US Vice President JD Vance has said that he plans to attend the signing ceremony in Switzerland for a newly announced peace deal with Iran, adding that President Donald Trump could also be present.

“I certainly plan to be there, but it’s possible the president himself could be there,” he told Fox News in an interview. “We’re still figuring out the logistics on who’s going to attend that signing ceremony.”

U.S. President Donald Trump earlier announced that a deal with Iran has been finalized. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country has been mediating talks between the United States and Iran, has said that the peace deal will be signed on Friday in Switzerland.

“We can say with confidence Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,” Vance said.

“If the Iranians comply with this deal, it is going to fundamentally transform the Middle East for the next 50 years,” he said.

According to The New York Times, the Iranian side will be represented at the signing ceremony in Geneva by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

E4 nations, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy, said they were prepared to lift sanctions on Iran in response to steps on its nuclear program after the US and Iran reached a deal.

In a joint statement about the deal published by their governments, the leaders of the UK, France, Germany, and Italy said they will work closely with the US, Iran, and regional partners to “seize this moment”.

The leaders called for the agreement to be “implemented rapidly and comprehensively” and said that the “urgent reopening of the Strait of Hormuz with unconditional and unrestricted freedom of navigation is essential”.

The group emphasized that Iran “must never acquire a nuclear weapon” and that they are “prepared to lift relevant sanctions in response to clear, verifiable steps by Iran on its nuclear programme”.

“We will work intensively with the US, Iran and regional partners to seize this moment, maintain momentum and achieve a long-term diplomatic settlement.”

World leaders welcomed the U.S.-Iran agreement to end the Middle East war, with some European nations signaling they were prepared to lift sanctions on Tehran in exchange for the country taking steps to curb its nuclear program.

Below is international reaction to the agreement:

A spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres:

“The Secretary-General welcomes the announcement ‌that the United States and Iran have agreed on a peace deal that provides for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, as well as a framework for further negotiations. This represents a critical step towards the peaceful settlement of the conflict.”

Joint statement from E4 leaders Britain, France, Germany and Italy:

“Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon. We stand ready to work with the U.S., Iran and the IAEA to this end.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:

“The Australian Government welcomes the agreement by the United States and Iran. Australia has long called for de-escalation and ⁠an end to the conflict, including in Lebanon. As we have said, the longer this war goes on, the greater the impact will be. Continued restraint and constructive engagement will be essential to prevent further escalation and secure a lasting agreement.”

Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker:

“I call on all parties to ensure the swift and full implementation of the memorandum, including the permanent opening of the Strait of Hormuz in order to guarantee freedom of navigation in accordance with international law. This agreement opens a window for negotiations towards a more stable and secure Middle East, and I urge all parties to engage constructively. This includes addressing Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer:

“We are clear that toll-free freedom of navigation must now be restored in the Strait of Hormuz … Iran must never have a nuclear weapon.”

President of the European Council Antonio Costa:

“I welcome the agreement just announced between Washington and Tehran. I look forward to an end to this ‌costly war ⁠and to the full restoration of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.”

French President Emmanuel Macron:

“I welcome the agreement reached between the United States and Iran, the result of a diplomatic effort to which several partners contributed. I call for its swift and full implementation by all belligerents. This agreement must allow for the urgent and unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which the international mission established with the United Kingdom is ready to support.”

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz:

“I welcome the agreement between the U.S. and Iran ⁠and congratulate President Trump and the Iranian side on this diplomatic breakthrough. This can pave the way towards a reinvigorated global economy and a more secure Middle East. It is crucial to implement it with determination.”

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi:

Japan “strongly hopes” that “free and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz will be ensured in practice, and that a final ⁠agreement on Iran’s nuclear issue and other matters will be reached as soon as possible.”

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters:

“This pivotal, constructive deal is a step towards reducing tensions and promoting stability in a region that is critical to global economic security … Dialogue and diplomacy remain the most effective means of resolving longstanding ⁠issues.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan:

“I view the agreement reached between the United States and Iran as an important development for establishing peace and tranquility in our region, and I welcome it with satisfaction.

“I emphatically underscore the need to avoid rhetoric, provocations, and actions that could escalate tensions in the period leading up to the signing of the agreement, and to remain vigilant against possible sabotage.”

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas:

“The US and Iran have announced a deal to end the war and re-open the Strait of Hormuz. This marks a potential breakthrough. It can give much needed space for deeper negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme and other critical issues. Once implemented, the deal should also ease the global energy crisis. I have spoken to my Iranian and Gulf counterparts in recent days, and today, EU Foreign Ministers will discuss how the EU can be closely involved in the next phase. From economic leverage to nuclear expertise and longstanding relationships with Gulf partners, the EU stands ready to contribute to a sustainable resolution.”

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has welcomed the peace deal between the US and Iran.

“We welcome the agreement reached between the United States and Iran. We highly commend the mediation undertaken by Pakistan, Qatar, Turkiye and others. We do hope that this significant development will pave the way for a comprehensive and lasting peace across the Middle East,” Prime Minister Pashinyan said in a post on X.

US President Donald Trump earlier announced that a deal with Iran had been finalized. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country has been mediating talks between the United States and Iran, said that the peace deal will be signed on Friday in Switzerland.

Israel has said that it will not withdraw from southern Lebanon, following the announcement of the US-Iran deal, which includes the termination of all hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon.

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I are leading a clear policy that determines that the IDF will remain in the security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, without any time limit, to protect, from there, the border and Israeli communities against jihadist elements,” The Times of Israel quoted Defense Minister Israel Katz as saying.

He said the security zones will be “cleared of local residents, and all terror infrastructure, above and below ground, including the houses in the contact-line villages that served as terror outposts, will be destroyed.”

Katz added that holding onto the security zones is “among the IDF’s greatest achievements” in the war, and therefore, “we oppose an IDF withdrawal from Lebanon, despite all the existing pressures and those that will still come.”

“Prime Minister Netanyahu made these points clear to US President Trump and to other senior American officials, and I also made this clear yesterday to US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth,” he said, adding that the IDF also supports holding onto the security zone in Lebanon.

“We will not compromise on Israel’s security interests and the protection of our citizens, and we will not withdraw from the security zones,” Katz said.

Katz also warned that “if Iran attacks Israel because of events in Lebanon, we will strike it with full force.”

“We are committed only to our citizens and to the security of the State of Israel,” he added.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country has been mediating talks between the United States and Iran, has said that Washington and Tehran will sign a peace deal on Friday in Switzerland. He said that both sides have declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has described the Armenian-American TRIPP project as a further contribution by Washington to the development of sustainable peace and cooperation in the region.

In a statement published on X congratulating US President Donald Trump on his birthday, Aliyev lauded the US president for his determination to advance the peace process in the South Caucasus. Aliyev praised Trump for his “indispensable role” in establishing and deepening the strategic partnership between the US and Azerbaijan.

He continued: “We are also grateful to you for your determination in advancing the peace agenda in the South Caucasus. The Trilateral Joint Declaration signed in Washington in your presence, as well as the initialing of the Agreement on Establishment of Peace and Inter-State Relations with Armenia, are the result of your consistent efforts toward peacebuilding. At the same time, we view the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP) – which will ensure unobstructed connectivity between the main territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan, and will become part of the Middle Corridor – as a further contribution to the development of sustainable peace and cooperation in the region.”

The Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) is a connectivity project in Armenia envisaged under the US-brokered Armenian-Azerbaijani joint declaration signed in Washington, D.C., in 2025. The project is expected to unlock strategic economic opportunities, create long-term benefits by promoting infrastructure investment, and enhance regional connectivity. An Armenian-American joint enterprise is expected to develop the route.

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan is on a visit to Luxembourg at the invitation of EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas to participate in a discussion in the format of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, the foreign ministry has announced.

A video released by the foreign ministry showed Mirzoyan greeting EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, as well as counterparts from across Europe.

Armenia’s Central Electoral Commission (CEC) has explained why it will not hold repeat voting in three polling stations where the results of the June 7 parliamentary elections were annulled.

In a statement on Monday, the CEC said that a re-vote is not automatically required after invalidating results, and that any decision must ensure fairness and avoid creating new distortions in the electoral process, especially risks such as tactical voting.

Below is the full statement released by the CEC:

“The Central Electoral Commission should not automatically schedule a repeat vote after declaring election results in any polling station invalid. When making such a decision, the Commission must take into account the protection of voters’ true will and the assurance of the legality of election results. Therefore, the CEC must choose a remedy that is necessary under the given circumstances, proportionate, and does not create greater distortion than the violation it is intended to correct.

In the case of a partial re-vote, the following issue arises. Voters who participated in the main election cast their ballots at a time when the overall results were not known. They did not know who was leading, what the vote gap was, which political force would pass the threshold, or what impact their vote would have on the final outcome.

Meanwhile, voters in a repeat election would vote in a different situation, where the overall picture may already be known (in this case, 99.8% of votes had been counted). In such conditions, voters’ choices may be influenced not by their original political preference and free _expression_ of will, but by calculations aimed at altering the already known result. This risk is commonly referred to as tactical voting.

The Venice Commission has also acknowledged that partial re-voting is not always an appropriate remedy. In a 2025 urgent report, it states that if violations concern only certain polling stations, the response may in principle be limited to those stations. However, it also notes an important exception: partial re-voting is not appropriate if, due to the possibility of tactical voting, it cannot ensure a fair electoral outcome.

From the perspective of equal suffrage, the issue is also clear. A repeat vote could violate electoral equality, as one group of voters would be placed in significantly different initial conditions compared to others.

In this regard, the position of the Constitutional Court of Armenia is also important, according to which, when assessing the consequences of electoral violations, the rights of voters who cast their ballots lawfully must also be protected. If the will of voters in the main election has already been lawfully expressed, then a subsequent re-vote should not have a secondary or calculated impact on that will.

Therefore, when deciding on a re-vote, the CEC must also consider whether it would ensure the same free and equal environment as on the main election day. Does the known result create a risk of tactical voting? Are the rights of voters who already voted lawfully being undermined? Have sources of illegal or corrupt influence been neutralized?

If the answers to these questions indicate that a re-vote would not ensure a free, equal, and fair outcome, then it should not be held. Not ordering a re-vote in such a case does not mean ignoring the violation; it means not choosing a remedy that could further distort the will of voters.

The CEC must be guided not by a mechanical logic of repeat elections, but by the constitutional principles of free and equal elections, proportionality, and protection of voters’ genuine will, as an independent body overseeing the legality of elections under the Constitution.”

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On June 11, the CEC declared invalid the voting results in polling stations 35/65 and 10/51 from the parliamentary elections held in Armenia on June 7. This decision was based on entries made in the logs by representatives of the “Strong Armenia” party, stating that voting by military personnel had been organized at an unscheduled time in those polling stations. A request to invalidate the results in these polling stations had been submitted by Daniel Ioannisyan, a representative of the “Independent Observer” monitoring organization.

On June 12, the CEC also invalidated the voting results in polling station 12/13. This decision was based on the fact that the ballot paper of the “National Democratic Pole” party had not been available in that polling station.

Armenia’s Anti-Corruption Committee has proposed legal amendments aimed at strengthening safeguards in the electoral process.

Based on findings from investigations into corruption-related electoral crimes in the run-up to the June 7 elections, the law enforcement body has proposed a potential ban on political forces involved in such schemes from participating in future elections.

The motion to initiate legal amendments was sent by Anti-Corruption Committee Chairman Artur Nahapetyan to Minister of Justice Srbuhi Galyan.

“Emphasizing the importance of ensuring the legality of electoral processes, the Committee has preliminarily summarized the data from proceedings conducted in cases of corruption-related electoral crimes uncovered in the period preceding the 2026 National Assembly elections. The mechanisms through which these crimes were carried out, as well as the circumstances facilitating their commission, have been identified. On this basis, the head of the Anti-Corruption Committee of Armenia has addressed the Minister of Justice, requesting the initiation of legislative amendments aimed at eliminating the circumstances that facilitate the commission of such crimes. These amendments would minimize the possibility of using the identified criminal schemes in the future, including by banning the participation in electoral processes of political forces involved in such schemes,” the Anti-Corruption Committee said in a press release.

Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan, a senior member of the Civil Contract party, has announced a legislative initiative aimed at increasing criminal penalties for electoral bribery.

Simonyan made the announcement on social media, saying the legislation would be debated at an extraordinary session of parliament.

According to him, the proposed change concerns the penalties prescribed for both giving and receiving electoral bribes. “We are talking about giving and receiving electoral bribery. The punishment for these acts will be made stricter,” Simonyan said.

The Speaker said that the proposed amendments would raise the maximum prison term for accepting an electoral bribe from 7 to 9 years. He also noted that the punishment for offering such bribes would also become stricter, increasing the maximum sentence from 8 to 10 years in prison.

“Of course, this is not the only tool that will be used against those who give and receive electoral bribes. There will be other tools as well, and there will also be political consequences,” the Speaker said.