Former US Iran envoy says Lebanon is most dangerous fault line in Iran deal

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US envoy Steve Witkoff were both expected in Switzerland for talks, Axios reported, after a ceasefire in Lebanon eased one of the main obstacles to the next phase of US-Iran negotiations.

Witkoff was expected to join Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, who was already in Switzerland, while Araghchi planned to travel there on Saturday, according to the report.

The Swiss foreign ministry had said earlier that planned talks at the Bürgenstock resort were postponed, while adding that Switzerland remained ready to facilitate negotiations and that preparatory work was continuing.

The renewed movement followed a Lebanon ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah after a sharp escalation threatened to derail the US-Iran process. A senior US official said the ceasefire took effect around 4 p.m. local time, and Reuters said two Hezbollah sources and a senior Israeli official confirmed it.

Former ambassador Mohammad Irani argues that effort will depend largely on the success of negotiations between Tehran and Washington.

Speaking to Shargh on Thursday, June 18, Irani said that "the restoration of Iran's damaged relations with its Arab neighbors is directly contingent upon the success and final quality of the broader Tehran-Washington agreement."

He argued that with hostilities paused and a tentative memorandum of understanding now on the table, "Iran must adopt an optimistic and rational diplomatic approach to break out of political and economic isolation."

Iran cannot repair relations with Arab and regional neighbors "in a vacuum," he said, insisting that regional diplomacy is inseparable from the outcome of negotiations with Washington.

His comments reflect a broader theme across Iran's press, where discussions of relations with Persian Gulf states have become increasingly tied to post-war diplomacy and the emerging Tehran-Washington understanding.

A recurring argument is that the conflict exposed the vulnerability of Iran's Arab neighbors and reinforced their interest in a durable understanding between Tehran and Washington. Many voices in Tehran argue that regional states now view a sustainable agreement as the best guarantee of their own economic and technological stability.

Irani also argued that a lasting regional order cannot be imported or built through symbolic agreements alone, as smaller states remain engaged in a constant balancing act between larger regional powers, particularly Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Many commentators have likewise suggested that Persian Gulf states are reassessing their security doctrines in the aftermath of the war, particularly regarding Israel's growing strategic and technological footprint across the region.

Several outlets, including Etemad, ISNA and Eghtesad News, have argued that Iran's long-term place in the regional order will ultimately depend on the fate of the nuclear file and the broader understanding taking shape between Tehran and Washington.

At the same time, analysts warn that if the current 60-day negotiation window fails to produce a more permanent framework, Iran's Arab neighbors are likely to deepen security, cybersecurity and defense partnerships with Western and other global powers, further marginalizing Tehran.

For the talks to succeed, Irani argued, the negotiating team needs strong domestic backing to convert wartime resilience into peacetime development.

"The negotiating team must feel that it enjoys the support of the nation," he said. "We must show that the steadfastness and resistance shown during recent conflicts is now gradually bearing fruit."

Ultimately, he concluded, a durable homegrown security framework will remain elusive as long as Persian Gulf states prioritize regime survival over collective security and fundamental disparities in regional power remain unresolved.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is uniquely positioned to benefit from any economic gains generated by sanctions relief, Reuters reported citing for senior Iranian sources.

The report says renewed oil exports and foreign investment could bring a windfall for the guards if negotiations between Washington and Tehran succeed.

For years, the Guards expanded their influence under sanctions, building a vast commercial network spanning energy, construction, shipping, telecommunications, ports and other strategic sectors of the economy.

The southern shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz is open "day or night," the UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) said on Friday, as it lowered its threat assessment for the strategic waterway from "substantial" to "moderate."

In its latest advisory, UKMTO said vessels could continue using the route, which runs close to Oman, but warned mariners of the possible presence of mines and ongoing naval clearance operations.

"Mariners should be advised of the existence of mines and expect naval presence as clearance operations continue," the advisory said.

A message attributed to Iran’s Supreme Leader suggesting he had reservations about the agreement with the United States has sparked a fierce debate in Tehran, with hardliners and moderates offering sharply different interpretations of its meaning and implications.

Supporters of the government presented it as a roadmap for the next phase of diplomacy, while critics argued it showed the leader’s preferred approach had been sidelined during negotiations.

Hardline media outlets and political figures offered a starkly different reading, arguing that the message showed the leader’s views had not been fully reflected in the negotiation process.

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