Trump touts Iran deal as Hegseth warns Tehran
Iran stands to gain from deal; 3 Iranian tankers pass US blockade; and more.
Welcome back to the Daily Briefing.
This is Ezgi Akin, filling in for Gabrielle.
In today’s edition:
- Trump touts Iran deal as Hegseth warns Tehran
- How Iran stands to gain from deal
- 3 Iranian tankers pass US blockade
- Syrian Kurd commander Kobane kicks off European tour
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Thanks for reading,
Ezgi (ezgi_akin)
Trump touts Iran deal as Hegseth warns Tehran
US President Donald Trump arrives at Paris Orly airport, following the G7 Summit, in Orly, France, June 17, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
US President Donald Trump hit back at critics of the Iran deal Thursday as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that Washington was prepared to resume military action and restore a naval blockade if Tehran fails to meet its commitments under the agreement.
“These fools, who think I haven’t been tough enough on Iran, when the Stock Market Just Hit A RECORD HIGH, and Oil prices are ‘tumbling’ down, are either jealous, bad people, or stupid,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Following the signing of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding on Wednesday, oil fell again Thursday to its lowest prices since the war began, with Brent down 2% at around $78.
Meanwhile, Hegseth warned the United States would act again if Iran violated the terms of the agreement during the 60-day negotiation period.
“The president has pointed out that we will be prepared to recommence if underneath the timeline of these talks, Iran does not do what it says it’s going to do,” Hegseth said, speaking in Brussels after talks with NATO defense ministers.
Meanwhile, pressure has been mounting on Israel to halt its military campaign in Lebanon, one of the fronts covered by the US-Iran agreement.
One person was killed Thursday when an Israeli drone struck a car near Kfar Tebnit in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanon's state-run National News Agency.
The 14-point deal signed Wednesday calls for the “immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.”
On Wednesday, Trump said that Lebanese President Joseph Aoun would visit the White House “very shortly,” signaling stepped-up US engagement as Lebanon prepares for a new round of talks with Israel on June 23-25.
Iran stands to win major financial relief in deal
A shop owner counts Iranian banknotes at a store in the capital Tehran on Jan. 7, 2026. — ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images
Iran is headed for financial relief under the Trump-backed deal even before the central dispute over its stockpile of highly enriched uranium is resolved. The memorandum of understanding marks a shift from the administration’s earlier “no dust, no dollars” position, which tied sanctions relief to the fate of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile.
Under the deal, the Treasury Department would issue waivers allowing exports of Iranian crude oil, petroleum products and derivatives until US sanctions are formally terminated. The waivers would also cover the banking, transport and insurance services needed to facilitate those sales.
US officials defended the concession, arguing that sanctions had not stopped Iran from selling oil to China but had instead forced Tehran to move crude through opaque networks at steep discounts.
The memorandum also calls for the United States and regional partners to develop a plan involving at least $300 billion for Iran’s reconstruction and economic development. Trump later said Washington would not contribute to the fund. Elizabeth Hagedorn reports from Washington.
3 Iranian tankers with 4.8M barrels of oil pass US blockade
In this picture obtained from Iran's ISNA news agency and taken on May 2, 2026, the Gambia-flagged tanker vessel Bili is pictured anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran. — Amirhossein KHORGOOEI / ISNA / AFP via Getty Images
At least three Iranian-owned oil tankers under US sanctions have crossed the US Navy’s blockade line east of the Strait of Hormuz, maritime tracking data shows, in an early sign of movement before a planned US-Iran framework signing Friday.
The vessels — Diona, Sonia and Hero II — are owned by the sanctioned National Iranian Tanker Company and together suggest at least 4.8 million barrels of Iranian oil have exited the blockade since Monday. Jared Szuba reports from Washington.
Syrian Kurd commander kicks off European tour amid scrutiny from Damascus
Mazlum Kobane, commander-in-chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces, speaks with Agence France-Presse outside the northwestern Syrian city of Hasakah, on Jan. 24, 2019. — DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images
Mazlum Kobane, commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, arrived in Italy Wednesday at the start of a European tour that will also take him to the Netherlands and France, sources told Al-Monitor.
Kobane is seeking European diplomatic and economic backing after the SDF’s major territorial losses to Syrian government forces and the end of the declared US ground presence in Syria. He is expected to discuss SDF integration with Damascus and the fight against ISIS. Read Amberin Zaman’s analysis.
