US-Iran talks laid ‘very good foundation for a successful final deal’ – Vance
JD Vance said the talks with Iran created a “good foundation for a successful final deal†to end the war.
“The final deal is the house,†the US vice president told reporters. “We set the foundation. We haven't built the house, but we've laid a successful foundation to get to a good place for the American people.â€
The vice president also suggested that the US could agree to unfreeze Iranian assets for purchases of American soy, corn and wheat.
Key events
Closing summary
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JD Vance said the talks with Iran created a “good foundation for a successful final deal†to end the war. “The final deal is the house,†the US vice-president told reporters. “We set the foundation. We haven't built the house, but we've laid a successful foundation to get to a good place for the American people.â€
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When asked how soon IAEA inspectors could come to Iran, JD Vance said nuclear inspectors were called at 2am last night – but no one picked up the call. “As you can expect, not many people are answering their phone at two in the morning,†the vice president said.
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US secretary of state Marco Rubio will begin a trip to three Gulf countries on Tuesday amid negotiations with Iran to end the war in the Middle East, his spokesperson said. Visiting the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain, Rubio will discuss “the memorandum of understanding with Iran, efforts to secure full and free safe transit through the strait of Hormuz, and the importance of peace and stability in the region,†state department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement.
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Tehran â did not negotiate on its nuclear â programme â and did ​not accept any â new commitments in Sunday's talks with the â US in ​Switzerland, ‌foreign ministry spokesperson ‌Esmaeil Baghaei told ‌the official IRNA news agency on Monday. Iran's interaction with the International ‌Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will continue in ​accordance with current procedures, subject to the approval â of Iran's parliament ​and the decisions ​of ​the Supreme National ​Security ‌Council, ​Baghaei added.
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Iran's â top negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf â is â on his ​way to Oman â to discuss joint efforts â to “consolidate†Iranian ​arrangements ‌for ‌managing shipping ‌in the strait of Hormuz, according to a statement ‌on his Telegram channel on Monday. The ​Iranian delegation also includes foreign â minister Abbas Araqchi, ​the statement ​said.
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The US Treasury said it was temporarily lifting sanctions on Iran to allow the Islamic Republic to produce, sell and deliver crude oil and related products until 21 August. “All transactions†that were previously prohibited involving the production, sale, and transport of Iranian-origin crude oil “are authorized through 12:01 am eastern daylight time, 21 August, 2026,†according to a license published by the Treasury Department, which administers US economic sanctions.
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Iranian â president â Masoud Pezeshkian ​will visit â Pakistan on â Tuesday, ​Pakistan's ‌foreign ministry ‌has said. He described the visit ‌as an “important opportunity†to ​discuss ongoing â diplomatic engagements ​following the ​Iran-US ​peace ​deal.
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The Israeli military lifted safety restrictions in eight communities near the Lebanese border beginning at 6am (0300 GMT) on Monday. A senior Lebanese security official told the Reuters news agency that adherence to the ceasefire had been “almost total†since Saturday â evening, but said an Israeli â tank fired shells towards a village near ​the coastal city of Tyre and Israeli forces fired sound grenades in two other locations earlier today.
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Direct damage to buildings in south Lebanon in the latest war between Israel and Hezbollah is estimated at around $1.38 billion, a UN agency and Lebanese research centre said on Monday. “In total, 11,095 buildings were completely destroyed, impacting 17,891 housing units, while 2,242 buildings sustained partial damage… and 9,311 buildings incurred minor damage,†the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Lebanon's government-linked National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS) said.
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According to Palestinian news agency Wafa, a high school student was killed and several other civilians were injured earlier today in an Israeli attack on a civilian vehicle in Gaza City. The Gaza health ministry says at least 1,021 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since the ‘ceasefire' between Israel and Hamas came into effect in October 2025.
Iran's â top negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf â is â on his ​way to Oman â to discuss joint efforts â to “consolidate†Iranian ​arrangements ‌for ‌managing shipping ‌in the strait of Hormuz, according to a statement ‌on his Telegram channel on Monday.
The ​Iranian delegation also includes foreign â minister Abbas Araqchi, ​the statement ​said.
Tehran â did not negotiate on its nuclear â programme â and did ​not accept any â new commitments in Sunday's talks with the â US in ​Switzerland, ‌foreign ministry spokesperson ‌Esmaeil Baghaei told ‌the official IRNA news agency on Monday.
Iran's interaction with the International ‌Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will continue in ​accordance with current procedures, subject to the approval â of Iran's parliament ​and the decisions ​of ​the Supreme National ​Security ‌Council, ​Baghaei added.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio will begin a trip to three Gulf countries on Tuesday amid negotiations with Iran to end the war in the Middle East, his spokesperson said.
Visiting the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain, Rubio will discuss “the memorandum of understanding with Iran, efforts to secure full and free safe transit through the strait of Hormuz, and the importance of peace and stability in the region,†state department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement.
Direct damage to buildings in south Lebanon in the latest war between Israel and Hezbollah is estimated at around $1.38 billion, a UN agency and Lebanese research centre said on Monday.
“In total, 11,095 buildings were completely destroyed, impacting 17,891 housing units, while 2,242 buildings sustained partial damage… and 9,311 buildings incurred minor damage,†the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Lebanon's government-linked National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS) said.
The assessment compared satellite imagery from late April, nearly two months into the latest war, with those from October 2025.
Iranian â president â Masoud Pezeshkian ​will visit â Pakistan on â Tuesday, ​Pakistan's ‌foreign ministry ‌has said.
He described the visit ‌as an “important opportunity†to ​discuss ongoing â diplomatic engagements ​following the ​Iran-US ​peace ​deal.
The US Treasury said it was temporarily lifting sanctions on Iran to allow the Islamic Republic to produce, sell and deliver crude oil and related products until 21 August.
“All transactions†that were previously prohibited involving the production, sale, and transport of Iranian-origin crude oil “are authorized through 12:01 am eastern daylight time, 21 August, 2026,†according to a license published by the Treasury Department, which administers US economic sanctions.
US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent cited Tehran's commitment in ongoing negotiations to “free and open transit†in the strait of Hormuz and permission for International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to enter their country as a reason for pausing the sanctions.
The Israeli military lifted safety restrictions in eight communities near the Lebanese border beginning at 6am (0300 GMT) on Monday.
A senior Lebanese security official told the Reuters news agency that adherence to the ceasefire had been “almost total†since Saturday â evening, but said an Israeli â tank fired shells towards a village near ​the coastal city of Tyre and Israeli forces fired sound grenades in two other locations earlier today.
Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian will make a one-day visit to Pakistan on Tuesday, according to reports.
Israel's far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who is among those who have heavily criticised the US-Iran deal, has been speaking at his Otzma Yehudit party's meeting in the Knesset, Israel's parliament.
The Times of Israel has quoted him as having said the following:
double quotation mark If Lebanon allows its territory to be turned into a terror base against the state of Israel, Beirut needs to understand that it cannot continue to conduct business as usual.Whoever chooses war against Israel must bear the consequences. My position is that we cannot tolerate a single tear from an Israeli mother, even if there are tears from a thousand Lebanese mothers, and we need to keep going.
“I appreciate the vice president, but I am more committed to our soldiers and our residents. They are the ones we are committed to. I want to say thank you to the Americans, but our red line is harming soldiers and harming civilians,†he added.
Ben-Gvir said: “Netanyahu needs to go to president Trump, embrace him, and say to him: ‘President Trump, thank you, but what can we do, we cannot fulfil this agreement. You wouldn't tolerate having Nazis on your border. You wouldn't tolerate your soldiers being attacked and being limited in terms of the response. Our response must be 100 percent.'â€
This extreme rhetoric is commonplace for Ben Gvir, who has authority over Israel's regular and militarised police forces. He was appointed security minister by Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, despite a number of convictions, including for incitement to racism and support for a proscribed Jewish terrorist organisation.
