🔴 LIVE | Middle East News Now: U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding Signed as Lebanon Developments Unfold

Middle East News Now is dominating the regional agenda on Thursday, June 18, 2026, as the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding officially enters into force, amid anticipation over upcoming negotiations and their implications for regional security and the future of tensions in southern Lebanon and the Strait of Hormuz.

Profile News continues its live coverage of the latest political, military, and security developments across Lebanon, Iran, Gaza, and Syria, while closely following regional and international diplomatic efforts and their impact on global energy markets and maritime navigation.

📌 Previous live coverage: Arabic | English

🔴 LIVE | Middle East News Now: Updates as They Happen

🕒 Last updated: June 18, 2026 – 09:20 Beirut Time

🔴 23:25 | Lebanese Parliament Speaker

• I confirm Hezbollah’s commitment to the ceasefire as long as Israel fully and comprehensively adheres to it.

🔴 21:54 | Iran’s Supreme National Security Council

• Ships must submit their requests to the Iranian Strait of Hormuz Management Authority for passage, in accordance with the memorandum of understanding.

• Under the memorandum of understanding, no fees will be imposed on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz for a period of 60 days.

• Iran will cover the transit fees for the Strait of Hormuz during the 60-day period.

• Ships must pass through the strait at the designated time and route for security reasons.

🔴 20:44 | Iranian Supreme Leader

• Iranian officials made great efforts to reach the stage of signing the memorandum of understanding.

• The US President, from a position of weakness, used various tools to reach the memorandum of understanding.

• I had a different opinion regarding the memorandum, but I approved it after Pezeshkian pledged to take responsibility for safeguarding the rights of our people.

• The negotiations we will hold in the future do not mean that we will accept the terms of the other party.

• President Pezeshkian assured me that if the American side persists in its demands, we will not submit to that.

• President Pezeshkian pledged to take responsibility for safeguarding the rights of our people and the allied front.

• We will wait for the conditions in the memorandum to be fulfilled, but future negotiations with the presence of both parties do not mean we accept the opinion of the other party.

🔴 20:02 | US Central Command

• We lifted the naval blockade on Iran today, in line with President Trump’s directives.

• Our forces are not obstructing the passage of ships to and from Iranian ports in the Gulf.

• US Navy ships will remain in the region to ensure compliance with all provisions of the agreement.

🔴 19:52 | Trump

• There is no $300 billion payment to Iran from the United States; this is false news.

• All that matters to the United States is success, lower oil prices, and victory—look at the stock market.

🔴 19:51 | US Treasury Department

• We have imposed sanctions on Lebanese officials loyal to Hezbollah and others for obstructing peace and delaying disarmament.

• The Office of Foreign Assets Control is also targeting individuals in Lebanon and other countries who collect donations for Hezbollah.

🔴 18:42 | US Vice President JD Vance

• 12.5 million barrels of oil transited through the Strait of Hormuz last night.

• The amount of oil that passed through the Strait of Hormuz last night represents the highest rate since the beginning of the conflict.

• What has happened so far is a victory for the American people and for President Trump, regardless of what the Iranians may do.

• Iran did not fire on any ships during the night.

• We will not provide any money or lift sanctions until we see the required behavior from the Iranians.

• Iran did not fire on any ships during the night, which means they are so far adhering to the agreement.

• Our forces in the Middle East allowed more than 12 ships to bypass the naval blockade.

• We are committed to implementing our side of the initial phase of the agreement.

• The 60-day period stipulated in the memorandum of understanding with Iran began today.

• Within the framework of any final agreement, we will ensure that Iran is not able to possess nuclear weapons or finance terrorism.

• Iran’s economy is in a very difficult position, and it needs to change its behavior in order to reintegrate into the global economy.

• We are currently imposing a suffocating economic blockade on Iran, and we will not end it unless Iran fundamentally changes its behavior.

• We expect that Iran will not launch missiles and drones at Israel, and that Israel will cease its military operations in Lebanon.

• Iran’s conventional military capabilities remain destroyed, and its ability to threaten its neighbors has largely diminished.

🔴 17:46 | Trump to Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation

• It is very likely that I will support Netanyahu in the elections, but I am waiting to see who the other candidates are.

• I have a good relationship with Netanyahu, but he needs to be more rational, and I am ready to meet him.

🔴 17:38 | Hezbollah

• Israeli forces remain at the southern outskirts of Kfartebnit from the Arnoun side in southern Lebanon.

• The Kfartebnit – Ali al-Taher area will remain resistant to Israeli forces’ advances.

• Israeli forces have been attempting for 4 days to advance towards Kfartebnit and Ali al-Taher hill in southern Lebanon.

• We repelled all Israeli advance attempts with rockets and drones, inflicting losses that forced them to retreat.

🔴 09:20 | Nabatieh, Lebanon — Al Jazeera correspondent: An Israeli drone strike targeted the outskirts of Kfartebnit in southern Lebanon.

🔴 09:19 | Brussels — Belgian defense minister: We have a minesweeper ready to participate in demining operations in the Strait of Hormuz

🔴 09:19 | Berlin — German defense minister: We intend to deploy a minesweeper and a supply vessel in preparation for a potential mission in the Strait of Hormuz

🔴 09:17 | Bern — Swiss government: Representatives from the United States, Iran, Pakistan, Qatar, and other countries will meet on Friday for preliminary negotiations

🔴 08:21 | Brussels — NATO Secretary General: The agreement with Iran reduces its nuclear and missile capabilities and restores freedom of navigation

🔴 06:19 | Tel Aviv — Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation: The commander of the 36th Division and another officer were among those wounded in a roadside bomb explosion in southern Lebanon

🔴 06:15 | Tel Aviv — Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation: Seven soldiers from the 36th Division and the Golani Brigade were wounded in a roadside bomb explosion in the Litani area

🔴 06:07 | Tel Aviv — Axios citing an adviser to Netanyahu: Israel will not withdraw from southern Lebanon unless Hezbollah is disarmed

🔴 06:04 | Tel Aviv — Axios citing an adviser to Netanyahu: Israel does not consider itself bound by the Lebanon-related provisions of the memorandum of understanding

🔴 06:00 | Israeli military: A soldier from the 36th Division was killed during fighting in southern Lebanon

🔴 05:31 | Versailles — Trump: I can assure you that reaching the memorandum of understanding with Iran was not easy

🔴 04:37 | Washington — Trump to The Wall Street Journal: Netanyahu had different objectives in some aspects of the war because Israel is closer to Iran

🔴 04:36 | Washington — Trump to The Wall Street Journal: Netanyahu is a great person, but he sometimes goes too far

🔴 04:17 | Washington — White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles: The next 60 days could bring challenges as we work on finalizing important details

🔴 04:09 | Islamabad — Pakistani prime minister: Tehran will immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz while Washington will directly lift the naval blockade

🔴 03:36 | Paris — Macron: The agreement paves the way for lasting peace and allows the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz

🔴 03:35 | Paris — Macron: President Trump signed the agreement between Iran and the United States at the Palace of Versailles

🔴 02:44 | Islamabad — Pakistani prime minister: As a first step, Iran will immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz while the United States will directly lift the naval blockade

🔴 02:42 | Islamabad — Pakistani prime minister: The Islamabad memorandum of understanding has entered into force immediately

🔴 02:41 | Islamabad — Pakistani prime minister: The presidents of the United States and Iran signed the memorandum of understanding as approved by me in my capacity as mediator

🔴 02:24 | Versailles — Trump: I have signed the memorandum of understanding with Iran

🔴 02:01 | Tehran — Iranian Foreign Ministry: The text of the memorandum of understanding was signed in both Persian and English

🔴 01:53 | Washington — Fox News citing a White House official: The Iranian president also signed the memorandum and the agreement has entered into force

🔴 01:53 | Washington — Fox News citing a White House official: The signing ceremony scheduled in Geneva was canceled after the agreement was signed in Versailles

🔴 00:58 | Tehran — Iranian Foreign Ministry: We have begun implementing our commitments regarding the Strait of Hormuz following the signing of the memorandum of understanding

🔴 00:50 | Washington – Tehran — The U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding has been signed

🔴 00:39 | Washington – Tehran — Axios: A copy of the signed agreement was sent to Iran and the mediating countries

🔴 00:29 | Tehran — Iranian Foreign Ministry: The memorandum of understanding is now fully official following its signing by both parties

🔴 00:27 | Washington – Tehran — Axios: The memorandum of understanding has entered into force

🔴 00:24 | Washington – Tehran — Axios citing U.S. officials: The United States and Iran electronically signed a memorandum of understanding to end the war

🔴 00:23 | Tehran — Iranian Foreign Ministry: It was decided that the memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States would be signed digitally

🔴 00:21 | Tehran — Iranian Foreign Ministry: The text of the memorandum of understanding was officially signed by the presidents of the United States and Iran

Profile News provides around-the-clock coverage of the latest political, military, and security developments across the Middle East.