U.S.-Iran deal updates: Israel says no Lebanon withdrawal, Iran says funds expected before final talks

The U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports and vessels remained in place Monday, according to the international Joint Maritime Information Center, despite a tentative agreement between Iran and the U.S. expected to formally reopen the Strait of Hormuz, extend a ceasefire and kick off broader negotiations from the end of this week.

According to a statement released by the international military partnership, which includes the U.S., the maritime security threat level in the Strait of Hormuz remains "severe due to blockade operations." 

The statement also warns mariners not to attempt to transit the Strait of Hormuz until "explicit direction" is given.

The guidance was issued despite President Trump's saying Monday that that ships were already moving out of the Strait of Hormuz using a route along the south of the waterway, which he said was "totally safe."

The U.S. military's Central Command said in a social media post on Sunday that the blockade had "redirected 142 commercial ships that complied and disabled 9 vessels that did not comply."

President Trump said Monday morning that ships were "starting to move" out of the Strait of Hormuz under the agreement reached with Iran, but international shipping associations have warned that it is still too risky, and only one ship had transited the strait on Monday when Mr. Trump issued the remark, according to tracking data.

"Ships are starting to move, many loaded up with Oil, out of the Strait of Hormuz," Mr. Trump said in a Truth Social post. "They are going along the Southern 'Highway,' which is totally safe, secure, and pristine."

Mr. Trump had said Sunday that the vital shipping lane would only reopen after the signing of the memorandum of understanding with Iran, which is expected to take place on Friday.

French President Emmanuel Macron said France and the U.K. are ready to lead a multinational mission to help reopen and ensure safety in the Strait of Hormuz under the agreement reached between the U.S. and Iran.

In an interview with French broadcaster TF1 ahead of a G7 meeting, Macron said France would be ready to "send planes, send a frigate, send deminers and … our aircraft carrier, Charles de Gaulle." 

He added that the forces would be ready for deployment in the next two or three days so the reopening of the vital shipping lane "can be done in a peaceful way and that it lasts."

"If the next few days show us that it's good," Macron said referring to the agreement, "we will deploy ourselves with the British. We will lead this mission."

Vice President JD Vance didn't rule out the possibility of U.S. military forces being used to help ensure Iran's compliance with an agreement on its nuclear materials, though he said he didn't "think the U.S. military forces are going to be necessary."

"We certainly talked with the Iranians about how we're going to destroy that enriched stockpile. The technical details are one of the things that we're going to work on when we start those technical talks on Friday," Vance said on "CBS Mornings."

According to the United Nations atomic watchdog agency, the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran has about 900 pounds of highly-enriched uranium believed to be buried under the rubble of a nuclear facility hit by U.S. and Israeli strikes a year ago.

"We're talking about working with the IAEA and working with the Iranians to go in and destroy that enriched stockpile of material," Vance told CBS News. "Whether we play an observer role or whether we play a more active role, these are the sorts of things that we'll figure out in technical talks."

"But what the President has made very clear is the United States will be there to confirm that that enriched stockpile of material is destroyed," he said. 

Commercial shipping associations warned Monday that it was still too soon to start sailing through the Strait of Hormuz despite the U.S. and Iran announcing a tentative agreement that calls for the crucial trade route to reopen.

Hundreds of oil tankers and cargo ships have been stuck in and around the Persian Gulf since the war erupted on Feb. 28.

Shipping and seafarers' associations said Monday that political leaders had yet to give enough detail on the agreement to ensure safe transit for vessels through the strait, which is the only way in or out of the Gulf. 

So far, official entities "do not offer sufficient information regarding key aspects such as timings and safe routes" under the agreement, Jakob Larsen, chief security officer at the shipping lobby BIMCO, said in a statement. "We believe the security situation for the shipping industry remains volatile, and we still consider it very risky for ships to commence transits at this point."

With the agreement scheduled to be signed on Friday, marine director Phillip Belcher of the tanker owners' association Intertanko said "a cautious approach should be undertaken" by ships.

In the same statement, the body's managing director Tim Wilkins urged the U.S. and Iran to make the Strait of Hormuz "free from the threat of mines" laid by Iranian forces in the conflict.

Vice President JD Vance said on "CBS Mornings" that the Trump administration plans to release the full text of the U.S.-Iran agreement this week, saying "we want the American people to see it."

"Sometimes with these agreements, there are some diplomatic protocols, some technical things to work out, but we plan to release the full text this week," Vance said. 

Vance said there is some misreporting about what's in the agreement, claiming the deal broadly "ensures that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, while simultaneously opening the Strait of Hormuz." 

Vance said it "fundamentally extends a hand to Iran and says, 'look, if you guys are willing to honor your obligations if you're willing to allow real inspections of your nuclear program, then we will welcome you back into the world economy.'"

The vice president said Iran will have "a much better and much more prosperous future if they meet the obligations they make in this agreement," noting that the unfreezing of Iranian financial assets is "one of the things we're going to work out in the technical talks that will follow the official signing on Friday."

Vance refuted claims that the Iranian regime would receive $24 billion in frozen funds if it hits certain benchmarks, saying the figure "doesn't appear anywhere in any of the texts." 

"What we have said is that we're willing to talk about unfreezing assets, but a much, much bigger deal is unsanctioning their economy - so long as they make the long-term commitments on the nuclear program," Vance said.

Iran's official state-run news agency quoted the country's vice president on Monday as saying the agreement reached with the U.S. was only "the first step," and the next phase of negotiations will be more difficult.

Speaking at a meeting on post-war reconstruction, Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref praised the agreement reached between Tehran and Washington, but according to the IRNA news agency, he also warned "the more difficult task is a permanent agreement and peace, which will be achieved within 60 days."

According to Iran and officials familiar with the negotiations who have spoken with CBS News, the memorandum of understanding agreed by the U.S. and Iran includes a 60-day period of negotiations to begin upon its signing. 

That signing is expected on Friday, and the next two months would see the two sides get down to the more complicated work of directly negotiating over the future of Tehran's nuclear enrichment program and other contentious issues.

At least one ship transited the Strait of Hormuz early on Monday, according to shipping data from MarineTraffic.com.

The Malta-flagged tanker had been in the Persian Gulf since the U.S. and Israel launched their joint war with Iran at the end of February, loaded with about 68,000 tons of cargo bound for India.

A second ship, the container vessel Kaiser, appeared positioned to transit the strait later in the day. The Kaiser departed Iraq's Umm Qasr port on June 3.

"Based on @Kpler data, crossings still remaining limited while there are more than 500 commercial vessels that have given an AIS signal in the Persian Gulf during the last 24hrs," the data firm's media relations manager Nikos Pothitakis said Monday in a social media post.

Only three other vessels are known to have made the transit with their tracking systems switched on since Thursday. Before the war began, an average of 138 commercial ships would transit the strait per day.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has urged "maximum restraint" by all sides involved in the U.S.-Iran agreement that is expected to be signed later this week. In a speech delivered Monday, Türk also calls for the agreement to be implemented "quickly and in good faith."

"I welcome the announcement that the United States and Iran have agreed on a peace deal that provides for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and a framework for further negotiations," Türk said, according to a transcript of his remarks provided by his office. 

"The conflict has had a devastating impact on human rights across the region and around the world," he said. "At this fragile moment, it is clear all sides need to exercise maximum restraint and work to implement this agreement quickly and in good faith."

The Lebanese Army on Monday warned residents from southern towns who have evacuated during months of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel not to return home yet.

In a social media statement, the Lebanese Army Command stressed "the need for residents to exercise caution and delay returning to villages and towns in the southern border area … in order to ensure their safety from the risk of Israeli violations and attacks."

Israel's defense minister said Monday that the country would not withdraw its forces from a vast swath of southern Lebanon they have effectively occupied for weeks under the U.S.-Iran deal.

The Israel Defense Forces did not announce any specific new operations against Hezbollah Monday, but Defense Minister Israel Katz noted in his statement that the area where Israeli forces are operating in southern Lebanon, "will be cleared of local residents and all terrorist infrastructure, above and below ground - including the houses in the contact villages that served as terrorist outposts - will be destroyed."

Iran will still be able to charge fees for commercial vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz under the agreement reached with the U.S., a source quoted by Iran's semi-official Fars news agency said Monday, contradicting U.S. officials' characterization of the deal.

Fars said Iran would allow fee-free passage during the 60-day negotiation period initiated by the signing of the memorandum of understanding, but that transit charges could be applied after that period.

President Trump told The New York Times in an interview published Sunday that the agreement with Iran would ensure the Strait of Hormuz was "permanently toll-free." 

According to the source quoted by Fars, U.S. negotiators accepted the principle of Iran charging fees for use of the strait in the future under a system that Iran and Oman, the two nations with coastlines in the watersway, would manage jointly.

Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps published on Monday a list of 14 points it said were included in the memorandum of understanding with the U.S., which is expected to be signed on Friday in Europe. That list includes the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days "under Iranian arrangements," but it does not specify whether tolls would be charged. 

Neither U.S. nor Pakistani mediators have released the text of the agreement.

The Lebanese presidency welcomed the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding, which is said to include a termination of all military operations across all fronts, including Israel's fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

In a statement released Monday, the presidency said "Lebanon hopes that this development will mark the beginning of a broader process that enhances stability in the region, preserves the sovereignty of states and the rights of their peoples, and allows the Lebanese to focus on rebuilding what has been destroyed and restoring their normal lives under a secure and stable state."

Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps published on Monday a list of the 14 points it says are included in the memorandum of understanding with the U.S., which is expected to come into effect after it is signed on Friday.

According to the IRGC, the agreement includes:

1. Immediate and permanent cessation of war on all fronts, including Israel's battle with Hezbollah in Lebanon
2. U.S. commitment not to interfere in Iran's internal affairs and to respect the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic
3. Full lifting of the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and vessels within 30 days
4. U.S. commitment to withdraw forces from the region around Iran
5. Reopening of the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days under Iranian arrangements
6. Suspension of sanctions on the sale of Iranian oil, petrochemical products and derivatives, and full Iranian access to revenues
7. U.S. and its allies required to present reconstruction plans for Iran worth at least $300 billion
8. 60 days of negotiations to reach a final agreement on nuclear issues and the complete lifting of primary and secondary U.S. sanctions, as well as United Nations Security Council and IAEA Board of Governors resolutions
9. Iran's reaffirmation of its commitment under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty not to produce nuclear weapons
10. During the negotiation period, the U.S. commits not to increase its forces in the region and not to impose new sanctions
11. Release of $24 billion in frozen Iranian funds during the 60-day final negotiation period; half of this amount must be made available to Iran before final negotiations begin
12. Establishment of a monitoring mechanism to implement the agreement
13. Final agreement to be approved by a United Nations Security Council resolution
14. Discussions about Iran's conventional missile program and support for resistance groups are explicitly excluded from the agenda.

Israeli officials said Monday that the country was not bound to withdraw forces from Lebanon or halt its fight with Hezbollah under the U.S.-Iran agreement.

On Friday, a senior Trump administration official told CBS News that Iran would not receive any portion of the frozen financial assets until the country shows it is complying with the obligations made under the deal. That raises questions about timing given the IRGC's claim that half of Iran's seized funds are to be handed over before final negotiations begin during the 60-day period.

"If they turn over the nuclear material as promised, they get something. If they dismantle their nuclear programs or their nuclear facilities, they'll get something else. If they really commit to regional peace and stability, they'll get additional things on top of that," the official said, warning against taking Iranian government and media statements at face value, calling them "domestic propaganda."

Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Monday that the agreement between the U.S. and Iran does not require Israel to stop its fight against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

"Trump's agreement does not bind us... we are not party to this agreement. It does not safeguard our security," National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said on his Telegram channel.

"We must not settle for anything less than the dismantling of Hezbollah. We must not withdraw from a single inch of territory that our soldiers have captured and cleared of terrorist infrastructure," he said.

Israel's defense minister said Monday that Israeli forces will remain in Lebanon "indefinitely" and he opposes any withdrawal of forces from the southern parts of the country, where Israel and the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah have fought continuously since just after the U.S. and Israel launched their war against Iran.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said the government was "leading a clear policy that states that the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] will remain in the security zones in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza - indefinitely - in order to protect the border and Israeli settlements from there against jihadist elements."

The defense minister said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had made President Trump aware of Israel's intention to maintain a presence in southern Lebanon.

"If Iran attacks Israel due to the events in Lebanon - we will attack it with all our might and clearly demonstrate to it the power gaps," Katz said in his statement.

Pakistan, a key mediator in the negotiations, said the agreement reached by the U.S. and Iran, included a termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.

The United States and Iran are to hold indirect meetings in Doha this week ahead of the formal signing of a deal aimed at ending the Middle East war, a diplomat told AFP on Monday.

"Separate preparatory meetings with each side will now take place in Doha this week, ahead of the official signing in Switzerland and the start of the technical talks," the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive arrangements.

President Donald Trump is headed to the French Alps on Monday to meet with fellow world leaders at the Group of Seven summit after announcing an agreement that he says will bring an end to the U.S. war with Iran.

With the agreement, Trump is due to arrive in Evian-les-Bains on Monday afternoon with some wind at his back for talks with G7 leaders, including some who have been sharply critical of his managing of the roughly 15-week conflict that has led to a surge in global energy prices.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told President Trump Israel won't pull its troops from Lebanon and doesn't consider itself obligated to go along with the Lebanon-related parts of the U.S. deal with Iran, Israeli news service Ynet reports, citing Israeli sources.

Ynet says Netanyahu also told Mr. Trump Israel will keep responding to attacks by Iran-backed Hezbollah and hitting Hezbollah itself. 

Netanyahu received full backing for his positions from Israel's cabinet, Ynet says.

Qatari mediators left Tehran after 17 hours of intensive negotiations that resulted in the announced deal, according to a diplomat briefed on developments. Separate preparatory meetings with each side are set to take place in Doha this week, ahead of the official signing in Switzerland and the start of the technical talks, the diplomat said.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday released statements in support of a U.S-Iran deal.

"I welcome the agreement reached between the United States and Iran, the result of a diplomatic effort to which several partners have contributed," Macron wrote on social media. "I call for its rapid and complete implementation by all belligerents."

Macron urged a speedy reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, saying, "The resumption of maritime traffic, without restriction or toll, is an indispensable condition for regional stability and the global economy."

Macron also said France was "prepared to play its part" in any agreement made about Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

Starmer similarly wrote, "Attention must now turn to fully implementing the memorandum of understanding to ensure the Strait reopens and remains fully and permanently open, and that the detailed elements of the nuclear agreement are finalised. We stand ready to support the technical talks that will now begin."