The U.S. and Iran released the text of an interim agreement their presidents have signed to end their war on Wednesday, with U.S. President Donald Trump threatening to resume attacks and kill Iranian officials if they failed to honour their commitments, Reuters reports.

Trump, attending the G7 with other leaders in France, also withdrew at least one of his stated rationales for attacking Iran in the first place, saying it would be “unfair” for Tehran not to have ballistic missiles, having previously ‌vowed to obliterate them.

“We’re going to bomb the hell out of them if they violate the agreement,” Trump said of Iran at a press conference. “I don’t want them to. I want them to honor the agreement.” He also called Iranians “smart people” as U.S. and Iranian negotiators work on a permanent truce over the coming 60 days, which Trump said he hoped would usher in peace in the Middle East and lower oil prices.

Earlier, he had said: “If I don’t like it, if they don’t behave, we’ll go right back to dropping bombs right smack in the middle of their head, OK?”

Iran’s leaders did not address the new threats while celebrating the moment, releasing photographs of what is believed to be the first agreement signed by both a U.S. and Iranian president since the Islamic Republic’s founding in 1979.

“Everything we sought to achieve through military action, we obtained several times over through negotiation; it was not even comparable,” Iran’s lead negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf told state television about the agreement, which includes the unfreezing of billions of dollars in Iranian assets.

The U.S. and Israel launched the war on Iran ⁠on February 28, assassinating the 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and military leaders on the first day. It quickly spiralled into a regional conflict that has killed more than 7,000 people, mostly in Iran and Lebanon; driven up energy prices; renewed inflationary pressures and sparked concerns about a major food supply crisis in developing countries.

The 14-point agreement extends a ceasefire announced in April by another 60 days, including in Lebanon, to allow the two sides to negotiate a final truce. Both Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian have digitally signed the memorandum in English and Farsi, U.S. and Iran officials said, with Iran’s foreign ministry saying the agreement was already in effect as of Wednesday.

Trump signed just before a grand dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Palace of Versailles, the site of the signing of the eponymous treaty that formally ended World War One.

The memorandum includes an immediate end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, the full resumption of maritime traffic “with no charge” in the Strait of Hormuz, the lifting of a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, the waiving of U.S. sanctions on Iran, the unfreezing of its assets, and a $300 billion investment fund for the Islamic Republic’s post-war reconstruction.

Oil prices fell again on Wednesday on prospects for the reopening of the Hormuz, the slender, vital waterway between Iran and Oman, with Brent crude futures below $80, at their lowest level since the war’s start. They later regained more than 1% after Trump threatened renewed violence.

Iran also undertakes not to build nuclear weapons, reaffirming a vow it had made for decades. 

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian welcomed on Thursday what he called a “historic” deal with the United States to end their war and pave the way for negotiations toward a final settlement.

“This is a historic document and a message from a powerful Iran: peace will be achieved in the shadow of mutual respect,” Pezeshkian said on X.

The Iranian president posted an image of the document, which bore his signature as well as those of US President Donald Trump and their mediator, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Pezeshkian added that Iran is always committed to global peace by preserving dignity and independence, progress, and regional cooperation.

The agreement includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a $300bn plan for Iran’s “reconstruction”, and the US terminating “all types of sanctions” on Iran.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has described the 3+3 format as a “highly important” mechanism for deepening cooperation among regional countries.

“This is a very important mechanism for deepening cooperation between Türkiye, Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Armenia, and Georgia,” Fidan told the Türkiye newspaper.

“As countries of the region, we must prioritize cooperation over competition and ambitions of dominance. We see that this understanding is reaching a certain point in the context of recent developments in the Middle East. With the same outlook, we can strengthen our economies and increase stability in the South Caucasus and Central Asia. The pursuit of dominance must come to an end. Peace, calm, and stability will benefit everyone. We must change our understanding. The 3+3 formula will serve to facilitate significant cooperation in the Caucasus. Of course, there are obstacles. Mutual distrust between some countries has reached a serious level. On the other hand, there is also a shared aspiration,” Fidan said.

The first 3+3 meeting, a regional cooperation platform intended to include Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye, and Iran, was held in December 2021. Since then, several meetings have taken place, although Georgia has repeatedly refused to participate. Despite this, the format is still referred to as 3+3.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has credited Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s administration with taking “very important” steps toward normalizing relations between the two countries.

In an interview with the Türkiye newspaper, Fidan said that Ankara is ready to normalize ties when the necessary “conditions” emerge.

“The Pashinyan government has taken very important steps. At the will of our President [Erdogan], even more important steps have been taken, including direct trade and direct flights. It is also clear what needs to be done in the new period. We are ready for normalization when those conditions emerge,” Fidan said.

The Pashinyan administration launched intensified normalization efforts with Türkiye in 2022. Several rounds of talks have resulted in agreements, most recently an announcement on trade facilitation involving procedural changes. The two sides are also exploring the relaunch of the railway.

Another agreement concerned the partial opening of the land border—which has been unilaterally closed by Türkiye since the early 1990s—to diplomatic passport holders and third-country nationals as a first phase. This agreement has yet to be implemented.

On May 4, on the sidelines of the 8th European Political Community Summit in Yerevan, Armenia and Türkiye signed a memorandum of understanding on the restoration of the historic Ani Bridge.

A court has approved the investigator’s motion to place Strong Armenia bloc parliamentary candidate Davit Ghazinyan in pre-trial detention for two months, the Anti-Corruption Committee announced on Thursday.

Ghazinyan was arrested and charged on June 17 with conspiracy to commit electoral bribery ahead of the June 7 elections. He denied any wrongdoing.

At the request of the Anti-Corruption Committee, the electoral commission stripped Ghazinyan of parliamentary candidate immunity, allowing the criminal proceedings to move forward.

The Anti-Corruption Committee announced further arrests on Thursday in an ongoing criminal investigation into alleged vote-buying involving representatives of the Strong Armenia party.

The law enforcement agency said in a press release that it had gathered evidence that party representatives working at the party’s offices in Yerevan’s Kanaker-Zeytun district conspired with accomplices to distribute electoral bribes and carried out the scheme.

The Anti-Corruption Committee also released an audio recording obtained during surveillance, allegedly capturing the suspects discussing the scheme.

Temperatures across Armenia are expected to rise sharply in the coming days, with a short-term heatwave forecast to peak on June 20, when temperatures are expected to reach 37°C in the Ararat Valley and 35°C in Yerevan, according to meteorologists.

The Deputy Director of the Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center, Gagik Surenyan, said in a statement that temperatures of up to 36°C are forecast in the low-lying areas of Syunik.

Air temperatures across the country will rise by 3–4°C from June 18–20 due to the intrusion of warm air currents from the southwest, he said.

Despite the overall warming, short-term thunderstorms are expected in the northern regions during the evening and nighttime hours.

According to forecasts, temperatures will gradually decrease starting from June 21.

The government has approved the allocation of funding for new subvention programs, under which 16 projects will be co-financed in 13 communities across Armenia, with a total budget of 1.634 billion drams ($4.44 million USD).

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, speaking at Thursday’s Cabinet meeting, placed particular emphasis on housing renovation projects within the package, especially highlighting the importance of improving energy efficiency in residential buildings.

He stressed that energy efficiency should receive greater attention in government programs, including through the adoption of international best practices in the field.

Pashinyan also noted that the scale of subvention-funded projects implemented in communities has been steadily increasing, adding that the subvention system is one of the government’s most successful initiatives and has significantly transformed communities across the country.

The funding agenda was presented by Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Davit Khudatyan.

The minister said the proposal covers 16 subvention projects in 13 communities: one in Aragatsotn Province, three in Ararat Province, four in Armavir Province, two in Gegharkunik Province, three in Kotayk Province, and three in Tavush Province.

Khudatyan also noted that more than ten communities currently have road paving applications alone exceeding 3.4 billion drams, submitted for consideration for 2026.

On June 17, in Vienna, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Robert Abisoghomonyan participated and delivered remarks at the OSCE Annual Security Review Conference.

Remarks by the Deputy Foreign Minister, as published by the Foreign Ministry, follow below:

“Distinguished chair, excellencies, dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen. At the outset, I would like to thank the Swiss Chairpersonship for convening this special session of the Annual Security Review Conference. Once again, we meet at a time when ongoing conflicts, erosion of trust, and continued violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law challenge stability across the OSCE area. In this environment, the principles and commitments underpinning the European security order remain as relevant as ever. The OSCE continues to provide a unique platform for dialogue and confidence-building among participating States. At the same time, the effectiveness of the Organization is closely linked to the implementation in good faith of OSCE commitments. The gap between commitments and their implementation, rather than the principles themselves, lies at the heart of many of the challenges facing the OSCE today. This underscores the need to strengthen compliance with existing commitments and ensure that the Organization’s tools and mechanisms remain effective and responsive to evolving security challenges.

Dear colleagues, arms control, confidence-building measures and verification mechanisms remain important components of the OSCE’s comprehensive approach to security. Credible arms control and verification measures can contribute to transparency, predictability and risk reduction, thereby strengthening regional stability and security. However, in practice and judging from experience, the effectiveness and credibility of arms control mechanisms ultimately depend on their ability to address security realities as they evolve and to provide meaningful safeguards against escalation. Indeed, developments in recent years have exposed limitations in the ability of these mechanisms to adequately respond to changing security realities. This challenge is further highlighted by rapid technological developments and evolving methods of warfare, which continue to reshape the security environment. Ensuring that existing instruments remain relevant, effective and responsive to contemporary security challenges should therefore remain an important priority for participating States. Excellencies, since my last address at the 2025 ASRC, our region has experienced significant developments. On August 8, 2025, in Washington, DC, the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and the United States of America, the latter as a witness, signed a Joint Declaration, opening a new chapter of peace, prosperity and regional cooperation in the South Caucasus. The Washington summit has also created a significant opportunity for the unblocking of regional communications between Armenia and Azerbaijan and for advancing a broader regional connectivity agenda. In this regard, connectivity constitutes an important pillar of the new regional reality. In line with these understandings, Armenia has worked with the United States to establish the framework for a connectivity project called “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP). The signing of the Framework Agreement on Strategic Cooperation concerning TRIPP in early June by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia and the United States Secretary of State marked an important step towards the implementation of these understandings. Grounded in the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and national jurisdiction, the TRIPP project aims to enhance international, inter-state and intra-state transportation connectivity, facilitate regional and global trade, and contribute to peace, stability and prosperity in the region. Armenia also attaches importance to the continued normalization process with Türkiye, as an important pillar of broader regional stability and connectivity, within the ongoing efforts aimed at fostering a more predictable and cooperative environment in the South Caucasus and beyond. We appreciate the level of political dialogue with Türkiye, while tangible progress, including the opening of borders and the establishment of diplomatic relations, remains essential for durable and irreversible peace in the region.

Mr. Chairperson, in an increasingly interconnected and complex security environment, no State can effectively address today’s challenges alone. From regional conflicts and forced displacement to emerging hybrid threats and foreign information manipulation and interference, many of the issues confronting the OSCE area require collective responses grounded in dialogue, cooperation and mutual respect. Against this backdrop, the evolving security environment underscores the need for the OSCE to continuously adapt its tools and approaches in order to respond effectively to contemporary risks and emerging security challenges. Armenia stands ready to contribute constructively to efforts aimed at strengthening the effectiveness of the Organization, while ensuring that its core functions, such as the early warning and conflict prevention capacities, are effectively revitalized and reinforced. Sustainable security in the OSCE area can only be achieved through genuine cooperation, mutual respect, and adherence to our shared commitments. Armenia remains convinced that only through a renewed commitment to these principles can we strengthen trust, restore predictability and advance lasting peace across the OSCE area of responsibility.

Thank you.”

Parliament debated on Thursday a bill presented by the Central Bank on the introduction of a bank restructuring framework. Under the bill, the exclusive authority to restructure banks will be granted to the Central Bank.

Central Bank Vice Governor Armen Nurbekyan presented the legislation to lawmakers in its first reading.

The draft defines the procedures and conditions for restructuring banks operating in Armenia and branches of foreign banks.

According to Nurbekyan, under current regulations, if a financial institution faces financial difficulties, the only practical solution for stabilization is liquidation. The goal of the new law is to change this approach and create the possibility of restructuring a financial institution in crisis.

Nurbekyan said, “The bill on bank restructuring aims to change current regulations by enabling the restructuring of financial institutions facing a crisis.”

The need for the legislative package stems from recommendations made by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund back in 2018 within the Financial Sector Assessment Program.

The aim of the draft is to introduce effective crisis management mechanisms aligned with international standards in order to ensure the stability of the financial system.

Improvements in legislation are necessary to ensure the continuity of critical banking functions and the stability of the financial system in the event of bank failures, the official said.

The bill also proposes introducing a broad set of tools to carry out bank restructuring in a way that minimizes the need for extraordinary state support and protects public funds.

The bill was earlier endorsed by the Committee on Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs.