Skip next section China, Russia welcome US-Iran ceasefire deal June 18, 2026
China, Russia welcome US-Iran ceasefire deal
China and Russia , both strategic partners of Tehran, have welcomed the signing of a framework deal on ending the Iran war.
The signing of the memorandum of understanding was of "positive significance for easing tensions and consolidating the ceasefire momentumm," a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
He said China would continue to play a constructive role in ending the conflict.
Russia's Foreign Ministry also said it welcomed the ceasefire agreement.
It called on both sides to comply with the agreement to avoid "a new and dangerous escalation of tensions in the region, including in Lebanon ."
"We hope that the establishment of peace will contribute to reestablishing confidence in the relations between states on both sides of the Persian Gulf and that the resumption of navigation ... through the Strait of Hormuz ... will help reduce volatility on world markets ," it added.
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Skip next section Pentagon chief threatens to attack if Iran doesn't comply with deal June 18, 2026
Pentagon chief threatens to attack if Iran doesn't comply with deal
Hegseth has been attending a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels Image: Virginia Mayo/AP Photo/dpa/picture alliance The US will resume its military action against Iran and reimpose its blockade on Iranian ports if Tehran does not comply with its just-signed agreement with Washington, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday.
"The president has pointed out that we will be prepared to recommence if underneath the timeline of these talks, Iran does not do what it says it's going to do," Hegseth said in Brussels after meeting NATO defense ministers .
"If Iran doesn't comply, then we're more than able to reimpose an ironclad blockade," he added.
US President Donald Trump has said that if the final deal reached with Iran during the 60-day ceasefire agreed with Tehran does not please him, the US will resume bombing.
"It’s a memorandum of understanding, and if I don’t like it, we’ll go back to shooting at them, dropping bombs on their heads. I don’t like it if they don’t behave. We’ll go right back to dropping bombs right smack in the middle of their head," the president said on Wednesday at the G7 summit in France.
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Skip next section IEA chief warns 'the vase is broken' for Strait of Hormuz navigation June 18, 2026
IEA chief warns 'the vase is broken' for Strait of Hormuz navigation
Some 2,000 ships were stranded in the Strait of Hormuz amid the war Image: REUTERS International Energy Agency (IEA) head Fatih Birol has called for the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened without conditions following the signing of the interim deal between the US and Iran.
The strait must be reopened "without conditions" so that all parties "believe it is safe," Birol said on Thursday at an event in Istanbul, Turkey.
"We will now see the details of the agreement and the negotiation process, and what happens next."
However, the waterway — a global chokepoint for oil, gas and fertilizer transport — could potentially be closed again, he said.
"The vase is broken," he said. "Now all actors know that the Strait of Hormuz was closed once and it can be shut down again."
Birol said several countries were reviewing their energy policies in view of this fact.
According to the IEA, the closure of the strait by Iran amid the war triggered by February 28 attacks on it by the US and Israel blocked more than 14 million barrels per day (bpd) of Middle East oil output.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Fc5L
Skip next section Trump says critics of Iran deal are 'fools,' 'jealous' or 'bad people' June 18, 2026
Trump says critics of Iran deal are 'fools,' 'jealous' or 'bad people'
US President Donald Trump has defended the interim deal with Iran on Thursday after he signed it overnight.
"These fools, who think I haven’t been tough enough on Iran, when the stock market just hit A RECORD HIGH, and oil prices are 'tumbling' down, are either jealous, bad people, or stupid," the president said on his Truth Social platform.
It comes after some conservative commentators and even members of Trump's own Republican ranks spoke out against the deal, particularly in comparison to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal secured by former president Barrack Obama .
Texas Senator Ted Cruz, a potential 2028 presidential candidate, said: "I think the president, unfortunately, is receiving bad advice."
Another Republican senator, Bill Cassidy from Louisiana, described it as 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," Cassidy said.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Fc5o
Skip next section Missile program not part of negotiations with US — Tehran June 18, 2026
Missile program not part of negotiations with US — T…
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