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A VIEW of an oil facility in the Khark Island, on the shore of the Gulf, March 12, 2017. (photo credit: Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images, ILLUSTRATIVE) The US  Treasury Department  authorized the production, delivery, and sale of Iranian oil on Monday, a move promised under an agreement reached by Washington and Tehran last week. The general license, announced as the two sides continue talks aimed at reaching a final  peace deal , allows the production, delivery, and sale of crude oil and petrochemical and petroleum products of Iranian origin through August 21. "In line with the ongoing productive talks in Switzerland, Iran has committed to free and open transit in the Strait of Hormuz and to permit  International Atomic Energy Agency  (IAEA) inspectors into their country," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a post on X/Twitter.

US Vice President JD Vance speaks during a quadrilateral meeting between the US, Iran, Pakistan, and Qatar at the Lake Lucerne Summit, aimed at advancing a deal to end the Middle East conflict, at Buergenstock Resort Lake Lucerne, near Stansstad, Switzerland, June 21, 2026. (photo credit: REUTERS/Nathan Howard/Pool) A lot of “good progress” was made during the  US-Iran talks in Switzerland , US Vice President  JD Vance  said on Monday afternoon, following the conclusion of the talks and the reported departure of the Iranian delegation. He noted that the Strait of Hormuz is open, and that a “good foundation for a successful final deal” has been laid. Speaking on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, Vance said that while “we want Israel's security to be protected, we also want  Lebanon's  sovereignty to be protected,” while acknowledging that it will be an “ongoing conversation.” 

Smoke billows from southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike, as seen from Nabatieh, southern Lebanon, June 19, 2026. (photo credit: REUTERS/STRINGER) A new  ceasefire in Lebanon  and talk of Israel withdrawing from some areas has raised questions about the current Israeli war-fighting doctrine. The slow war in Lebanon, based on a doctrine from Gaza, has resulted in leaving Hezbollah in the field just miles from Israel's northern border. Israel has been fighting a war for 989 days since the October 7 massacre in 2023. While the war was imposed on Israel by Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist attacks, the IDF has had a duty to change the situation and fight the war on its own terms. During the first months of war, the IDF had to respond and recuperate. With more than 1,000 Israelis killed, 250 taken hostage, and the IDF scrambling to call up and train some 500,000 reservists, there were unprecedented strains.

The IDF over the weekend killed two Hamas terrorists operating in Gaza City in two separate airstrikes, the military announced on Monday morning. In the first strike, the IDF killed Ahmad Munir Khalil Zaza, an engineering officer of Hamas’s West Jabalia Battalion in Gaza City. Zaza was involved in the production and distribution of weapons to the battalion's companies and was responsible for the construction of explosive devices and booby-trapped buildings, the military said. In a second strike, the IDF killed the commander of Hamas's sniper array in Gaza City, Hussein Safadi. Safadi had recently “repeatedly violated the ceasefire agreement and attempted to train terrorists and advance additional sniper attacks against IDF troops.”

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif speaks next to U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Qatar's Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani during a quadrilateral meeting between the U.S., Iran, Pakistan, and Qatar, June 21, 2026. (photo credit: REUTERS/Nathan Howard/Pool) Earlier, Tasnim reported that the Iranian delegation declined to participate in a group photo with the US delegation and that Iranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf refused to join a press conference. The first session of peace talks between the US and Iran in Switzerland has concluded, mediators  Qatar  and Pakistan announced in a joint statement early on Monday morning.  The talks were conducted in a positive and constructive atmosphere, the countries said, despite the fact that the Iranian team walked out of negotiations Sunday night in protest of threats by  US President Donald Trump  to restart Iran strikes unless the Strait of Ho...

Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 16, 2026. (photo credit: STRINGER/FILE/REUTERS) The number of ships that passed through the  Strait of Hormuz  fell sharply on Sunday after Iran announced it had again closed the waterway, citing Israeli and US violations of the interim peace deal, shipping data showed. Five vessels passed the strait on Sunday, from 26 ships spotted a day earlier, data from analytics firm Kpler showed. These included three Very Large Crude Carriers carrying 2 million barrels of  Saudi  crude and fuel oil each, one of which was heading to Japan. Go to the full article > >

An Israeli soldier inspects a Hezbollah attacking position tunnel found during anIDF operation. (photo credit: Amir Levy/Getty Images) Security officials are considering allowing  Lebanon’s  army to take control of a Hezbollah tunnel compound in the southern Lebanese village of  Tebnit , N12 reported on Sunday, citing sources familiar with the matter.   According to the sources, the idea was raised in recent days in political and military discussions, and may continue to be discussed in upcoming talks on Tuesday.  Israel believes that transferring the responsibility to Lebanon’s army could serve as a test of its ability and willingness to act against  Hezbollah , said N12.  “This could be a test for the ability and motivation of the Lebanese army to deal publicly and in an unprecedented way with Hezbollah,” said an Israeli source.