Iran…Trump…Conflict…Evening… June 18, 2026…US VP Vance goes after Israeli’s knocking Trump’s Iran ‘Deal’…..

The agreement has faced mounting criticism from Israeli lawmakers, as well as some Republicans in Washington, who argue that it gives Iran economic relief while punting negotiations on its nuclear program down the road.

The 60-day clock for the United States and Iran to negotiate the future of Iran’s nuclear program and other issues has begun, Mr. Vance said.

Not long after, Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said in his first statement since the preliminary agreement was signed that Iran would not submit to “excessive demands,” according to Iranian state media.

“In-person negotiations that will take place in the future do not mean accepting the enemy’s view,” he said in the statement, which cast his country’s bargaining position as a strong one. Mr. Trump, he said, had struck a deal “out of desperation.”

Israel is not a party to the deal, and its fighting with Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia in Lebanon, had threatened to derail the U.S.-Iran talks, to the increasing frustration of American officials. Mr. Vance’s barbed remarks from the White House came a day after President Trump himself admonished Israel over its military campaign.

Mr. Vance also reminded Israeli critics of the deal that, according to him, two-thirds of the weapons “that have protected your homeland” were American-made and paid for by Americans’ tax dollars.

Responding to criticism about the sanctions relief that Iran is set to receive, Mr. Vance said Iran would have to “change their behavior” first — even though the deal lays out several benefits including some sanctions waivers that begin “upon the implementation of this M.O.U.”

Those terms include the United States unfreezing assets and releasing restricted funds and both sides committing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway whose closure roiled global supply chains and prices. Iran also immediately receives waivers on sanctions from the Treasury Department for the export of oil and other petroleum products that have long been restricted.

Other elements of the agreement, such as broader sanctions relief, would take place on “an agreed-upon schedule as part of the final deal.”

Mr. Vance claimed that lifting oil sanctions on Iran was “not a new benefit” for the country, even though severe economic restrictions in place before the war meant that Iran had to sell its oil at a steep discount. Lifting sanctions means it will be able to fetch higher prices, sell to a wider array of buyers and receive payment in more currencies.

Asked about Iran’s ballistic missiles, Mr. Vance told reporters that it was impossible to tell any country that they’re not allowed to maintain a self-defense capacity. He said the administration’s priority was to stop Iran from sowing regional chaos.

At the start of the war, Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, described the destruction of Iran’s ballistic missiles as one of the key goals of the war. That objective has not been achieved, according to U.S. intelligence estimates.

Here’s what else we’re covering:

• Economic pressure: Although Mr. Trump and Mr. Vance have threatened repercussions for Iran if it does not satisfy U.S. demands, Iran retains significant leverage in its negotiations. Mr. Trump stressed on Wednesday that he was deeply concerned about avoiding “economic catastrophe” as a result of a prolonged conflict, and he faces midterm elections with voters who broadly disapprove of the war.

• Lebanon: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that he does not feel bound by the memorandum’s terms, saying that Israel would maintain troops in areas of southern Lebanon. Iran has said it would hold the United States responsible for ensuring that Israel complies with the deal.

• Rebuilding Iran: Mr. Trump has denied that the United States would invest in a rebuilding fund, but the prospect has still attracted criticism from some Republican lawmakers….

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The Hill….

President Trump’s deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for lifting sanctions on Iran is getting strong pushback from Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill who warn that giving Iran’s theocratic regime access to billions of dollars in economic relief would be a major “blunder.”

Some Republicans are warning that the likely outcome of the more than 100-day conflict is not worth the cost to the nation: the lives of 13 American service members and more than $100 billion spent.

“Ronald Reagan is rolling over in his grave,” fumed Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) in a social media post, calling the war and its outcome the “worst foreign policy blunder in decades.”

“Iran’s nuclear ambitions were not curbed, and they have learned that threatening the Strait of Hormuz works and will undoubtedly leverage it in the future. Now, Iran gets to build brand-new infrastructure under this deal,” he wrote on the social platform X.

“Now, 13 Americans are dead, families have paid billions at the pump, sanctions will be lifted, and the bombing has stopped,” he continued.

Most concerning to some Senate GOP critics is that the deal will immediately lift sanctions on Iranian oil exports and may lead to the unfreezing of Iranian assets around the world.

“History teaches that giving billions of dollars to theocratic lunatics who want to murder us is not a good idea. I think the president is receiving some very poor advice on this deal,” said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas)…..

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ISW...Iran Update Special Report, June 18, 2026

1. Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps-affiliated media has made Iranian implementation of the US-Iran agreement, particularly provisions concerning the Strait of Hormuz, contingent on an end to Israeli operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iran is likely connecting these two clauses to compel the United States to pressure Israel to cease operations in Lebanon.
2. The Israel Defense Forces has continued operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, despite Iranian insistence that Israel must halt its campaign in Lebanon as part of the MoU. Hezbollah seriously affects northern Israeli security, and its attacks have displaced Israeli citizens there. Israel is not a signatory to the MoU, even though the signatoriesadded language that implied that Israel and Hezbollah were signatories.
3. Iran, under the current MoU, retains the ability to use the Strait of Hormuz as a tool to secure concessions and advance its strategic objectives. Recent Iranian threats to keep the strait closed unless Israel ends operations in Lebanon further demonstrate the regime’s willingness to use the waterway as a strategic source of leverage.
4. Iranian officials continue to signal that the regime will charge “fees” in the long-term for vessels that want to transit the strait, which is part of the broader Iranian effort to maintain long-term control over the strait. The MoU allows for a resumption of fee collection after 60 days.