Iran

The Art of the Deal

Plus: Anthropic vs. the government, Knicks win, bread and circuses, and more...

Liz Wolfe | 6.15.2026 9:32 AM

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Ceasefire deal reportedly reached: The Strait of Hormuz will be "permanently toll-free," according to President Donald Trump, who reports he reached a preliminary ceasefire deal with Iran over the weekend. A memorandum of understanding is scheduled to be signed on Friday.

BREAKING: President Trump says the deal with Iran is "now complete."

"I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz… let the oil flow," Trump says. pic.twitter.com/ekg15g5uqQ

— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) June 14, 2026

But there's a big caveat: Trump said that if a nuclear deal can't be hammered out—that process is supposed to begin in Switzerland on Friday, following the signing of the memorandum—he will authorize the military to start attacking once again (or make the U.S. "the guardian of the Middle East" and get 20 percent of the area's revenues).

In a phone interview with The New York Times, Trump previewed some of the possible sticking points. For example, he wants a uranium-enriching pause for 20 years, whereas Iran claims it will agree to only 10. (The president noted that he could possibly settle for 15.) He also praised the current Iranian regime, presumably buttering them up a bit. He lambasted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling him "a very difficult guy."

"And to be honest with you," Trump continued, "he should be very thankful to us for doing this. Because if Iran had a nuclear weapon, Israel wouldn't be around for two hours."

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Per the Times, "Iran has also agreed to give up half of its 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent—near weapons grade—while diluting the other half to levels that would........

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