum pressure” campaign to cripple Iran’s economy, implemented by President Donald Trump after he pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran in his first term.

(Bloomberg)

Iran war LIVE: Just a day after the United States and Iran signed a landmark memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at ending months of war and opening negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear programme, US vice president JD Vance unexpectedly postponed a planned trip to Switzerland, where the next phase of talks was expected to begin.

While the White House officially attributed the delay to “logistical” complications, developments on both sides suggest that the reasons go much deeper than scheduling challenges. Read more here

Iran war LIVE: US vice president JD Vance on Monday dismissed claims of being shrugged off by Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, saying he sometimes finds Iranian negotiators “extremely confusing.”

Responding to a reporter during a brief press conference before departing from Switzerland, Vance said, “no”, when he was asked if he felt snubbed by the diplomat after a video circulated in which Araghchi entered and exited a meeting room without greeting him, CNN reported.

“I mean, trust me, I’ve spent a lot of time dealing with the Iranians over the last few months,” Vance added, speaking to reporters before he boarded Air Force Two. “Sometimes I find them extremely confusing as negotiators.”

Iran war LIVE: Vance on Monday said that Iran is ready for nuclear inspection. Meanwhile, Iran denied any such “new deal”.

Iran war LIVE: Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Monday said that the Hormuz will not return to its pre-war operational status and asserted that Iran will manage the strategic waterway under its own arrangements, while maintaining adherence to international regulations.

Iran war LIVE: Iran’s chief negotiators Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that the Strait of Hormuz will be administered by Tehran, state media reported on Tuesday.

Ghalibaf said “that the Strait of Hormuz will never return to its pre-war conditions and will be administered by the Islamic Republic of Iran, in accordance with international law”, according to IRNA.

(AFP)

Iran war LIVE: US Vice President JD Vance claimed that Iran had agreed to allow nuclear inspectors into the country following talks in Switzerland, but Tehran rejected the claim, saying it had not accepted any fresh commitments.

Iran war LIVE: US President Donald Trump on Monday (local time) reiterated Vice President JD Vance’s assertion that Iran is prepared to accept extensive weapons inspections as part of ongoing diplomatic efforts following recent talks between Washington and Tehran in Switzerland under the 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU).

US-Iran peace deal LIVE: US President Donald Trump on Monday said he would take necessary action if Iran fails to adhere to any agreement following the conclusion of the initial round of technical talks in Switzerland, stressing that preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon is more important than concerns over global economic fallout, including the risk of a worldwide depression.

Speaking during the signing ceremony of two Executive Orders on quantum technology at the White House Oval Office, Trump said enforcement measures would be taken if Iran did not comply with its commitments.

“If Iran doesn’t live up to their agreement, or if they’re not behaving, I will do what I have to do,” Trump told reporters.

He added that continued cooperation from Tehran would ensure stability, saying, “As long as they respect us, we are not going to have any trouble.”

Addressing concerns about the potential global economic impact of military action on Iran, Trump rejected the suggestion that such steps could trigger a depression.

(ANI)