International

US, Iran Launch High-Stakes Nuclear Talks as Tehran Threatens Global Oil Lifeline

Published

3 months ago

June 21, 2026

US, Iran Launch High-Stakes Nuclear Talks as Tehran Threatens Global Oil Lifeline

A new round of negotiations over the Middle East war is set to kick off Sunday as Iranian negotiators and US Vice President JD Vance arrived in the Swiss host city, even as Tehran said it was closing the Strait of Hormuz again over Israeli attacks in Lebanon. The talks, scheduled to take place in the Swiss resort town of Burgenstock, are meant to open a two-month negotiation period on issues left unresolved by the initial accord, notably Iran’s nuclear programme. Pakistani and Qatari mediators are also expected to participate, with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir traveling to Switzerland for the discussions. Mediator Pakistan confirmed that technical-level talks were scheduled for Sunday.

Before boarding his flight to Europe, Vance told reporters he hoped to “make progress on the nuclear issue, make progress on the Lebanon ceasefire issue. Those are the two big things that I think we’re going to be focused on”. US negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were already on the ground handling technical elements and had reported that “things are going well,” Vance said. However, Vance also acknowledged he could only stay for “a day or two,” raising questions about the depth of US engagement in the complex negotiations ahead.

Follow-up talks had been planned in Switzerland on Friday but were postponed at the last minute after Israel launched deadly strikes in Lebanon following the deaths of four of its soldiers in combat. Washington announced a renewed ceasefire there later Friday—a condition of its preliminary agreement with Iran—but Israeli troops clashed again with Hezbollah fighters on Saturday, with each side accusing the other of breaking the truce. An Israeli military official said the military had received updated directives from the political leadership to cease fire, adding that troops were operating defensively inside a security zone and were “not conducting proactive strikes”.

Citing a US “breach of contract” and “the Zionist regime’s continuous and relentless violation of the ceasefire in southern Lebanon,” Iran’s central military command announced that “the Strait of Hormuz will be closed to vessel traffic”. The Iranian military accused the US of violating the first clause of their 14-point memorandum of understanding, which agrees to “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon”. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared the strait closed on Saturday, with state-controlled media reporting the IRGC Navy warned all vessels to refrain from any movement until further notice.

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Hormuz, a key conduit for oil and gas shipments, was blockaded by Iran for much of the war, sending shockwaves through global energy markets. Tehran had agreed to reopen it under the preliminary accord signed by US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian, and shipping traffic had begun to recover. The agreement calls for toll-free travel during the 60-day negotiation period.

US Central Command strongly disputed Iran’s announcement, with spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins stating that “Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz” and that “traffic continues to flow”. The US military said 55 merchant ships transited the strait on Saturday with more than 17 million barrels of oil for global markets, and confirmed that US forces were monitoring the situation to ensure commercial traffic continued. Vance suggested that Iran may have been directing vessels away from naval mines, noting the memorandum includes a 30-day period for mine-clearing operations.

Trump later warned that Washington could impose its own tolls on Hormuz if negotiators failed to complete the deal within the 60-day window. “There would be no tolls unless they are imposed by and for the United States of America,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that the money would be for “services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East”. The threat underscored the fragility of the agreement and the high stakes involved in the Switzerland negotiations.

An Iranian delegation arrived in Switzerland late Saturday, state media and the Swiss foreign ministry said. Iran’s official broadcaster reported that the delegation included parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, along with central bank and oil officials, reflecting the economic dimensions of the negotiations. Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the delegation would “demand implementation of the other party’s commitments” under the deal, warning that “otherwise, the entire understanding will be in trouble”. Baqaei told state TV that negotiations toward a final agreement would begin once key commitments are upheld.

Israel and Hezbollah continued trading accusations Saturday as fighting persisted in southern Lebanon, threatening to derail the broader US-Iran agreement. The Israeli military said one soldier was killed in combat, the fifth such fatality since the US-Iran deal was reached. An Israeli military official said Hezbollah launched more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon overnight, prompting Israeli strikes on what the official described as “Hezbollah targets”. Lebanese state media reported Israeli air raids on around 20 locations, with authorities counting more than 30 dead. One of the deadliest strikes hit a three-storey residential building in the southern town of Barish, killing a father, mother and their two children, a local official said.

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Hezbollah accused Israel of carrying out “under the cover of the ceasefire… an infiltration attempt towards the Ali Taher hills,” a strategic feature overlooking Nabatieh, and said its fighters had responded “with appropriate weapons”. The Lebanese army said an Israeli strike killed a soldier on the Kfarrumman-Nabatieh road, and NNA reported that an airstrike destroyed the Nabatieh branch of Lebanon’s central bank. Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said his group retained “the full right to confront this enemy when it attacks us” and warned that continued Israeli attacks “will not pass without a response”. A Hezbollah official told the BBC the group does not recognize the ceasefire that was announced by US officials on Friday and rejects the Israeli objective to operate freely inside Lebanon.

Israel’s US ambassador Yechiel Leiter maintained it was Hezbollah that broke the truce, saying Israel was “defending itself against terrorist attacks”. But Hezbollah said Israel bore “full responsibility” for the ongoing violence. The overall death toll from the fighting in Lebanon had surpassed 4,000, the health ministry said, while Israeli authorities report at least 32 soldiers and four civilians killed.

Fadi Zayat, who fled the southern Lebanon town of Tayr Debba, told AFP that “fear dominates” the south. “We returned to the village a few days ago, but our bags are ready to flee again,” the 53-year-old said. Many residents had returned to their villages after previous ceasefires and temporary truces, believing the worst of the fighting was behind them.

The preliminary memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran, signed electronically by Presidents Trump and Pezeshkian, established a ceasefire, reopened the Strait of Hormuz, and launched a high-stakes 60-day negotiation period on the most divisive issue between the longtime adversaries: Tehran’s nuclear program. Under the agreement, Iran committed to “downblending” its stockpile of highly enriched uranium under IAEA supervision, which a senior US official called a “significant concession”. However, all technical details must still be ironed out in the negotiations.

The agreement also calls for the US to work “with regional partners to develop a definitive mutually agreed plan with at least USD $300 billion” for Iran’s reconstruction, though a senior US official said the deal does not commit the US to paying Iran a single cent. The text is opaque and appears to leave the door open for US payments as part of a negotiated settlement.

Experts have expressed skepticism about the feasibility of reaching a comprehensive nuclear deal in just 60 days, noting that the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action took more than 18 months to negotiate. Marc Finaud, a research fellow at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, said the timeline “is realistic only if expectations remain modest and the goal is to return to something broadly resembling the JCPOA”. Critics have also questioned whether Trump envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, neither of whom had prior nuclear negotiation experience, can handle the technical complexity of the talks.

Vance has sought to defend the deal, telling Fox News that “if the Iranians are willing to change their ways and stop trying to build a nuclear weapon, stop trying to fund terrorism all over the Middle East, then we are willing to actually fundamentally transform our relationship with them”. He emphasized that “they’re agreeing right now to eliminate the enriched stockpile. And if they don’t get to a point where they agree to stop enriching, then they don’t get the other benefits of the bargain”. The agreement also leaves unresolved other issues of concern to Arab countries, Israel, Europe and the United States, including Iran’s ballistic missile program and its support for militant proxies in the region.

The announcements and ongoing fighting indicated a rough start to the talks. Iran’s negotiators had canceled plans to attend the originally scheduled Friday talks because of escalating fighting in Lebanon, and it took a personal intervention by one of Pakistan’s top mediators, who flew to Tehran, to persuade Iranian negotiators to reconsider and travel to Switzerland. A Hezbollah official told The Associated Press that Iran informed the militant group that Tehran won’t reopen the strait until Israel announces publicly that it will comply with a “comprehensive ceasefire” in Lebanon and an end to military operations there. Neither Israel nor Hezbollah are signatories to the deal between the US and Iran, complicating enforcement and raising questions about whether the agreement can hold. US officials fear that continuing tensions between Israel and Lebanon could undermine the entire US peace deal with Iran.

The 60-day deadline can be extended by mutual agreement, suggesting both sides are aware of the challenges ahead. But as Vance himself acknowledged, the US will be watching actions, not words: “I don’t trust anything that anybody says. I trust what people do. And the way this deal is structured is that as they do more, they receive more. As they do less, they receive less”.

US, Iran Launch High-Stakes Nuclear Talks as Tehran Threatens Global Oil Lifeline

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International

US Allows Iran’s Core UN Delegation, Denies Visas to Some Officials

Published

11 hours ago

September 21, 2026

Trends Admin

Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi

US Allows Iran’s Core UN Delegation, Denies Visas to Some Officials

The United States has refused to issue visas to some members of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s delegation, including members of his communications team, ahead of his planned appearance at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

Iranian state media reported the visa refusals on Monday, September 21, 2026, while confirming that the United States has authorised the core Iranian delegation to travel to New York for the high-level UN gathering.

Pezeshkian is expected to address the 81st UN General Assembly on Wednesday, making his planned visit the highest-level Iranian presence in the United States since the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the US escalated earlier this year.

Iran’s state news agency, IRNA, reported that the Trump administration had denied visas to certain members of Pezeshkian’s high-level delegation, including personnel responsible for communications.

The Mehr news agency also reported the visa denials, citing a spokesperson for the Iranian presidency.

The decision does not amount to a blanket refusal of entry to the Iranian delegation. The United States has authorised the core delegation, which includes President Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, to attend the UN General Assembly.

The distinction is significant because the annual UN gathering brings together representatives of member states at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York, which is hosted by the United States.

The current arrangement follows restrictions imposed by Washington on the Iranian delegation during last year’s General Assembly. UN records show that Iran previously raised concerns over visa delays and denials affecting members of its delegation and argued that such restrictions hindered its participation in UN activities.

For this year’s meeting, Washington has also imposed restrictions on the movement and activities of the Iranian delegation while it is in the United States.

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The State Department has said the delegation will face restrictions on its movements and on the purchase of certain luxury goods and other items. The measures come amid the absence of normal diplomatic relations between Iran and the United States and the continuing conflict between the two countries.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Iran on Sunday for the United States, travelling through Qatar.

The Iranian government has also used Qatar as an intermediary in communicating with Washington over the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for global oil and gas shipments.

Tehran has conveyed conditions for reopening the waterway, according to Iranian officials, while the United States has imposed measures against Iranian ports.

The Strait of Hormuz has become a major issue in the wider conflict because of its importance to international energy supplies.

Pezeshkian’s expected appearance at the UN General Assembly comes at a particularly sensitive moment in relations between Tehran and Washington.

The conflict has also become a major issue for this year’s UN gathering, with world leaders expected to discuss the Middle East, the war involving Iran, the conflict in Ukraine, the situation in Gaza and other international crises.

The Iranian president’s presence in New York could provide an opportunity for diplomatic contacts on the sidelines of the General Assembly, although the two governments remain sharply divided over the conflict and other issues.

US President Donald Trump is also attending the UN General Assembly this week and is expected to address the gathering.

Trump has indicated that he remains open to discussions involving Iran, while Tehran has continued to communicate through intermediaries.

The visa dispute therefore adds another layer to already strained US-Iran relations, but it has not prevented Iran’s president and foreign minister from attending the UN meeting.

For now, Pezeshkian’s scheduled appearance means Iran will have senior-level representation at the 81st UN General Assembly, despite Washington’s refusal to issue visas to some members of his wider delegation.

The immediate focus will be on Pezeshkian’s address, Iran’s position on the ongoing conflict and whether the UN gathering creates opportunities for further diplomatic engagement between Tehran and Washington.

US Allows Iran’s Core UN Delegation, Denies Visas to Some Officials

International

CNN, MS NOW, Politico Sue Trump Over White House Access Ban

Published

14 hours ago

September 21, 2026

Trends Admin

CNN, MS NOW, Politico Sue Trump Over White House Access Ban

CNN, MS NOW and Politico have filed a federal lawsuit against the administration of US President Donald Trump, challenging the decision to revoke their journalists’ access to the White House.

The three major news organisations are asking a federal court in Washington, DC, to intervene after the Trump administration barred their reporters from the White House grounds and deactivated or confiscated their press credentials.

The organisations argue that the administration’s action violated their First Amendment press rights and the Fifth Amendment’s due process protections, alleging that their access was withdrawn because of dissatisfaction with their reporting.

The case was filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, with the media organisations seeking expedited consideration of their challenge and an order restoring their access to the White House.

The lawsuit names President Donald Trump, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, White House spokesperson Steven Cheung and Secret Service Director Sean Curran as defendants.

The legal action followed Trump’s decision to exclude the three organisations from the White House after he accused them of publishing what he described as “fake news” about his administration.

Trump has argued that journalists remain free to report on him but that the administration is not required to provide White House access to every news organisation.

The president also defended the decision on social media, where he characterised the affected outlets as a threat to national security. The reports on the lawsuit did not indicate that the administration had presented evidence publicly establishing such a threat.

The dispute escalated on Saturday, September 19, when reporters working for CNN, MS NOW and Politico were turned away from the White House complex.

Their press access was reportedly deactivated or their credentials confiscated, preventing them from covering activities inside the presidential complex in the usual manner.

The organisations subsequently warned that the White House decision raised broader questions about whether a presidential administration could deny access to journalists because of disagreement with their reporting.

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In their court challenge, the outlets are expected to argue that the government cannot use access to public officials and government facilities as a means of punishing or influencing the content of news coverage.

The case comes as the Trump administration has significantly changed the way White House press access is managed.

The administration has increasingly exercised greater control over which journalists attend certain presidential events, while also expanding access for reporters from organisations it considers more favourable or less represented in traditional White House press coverage.

The latest dispute, however, concerns the removal of access from three established national news organisations at the same time.

The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) has criticised the exclusion of the outlets and raised concerns about the implications for press access and government transparency.

Other media organisations and press-freedom groups have also expressed concern over the decision, arguing that government officials should not determine access based on whether they approve of particular news coverage.

The White House, on the other hand, has maintained that the administration has authority to determine access to the White House and has repeatedly accused some mainstream news organisations of inaccurate or unfair reporting.

The legal battle also has implications beyond the three organisations involved because federal courts have previously considered disputes between the executive branch and news organisations over access to the president.

One prominent case involved CNN reporter Jim Acosta during Trump’s first administration.

In 2018, the White House revoked Acosta’s press credentials following a confrontation during a presidential news conference. CNN challenged the decision in court, and a federal judge ordered the temporary restoration of his access.

The Trump administration has also been involved in a more recent dispute with the Associated Press.

The administration restricted AP’s access after the news agency declined to adopt Trump’s preferred terminology for the Gulf of Mexico. A federal judge later ordered the administration to restore the AP’s access in certain circumstances, although subsequent litigation resulted in distinctions between generally accessible areas and more restricted presidential events.

The current lawsuit involving CNN, MS NOW and Politico raises related but distinct questions about the government’s authority to control press access.

A central issue is expected to be whether the administration can exclude news organisations from access that is otherwise made available to members of the White House press corps because of disagreement with their reporting.

Another issue is the extent to which the First Amendment limits government decisions affecting journalists’ access, particularly when the alleged reason for exclusion is connected to the content or viewpoint of their reporting.

The media organisations are also challenging the process used to revoke their access, arguing that they were not given adequate notice or an opportunity to contest the decision before their credentials were withdrawn.

The case has already affected White House media arrangements beyond routine presidential coverage.

CNN had been scheduled to provide the television pool feed for Trump’s Monday trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, but the assignment was removed from the White House press schedule following the access dispute.

The White House press pool is important because participating organisations provide shared coverage, photographs, video and other material that can be used by news organisations that cannot send their own journalists to every presidential event.

The lawsuit therefore places questions of press freedom, government transparency and presidential control over media access at the centre of another federal court dispute involving the Trump administration.

For the three organisations, the immediate objective is restoration of access to the White House and the ability of their journalists to resume reporting from the presidential complex.

For the administration, the dispute involves its stated authority to determine who receives access to the White House and how that access is organised.

The court’s handling of the case could provide further guidance on the constitutional limits surrounding White House press credentials, particularly where access decisions are alleged to be connected to the content of journalists’ reporting.

Until the court rules, the competing claims remain disputed. The lawsuit itself does not establish that the administration violated the Constitution, while the White House’s allegations against the news organisations remain the administration’s stated position rather than findings by a court.

CNN, MS NOW, Politico Sue Trump Over White House Access Ban

International

18 Suspects Transferred to US Over 2021 Killing of Haitian President Moïse

Published

20 hours ago

September 21, 2026

Hamdalat Bisiriyu

18 Suspects Transferred to US Over 2021 Killing of Haitian President Moïse

Eighteen suspects accused of involvement in the 2021 assassination of former Haitian President Jovenel Moise have been transferred from Haiti to the United States to face trial.

US officials said the suspects were transported to Florida on Sunday, as American authorities continue their prosecution of people allegedly connected to the plot.

Federal prosecutor Jason Reding Quinones said the suspects were flown from Haiti on a military aircraft to face proceedings in the Southern District of Florida.

He said US authorities had so far indicted 30 people in connection with the assassination and warned that the prosecutions were not over.

Among those transferred was Joseph Felix Badio, a former anti-corruption official with Haiti’s Ministry of Justice who has been identified as a major suspect in the investigation.

Haitian government and police sources said the other suspects included Colombian nationals who were allegedly part of the group involved in the operation.

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Colombian Nationals Among Suspects

Colombia’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that 17 of its citizens had been transferred from Haiti to the United States.

The ministry said the Colombian government was monitoring the development but had not participated in the decision or process that led to the transfer.

Moise was killed at his private residence in Port-au-Prince on July 7, 2021. Investigators said a group of about 20 Colombian military-trained mercenaries had been hired in connection with the operation.

The president’s security detail came under scrutiny after failing to prevent the attack.

In May, four men were convicted in a Miami federal court over charges connected to the plot, including conspiracy to kill or kidnap Moise and providing material support for the operation. They could face life imprisonment.

US prosecutors said the men were linked to CTU Security, a Florida-based private security company, and had allegedly been attracted by the prospect of lucrative contracts after Moise was removed from power.

The assassination plunged Haiti further into political and security turmoil. The country has since struggled with gang violence and remains without a president, while preparations continue for elections scheduled for December, subject to security conditions.