Iran's negotiating delegation leaves Switzerland after US talks Iranian media is reporting that Iran's negotiating team have left Switzerland following 18 hours of talks, ISNA and Tasnim news agencies are reporting that the technical team will remain in Switzerland to continue technical negotiations on the Islamabad memorandum of understanding.
Keir Starmer resigns as British prime minister Submitted by Imran Mulla on Mon, 06/22/2026 - 09:26 After months of pressure, the Labour leader announced he would step aside Off Keir Starmer has resigned as the prime minister of Great Britain just under two years after taking the position. On Monday morning Starmer gave an address outside Number 10 Downing Street after days of speculation over his next move. "I will resign as leader of the Labour Party," he said.
Morning update Good morning Middle East Eye readers, US and Iranian negotiators made what mediators described as encouraging progress during high-level talks in Switzerland, agreeing on a roadmap toward a final agreement within 60 days. While discussions advanced on sanctions, frozen assets and regional security, disputes over Lebanon and sharp rhetoric from both Washington and Tehran underscored the fragility of the diplomatic process. Here are the latest updates: Pakistan and Qatar said US and Iranian negotiators made encouraging progress during talks in Switzerland.
US would not exist without Israel, ambassador Huckabee repeats claim US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has repeated his claim that the United States would not exist without Israel, defending remarks that previously drew attention and debate. Speaking at a conference organised by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in West Jerusalem on 22 June, Huckabee said Western civilisation was founded on Jewish and Judeo-Christian principles. "Without Israel, the United States would not exist," he said, adding: "Without that, there would be no United States.
Video: Vance calls Asim Munir an important partner and friend US Vice President JD Vance said he had “two very, very important people” in his life, describing them as “an Indian and a Pakistani”, adding that “the Indian is my wife, and the Pakistani is Field Marshal Munir”. He said he had spoken to Field Marshal Asim Munir “more than I’ve talked to anybody else over the last 3 months”, crediting him as “a great military leader” and “great diplomat”, and calling him “an important part of getting us to this point” and “an amazing friend of the United States”. The repeated contact comes amid ongoing US-Pakistan security and diplomatic engagement, including discussions linked to regional stability and broader Middle East tensions.
Mediators announce framework for final US-Iran agreement The United States and Iran have agreed on a 60-day roadmap aimed at reaching a final agreement, according to a joint statement issued by mediators Pakistan and Qatar following talks in Switzerland. The mediators said a high-level committee has been established to provide political oversight of the process, while chief negotiators will regularly report to the body and oversee working groups focused on issues including Iran's nuclear programme, US sanctions and dispute resolution mechanisms. The statement said the parties also agreed to establish a direct communication line concerning the Strait of Hormuz and a de-confliction cell tasked with supporting the end of military operations in Lebanon.
Qatari PM says ‘work continues’ on US-Iran negotiations Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has indicated that diplomatic efforts surrounding the US-Iran negotiations remain active, sharing a photograph with US negotiators JD Vance and Jared Kushner from Switzerland. In a post on X, Sheikh Mohammed wrote: "Live from Lucerne, work continues. " The brief update came as mediators from Qatar and Pakistan continued efforts to advance implementation of the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran, following a day of talks that both sides described as constructive and productive.
Araghchi says officials and footballers defend Iran's dignity Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said the country's officials, negotiators and footballers are all engaged in defending the honour and dignity of the Iranian people, sharing a social media post that combined images of schoolgirls killed in a February strike with scenes from the World Cup. "From the football pitch to the negotiating table to the battlefield, every step we take as Iranians is part of a larger struggle: defending the honor and dignity of our dear people," Araghchi wrote. The post came as mediators reported progress in US-Iran talks in Switzerland and after Iran drew with Belgium in a World Cup group-stage match.
Iran says implementation in Lebanon will determine deal's future Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has welcomed the outcome of the latest US-Iran talks in Switzerland, crediting Pakistani and Qatari mediation efforts with helping achieve what he described as major progress towards ending the war in Lebanon. In a post on social media, Araghchi said that oil and petrochemical exports had been exempted from restrictions, the blockade had been lifted, some frozen Iranian assets had been released and a major reconstruction and development programme for Iran had been launched. Despite the reported progress, he cautioned that implementation would be the true measure of success, saying the first "real test" of the agreement would be the newly established Lebanon deconfliction cell, which is intended to oversee adherence to the cessation of military operations in Lebanon.
Iran says negotiating team's work in Switzerland is complete Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the work of Tehran's negotiating delegation in Switzerland has been completed, with the next phase of discussions to be handled by technical teams tasked with implementing the memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States. Speaking to Iranian media, Baghaei said it had been agreed that technical teams would continue work on issues necessary for the effective implementation of the agreement. "It was agreed that technical teams will continue their work on the issues necessary for the effective implementation of this memorandum of understanding," he said.
US and Iran mediators announce Lebanon de-confliction mechanism A joint statement issued by the mediators of the US-Iran negotiations said the parties had agreed to establish a de-confliction cell aimed at supporting the implementation of the memorandum of understanding's provisions on Lebanon. According to the statement, the mechanism will involve representatives of the United States, Iran and the Lebanese government, with mediation support from the countries facilitating the talks. The statement said the de-confliction cell would work "to ensure the adherence of the termination of military operations in Lebanon as per the MoU".
Iran says talks format changed after US ‘threatening statement’ Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the Iranian delegation refused to continue quadrilateral talks involving the United States, Pakistan and Qatar in Switzerland after what he described as a "threatening statement" by US President Donald Trump during the negotiations. Speaking to Iranian media, Baghaei said Qatar and Pakistan attempted to keep the four-party format in place, but Tehran rejected the proposal. "Qatar and Pakistan tried to continue the talks, and we said it would not be a quadrilateral meeting," he said.
Pakistan and Qatar announce roadmap towards final US-Iran agreement Pakistan and Qatar said talks between the United States and Iran in Switzerland were conducted in a "positive and constructive atmosphere", with mediators reporting encouraging progress on several key issues. In a joint statement, the two countries said the parties had agreed to create a mechanism for further technical talks as efforts continue to build on the memorandum of understanding reached earlier. The statement said a High-Level Committee would be established to provide political oversight of the mediation process, with chief negotiators reporting regularly and leading working groups focused on nuclear issues, sanctions, and monitoring and dispute resolution.
Negotiations with Iran will continue overnight, US official says A senior US official involved in the negotiations said that discussions between American and Iranian representatives in Switzerland remain ongoing and are expected to continue throughout the night, Al Jazeera Arabic reported. The official said the US delegation had been engaged in continuous meetings since the morning and rejected reports suggesting the Iranian delegation had left, stating that negotiations were still actively underway. The official said discussions covered Iranian messaging regarding the Strait of Hormuz, with mechanisms established to prevent escalation and help ensure the strategic waterway remains open.
Iranian defence official calls for regional Islamic security alliance Iran's acting defence minister, Majid Ibn al-Reza, has called on Islamic countries to establish a regional security belt, arguing that greater cooperation is needed to address shared security challenges. According to the IRNA news agency, al-Reza made the proposal during a telephone conversation with Pakistan's defence minister Khawaja Asif. The remarks come as countries across the Gulf continue to reassess regional security arrangements following the conflict that began in late February.
UK lawmakers to debate influence of pro-Israel lobbying groups UK lawmakers are set to debate the influence of pro-Israel lobbying groups on British politics on Monday and consider calls for a public inquiry into the issue. The discussion follows a petition that has attracted more than 118,000 signatures, surpassing the threshold required for parliamentary consideration. Supporters of the petition argue that the role of pro-Israel organisations in UK politics should be examined in light of the government's response to the war in Gaza and rising settler violence in the occupied West Bank.
Iran says messages continue through mediators after refusing to rejoin talks Mediation efforts by Qatar and Pakistan are ongoing but have not yet yielded a final result, Iran's Tasnim news agency reported, citing an informed source. The source said the Iranian delegation refused to return to the quadrilateral talks following threats by US President Donald Trump, but messages continued to be exchanged through Qatari and Pakistani mediators.
Turkish minister warns of Israeli sabotage risk to US-Iran deal Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says that technical issues remaining in the recently signed memorandum of understanding may not be quickly resolved, and cautioned that Israel could try to derail the process. “These are important issues. It may not be easy to immediately resolve their technical details.
Iran-US talks in Switzerland paused but not ended, Iranian source says Talks between Iran and the United States in Switzerland have been paused, but have not been terminated, an Iranian source told Reuters.
US hopes to turn over 'new leaf' with Iran, but Trump threatens to resume bombing US Vice President JD Vance said on Sunday that President Donald Trump had asked him to turn over "a new leaf" in American ties with the Iranian people. But at the same time as the talks were occurring, Trump threatened to continue bombing Iran if it did not contain Hezbollah. Vance arrived at the Burgenstock mountain resort in Switzerland on Sunday morning to join Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, for technical talks with Iranian officials following last week's signing of a memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran.
