Exiled prince condemns US-Iran MoU after protesters' executions

Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref suggested on Tuesday that vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz should pay for doing so, saying many passages had been free because of Iran's "hospitality."

"Many passages through the Strait of Hormuz have been free of charge thanks to the hospitality of the Iranian people. But when a guest's stay becomes prolonged, the guest should pay for their own expenses," Aref said.

Aref also said differences of opinion over negotiations with Washington should not turn into internal disputes.

"Those who are unable to resolve even a dispute between two brothers, how can they provide solutions for resolving the historical and strategic differences between the Islamic Republic and the West?" he said.

Hezbollah has received assurances from Iran that Tehran will not sign a final nuclear agreement with the United States unless Israel withdraws from Lebanon, the Iran-backed group's media relations office said on Tuesday.

Hezbollah said a withdrawal would be the result of, and not a pre-condition for, continuing talks between Tehran and Washington following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two countries on Friday.

Reuters quoted the Iran-backed group as saying that there would be "no nuclear deal between Iran and the United States unless the Israelis withdraw" from Lebanon.

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the text of the agreement with Iran would be released in a formal setting and that he expected the second stage of the deal to proceed quickly.

“I’d like to get a formal setting first before we do that, but I have no problem with that, it’s a great document,” he told reporters at ‌the G7 meetings ​in ⁠France.

Trump said he would go over the memorandum of understanding with the media "in a couple of days."

“I’ll probably have a press conference and read it to you word by word, so that the press covers it accurately, because it’s a very important document,” he said.

He said that the document clearly states "Iran will not have a nuclear weapon."

Trump added that he likes the idea of sending the Iran agreement to Congress.

"I never thought about sending ⁠it, never even thought about it, but I will," Trump said. "I ‌will ​send it to Congress. I like the idea."

He said the Strait of Hormuz would be "fully open" by Friday.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday that discussions during a session on the Middle East with regional partners focused on restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, addressing supply chain vulnerabilities and Lebanon.

"First, we need to ensure the full restoration of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, without restrictions," von der Leyen said on X, outlining the topics discussed during the session.

"The events in the Strait have highlighted vulnerabilities that we need to address. We should work together to alternative supply routes and new corridors, such as the IMEC. With better connectivity, we can transform vulnerabilities into opportunities," she added.

Von der Leyen said participants also discussed Lebanon.

"A stable and peaceful Middle East requires a stable and peaceful Lebanon," she said.

Mizan described the two men as “enemy foot soldiers” and “armed leaders of the January coup” in Shahrud, saying protesters had created what it called the pretext and conditions for hostile action by Iran’s enemies.

Mohammad-Sadegh Akbari, the head of the judiciary in Semnan province, accused Zamani and Saedi of taking part in unrest, damaging bank branches, creating disorder outside the governor’s office, overturning and burning a police vehicle, and attacking homes and cars.

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  Iran executes another political prisoner, bringing tally to 37 since March

Mizan said the charges against them also included inciting people to attend protests, assembly and collusion against domestic and foreign security, moharebeh, or “waging war against God,” and “corruption on earth.”

Officials and state media in Iran have repeatedly sought to discredit anti-government protests by labeling them “riots,” “unrest” or a “coup” and linking them to foreign actors, including the United States and Israel.

Mizan also published a 50-second video it described as the men’s confessions, with their faces blurred.

Rights groups and former detainees have repeatedly reported the use of forced confessions under pressure, torture and harsh detention conditions in the Islamic Republic’s prisons.

Iran has sharply increased executions in recent months, including political prisoners accused of taking part in the January protests or facing espionage-related charges.

In early June, the Islamic Republic executed Mehrdad Mohammadinia and Ashkan Maleki, two January protesters, over allegations that they set fire to a mosque in Tehran.