US and Iran Initiate Diplomatic Talks Amid Rising Tensions
WHO:
[11:46 AM EDT] - CBS News - GOP Senator Lindsey Graham stated, "Let's try a diplomatic solution. I think it's going to fail."
[11:46 AM EDT] - CBS News - Graham mentioned that he spent four and a half hours with Trump on Friday.
[11:46 AM EDT] - CBS News - Graham said, "if Iran contests control of the Strait of Hormuz by the United States, we will obliterate them."
[11:46 AM EDT] - CBS News - Graham added, "we're going to try to get Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords, end the Arab-Israeli conflict in 2026."
AP News - Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stated that negotiations toward a final agreement will begin once key commitments are upheld.
AP News - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed optimism that talks with the U.S. could provide a strong basis for economic growth.
CBS News - GOP Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Vice President JD Vance, Iranian officials including parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, President Donald Trump, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Qatari mediators.
AP News - Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
NBC News - President Donald Trump.
Bloomberg Markets - Iranian delegation including central bank governor and oil officials.
WHAT:
[11:46 AM EDT] - CBS News - Graham outlined that if the diplomatic effort fails, Trump plans to take control of the Strait of Hormuz by force.
[11:46 AM EDT] - CBS News - Graham described the memorandum of understanding as "problematic" but noted that the money Iran receives is not enough to reconstruct the country.
CNN - The U.S. is working with Qatar to potentially make $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds available for use for humanitarian purchases.
AP News - Israeli attacks in Lebanon killed at least 32 people, according to Lebanon’s civil defense and state media reports.
CBS News - U.S. negotiators are meeting with Iranian officials in Switzerland to discuss a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed last week.
AP News - The U.S. and Iran are in a 60-day negotiating period to finalize details of an interim agreement to end the war in Iran.
AP News - Iran announced it has closed the Strait of Hormuz, claiming U.S. and Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement.
NBC News - Trump threatened to impose U.S. tolls in the Strait of Hormuz if a final deal with Iran is not reached in 60 days.
ABC News - The interim agreement allows Iran to sell its oil freely and unfreeze billions of dollars in assets.
AP News - Israeli attacks in Lebanon killed at least 16 people, including two children.
WHERE:
CBS News - Switzerland, specifically at a resort near Lake Lucerne.
AP News - The Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global oil and gas supplies.
NBC News - Southern Lebanon, where fighting between Israel and Hezbollah is ongoing.
WHEN:
CBS News - The 60-day negotiating period began following the signing of the MOU last week.
AP News - The U.S. and Iranian negotiators are set to begin talks on a Sunday.
WHY:
[11:46 AM EDT] - CBS News - Graham expressed concerns that the $300 billion in slated reconstruction funds for Iran would be "akin to a Marshall Plan for Germany with the Nazis still in charge."
AP News - Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced it was re-imposing restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz over Israeli "crimes" in Lebanon and what it called a U.S. violation of commitments to establish a ceasefire.
CBS News - Graham stated that if the diplomatic effort fails, Trump plans to take control of the Strait of Hormuz by force.
AP News - Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz is a response to ongoing Israeli attacks in Lebanon, which Iran claims violate the ceasefire agreement.
HOW:
[11:46 AM EDT] - CBS News - Graham stated that the U.S. will charge a fee for all those who go through the Strait of Hormuz to pay for the operation.
AP News - U.S. Central Command stated that 55 merchant ships transited the Strait of Hormuz on a recent Saturday, carrying more than 17 million barrels of oil.
CBS News - The U.S. is negotiating with Iran to secure commitments regarding its nuclear program and to maintain open shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz.
AP News - The U.S. Central Command reported that 55 merchant ships transited the Strait of Hormuz, despite Iran's claims of closure.
(UPDATED June 22, 2026 16:24 UTC)
GOP Senator Lindsey Graham emphasized the need for a diplomatic solution regarding Iran, although he believes it will ultimately fail, and he revealed that he recently spent four and a half hours with Trump discussing the situation. He warned that if Iran contests U.S. control of the Strait of Hormuz, Trump plans to take military action, stating, "we will obliterate them," while also mentioning efforts to involve Saudi Arabia in the Abraham Accords to help resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict by 2026. Graham criticized the proposed $300 billion in reconstruction funds for Iran as problematic, comparing it to a Marshall Plan for Germany under Nazi control, and noted that the U.S. will impose fees on vessels passing through the Strait to fund military operations.
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(UPDATED June 22, 2026 08:48 UTC)
Negotiations toward a final agreement will begin once key commitments are upheld, according to Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei, while President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed optimism that talks with the U.S. could foster economic growth. In related news, the U.S. is collaborating with Qatar to potentially release $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds for humanitarian purchases, as Israeli attacks in Lebanon have reportedly killed at least 32 people. Meanwhile, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has re-imposed restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz, citing Israeli actions and U.S. violations, even as U.S. Central Command reported that 55 merchant ships recently transited the strait, carrying over 17 million barrels of oil.
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(UPDATED June 22, 2026 03:23 UTC)
U.S. negotiators are currently meeting with Iranian officials in Switzerland to finalize an interim agreement aimed at ending the war in Iran, following a memorandum of understanding signed last week. This 60-day negotiating period is crucial, especially after Iran announced it has closed the Strait of Hormuz, citing violations of a ceasefire agreement by the U.S. and Israel. President Trump has threatened to impose U.S. tolls in the Strait if a deal is not reached within this timeframe, while the interim agreement would allow Iran to sell its oil freely and unfreeze billions of dollars in assets. Meanwhile, Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon have resulted in the deaths of at least 16 people, including two children, which Iran claims violates the ceasefire. As the talks progress, the U.S. is focused on securing commitments regarding Iran's nuclear program and ensuring open shipping lanes in the vital Strait of Hormuz.