The US and Pakistan said a memorandum of understanding with Iran is set for digital signing Sunday, but Tehran’s path to signing is being clouded by hardline backlash, disputes over nuclear terms and the fate of frozen funds. Follow the latest updates ⬇️ iranintl.com/en/liveblog/202…

Hossein Shariatmadari, the editor of Iran's hardline Kayhan newspaper, questioned why senior officials had agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, arguing Tehran was relinquishing one of its strongest levers against its adversaries without securing meaningful compensation. Writing in Kayhan, Shariatmadari asked Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi why they would abandon a "decisive" tool that had brought enemies close to economic suffocation. He dismissed proposals to charge passing vessels service fees, arguing they paled in comparison to the loss of senior military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians, as well as the extensive damage inflicted on Iran. "Are we now supposed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and settle for collecting service fees from passing ships?" he wrote, warning that doing so would ease pressure on Iran's adversaries and pave the way for future attacks. iranintl.com/en/202606142344

Iran featured prominently in Israeli President Isaac Herzog's praise for Donald Trump, with Herzog thanking the US president for his leadership against what he called Iran's "empire of evil" and for efforts to secure the release of Israeli hostages, while voicing hope for regional peace.

A former US diplomat warned that President Donald Trump may be underestimating the Islamic Republic's resilience, arguing that Tehran's leadership has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to withstand military and economic pressure. iranintl.com/en/202606127869

Mohammad-Mehdi Mirbagheri, a member of the Assembly of Experts, sought to reassure critics of a proposed US-Iran memorandum of understanding on Saturday, saying there was no reason for alarm. "Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is exercising close oversight of the process, giving serious guidance and keeping developments under control," Mirbagheri added.

Air raid sirens were activated across parts of Jordan, according to state television. No immediate details were provided on the cause of the alert.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said on Saturday Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s account of a proposed memorandum of understanding largely matches reporting by IRGC-affiliated media, indicating growing consensus among Iranian leaders on negotiating red lines. The think tank added that Tehran appears to be structuring the MoU as a way to reduce US leverage in later nuclear talks, while portraying the agreement domestically as a tactical pause in the war rather than a final settlement.

Mohammad Mannan Raisi, the MP for Qom, told a pro-government gathering that a memorandum of understanding expected to be signed on Sunday would violate the Supreme Leader’s “red lines.” Referring to President Donald Trump as the “killer” of Ali Khamenei, he urged Iranian officials to show what he called “a bit of honor.”

The Embassy of Israel in the United States on Saturday shared a video on X addressed to the people of Lebanon, saying they deserve a future defined by opportunity, stability, and sovereignty rather than what it described as the ambitions of a foreign regime. It said Hezbollah had dragged Lebanon into conflicts serving Iran’s agenda and argued that Lebanon’s future should be determined in Beirut, not Tehran.

A commentator on Iran's state-run Ofogh TV said Iran would soon take the war onto US soil and would no longer fight the enemy within its own territory, adding that the Islamic Republic has not yet revealed all of its options.

Gregory Brew of Eurasia Group said on Saturday the US and Iran framing a potential agreement as the “end of the war” would make it harder for either side to return to active hostilities, adding that this would be especially true for President Donald Trump.

US President Donald Trump on Saturday posted an image on Truth Social showing himself as Commander in Chief on a warship with US Navy vessels, fighter jets, and a sailing ship with Caption: "YOU'RE GETTING DISCOMBOBULATED."

US Central Command (CENTCOM) posted images showing sailors aboard the USS George H.W. Bush conducting maintenance on MH-60 Sea Hawk helicopters on X on Saturday, saying the work keeps the aircraft mission-ready as the carrier operates in the Arabian Sea and supports what it described as a “US blockade against Iran.”

Iranian lawmaker Kamran Ghazanfari said on Saturday in a message titled “warning to the negotiating team” that Iranian officials in talks with the United States have crossed what he described as the Supreme Leader’s “red lines,” arguing that any resulting agreement would lack legitimacy and would not be enforceable. Ghazanfari added that the United States had repeatedly threatened Iran and members of its negotiating team during the two-month talks, saying any deal reached under such conditions would have no validity under international law.

Israeli journalist Dror Balazada on Saturday outlined on X what he described as a 60-day framework in which Iran would continue oil sales, the Strait of Hormuz would remain open, and no military confrontation would take place, while Iran would receive credit from frozen assets to purchase humanitarian goods. He added that after 60 days, “only Trump decides” on the next steps.

Hardline figure Jalal Rashidikoochi on Saturday criticized Iranian lawmaker Seyed Mahmoud Nabavian over his comments on a potential Iran–US agreement, accusing him of fuelling division and undermining national unity. Rashidikoochi also warned that Nabavian’s actions would “come back to haunt him,” saying they were causing what he described as serious harm to the country. "Even if your intention was good, do not doubt that you have become the cause and instigator of a great evil in the country, which will also engulf you,' he posted on X.

Iranian lawmaker Seyed Mahmoud Nabavian said on Saturday he read out and explained the text of a potential Iran–US agreement in an interview with the Student News Agency, adding that he welcomed official denials of his remarks and was ready for debate on the deal, insisting it is a "total loss".

Iranian reformist figure Seyed Mohammad Sohofi said on Saturday a potential agreement with the United States would, if reached, mark the first time since the 1979 revolution that Iran has acted before it is too late, invoking the Persian proverb “nushdaroo before Sohrab’s death”(nourishment before death) to describe past policy patterns amid ongoing crises.

A hardline influencer, Sarbaz Roohulla Rezvi, said on Saturday he takes his political position from the Supreme Leader, adding he would support any decision on ceasefire or military action if it is approved by him and act accordingly in practice. "If the Leadership signs off on a ceasefire, I will defend the ceasefire, and if the Leadership signs off on a bomb, I will be the first to throw the bomb," he posted on X. "If I see the Leadership under pressure from a group, I will certainly take steps in a direction that reduces that pressure."

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jassim Mohammed Al-Budaiwi on Saturday condemned what he described as biased and misleading media claims targeting Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, saying they lack credibility and aim to undermine their role in supporting regional security and stability.

Mark Dubowitz, chief executive of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies on Saturday questioned whether additional negotiations with Tehran would benefit Iran, arguing that periods of ceasefire and diplomacy have given the country time to recover from damage inflicted during recent conflicts. "A 38-day war and a 12-day war inflicted severe damage on Iran’s nuclear program, missile arsenal, military defenses, economy, leadership, and terror network. Then came three months of “ceasefire”—with mounting economic pressure on Iran, but also valuable time for the regime to recover, rebuild and leverage Hormuz and Hezbollah," Dubowitz posted on X. "Now add 60 more days of negotiations — an arena where Iran always outmaneuvers American presidents. The question: who does this time favor? Will President Trump convert military successes into a real victory?" he added.