U.S. and Iran reach initial deal to end war, reopen Hormuz; Israel rejects Lebanon withdrawal; UK court upholds Palestine Action ban
Drop Site Daily: June 15, 2026
U.S. and Iran announce a deal. Israel pushes back against Lebanon inclusion in U.S.-Iran deal. Tanker struck near Oman. Burial date announced for Khameinei. Israeli attacks persist across southern Lebanon on Monday. Strikes, forced displacement in Lebanon over the weekend. Israel kills five, including two children, in Gaza on Monday. Hamas submits unified Palestinian factions’ response to a second phase of Trump Gaza deal. Palestinian prisoner Imad Sarhan dies in Israeli Prison, 90th to die in Israeli detention since start of Gaza genocide. Sister of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiyah tells Drop Site he lost half his body weight in detention. Denver Venues Shut Down Hasan Piker Political Rallies, Dub Them “Neo-Nazi.” Washington, DC and Oklahoma host primaries Tuesday. Stanford students walk out of Google CEO commencement address. Appeals court upholds UK ban on Palestine Action. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announces expanded U.S. military strikes across Latin America. UN: Drone strikes kill over 1,000 civilians in Sudan in first five months of 2026. Taiwan launches public program to recruit Chinese intelligence sources. FIFA rejects Haiti World Cup jersey design over “political imagery.”
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Iran and Ceasefire
U.S. and Iran announce a deal:
The United States and Iran reached an initial agreement early Monday to extend the ceasefire for 60 days and open the Strait of Hormuz.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the National Assembly in Islamabad: “After three months and 16 days of unparalleled trials, the immediate and permanent cessation of military operations has been announced across all fronts, including Iran, America and Lebanon.”
The signing is set for Friday in Switzerland, with U.S. Vice President JD Vance saying he plans to attend and leaving open the possibility Trump could as well.
President Donald Trump announced the deal in a post on Truth Social, saying, “The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all! I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade. Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!”
Trump claimed on Monday that vessels were already beginning to move through the Strait of Hormuz, writing on Truth Social, “Ships are starting to move, many loaded up with Oil, out of the Strait of Hormuz. They are going along the Southern “Highway,” which is totally safe, secure, and pristine. There are other areas of travel, also!!!”
Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, confirmed the deal on state television but said implementation would not begin until Friday’s signing, while Iranian state television cited the Supreme National Security Council saying the war “will end immediately and permanently beginning tonight” and that the U.S. naval blockade “will be terminated immediately and in full.”
The MOU faces significant hurdles. It gives just 60 days to resolve Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium and its nuclear program—issues that took years to negotiate in the 2015 deal.
The leaders of the E4—Britain, France, Germany, and Italy—announced Sunday they were prepared to lift sanctions on Iran contingent on verifiable steps toward curtailing its nuclear program, according to Reuters, while welcoming the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding.
Lebanon included in deal, Israel pushes back
The spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Esmaeil Baghaei, reiterated on Monday that Lebanon is a critical part of the MOU with the U.S. “Respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon is part of the interim agreement with the US,” Baghaei told reporters, according to Al Jazeera.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun welcomed the announcement of a U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding, saying he followed it “with interest” and that it includes a commitment to “stop military operations and escalation in the region, including Lebanon.” He said Lebanon “values what this memorandum contains in terms of respect for Lebanese specificity,” stressing that stability in Lebanon is “an integral part of any serious effort to entrench stability in the region.” Hezbollah also issued a statement welcoming the agreement, congratulating Iran on what it described as a “great achievement” of securing a “comprehensive ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon.” The group also said Lebanon should “make good use of this regional and international umbrella” to achieve sovereignty and “liberate its land within national unity.”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz insisted on Monday that Israeli troops won’t withdraw from land seized in Lebanon. “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I are pursuing a clear policy under which the [military] will remain in the security zones in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza for an unlimited period of time in order to protect the border and Israeli communities from there against jihadist elements,” Katz said in a statement. He added that the areas would be “cleared of local residents” and that “all terror infrastructure” will be destroyed. Katz said he had conveyed Israel’s position to US officials, and warned that “if Iran attacks Israel because of events in Lebanon, we will strike it with full force.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told President Donald Trump on Sunday that Israel does not consider itself bound by the Lebanon-related provisions of the emerging U.S.-Iran agreement and will not withdraw from positions it currently occupies inside Lebanese territory, with Israeli forces to continue military operations against Hezbollah regardless of any Washington-Tehran understandings, according to reports in Yedioth Ahronoth and Maariv.
Three senior Iranian officials vowed retaliation against Israel after Beirut strike: The U.S.-Iran agreement appeared at risk on early Sunday after Israel bombed the southern suburbs of Beirut. The strike, which hit an apartment building in Dahiyeh, killed three people—a father, mother, and their daughter—and wounded 16, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said. Three of Iran’s most senior officials warned of a forceful response, with parliament speaker and lead negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf writing that Israel would never “isolate and pick off any part of the Axis of Resistance” and adding an idiomatic warning translating to “you made your move, and we’ll answer in kind.” Supreme National Security Council secretary Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr declared that “the response of the warriors of Islam is forthcoming,” calling Lebanon “our lifeblood” and warning that any crossing of Iran’s red lines “will not be tolerated,” while Supreme Leader adviser and former acting president Mohammad Mokhber called the pattern of American diplomacy paired with Israeli strikes “repetitive and unacceptable,” writing that “in defending Lebanon, we will show no courtesies to anyone.”
Trump publicly scolds Netanyahu over Lebanon strike: President Donald Trump said on Sunday that an Israeli strike on Lebanon the day the Iran deal was announced “should not have happened, particularly on a special day when we are so close to a Peace Deal with Iran.” Trump reportedly told Axios he confronted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directly—“Why did Bibi have to do a fucking attack? I was so pissed off. He has no fucking judgement. I let him know that.” Trump al told Fox News he asked Netanyahu “what the f*ck are you doing?” before ordering no further strikes and saying he would ask Iran not to retaliate.
Tanker struck near Oman: A tanker was struck by an “unknown projectile” near the Strait of Hormuz, about six nautical miles east of Oman, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre reported on Saturday. No injuries or environmental damage were reported, and the tanker continued onto its next port of call.
Burial date announced for Khameinei: Former Supreme Leader Ali Khameinei will be buried on July 9th in the northeastern city of Mashhad, Iranian State Television announced on Saturday, following six days of ceremonies beginning on the 4th. He was killed by an Israeli strike on his residence on February 28.
Lebanon
Killed and wounded: At least 3,783 people have been killed, and 11,699 wounded, in Israeli attacks on Lebanon since March 2, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
Israeli attacks persist across southern Lebanon on Monday:
An Israeli drone struck a vehicle in Kfartebnit, killing one person, according to the state’s National News Agency (NNA).
Press TV journalist Hadi Hoteit was wounded in Kfartebnit, southern Lebanon, after Israeli shelling struck nearby, according to NNA. He is undergoing surgery for shrapnel in his foot at a hospital in Nabatieh.
Israeli artillery also shelled the towns of Nabatieh al-Fawqa.
The Israeli army carried out demolition operations in the southern Lebanese town of Khiam.
Israel conducts strikes, orders displacement in Lebanon over the weekend:
An Israeli strike on Douweir killed a Lebanese chef in the southern village of Douweir on Sunday, Press TV correspondent Hadi Hoteit reported.
The Israeli military continued its controlled detonation of homes in the southern Lebanese towns of Haddatha, Khiam, Markaba, and Kfar Tebnit on Sunday.
The Israeli military also ordered the forced displacement of 24 villages across southern Lebanon on Saturday, ordering residents in the Nabatieh, Jezzine, and Sidon districts to flee north of the Zahrani River in anticipation of strikes.
A Lebanese soldier was seriously wounded by an Israeli strike in Nabatieh, according to a statement from the country’s military. The statement said that the same soldier was targeted near Al-Najda Hospital before being struck on his motorcycle, in what it described as another of Israel’s “double-tap” strikes in the country.
An Israeli missile strike on Saturday killed Ali Badih Hussein, the current Mukhtar (elected village head) of Rihane, a village in southern Lebanon, according to L’Orient Today. A former Mukhtar of Riahane, Ismail Abdullah, was killed in a separate attack on Saturday, as he watered plants outside of his home.
Hezbollah responds, hits northern Israel:
Two suspected Hezbollah drones struck an Israeli military zone in the Western Galilee near the Lebanese border early Sunday with no injuries reported, the Israeli military reported. Hezbollah also claimed a wave of operations against Israeli forces across southern Lebanon on Sunday, including rocket barrages and FPV attacks on Israeli military positions and armored vehicles.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich responded by calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to invoke the Dahiya doctrine—Israel’s strategy of using disproportionate force against civilian infrastructure, named for the Beirut suburb Israel leveled in 2006—writing that Netanyahu should “demolish buildings in Dahiya today.”
Palestine
Killed and wounded: Over the last 24 hours, seven Palestinians were killed—six in new attacks and one recovered from under the rubble—and six were injured in Israeli attacks across Gaza. The total recorded death toll since October 7, 2023 has risen to 73,003 killed, with 173,252 injured. Since October 11, the first full day of the so-called ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 992 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 3,144, while 784 bodies have been recovered from under the rubble, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
Israel kills five, including two children, on Monday: At least five Palestinians, including two children, were killed in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip on Monday, according to WAFA. A nurse at Al-Shifa Hospital and his child were killed, and several others wounded, some critically, when an Israeli drone struck a home in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, north of Gaza City. The body of another child arrived at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital alongside his wounded father, after Israeli forces opened fire on them Sunday and detained them in the Wadi al-Salqa area, central Gaza. A separate drone strike on Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza killed one person, while a woman was killed earlier in the day in al-Zawaida.
Israeli attacks on Gaza over the weekend:
At least nine Palestinians were killed in continuing Israeli attacks across Gaza on Sunday, including a 15-year-old shot by Israeli gunfire east of Khan Younis, according to Shehab News.
Six people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a warehouse near Al-Yemen Al-Saeed Hospital in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza on Sunday.
An Israeli drone strike targeted a group of Palestinians southwest of Al-Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on Sunday, wounding at least three people
Hamas submits unified Palestinian factions’ response to a second phase of Trump Gaza deal: Hamas announced it has delivered a formal unified response from Palestinian factions to the roadmap for implementing the second phase of President Donald Trump’s Gaza proposal, following a week of meetings in Cairo involving Hamas, other factions, and mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey. The talks produced what Hamas called a “unified national position” presented to mediators on Friday, which calls for full implementation of the first phase—particularly its humanitarian protocol and a complete cessation of aggression—as well as entry of the Gaza Administrative Committee, a full Israeli withdrawal, and reconstruction leading to Palestinian statehood and self-determination. Hamas said its delegation will remain in Cairo for further talks.
Israeli settlers burn vehicles, attempt to set mosque ablaze near Ramallah: Israeli settlers attacked the village of Burqa, east of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on Sunday evening, setting fire to a vehicle and attempting to burn down a mosque, according to WAFA. Witnesses said settlers torched a vehicle parked near Al-Nour Mosque, causing material damage, before breaking the mosque’s doors and setting a fire at its entrance. Residents managed to extinguish the flames before they spread inside the building, while the attackers fled the area. The incident came shortly after another settler attack in the nearby town of Deir Dibwan, where two vehicles were burned and two others vandalized. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the attacks, saying they were part of a “systematic Israeli policy” that uses “organized, daily terrorism” against Palestinians with the aim of displacing them from their land.
Palestinian prisoner Imad Sarhan dies in Gilboa Prison: Imad Rajih Sarhan, 47, from Haifa, died in Israel’s Gilboa Prison after suffering a heart attack, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Affairs Commission and Palestinian Prisoners’ Club announced, saying years of torture, medical neglect, and repeated solitary confinement had left him with chronic heart and vascular disease, high blood pressure, and wheelchair dependency since his imprisonment began in 2001. The organizations said Sarhan is the 90th Palestinian prisoner to die since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza and the 327th documented death in Israeli custody since 1967, with rights groups describing Israel’s prison system as carrying out a policy of “slow executions” through torture, starvation, and medical neglect. More than 9,400 Palestinians remain held in Israeli prisons, including 4,640 without charge or trial.
Sister of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiyah says he lost half his body weight in detention: Samahir Abu Safiyah told Drop Site News that her brother, pediatrician and Kamal Adwan Hospital director Dr. Hussam Abu Safiyah, appeared unrecognizable when he was brought before the Israeli High Court this week after more than 500 days in detention without charge. Family lawyers reported he has lost roughly half his body weight, suffers deteriorating eyesight, contracted scabies, and remains held in solitary confinement at Nafha Prison. Dr. Abu Safiyah, who continued treating patients at Kamal Adwan after Israeli forces killed his son in 2024 described his imprisonment to the court as “unjust and arbitrary,” while his sister said bruises visible on his hands and his aged appearance indicated torture. “His only crime was staying in the hospital for the sake of the children, the injured, and the wounded,” Samahir said, calling on the world to demand his immediate release. Her interview is here.
U.S. News
By Julian Andreone, with Ryan Grim. Have a tip on Capitol Hill? Email Andreone at Julian@dropsitenews.com.
Denver Venues Shut Down Hasan Piker Political Rallies, Dub Them “Neo-Nazi”: A rally planned for Sunday, which was supposed to feature streamer Hasan Piker along with Democratic House challenger Melat Kiros and Senate challenger Julie Gonzales, was blocked after pressure on various venues, including the Ogden Theatre, Reelworks, and Stanley Marketplace, which all canceled despite having signed contracts, according to Kiros. The rally was moved to the state Capitol steps later that day. Deep Singh Badhesha, an event organizer, said that all three venues canceled after deposits were paid, with Stanley Marketplace telling him he was told it was “a neo-Nazi rally.” The pressure to cancel, he said, appeared highly coordinated, and subsequent venues he called told him they had been warned not to host the rally. “You didn’t tell me it was a neo-Nazi rally,” the final venue to cancel told Badhesha. The speakers would make for an odd lineup at a Nazi rally: aside from the Turkish-American Muslim Piker, Representatives Justin Pearson and Donavan McKinney were also scheduled to speak and are both Black; Gonzales is Latina and Kiros emigrated from Tigray, Ethiopia. Gonzales is challenging incumbent Sen. John Hickenlooper. The primary will be on June 30.
Washington, DC and Oklahoma host primaries Tuesday: In DC, DSA-backed Janeese Lewis George is poised to become mayor. Trump has threatened to take the city over if she wins. In Oklahoma, voters will have the opportunity to more than double the minimum wage to $15/hour.
Stanford students walk out of Sundar Pichai commencement address: An estimated 100 to 200 Stanford students walked out of Google CEO Sundar Pichai’s commencement address Sunday, chanting “Free, free Palestine” as boos and cries of “shame on you” came from parts of the crowd. The protest was in response to Google’s Project Nimbus cloud contract with the Israeli government, which includes services for Israel’s Defense Ministry and other state agencies.
Republicans Push SAVE Act: President Donald Trump and Sen. Mike Lee continue mounting a pressure campaign to pass the SAVE America Act before the 2026 midterms. The bill would impose significant restrictions on access to voting. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has already made it clear the bill does not have enough votes to pass the Senate and has thus opted against bringing it to the floor. Trump has asserted he will not sign a FISA reauthorization unless it is coupled with the SAVE Act. Now, House GOP leaders are seeking to skirt obstacles in the Senate by including portions of the legislation in their reconciliation bill, according to Politico.
Other International News
Appeals court upholds UK ban on Palestine Action: An appeals court in London on Monday upheld a UK government ban on activist group Palestine Action as a “terrorist group,” overturning a decision by a lower court. The ban was first imposed on July 5, 2025, under Britain’s Terrorism Act and more than 3,000 arrests linked to support for Palestine Action have been made since. The group challenged the ban in court on the basis that it was “disproportionate” and had a “very significant” impact on human rights. In February the High Court in London ruled in Palestine Action’s favor. Monday’s ruling at the Appeals court however reverses that judgement. Amnesty International called the verdict “deeply disappointing,” writing on X: “The banning of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation is a grave misuse of counter-terrorism powers with serious consequences for human rights.”
The ruling came after a judge on Friday sentenced four Palestine Action activists to years in prison as terrorists over their involvement in a 2024 protest and raid on a factory operated by one of Israel’s largest arms manufacturers, Elbit. The prison sentences range from four to over seven years. The four defendants must also legally register to a law enforcement terrorist surveillance system for 15 years following their release from prison.
Hegseth announces expanded U.S. military strikes across Latin America: War Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed Sunday on CBS’s Face the Nation that Americans “should expect” U.S. military strikes in countries including Ecuador and Guatemala as part of a new “America’s Counter Cartel Coalition” formed with partner governments across Central and South America to “defeat and destroy.”
The announcement followed President Donald Trump’s announcement that a U.S. strike killed Tren de Aragua leader Héctor Guerrero Flores, known as Niño Guerrero, on June 12 in Venezuela’s Bolívar state.
UN: Drone strikes kill over 1,000 civilians in Sudan in first five months of 2026: More than 1,000 civilians have been killed in drone strikes in Sudan between January and May 2026, a senior UN human rights official said, warning of a sharp escalation in the war’s brutality. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said there has been a “sharp increase” in drone attacks alongside widespread reports of rape and sexual violence, as the war enters its fourth year. At least 2,670 people, including civilians and combatants, were killed in 2025, marking a 600% increase in drone-related deaths, according to ACLED data. This statement follows a recent strike by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that killed at least 15 people in el-Obeid, after drones hit a cemetery and a gas station, health officials said.
Gunmen kill 17 farmers in northwestern Nigeria’s Zamfara state: Gunmen killed at least 17 farmers and wounded 13 others as they worked their fields Friday in the Maradun area of Zamfara state, as part of the state’s recent surge in attacks by armed bandits. Friday’s attack came one day after gunmen abducted 39 people in a nearby Maradun community while residents were meeting to negotiate over kidnappings.
Doctors Without Borders investigation finds widespread staff sexual abuse of Sudanese refugees: A confidential Doctors Without Borders investigation documented 59 allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation by aid workers in camps hosting Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad, including claims that staff traded food, jobs, and humanitarian assistance for sex, with some victims reportedly underage girls, the AP reported. MSF dismissed 18 staff members following the inquiry, with investigators noting that some cases suggested possible organized sexual trafficking.
Geneva protests ahead of G7 Summit: Geneva police fired teargas at protesters after a demonstration against the upcoming G7 summit in neighboring France. Around 20,000 people marched peacefully before police allege some participants attacked a parked Tesla and a United Nations office. The summit will be held from June 15-17 in Evian-les-Bains, bringing together the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States.
Taiwan launches public program to recruit Chinese intelligence sources: Taiwan’s National Security Bureau said on Sunday it is creating a secure online channel for Chinese nationals to covertly provide intelligence-related information, as officials in Taipei said an increasing number of people from China had recently approached Taiwanese authorities seeking ways to share intelligence information safely amid rising military tensions in the region. The bureau said the reporting system was modeled on practices used by U.S., British, and Israeli intelligence agencies, and comes as Beijing has ramped up its own online campaign aimed at identifying and punishing individuals it labels as supporters of Taiwanese independence.
FIFA World Cup:
FIFA reportedly rejected the design Haiti submitted for its official 2026 World Cup jersey, on the grounds that it contained “political imagery.” The jersey, designed by Colombian manufacturer Saeta, featured a patch that depicted a scene from the 1803 Battle of Vertières, a decisive battle in Haiti’s War of Independence from France. Haiti gained independence in 1804 becoming the world’s first independent nation founded by formerly enslaved people after a successful slave revolt.
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We got a president getting mentally evaluated by Iran..We have a Secretary of War that seems to get off on bombing and killing anyway he can..The rest of the crew are pro mad dog Netanyahu Israel Zionists. The people of the US need a brake on this stupidity..
Although Axios is always lying about US presidents scolding Netanyahu, so I'm not so sure about that part.