After Partial Agreement: US and Iran Enter Second Round of Talks on Reconstruction and Strait of Hormuz

As Bloomberg and Al-Arabiya report, the US has committed to lifting its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and restoring shipping traffic to full capacity within a maximum of 30 days. Tehran also spoke of a reopening of the strait within 30 days. US Vice President JD Vance said the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened "toll-free in the long term."

On Wednesday, the website "TankerTrackers," which publishes ship data and reports on oil transport, reported that several Iranian oil tankers had left the sea area previously blockaded by the US Navy. Initially, "TankerTrackers" stated, citing tracking data and satellite images on the online service X, that the two Iranian supertankers "Diona" and "Hero2" had left the previous blockade zone. On board were a total of 3.8 million barrels (604 million liters) of Iranian crude oil. Later, the website reported the passage of a third Iranian tanker carrying one million barrels of oil. These were Iran's "first crude oil exports in two months."

According to the "Wall Street Journal," the US has already allowed Iran to immediately sell oil and fuels. US President Donald Trump said on the sidelines of the G7 summit in the French city of Évian that they were still looking for mines, "but basically the ships are now leaving again." He added that as early as Monday, the first ships had begun to pass through the strait, "many fully loaded with oil."

Strait of Hormuz: Blockade Being Lifted

As the "Wall Street Journal" reports, the US has already allowed Iran the immediate sale of oil and fuels. The whereabouts of the enriched material are to be "appropriately addressed" in the final agreement. Within 60 days, Tehran and Washington are to work out a definitive peace agreement.

A key open question is the mine clearance in the strait. The "New York Times" wrote that it is not even entirely certain that the Iranians had laid mines at all: "Numerous ships passed through the strait during the war without encountering mines." Nevertheless, US intelligence estimated the number of Iranian mines before the war began at around 5,000. "Bloomberg" quotes political scientist Caitlin Talmadge of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on this: "Ensuring the strait is mine-free will be a laborious affair."

Open Questions on Mine Clearance

Talmadge explained that there are mines "ranging from relatively simple variants floating just below the water's surface to far more advanced ones anchored on the seabed." To search for the mines, the US Navy must therefore search both from the air and sweep the sea from the surface down to depth. The work will proceed faster if Iran provides all information in its possession regarding the mine-laying. The European allies possess "considerable mine-clearing capabilities."

French President Emmanuel Macron declared on Monday: "We will first do everything to ensure that this agreement enters into force and that the Strait of Hormuz is thus peacefully opened and shipping traffic can resume." Ships have already been moved into the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz. When Macron offered Trump his support, the US president largely rejected the offer: "I don't think we need much help, since we have an agreement," Trump said. But it was "not a bad idea to have one or two ships from a few countries there," he added.

"Bloomberg" reports that the European allies have "practical questions about exactly what was agreed before they can commit to mine-clearing missions and patrols." More than 40 countries pledged their support; according to "Bloomberg," 15 countries specifically committed equipment and personnel for the mission. Trump acknowledged that there had been "a little argument" over this issue.

Financial Conditions: $300 Billion

The financial expectations had previously been far apart. The leadership in Tehran had originally demanded $400 billion in war reparations from the US, according to Iranian government circles, which Washington rejected. Now, according to available reports, a private investment fund of $300 billion is planned for the reconstruction of Iran. A spokesperson said it is a private investment instrument without state funds or subsidies.

At the G7 summit in the French city of Évian, the heads of state and government—including US President Trump—agreed, according to Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU), that the situation in Ukraine had improved significantly. The chancellor spoke of a "day of hope." The situation in the Middle East also occupied the summit.

G7 Summit: Pressure on Russia

Regarding Trump's conduct, Merz said he had seen him as "very cooperative." Trump called on Russia to return to the negotiating table: "Russia should get into a deal." The 80-year-old simultaneously held out the prospect of a return to oil sanctions against Russia, which are currently on ice. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with the heads of state and government of the G7 group in Évian. Zelensky said: "Russia must be forced to end the war against our people."

In the capital Moscow, Russia's air defense shot down around 60 Ukrainian drones, according to Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. Zelensky praised Kyiv's intelligence services for "their effective work"; the refinery in Moscow's city area is 500 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Great Britain imposed 70 new sanctions on Russia's shadow fleet, arms supply chains, and illegal financial networks used to circumvent existing sanctions. According to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, 162 individuals, companies, and ships are to be newly added to the sanctions list.

Reactions in Israel and Haaretz Report

The Israel-Palestine conflict was also addressed on the sidelines of the G7 summit. Trump said at a meeting with Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani: "I am not happy with how Israel has behaved with Lebanon and Hezbollah." Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "must show more responsibility with regard to Lebanon," Trump continued. According to research by the "New York Times," Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad director David Barnea had convinced the US president in a presentation at the White House on October 11, 2023, to take joint action against Iran.

The government-critical and left-liberal daily newspaper "Haaretz" wrote on Tuesday that the result of the Iran war under Netanyahu's government was "the second biggest fiasco" after the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023. The war against Iran had further isolated the country: "Such an end to the Iranian saga—without regime change, without an end to the nuclear and missile program, and a clear damage to the special relationship with the US—reveals the extent of the destruction that Netanyahu has inflicted on Israel's global standing since 2023."

According to "Haaretz," based on a current survey, only 44 percent of the Israeli population now assume that Israel's security is an important concern for Trump. In March, during the Israeli-American airstrikes against Iran, this share was still 60 percent. The conservative "Jerusalem Post" is also concerned about Trump's agreement with Iran.

Switzerland is not a member of the G7—nevertheless, Federal President Guy Parmelin was allowed to participate partly in this year's summit in Évian this year. A premiere. Parmelin met, among others, with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the garden of the G7 hotel, with British and Swiss flags on the table. Participation in the gala dinner on Tuesday evening was "perhaps even a one-time opportunity."

In the negotiations between Washington and Tehran, the whereabouts of the nuclear material enriched in Iran remain open. The whereabouts of the enriched material are to be "appropriately addressed" in the final agreement, it was said. The news about the second round of negotiations was broadcast on 17.06.2026 on the Deutschlandfunk program.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed optimism after the consultations that new momentum would come into efforts to end the Ukraine war. "The tide is turning for Ukraine," von der Leyen declared. Starmer said there had been a real consensus in the room at the G7 that the sanctions are having a real effect. The situation in 2026 differs greatly from that in 2025.