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White House staff bids farewell to planes used as Air Force One for more than 35 years

2026-06-18T17:02:01.797Z / CNN

• Two White House officials posted farewells to the Boeing 747-200 that has flown as Air Force One since 1990.
• It comes as the first of three planes being modified for the role is set to be delivered soon.
• Three 747-800s are being modified, including a luxury jet donated by the government of Qatar to bridge the gap between the old planes and the two additional planes Boeing is modifying.

AI-generated summary was reviewed by a CNN editor.

Washington, DC—

After an early Thursday morning landing near Washington, two White House officials posted social media farewells to the heavily modified Boeing 747-200, which has flown as Air Force One since 1990, as the first of three planes being modified for the role is set to be delivered soon.

“The last ride,” White House communications director Steve Cheung said sharing a photo of the plane – which the Air Force calls a VC-25A – in a post on X. “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino posted a videohttps://x.com/Scavino47/status/2067523503817977868?s=20 of the aircraft and wrote he has “been fortunate to fly around the world on this iconic plane for 5 1/2 years — of the 35 years it has been serving US presidents… THANK YOU…”

Three 747-800s are being modified as VC-25Bs to fill the role of Air Force One, including a luxury jet donated by the government of Qatar to bridge the gap between the old planes and the two additional planes Boeing is modifying that won’t be done for roughly two more years.

It’s not clear what is happening to the old VC-25As, as the Air Force noted in a statement they will remain part of the fleet.

“The VC-25B Bridge aircraft will soon join the active executive airlift fleet alongside the VC-25A and C-32,” an Air Force spokesperson told CNN. The C-32 is a modified Boeing 757, which often flies the vice president, first lady, cabinet members and occasionally fills in as Air Force One.

CNN previously reported that the Qatari jet was expected to be delivered “no later than summer 2026.” It comes after over a year of scrutiny and skepticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle as well as some security officials who criticized Trump for accepting the expensive gift and worried about security vulnerabilities.

The plane had to undergo significant changes to operate as a suitable replacement for Air Force One, CNN previously reported. US spy and security agencies were expected to have the aircraft stripped down and rebuilt to include the necessary security and communications equipment.

The current VC-25A fleet is more than three decades old and has been long ridiculed by Trump, who wants new planes.

Tail number 29000 landed at Joint Base Andrews Thursday morning after carrying Trump on his trip to Europe.

The other VC-25 hasn’t been seen flying since it landed at Majors Airport in Greenville, Texas, on June 2, according to open-source flight tracking site ADS-B exchange. The airport is the same location where the donated Qatari jet is being converted for use as the next Air Force One.

The Air Force began modifying the donated jet last summer.

Plane spotters saw the aircraft with a new paint job selected by the president earlier this month.

The new planes will be red, white, gold and dark blue, a color scheme proposed during Trump’s first term in office but reversed by the Biden administration in favor of a more traditional light blue and white Air Force One paint job. When Trump was reelected, his preferred color scheme was returned to the planes.

The modified Qatari jet last flew on June 10, for a short circle flight landing back at Majors Airport, the same place it took off from, according to ADS-B exchange.

Air Force Secretary Troy Meink previously told lawmakers that it would “probably” cost the Air Force less than $400 million to retrofit the donated aircraft.

An Air Force release last month said the plane had officially completed modifications and was “on schedule to roll out in a new red, white and blue livery this summer.”

“Ultimately, the Bridge aircraft fulfills a critical short-term requirement, guaranteeing the Air Force continues to execute its no-fail mission for the commander in chief while laying a rock-solid foundation for the future,” the release said.

It’s not clear when the aircraft will be brought to Washington and what will happen to the two old planes when it enters service.

The vintage aircraft, however, have a storied history, visiting countries around the world from Iraq and Cuba to China and Australia.

George H.W. Bush first flew on the aircraft in 1990 on a trip to Kansas.

On September 11, 2001, former President George W. Bush was interrupted during an event at a Florida elementary school after the attack on the World Trade Center South Tower in New York City and was hurried to one of the VC-25A planes. It flew the president to an Air Force base near Shreveport, Louisiana, and then to a secure bunker on an Air Force base in Nebraska.

It later transported the former president to Washington, DC, where he addressed the nation hours later.

It also once flew Presidents Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush to Israel for the funeral of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995, according to the Air Force.

CNN’s Aaron Cooper contributed to this report.

Hegseth announces review of U.S. forces in Europe, blasts “shameful” NATO allies

June 18, 2026 / 1:52 PM EDT / CBS News

The Pentagon is launching a six-month review of U.S. forces and bases in Europe, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday at a meeting of NATO defense ministers, shortly after he accused allies of “shameful” inaction during the Iran war.

Without naming specific nations, he called out allies for criticizing the U.S. campaign against Iran and denying permission for the U.S. to use some bases in Europe for launching aircraft or ships.

“It’s shameful,” Hegseth said. “These allies, they put America’s sons and daughters, our sons and daughters, at risk by denying them the predictable access facing overflight that never should have been in question at all.”

He said that dynamic is part of why the U.S. will launch what he called a “NATO 3.0” review of U.S. troops in Europe that could take six months or less. NATO 3.0 is an initiative introduced in February by Undersecretary of Defense For Policy Elbridge Colby, who said it was time for European countries to take primary responsibility for the continent’s conventional defense.

On Thursday, Hegseth said NATO 2.0, which he called “an era of freeriding,” is over.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks ahead of the NATO Defense Ministers meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels on June 18, 2026. Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu via Getty Images

His announcement of the review of U.S. forces in Europe comes ahead of the NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey, next month, which President Trump is expected to attend. It also comes amid bipartisan concerns on Capitol Hill over recent troop withdrawals from the continent.

In May, the Pentagon announced the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany. Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama, the GOP chairmen of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, released a statement saying they were “concerned” by the decision.

“Any significant change to the U.S. force posture in Europe warrants a deliberate review process and close coordination with Congress and our allies,” Wicker and Rogers wrote.

The Pentagon also reduced the number of brigade combat teams assigned to Europe, a move that also took some members of Congress by surprise.

During a House Armed Services Committee hearing, GOP Rep. Austin Scott of Georgia told Army leaders that “these are major decisions that appear to many of the members of this committee to be last-minute decisions.”

There are currently about 80,000 U.S. troops in Europe. Congress has already required the Pentagon to submit a plan before cutting forces below 76,000. The Senate Armed Service Committee’s draft version of this year’s defense policy bill, known as the NDAA, would add an additional check.

The current bill, which was voted out of the committee last week, would require the defense secretary to submit an assessment of the impact of any drawdown 120 days before implementing it.

In his announcement of the review, Hegseth said some allies were committed to “freeriding” on America’s support because they were not showing tangible progress towards spending 5% of GDP on defense by 2035, a target NATO established during last year’s summit in The Hague.

Estimates released by NATO earlier this year showed 31 of the 32 member countries spent 2% of GDP on defense in 2025, an increase from 18 that did so in 2024. President Trump repeatedly pushed NATO allies to meet the 2% target during his first administration.

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, a co-chair of the Senate NATO Observer Group, noted the “tremendous progress” to ramping up defense spending during an event Wednesday at the Atlantic Council. But he said that allies should use the upcoming summit to discuss shortfalls in the capacity to produce weapons.

“I think as people acknowledge that one of the reasons why the family is having a fight is because some of the brothers and sisters were just not stepping up to the level the family expected, then we can have a good discourse with this president,” Tillis said.

“What we don’t want to have in Ankara is some discussion of us reducing our commitment to NATO. That’s the worst possible thing that can come from that,” the senator said before the review was announced.

Republicans blast Trump’s Iran agreement as details emerge

2026-06-18T19:07:22.397Z / Reuters

WASHINGTON, June 18 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump’s interim deal to end the Iran war met scorching public criticism from some of his fellow Republicans as copies of the signed agreement circulated on Capitol Hill on Thursday.

One Republican senator called the framework pact announced this week the “worst foreign policy blunder ​in decades,” another said some reported provisions seemed “ill-advised,” and some pro-Republican commentators also broke with Trump over the agreement.

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The criticism was a rare rebuke from members of the Republican Party who ‌have mostly offered full loyalty to the president, but are increasingly restive as the economic effects of the Iran conflict have hurt their prospects ahead of midterm elections in November that will decide control of Congress. Democrats, who are seeking to regain control of one or both of the legislative chambers, have also been critical of the agreement.

The White House sent the text of the U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to members of Congress on Thursday, a day after Trump signed the preliminary deal to end the war. The document, seen by ​Reuters, matched what had been read out by a U.S. official on Wednesday.

Lawmakers from both parties have said they want more information from the White House.

By Thursday, congressional aides said there had been no ​briefings for Congress on the deal or the administration’s plans, and there had been no announcement that any were scheduled.

Some of the sharpest criticism of the MOU ⁠has involved reports that the Trump administration has agreed to release frozen Iranian assets, allow the creation of a $300 billion private wealth fund to trigger investment in Iran and ease sanctions.

‘BLUNDER’

“Iran’s nuclear ambitions were not curbed, and ​they have learned that threatening the Strait of Hormuz works and will undoubtedly leverage it in the future,” Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana wrote in a post on X.com.

He noted that before the war, the strait – one of ​the world’s most important oil shipping routes – was open and Iran faced steep sanctions. “Now, 13 Americans are dead, families have paid billions at the pump, sanctions will be lifted, and the bombing has stopped. This is the worst foreign policy blunder in decades,” Cassidy wrote.

Roger Wicker of Mississippi, the Republican chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee, said he worried that the MOU “negotiates away” U.S. military successes.

Wicker also said it would be a mistake to force Israel to stand down against Hezbollah in Lebanon and ​opposed lifting any sanctions on Iran or unfreezing Iranian funds, “in exchange for Iran’s mere agreement to negotiate for another 60 days.”

Trump blasted his critics in a post on social media. “These fools, who think I haven’t been tough ​enough on Iran, when the Stock Market Just Hit A RECORD HIGH, and Oil prices are “tumbling” down, are either jealous, bad people, or stupid. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!! President DJT” he wrote.

The agreement to end the conflict and open the economically ‌vital Strait of ⁠Hormuz is in some ways a positive for Trump, who has needed a way out of a conflict that has driven up energy prices and sapped U.S. military resources. And the final agreement, still to be negotiated, could provide additional gains for the U.S.

But critics argue that the interim deal offers Iran significant benefits in return for giving the United States two things it had before – an open strait and a promise from Iran to not develop a nuclear weapon.

COMMENTATORS: ‘A DISASTER’

Ben Shapiro, a conservative pundit and podcaster who had previously cheered the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, blasted the memorandum of understanding as a “disaster,” but placed the blame on Vice President J.D. Vance. Shapiro said Vance ​had failed Trump by backing the deal.

“This MOU appears to ​be, just from the text, a disaster that ⁠does not achieve any of the actual signal goals that were set by the administration,” Shapiro told Fox News on Wednesday.

Mark Levin, one of Trump’s most outspoken supporters, has also broken with him over the deal. On Thursday, the conservative Fox News commentator took aim at Republican Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas for suggesting Iran should be ​allowed to retain ballistic missiles for defensive purposes.

“This man should never be elected dogcatcher,” Levin said of Marshall in a Thursday post on X, calling the administration’s decision ​not to include ballistic missiles in ⁠the agreement an “outrage.”

“To downplay the damage these missiles do (ask the Arab countries what they think about ballistic missiles) and the significance of not including them in any deal is utterly irresponsible,” Levin wrote. “Iran is a terrorist regime that has killed our people, how many more times do we need to be reminded of this.”

Still, many Republicans praised the agreement.

On KCMO Radio, Marshall praised Trump for choosing “a path to lasting peace – not another forever war” and said there would be controls ⁠on how Iran ​spends the money it receives and that it would not come from U.S. taxpayers.

Lawmakers may eventually review a deal. Under the 2015 ​Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act (INARA), passed after Democratic President Barack Obama’s international Iran nuclear pact, any agreement involving Iran’s nuclear program and the easing of sanctions must be reviewed by Congress.

The Trump administration has given mixed signals about whether he planned to do so, but several lawmakers, ​including Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a close administration ally, have said it must be sent to Capitol Hill.

Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; additional reporting by Nathan Layne, David Morgan and Doina Chiacu; editing by Don Durfee

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Vance on Iran agreement: ‘We don’t trust words, we trust action’

2026-06-18T17:20:30.999Z / CNN

By Kristen Holmes, CNN

Published 1:20 PM EDT, Thu June 18, 2026

https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/18/politics/video/vance-iran-agreement-words-holmes-digvid

Vice President JD Vance confirmed the existence of written down “gentlemen’s agreements” with Iran on certain aspects of negotiations in a remarkable answer to CNN’s Kristen Holmes where he said “words don’t matter, ladies and gentlemen. We’re about verification.”

GOP Rep. Tom Kean, missing from Congress for months, set to return on June 30

June 18, 2026 / 2:58 PM EDT / CBS News

Washington — Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. of New Jersey will return to Congress on June 30, his spokesperson said, after being away since March in an unexplained absence that has confounded Capitol Hill.

“Congressman Kean is eager to return to in person work on June 30 and resume a full schedule,” Kean’s spokesperson, Harrison Neely, told CBS News on Thursday. The New Jersey Globe first reported on his return date.

Kean’s whereabouts since he last voted on March 5 have not been disclosed. When he first made a statement about the absence in late April, the New Jersey Republican said he was addressing a “personal medical issue.”

Kean said earlier this month that he would return to Washington within a matter of weeks, at which point he would provide more details about his health.

“Right now I am focused on my recovery and under the advice of healthcare professionals, I will transition from virtual work to in person work within a matter of weeks. At that time I will be completely transparent as to the nature of my medical condition,” Kean said in a June 2 statement released by his campaign.

The statement came hours before polls closed in New Jersey’s GOP primary for his seat, in which he ran unopposed.

He has missed more than 130 votes during his absence.

House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters earlier this month that he had recently spoken with Kean. Johnson said he was aware of the health issue, but would not disclose the details.

“What he’s dealing with is not very common and not a big thing,” Johnson said.

Caitlin Yilek contributed to this report.

Kean says he’ll return in “a matter of weeks”

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/tom-kean-hasnt-been-seen-public-months-return-matter-weeks/

我国乐见美国与伊朗就中东冲突签署谅解备忘录

2026年6月18日 22:38 / 联合早报

我国欢迎美伊谅解备忘录承诺重开霍尔木兹海峡。图为停泊在霍尔木兹海峡沿岸阿巴斯港的船只。 （法新社）

我国乐见美国与伊朗就中东冲突签署谅解备忘录，停止一切军事行动，并强调依据国际法妥善解决各项未解决问题，是实现地区持久和平与稳定的必要条件。

外交部星期四（6月18日）晚上发文告，赞扬促成这一协议的调解方，尤其是巴基斯坦与卡塔尔。

此外，新加坡也欢迎备忘录中重开霍尔木兹海峡的承诺。霍尔木兹海峡是国际航行专用海峡，也是海上贸易的重要通道。

新加坡敦促各方履行《联合国海洋法公约》及习惯国际法下的相关义务，确保船只安全、畅通地行使过境通行权，并保护区域内海员与船只的安全与福祉。

美国与伊朗已就停火达成协议，双方已在星期三（6月17日）签署相关谅解备忘录。根据美国政府公开与伊朗签署的协议，美伊双方在当前战争中的盟友声明立即并永久停止所有战线的军事行动；双方承诺在最多60天内就未决问题展开谈判，期限可经协商延长。

在签署备忘录后，根据备忘录条款，美国将立即解除对伊朗在霍尔木兹海峡的海上封锁。伊朗则承诺尽最大努力确保商船在60天期限内能安全往返波斯湾与阿曼湾之间，并在30天内全面恢复商船通行，期间须完成技术与军事障碍的清除及排雷工作。

Senator urges FAA to reject White House pressure to approve Trump arch

2026-06-18T12:32:19.862Z / reuters.com

An artist’s rendering of U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed ‘Independence Arch’ is seen in this handout obtained on April 10, 2026. U.S. Commission on Fine Arts/Handout via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

• Summary

• The proposed 259-foot arch would stand 3,000 feet from Reagan National Airport
• Duckworth said construction could require 300- to 320-foot cranes for 2 to 3 years
• The FAA’s preliminary review ​said the arch needs red safety lights but found no safety impacts

WASHINGTON, June 18 (Reuters) – The ‌top Democrat on the Senate aviation subcommittee urged the Federal Aviation Administration to reject White House pressure to approve President Donald Trump’s proposed 259-foot (79-meter) tall Independence Arch, saying it could pose risks to commercial flights.

“The FAA must commit to upholding the highest safety ​standards and be firm in rejecting any improper or irresponsible pressure from President Trump to prioritize the ​construction of his gaudy, vanity arch over the safety of the American people,” Senator ⁠Tammy Duckworth wrote FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford in a letter on Thursday.

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The FAA said last week that the arch would need ​red safety lights but said it does not pose any safety impacts in its preliminary review. The proposed arch ​would be 3,000 feet from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and within the airport’s main approach and departure corridor.

The FAA said it would respond directly to Duckworth. The White House did not immediately comment.

The FAA generally requires the blinking red warning lights on buildings ​above 200 feet near airports to warn pilots at night, like on the nearby 555-foot-tall Washington Monument.

Duckworth ​noted that the National Park Service said construction of Trump’s arch would require cranes reaching 300 to 320 feet in height ‌and ⁠estimated construction could last 20 hours per day for 2 to 3 years.

She said on final approach commercial jets can fly as low as 500 feet above ground, which “raises additional operational and safety issues.”

Duckworth noted that last year’s mid-air collision between an American Airlines commuter jet and Army helicopter killed 67 and “underscores the consequences ​of inadequate coordination and the ​need for extreme caution ⁠when evaluating any new obstruction in this environment.”

Trump wants the arch to be built in Washington across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial near Arlington National ​Cemetery. The structure is reminiscent of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris but ​much larger.

The ⁠arch, with eagle statues and a Lady Liberty-type figure on top, would be taller than the Lincoln Memorial and not far off the size of the U.S. Capitol, which at 288 feet can be seen across much of Washington.

⁠By contrast, ​the Arc de Triomphe in Paris is 164 feet high.

The ​National Capital Planning Commission advanced the project on June 4 while seeking more information about how the structure would impact flight paths. A ​lawsuit has been filed seeking to block the project.

Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Philippa Fletcher and Andrea Ricci

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

【红蚂蚁】黄牛屡现狮城倒卖掀乱象 消费者可以拒买吗？

2026年6月18日 23:15 / 联合早报

在滨海湾花园IMBA艺术馆举行的毛绒花市于2026年6月10日开始，共推出50多款绒花，每名参观者可免费获得一朵。毛绒花包括卓锦万代兰、口红花、姜花等八款本地限量版，开展时一度引发访客入场争抢。 （关俊威摄）

2026年过了将近一半，新加坡已经见证了几轮抢购潮。

单在过去的两个月里，吸引人们蜂拥抢购的就包括斯沃琪（Swatch）与爱彼（Audemars Piguet）合作推出的Royal Pop系列怀表、韩国天团防弹少年团（BTS）年底新加坡演唱会的门票，以及澳大利亚艺术家CJ Hendry毛绒花市的限量版毛绒花。

无论是怀表、演唱会门票，还是毛绒花，都是到手之后立刻在二手买卖平台上现身，成为倒卖者（又称“黄牛党”）赚钱的工具，而且坐地起价，摆明就是要狠狠赚一笔。

以CJ Hendry的毛绒花为例，每名花市参观者可免费获得一朵毛绒花，若另行购买则每朵7元。但一个星期后，网上却还有人以高达300元的价钱拍卖一束25朵的毛绒花。

而且，参观者明明可以免费登记入场，有人还是在网上以88元拍卖花市的入门票。

不只是“一个愿打一个愿挨”

标上这种价格的入门票和花束最终有没有人买，买的人究竟又是怎么想，我们姑且不论。毕竟，一个愿打一个愿挨，从商业角度来看，这种倒卖行为严格来说是市场运作的一部分。

但倒卖行为不能只从商业角度审视，它还会对社会其他方面造成影响。

从执法角度看，倒卖活动让诈骗分子有机可乘，这些“交易”表面上很个人，实际上却制造了整个社会必须承担的风险成本。

以BTS的演唱会门票来说，警方6月10日发布文告指出，自6月1日起（即门票正式开卖前的四天），共接获至少62起涉及这场演唱会门票的骗案，损失金额超过6万8200元。

社交媒体X上出现多则声称售卖BTS演唱会门票的贴文。（新加坡警察部队提供）

被当作“黄牛票”倒卖的当然不只演唱会门票，过去这些年，大家可能也见过抽签分配的免费国庆庆典门票，被放上网拍卖。

演唱会和国庆庆典这种场合的门票被倒卖，剥夺了人们共同参与的文化体验，把“先到先得”变成“价高者得”，肯定令人觉得不公。

值得注意的是，本地歌手陈洁仪今年9月的演唱会，允许公众使用文化通行证（SG Culture Pass）抵扣门票费用。

文化通行证旨在鼓励新加坡人支持本地艺术文化工作者，积极探索丰富独特的本土文化。

如果有人用了文化通行证抵扣演唱会门票费用，再倒卖门票，那就不只是剥夺他人观赏演唱会的机会，更是让本应向下流动的公共资源沦为套利工具。

可以不买吗？

当然，有关当局与商家对这个现象没有袖手旁观，从实名制、限购，到技术防堵，措施一轮接一轮推出。

然而，每一次抢购潮之后，倒卖依旧如影随形，可见道高一尺，魔高一丈。制度可以填补漏洞，却永远比市场慢半拍。

要遏制倒卖行为，最直截了当的方法便是不买，倒卖者不再有利可图，自然会收手。但人性难违，这个选择也是最难的一个。

只是，每一次告诉自己“贵一点也无所谓”，都如同默许倒卖行为延续下去。这笔交易是否值得，就要大家仔细掂量了。

美伊总统提前签署谅解备忘录 启动60天可延长谈判期

2026年6月18日 22:39 / 联合早报 蔡添成

美国总统特朗普（右三）在凡尔赛宫与法国总统马克龙（右二）共进晚餐时，签署了谅解备忘录。 （白宫／社媒平台X）

（华盛顿／德黑兰综合电）美国总统特朗普和伊朗总统佩泽希齐扬星期三远程签署了停战谅解备忘录。根据协议，伊朗同意稀释浓缩铀，以换取大规模的经济援助。备忘录签署后数个小时，三艘悬挂沙特阿拉伯国旗的超级油轮穿过霍尔木兹海峡。

特朗普星期三（6月17日）对记者说，他在七国集团（G7）首脑峰会结束后，在凡尔赛宫与法国总统马克龙共进晚餐时，签署了这份谅解备忘录。特朗普走出宫殿时告诉记者：“（我）刚刚签了。”

佩泽希齐扬星期四对美伊达成的“历史性”协议表示欢迎。他在社交媒体发布一张协议图片，并配文道：“这是一份历史性文件，也是来自强大伊朗的信息：和平将在相互尊重的氛围中实现”。文件上不仅有佩泽希齐扬的签名，还有特朗普和调解方、巴基斯坦总理谢里夫的签名。

在这之前，美国副总统万斯和伊朗议会议长卡利巴夫，已在上星期天（14日）以电子方式签署谅解备忘录，特朗普当场见证两方签署。

谢里夫周四在社交媒体平台X上发文说，伊朗和美国远程签署的谅解备忘录立即生效。他说：“作为第一步，伊朗将立即重新开放霍尔木兹海峡，美国将立即解除对伊朗的海上封锁”。

巴基斯坦总理谢里夫星期四（6月18日）展示他在美伊谅解备忘录，以调解方的身份在文件上签名。（路透社）

星期四公布的船舶追踪数据显示，三艘悬挂沙特阿拉伯国旗、载有600万桶原油的超级油轮在美伊签署谅解备忘录数小时后，穿过霍尔木兹海峡。

路透社分析航运动向后指出，这些从沙特港口出发的油轮，是过去数周通过霍尔木兹海峡的一次最大规模出港。

自2月28日美伊爆发战事以来，沙特主要使用位于红海的延布港（Yanbu）出口石油。这场战争导致数亿桶石油，无法从海湾产油国港口经霍尔木兹海峡出境。

瑞士外交部星期四说，在签署谅解备忘录后，美国和伊朗计划与积极调解的巴基斯坦、卡塔尔及其他相关国家，星期五在瑞士比尔根山举行会谈，就协议的执行进行初步谈判。

瑞士对美伊签署谅解备忘录表示欢迎，指这是缓和中东局势的重要一步。

特朗普星期四在社媒痛批那些抨击美伊谅解备忘录的人。“这些笨蛋认为我对伊朗还不够强硬。股市刚刚创下历史新高，油价也暴跌了！他们要么是嫉妒，要么是坏人，或是愚蠢”。

前一天，特朗普为他与伊朗达成的协议辩护，称这避免了一场全球经济灾难。他强调战争若再继续下去，可能引发国际经济衰退。

伊朗坚持60天后向穿越海峡船只收服务费

美国政府一名高级官员星期三向媒体宣读了谅解备忘录正式文本，里头包含14项条款。根据条款，初步协议签署后，将启动为期60天的可延长谈判期。伊朗将允许船只在60天内免费通过霍尔木兹海峡，之后伊朗将与阿曼和其他波斯湾国家讨论海峡的管理问题。

不过伊朗议会议长卡利巴夫说，伊朗将在60天免费通行期结束后，对来往霍尔木兹海峡的船只收取费用。他称，这海峡永远不会回到战前状态，伊朗将在这条要道收取服务费。

伊朗外交部发言人巴盖伊则说，伊朗已与阿曼基本敲定霍尔木兹海峡管理机制，将对在海峡提供的服务收取费用，并称目前相关机制安排正在起草中。

彭博经济分析师们说，谅解备忘录的核心是以海峡的重新开放，换取经济援助，“但这种交换并不平衡：伊朗将获得大量新收益，华盛顿将只能收回一些在2月战争爆发前就已存在的利益”。

特朗普第一任期的副总统彭斯称，伊朗现在处于被动局面，比以往任何时候都更加虚弱。“现在我们已经看到了谅解备忘录，我的担忧在于它没有提到以可核查的方式拆除伊朗的核武计划。备忘录只是重申伊朗多年来作出不发展核计划的承诺。”

US weekly jobless claims fall, but remain elevated

2026-06-18 12:41 GMT / Reuters

By Lucia Mutikani

June 18, 2026 12:41 PM UTC Updated 1 hour ago

A sign for hire is posted on the door of a GameStop in New York City, U.S., April 29, 2022. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

• Weekly jobless claims fall 4,000 to 226,000
• Claims rise between May and June nonfarm payrolls survey weeks
• Continuing claims increase 24,000 to 1.810 million

WASHINGTON, June 18 (Reuters) – The number of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits fell last week, but remained at slightly higher levels, suggesting some moderation in the pace of job growth in June.

Economists ​largely shrugged off the report from the Labor Department on Thursday, with some pointing out that the recent elevation in claims was likely ‌due to seasonal distortions related to the end of the school year. They viewed the labor market as remaining stable enough for the Federal Reserve to focus on stamping out inflation, stoked by the Iran war.

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The U.S. central bank on Wednesday kept its benchmark overnight interest rate in the 3.50%-3.75% range, but updated quarterly projections showed policymakers expected to raise borrowing costs this year amid growing ​concerns about inflation.

“We don’t expect claims to trend consistently higher from here,” said Nancy Vanden Houten, lead U.S. economist at Oxford Economics. “And despite the bounce ​off the recent lows, the level of initial claims is still consistent with a broad range of labor market indicators that ⁠show the job market has improved but isn’t overheating. That will allow the Fed to keep policy on hold while it waits for inflation to come down.”

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Initial ​claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 4,000 to a seasonally adjusted 226,000 for the week ended June 13, the Labor Department said. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 225,000 ​claims for the latest week. Claims had increased for three straight weeks, pushing to the upper end of their 190,000-230,000 range for this year.

Last week, there were notable increases in unadjusted claims in Oregon and Minnesota, among the few states that allow non-teaching staff to file for unemployment benefits during the months-long school holidays. Seasonal factors, the model used by the government to strip ​out seasonal fluctuations from the data, do not always capture these moves.

Claims in Pennsylvania rose 3,734 last week after surging 5,381 in the prior week, an increase that ​was attributed to layoffs in transportation and warehousing, administrative and support and waste management and remediation services industries as well as in accommodation and food services, healthcare and social assistance.

blob:https://www.reuters.com/07d32028-3756-46f7-8515-cdbab4cabbaa

Initial claims and JOLTS firings

THE LABOR ‌MARKET IS ⁠STABLE

The labor market has regained momentum, posting three straight months of strong job gains, after wobbling in 2025. Lower layoffs have kept the unemployment rate at 4.3% for three consecutive months.

Fed Chair Kevin Warsh told reporters that members of the U.S. central bank’s policy-setting committee “thought that the labor markets were stable,” and “there were some people around the committee who thought that it was trending better than that.”

Warsh added, “I’d say the jobs data has been moving in a good direction.” The claims data covered the period during ​which the government surveyed businesses and other ​establishments for the nonfarm payrolls component ⁠of June’s employment report. Claims increased between the May and June survey weeks.

“That hints at some potential slowing in June job creation,” said John Ryding, senior economic advisor at Brean Capital. “However, if we are looking at the broader trend, which Chair Warsh ​wants to do, there is little evidence of a change in the mean-reverting statistical process that has described weekly jobless ​claims.”

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Nonfarm payrolls increased by ⁠172,000 jobs in May. Part of the strength in job growth is likely from low layoffs as some business surveys have shown weakness in employment measures.

Economists say policy uncertainty, including import tariffs last year and now the Middle East conflict, is constraining hiring. The U.S. and Iran have signed a ceasefire agreement.

The number of people receiving unemployment benefits after an initial ⁠week of ​aid, a proxy for hiring, increased 24,000 to a seasonally adjusted 1.81 million during the week ended ​June 6, the claims report showed.

The increase in the so-called continuing claims aligns with data showing many unemployed people are experiencing long bouts of joblessness. The median duration of unemployment jumped to 11.6 weeks ​in May, the longest stretch since November 2021, from 11.0 weeks in April, the government reported this month.

Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Andrea Ricci

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