LiveLive Updates June 17, 2026Share to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeJune 17, 2026Updates18 minutes agoPakistan PM: U.S.-Iran deal takes ‘immediate effect,’ Tehran to open Strait of Hormuz ‘instantly’Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said leaders of both the U.S. and Iran had signed the agreement and endorsed him as a mediator. He said in a post on X that the deal "shall enter into force with immediate effect and as a first step, Islamic Republic of Iran will instantly reopen the Strait of Hormuz and the United States of America will immediately lift the naval blockade."Sharif said Pakistan and co-mediator Qatar will still host an official signing ceremony on Friday in Switzerland.Iran-U.S. talks on Friday in Switzerland are not confirmed for now, Baghaei saysIran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said early on Thursday that talks between Iran and the United States on Friday in Switzerland are not confirmed for now."The Friday meeting was confirmed until a few hours ago, but when it was decided that the presidents of the two sides (Iran and the U.S.) would sign the agreement, it was decided to pause consideration of the Friday meeting for now," Baghaei said.Verification is key in U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, Saudi foreign minister saysThe most important issue in imminent nuclear talks between Iran and the United States is how Iran's nuclear programme will be policed, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Wednesday."The detail will matter," Prince Faisal said of the talks, speaking at a conference in Vienna hosted by Brussels-based think-tank the European Council on Foreign Relations. He declined to comment on the detail of the MOU because he had not yet seen the final version."It will be most important to see the verification mechanisms that are (put) in place beyond the actual commitments on (uranium) enrichment, the actual commitment on the removal or downblending of nuclear materials," he said of the talks."How we will have a long-term, sustainable verification regime is what will matter the most, and that is what will give the international community but also the regional countries the most confidence and the ability to look towards a better future," the prince added.RECAP: Trump says Iran cease-fire 'beginning of a much larger deal across the Middle East'Here are Wednesday's latest updates from the U.S.-Iran peace process and Israel's war with Hezbollah:■ Iran's official news agency said the country will not produce or acquire nuclear weapons as it released the text of the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran.■ U.S. President Donald Trump said that the United States will allow Iran to have "some" ballistic missiles under the agreement scheduled to be signed officially in the coming days. He explained the decision, saying, "What am I going to do? Am I going to let Saudi Arabia have missiles but they can't have them?"■ Five Israeli soldiers were wounded by an explosive drone strike in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, the IDF announced, one of whom is in serious condition.■ Settlers set fire to agricultural land in the village of Beit Amrin near the West Bank's Nablus, according to Palestinian reports.■ Thousands of Hasidic ultra-Orthodox demonstrators protested outside Military Prison 10 in central Israel following the arrest of a yeshiva student who was designated as a draft dodger; this is the first demonstration of its kind by the Hasidic sect.■ The police announced that they are suspending a police officer who kicked a Haredi protester in the face as he lay on the ground at a protest against mandatory conscription in central Israel's Bnei Brak on Wednesday morning.■ The Gaza Health Ministry announced that two people were killed, five wounded in IDF strikes in the past 24 hours.Iran's official news agency says country will not produce or acquire nuclear weaponsIran's official news agency said the country will not produce or acquire nuclear weapons as it released the text of the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran.IRNA added that the U.S. will start lifting the naval blockade on Iran immediately after the memorandum is signed, and the blockade will end completely within 30 days.In the NewsIsraeli Health Authorities Close Two Stores After Sedatives Found in Baby FoodIsrael Is in the Dangerous Twilight Days of Netanyahu's RuleU.S. and Iran Sign MOU to End War; Pakistani PM: Deal Takes Immediate EffectImmunity for Me, Not for Thee: Israeli Lawmakers Chose to Protect Their OwnIsrael's Defeat in Iran Isn't a Disaster – It's an Opportunity to Face the TruthRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIHumiliated by Trump on the Iran Front, Netanyahu May Set the Middle East Ablaze'Once-in-a-lifetime Discovery': 1,700-year-old Roman Busts Found in IsraelTrump and Netanyahu Hurtling Toward a Rupture That Could Shock U.S.-Israel TiesWhy Does the Jewish State Keep Deporting Diaspora Jews?Fork Found in Kitchen: Israelis Have Discovered the OccupationThe Fake Gaza Charity Linked to the Anti-left Disinformation Campaign in France