Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi indicated that a memorandum of understanding with the United States aimed at ending the war is "never been closer," while also emphasizing that media speculation regarding the deal should cease until its finalization. US President Donald Trump reposted Araghchi's statement on his Truth Social platform, following earlier criticism of Iran for alleged leaks to state media about the memorandum's details, which Trump dismissed as "fake news."
In other developments, British police arrested demonstrators outside a UK court who were protesting the sentencing of four Palestine Action activists, known as the "Filton Four," to lengthy prison terms on "terror" charges for their involvement in a protest at a factory linked to Israeli weapons production. Meanwhile, Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israeli occupation forces carried out military operations across various towns in the occupied West Bank, including incursions into Bethlehem, Tuqu, Immatain, Jit, and Beita, with clashes reported in Beita. Israeli settlers also established blockades on a road near Ramallah, restricting Palestinian travel.
Former US diplomat Henry Ensher suggested that Iran is leveraging the conflict in Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel as a foreign policy tool amidst negotiations with the US, and that any Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon would be a gradual process. He also noted that the deal, if finalized, would be the beginning of a process, not an end, with potential for things to still go wrong. Separately, an Iranian pro-democracy activist's lawyer stated that the United States deported her client to the Central African Republic, a move described as "super dangerous" due to the lack of support networks there. The US military's Central Command reported downing multiple Iranian drones targeting commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, asserting that the trade corridor remains open. Reporting from Tehran, sources indicated that Iranians reject the notion that recent attacks pressured their leaders into the deal, asserting the agreement was previously on the table and delays were due to American requests for modifications. They believe Iran will emerge stronger from the deal, with potential gains including control over the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions relief, and unfreezing of assets, while missile capabilities remain undiscussed. The UN Security Council also issued a statement condemning the killing of a Serbian peacekeeper from the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on June 4.
