Headlines for June 18, 2026

Headlines June 18, 2026

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Trump and Pezeshkian Sign Memorandum Aimed at Ending U.S. War on Iran

Jun 18, 2026

Image Credit: Dan Scavino/@Scavino47 via X

The United States and Iran have officially signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war in Iran. President Trump signed the agreement at a dinner at the Palace of Versailles hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, hours after the G7 summit wrapped up in Évian. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed the agreement in Tehran; he later shared the memorandum on social media, calling it a “historical document and a message from a powerful Iran.” The 14-point agreement calls for an immediate end to fighting on all fronts, including Lebanon; the full resumption of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz; the lifting of the U.S. blockade; the waiving of U.S. sanctions on Iran; the unfreezing of Iranian assets; and a $300 billion investment fund to rebuild Iran. Iran’s lead negotiator, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, said, “Everything we sought to achieve through military action, we obtained several times over through negotiation; it ​was not even comparable.” On Capitol Hill, some lawmakers have criticized Trump’s deal, with Republican Senator Bill Cassidy calling it the “worst foreign policy blunder in decades.”

Meanwhile, President Trump has signaled that no one will face consequences for the U.S. cruise missile strikes that killed more than 175 people at a school in Minab on the first day of U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran last February. Most of the victims were schoolgirls.

President Donald Trump : “If it was a fault — and as you know, that’s under investigation — it’s such a strange question to be asked at this state, talking about a long time ago, but nobody did that on purpose.”

Israel Attacks Lebanon, Killing One and Wounding Three, Despite U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Deal

Jun 18, 2026

Lebanon’s National News Agency reports an Israeli drone strike near the town of Kfar Tebnit has killed one person, while seriously wounding another. A separate drone strike on Beit Yahoun in southern Lebanon wounded two people. Israel’s attacks came even though the U.S.-Iran ceasefire deal calls for an end to hostilities on “all fronts,” including Lebanon.

Ukrainian Drones Attack Moscow, Sparking Massive Oil Refinery Fire

Jun 18, 2026

Ukrainian drones have struck a massive oil refinery in Russia’s capital region for the second time in a week, sending thick black smoke over Moscow and halting flights at the city’s four airports. Elsewhere, Russian officials say one woman was injured as debris from downed Ukrainian drones fell on homes, cars, a fitness center, a large mall and an industrial site. Ukraine’s attack came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with President Trump and other heads of state at the G7 summit in Évian, France.

Israeli Attacks on Gaza Have Killed Over 1,000 Palestinians Since October “Ceasefire”

Jun 18, 2026

In Gaza, at least two Palestinians were killed and another left wounded after Israel bombed the southern Gaza Strip. The attack targeted al-Mawasi, a crowded tent camp that Israel had designated as a so-called humanitarian zone. The latest killings bring the number of deaths since Israel agreed to a U.S.-brokered so-called “ceasefire deal” with Hamas in October to more than 1,000. Israel now occupies 64% of the Gaza Strip — far more than the 53% allowed under the October agreement.

Rep. Ro Khanna Is First U.S. Lawmaker to Sign Anti- AIPAC PEACE Pledge

Jun 18, 2026

Image Credit: AIPAC Tracker

California Democratic Congressmember Ro Khanna has become the first member of Congress to sign a pledge not to take money from pro-Israel lobbying groups. The PEACE Pledge stands for the Pledge to Enforce American law, Counter foreign influence, and End war crimes. It was created by the group Track AIPAC , which tracks political spending by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

Rep. Ro Khanna : “It’s pretty commonsense. It means that we shouldn’t be sending our tax dollar money for foreign wars overseas. We should be spending it here at home. And it says that we shouldn’t be taking money from AIPAC or all of its affiliate PACs or bundled money from those organizations, and that we have to recognize the genocide that took place in Gaza.”

The PEACE Pledge includes a promise to support the First Amendment rights of people critical of the state of Israel, including supporters of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, or BDS , movement.

Peace Activists Celebrate as Maryland Public Pension System Divests from Israeli Bonds

Jun 18, 2026

Peace activists rallied in Baltimore on Wednesday to celebrate a decision by the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System to divest most of its holdings in Israeli sovereign bonds. This is Evie Frankl, a member of Jewish Voice for Peace and the Break the Bonds Campaign and the daughter of Holocaust survivors.

Evie Frankl : “When we started…