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Iranian flag with stock graph and an oil pump jack miniature model are seen in this illustration taken October 9, 2023. (photo credit: REUTERS/DADO RUVIC/ILLUSTRATION/FILE PHOTO) Iran has begun talks with Japanese companies under a  US sanctions waiver  allowing it to resume oil sales, though prospective buyers are seeking a longer waiver and reassurances about ship safety, three Iranian and Western sources said. The waiver, part of 60-day peace talks between Tehran and Washington, was issued on June 22 and expires August 21. Three Japanese buyers were looking at possible crude oil purchases from Iran, their first since 2019, said two Iranian sources, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue. Japanese and  Iranian officials  were in initial talks about possible oil sales, a Western industry source familiar with the matter said separately.

France has deployed minehunters to the Middle East, French President Emmanuel Macron said in a post on X/Twitter Friday night. Alongside the minehunters, two frigates and a patrol aircraft are ready to contribute to the “full resumption of navigation… in the Strait of Hormuz,” he wrote. Macron also highlighted the importance of the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding as a “step forward” towards stability. Further, the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, which France deployed following the outbreak of the US-Iran War, will return to France, Macron wrote.

- US Vice President JD Vance speaks during an event marking 250 years of the American military at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on July 1, 2026. (photo credit: KEN CEDENO/POOL VIA REUTERS) US Vice President JD Vance stated that  indirect US-Iran talks in Doha  are “going well” and will soon progress to discussions on nuclear issues while speaking to American military personnel in Virginia on Wednesday, according to a CNN report. “Right now, the technical negotiators are sitting down with the Iranians, with the  Qataris , and with others in Doha, you know, talking, talking about some of the details here,” Vance told CNN. “We’re worried about the  nuclear issue ; we’re going to start talking about that, so right now the talks are going well,” he added. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, told Iranian state media outlet Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) that talks between Qatari, Pakistani, and Iranian officials were held pa...

Iran’s top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf expressed distrust in the US in a televised speech Tuesday evening, claiming that Iran is ready for renewed fighting, Iranian state news agency IRNA reported. “Only someone who is prepared for war can negotiate well,” he said in the speech. Further, Ghalibaf said that passage through the Strait of Hormuz would only be cost-free for 60 days per the Memorandum of Understanding, and that Iran had exported over 40 million barrels of oil since the end of the US blockade of the Strait, at a price 20% higher than before the war.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir attend the graduation ceremony of an IDF officers’ course in southern Israel, June 25, 2026. (photo credit: FLASH90) “Voluntary migration” from Gaza remains on the table, Prime Minister  Benjamin Netanyahu  said Tuesday night, while he declined to rule out renewed Jewish settlement in the Strip. Speaking in a special interview with The Patriots on Channel 14, Netanyahu was asked by panelists about two issues that have become central to the Right flank of his coalition: whether “voluntary migration” of  Gaza  residents was still being pursued, and whether Israel could reestablish Jewish communities in the Strip. The question is whether you prefer to do or to talk,” said Netanyahu regarding the renewal of Jewish settlements in Gaza. “And yes, I prefer not to address it.

Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari IN Doha, Qatar, June 30, 2026. (photo credit: SCREENSHOT/X/@MofaQatar_EN) Negotiations between the United States and Iran  are continuing despite the absence of high-level talks, the Qatari Foreign Affairs Ministry said in an X/Twitter post on Tuesday. The post cited Qatari Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Foreign Affairs Ministry Dr. Majed Mohammed Al-Ansari as affirming that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Doha as part of talks with Qatar regarding Iran and  Lebanon . Though a ceasefire and an MoU exist, Qatar's Foreign Ministry concluded that guarantees are contingent on the realities on the ground, and US VP JD Vance called for durable commitments from Iran

US President Donald Trump speaks on the day he signs an executive order on vehicle repairs in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, US, June 29, 2026. (photo credit: REUTERS/AARON SCHWARTZ) US President Donald Trump considered returning to all-out war with Iran, but currently prefers to stick with diplomatic talks and one-off strikes, the  Wall Street Journal  reported on Tuesday, citing US sources familiar with the discussions.  According to the report, Trump held multiple conversations with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine about additional strikes, but has chosen to continue negotiations instead. Trump has also said that he is fine with negotiations with Iran continuing past a previous August 18 deadline for a nuclear deal while ordering limited single strikes in response to any Iranian violations of the Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries, according to the  WSJ . Howev...