Welcome to our live coverage. Here are the updates from this afternoon:
- US Vice President JD Vance on Thursday said 12.5 million barrels of oil flowed through the Strait of Hormuz following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Iran to end the nearly four month-long war.
- The VP also said that the 60-day ceasefire period between the two countries will start ‘today’.
- The US and Iran have officially signed a memorandum of understanding to end the US-Israeli war on Iran. Initial talks between the US and Iran are set to go ahead in Switzerland on Friday in the mountain resort of Burgenstock, which will also involve key mediators Qatar and Pakistan.
- The deal with Iran, however, has opened a rare breach with Republican hawks, who warn that the agreement falls far short of the sweeping victory he promised and could leave Tehran richer, stronger, and still able to threaten the region. The terms have alarmed some of the same Republicans who spent years denouncing Democratic former president Barack Obama’s 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran as dangerously weak.
- Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian described the deal as ‘historic,’ and a ‘product of national resilience and responsible diplomacy’.
- However, Israeli forces continue attacks in Lebanon and Gaza despite its inclusion in the US-Iran MoU for Lebanon. At least three people have been killed in the country on Thursday, as well as in the Palestinian enclave.
And so we continue our live coverage…
