Live: US and Iran say peace deal reached, signing planned in Geneva - Middle East Eye
Live Updates Israeli settlers torch two West Bank mosques, Palestinian officials say 3 months agoIsraeli settlers set fire to mosques in two villages in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, their mayors said, with AFP journalists at one site seeing scorched walls and graffiti.
The incidents come during a period of increased attacks against Palestinian communities by settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank since the start of the Gaza war in 2023.
Osama Abdullah, head of the village council in Jiljiliya, north of Ramallah, told AFP that "settlers set fire to the ablution room, caused damage to the village's main mosque, and scrawled hostile slogans on the outer walls".
The ceiling, walls and floors were blackened by smoke and flames. Graffiti had also been daubed on the walls in Hebrew. Some read "vengeance" and "Hi, from the Hilltop Youth".
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told US President Donald Trump that Israel does not consider itself bound by provisions relating to Lebanon contained in the agreement between Washington and Tehran, according to a report by Yedioth Ahronoth citing Israeli sources.
The report said Netanyahu informed Trump that Israeli forces would not withdraw from their current positions inside Lebanese territory and would continue military operations aimed at countering threats from Hezbollah.
According to the report, Israel intends to maintain its security policy in Lebanon regardless of any understandings reached between the United States and Iran. Israeli officials have not publicly commented on the report.
The European Union welcomed the agreement between the United States and Iran, with European Council President Antonio Costa describing it as an important step towards ending the conflict and restoring stability in the region.
In a statement, Costa said he welcomed the understanding reached between Washington and Tehran and looked forward to “ending this costly war and restoring full freedom of navigation” through the Strait of Hormuz.
Costa praised the diplomatic efforts that helped secure the agreement and called for all remaining disputes to be resolved peacefully.
“The weapons must now be silenced and outstanding disputes resolved peacefully in accordance with international law,” he said.
He added that the European Union stood ready to contribute to the development of a comprehensive strategy aimed at achieving lasting peace across the Middle East.
Following the announcement of a memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran, Iran’s embassy in Tunisia described the circumstances surrounding the agreement as historically ironic and praised the role played by Pakistan in the negotiations.
“History can be ironic; Trump, in pursuit of a deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran, went to the doorstep of another ‘Islamic Republic’ – Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” the embassy wrote.
The comments were the latest in a series of posts by Iranian diplomatic missions that have criticised the United States and portrayed the agreement as a diplomatic success for Tehran.
Pakistan has been widely credited by officials from both countries as one of the key mediators in the negotiations that led to the accord.
History can be ironic; Trump, in pursuit of a deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran, went to the doorstep of another ‘Islamic Republic’ — Islamic Republic of Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/SLYH5Vz6L1
Israeli settlers carried out a series of arson attacks against Palestinian communities east of Ramallah, setting fire to vehicles, damaging property and torching a mosque, according to Palestinian sources.
Residents said settlers burned a car before entering the mosque and setting it alight, with locals intervening to prevent the fire from spreading further. Palestinian reports also said an elderly man was doused with petrol during the attack.
The violence later spread to the nearby town of Deir Dibwan, where additional Palestinian vehicles were reportedly set on fire. The incidents come amid a rise in settler attacks across the occupied West Bank.
Israeli settlers carried out violent arson attacks against Palestinian communities east of Ramallah, torching vehicles, houses and attacking a mosque in the occupied West Bank. Settlers reportedly set a car on fire, forced their way into a mosque and set it alight, in an attack… pic.twitter.com/PpaPzI5NPK
Pakistan welcomed the agreement reached between the United States and Iran, describing it as a positive step towards regional stability and continued diplomacy.
In a statement, Pakistani Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar said Islamabad “strongly welcome[s] the understanding reached between the United States and Iran” and argued that the agreement sends “a reassuring message to the international community” while helping restore confidence to global markets.
Dar also thanked countries that participated in mediation efforts, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and Egypt.
He said Pakistan remained ready to support efforts aimed at preserving the progress achieved so far and advancing negotiations on remaining issues as Washington and Tehran move towards a final agreement.
Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said the will of the Iranian people had been imposed on their adversaries, praising what it described as a national victory after more than 100 days of conflict.
In a statement issued early Monday, the military command commended Iran’s armed forces and the “resistance front” for their “unwavering determination”, saying the country’s enemies had been left with “no choice but to accept defeat and surrender”.
“With the grace of Almighty God and under the command of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, the Iranian people and their fighters have proven that the wretched American and Zionist enemies have no choice but to accept defeat and surrender,” the statement said.
It added that the “divine and steel-like will” of the Iranian nation now stood as an “unbreakable barrier” against future aggression.
The statement came shortly after Iranian officials announced that the memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington had been finalised, with Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi saying the agreement is due to be formally signed in Switzerland on 19 June.
Joe Kent, who left the Trump administration after disagreements over the war with Iran, welcomed the ceasefire agreement between Washington and Tehran and called for additional measures to reduce the risk of renewed conflict.
In a post on X, Kent said the chances of the agreement holding could be strengthened if the United States reassessed its military and intelligence support for Israel, arguing that Israeli leaders had opposed efforts to reach a diplomatic settlement.
Kent also called for a reduction of the US military footprint at bases in Gulf countries within range of Iranian missiles.
“We should also quietly get our troops out of the bases in the Gulf that can be reached by Iran,” he wrote, arguing that such a move would reduce opportunities for hardliners to provoke a wider conflict.
He added that Washington should “take away every factor that we can control that could force us back into the war on Israel or Iran’s terms” and focus on creating conditions that favour long-term stability.
We can strengthen our chances of this deal holding by cutting all military/intel assistance to Israel, they took every opportunity to tank this deal & will likely do so again unless we take action. We should also quietly get our troops out of the bases in the Gulf that can be… https://t.co/IIvIQhUnn1
Joe Kent, who left the Trump administration after disagreements over the war with Iran, welcomed the ceasefire agreement between Washington and Tehran and called for additional measures to reduce the risk of renewed conflict.
In a post on X, Kent said the chances of the agreement holding could be strengthened if the United States reassessed its military and intelligence support for Israel, arguing that Israeli leaders had opposed efforts to reach a diplomatic settlement.
Kent also called for a reduction of the US military footprint at bases in Gulf countries within range of Iranian missiles.
“We should also quietly get our troops out of the bases in the Gulf that can be reached by Iran,” he wrote, arguing that such a move would reduce opportunities for hardliners to provoke a wider conflict.
He added that Washington should “take away every factor that we can control that could force us back into the war on Israel or Iran’s terms” and focus on creating conditions that favour long-term stability.
We can strengthen our chances of this deal holding by cutting all military/intel assistance to Israel, they took every opportunity to tank this deal & will likely do so again unless we take action. We should also quietly get our troops out of the bases in the Gulf that can be… https://t.co/IIvIQhUnn1
Former officials from the administration of Barack Obama welcomed the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran while sharply criticising the conflict that preceded it.
Robert Malley, who helped negotiate previous talks with Iran, described the agreement as “an important and welcome achievement” because it reopens the Strait of Hormuz.
However, he argued that the memorandum was also “a clear and damning indictment of the war that preceded it”, calling the conflict a “reckless, costly debacle”.
Malley said major issues, including the future of Iran’s nuclear programme, the fate of its enriched uranium stockpile and the scope of sanctions relief, remained unresolved and could prove more difficult to address than before the war.
Ben Rhodes echoed that criticism, writing that the agreement “reopens a body of water that was open before the war” and launches nuclear negotiations that are narrower than those sought by President Donald Trump before the conflict.
Rhodes added that the war came “at a staggering cost to the entire world” while leaving an Iranian government led by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps feeling strengthened.
US President Donald Trump said the Strait of Hormuz will reopen following the formal signing of the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran, clarifying earlier remarks that suggested the waterway would reopen immediately.
Trump initially announced on Truth Social that an agreement had been reached with Iran and declared that the strait would be opened, telling global shippers to “let the oil flow”.
However, the president later issued a follow-up statement indicating that the reopening would be delayed and would instead coincide with the formal signing of the agreement.
That signing is expected to take place on 19 June, according to Shehbaz Sharif, whose government has played a mediating role in the negotiations.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant share of the world’s oil exports passes, remains a central element of the emerging agreement between the United States and Iran.
A senior US official said the emerging agreement with Tehran is based on a principle of “payment for performance” and mutual obligations, according to Axios.
The official said Iran would not receive access to frozen assets or other benefits until it fulfilled its commitments under the agreement, underscoring the Trump administration’s position that any incentives would be tied to verified compliance.
The Financial Times reported that US officials view the agreement as a pathway towards negotiations that could ultimately address and dismantle Iran’s nuclear programme.
A diplomat familiar with the talks told the newspaper that the proposed 60-day negotiating period would provide benefits to both sides by extending the ceasefire, facilitating the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and creating conditions for a new round of nuclear negotiations under reduced military pressure.
Stock markets across the Asia-Pacific region rallied sharply on Monday after the United States and Iran confirmed an agreement aimed at ending the conflict between Washington, Israel and Tehran.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose more than 5 percent in early trading, while South Korea’s KOSPI gained 5.7 percent. Taiwan’s TAIEX advanced 2.7 percent, and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 climbed about 1.5 percent.
Investor optimism also lifted US stock futures, with contracts tied to the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite rising about 1 percent and 1.6 percent respectively.
Meanwhile, oil prices fell as concerns over disruptions to energy supplies eased. Brent Crude dropped more than 4 percent to around $83.70 a barrel following confirmation that the agreement includes the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil shipments.
US House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries criticised President Donald Trump following the announcement of a new agreement with Iran, arguing that the administration had undermined an existing diplomatic framework and left the United States in a weaker position.
In a post on X, Jeffries pointed to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action negotiated under former President Barack Obama, which placed limits on Iran’s nuclear programme.
“Donald Trump recklessly ripped that agreement up and took us to war. Now gas prices are soaring, Iran is stronger and America is less safe,” Jeffries wrote. “That’s the Trump record.”
President Obama built a global coalition that constrained Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Donald Trump recklessly ripped that agreement up and took us to war. Now gas prices are soaring, Iran is stronger and America is less safe. That’s the Trump record. pic.twitter.com/PvDDpbtuiT
Australia welcomed the agreement between the United States and Iran, saying it supports efforts to reduce tensions and end conflict across the region.
In a joint statement, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Canberra had consistently called for de-escalation, including in Lebanon, and welcomed provisions aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
The statement said restoring navigation through the strait was essential to easing pressure on energy prices and the global economy.
Australian leaders encouraged all parties to pursue “lasting peace through dialogue” while stressing that Iran must address longstanding concerns surrounding its nuclear programme.
They also commended mediation efforts by Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and other countries involved in the negotiations, adding that Australia would continue working with international partners to promote peace and stability in the Middle East.
