US won’t move troops despite ‘signed’ Iran deal, as doubts linger over Tehran’s next move

2026-06-15T16:35:13-04:00 / Fox News

Pentagon maintains one of the largest US force concentrations in the region in more than two decades

By Morgan Phillips Fox News

Published June 15, 2026 4:35pm EDT

Iran deal could be ‘deadly’ for Israel, former Israeli ambassador argues

Former Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren discusses the Iran deal, warning its specific details could be “deadly” for Israel’s security. Oren notes the deal fails to address key goals like eliminating Iran’s nuclear program, ballistic missile system, and state-sponsored terror. He expresses “great concern” that the nuclear stockpile and control of the Strait of Hormuz remain unanswered questions.

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The Trump administration will keep its military buildup in the Middle East in place despite signing a new agreement with Iran, underscoring Washington’s continued distrust of Iran as the two sides enter a 60-day negotiating period.

“The plan is to keep the current force posture during the 60-day negotiations,” a senior U.S. official told reporters on a call Monday. “We hope to draw them down, but we’re not doing that yet.”

“The agreement contemplates the reduction of military forces in the region upon the agreement of a final deal,” the official added.

Officials said President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf already have signed the memorandum, and that the details of the agreement will be released publicly within the next 24 to 48 hours. A formal signing ceremony is expected later in the week.

The Trump administration will keep its military buildup in the Middle East in place despite signing a new agreement with Iran, underscoring Washington’s continued distrust of Tehran as the two sides enter a 60-day negotiating period.(Mandel Ngan/AFP)

BUILT FOR WEEKS OF WAR: INSIDE THE FIREPOWER THE US HAS POSITIONED IN THE MIDDLE EAST

The decision means the Pentagon will maintain a military posture that recently included roughly 50,000 troops deployed across the Middle East, one of the largest U.S. force concentrations in the region in more than two decades. Publicly available fleet tracking data indicate at least two carrier strike groups remain in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

Officials repeatedly stressed that any sanctions relief, asset releases or future concessions would be tied to verification and Iranian performance, not promises alone, with one senior official acknowledging the two sides remain in the early stages of “building trust.”

That lack of trust was evident in the administration’s description of the agreement, which differs in key respects from accounts published by Iranian officials and state-linked media.

VANCE SAYS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S KEY OBJECTIVES HAVE BEEN REACHED IN US-IRAN DEAL

White House officials insisted Monday that no frozen Iranian assets have been released and said any sanctions relief would be conditioned on Iranian performance during the upcoming negotiations.

Officials said President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, pictured above, have already signed the memorandum with Iran.(Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS)

Officials said President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf have already signed the memorandum.(Ting Shen/AFP via Getty Images)

“The very simple fact is, $0 of unfrozen assets have been released by the United States or any other country,” one official said.

Iranian officials and state-linked media, meanwhile, have described the framework as paving the way for the release of roughly $24 billion in frozen Iranian funds and broader economic relief during the negotiation period.

White House officials disputed reports that any funds have already been released and repeatedly emphasized that future economic concessions would be earned through compliance rather than granted upfront.

IRAN’S REGIME SPINS NUCLEAR AND STRAIT OF HORMUZ DEAL WITH TRUMP AS VICTORY OVER US, ISRAEL

“We’ll do some small gestures of that in the beginning, if they make some small gestures to us,” an official said.

While Trump has portrayed the agreement as a potential turning point in U.S.–Iran relations, the memorandum itself is narrower in scope. The framework extends the ceasefire, establishes a 60-day negotiating window and seeks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments normally pass.

The reopening of the Strait may prove to be the agreement’s most immediate and economically significant effect. White House officials said the memorandum provides for the opening of the waterway and the lifting of the naval blockade, though they cautioned that commercial shipping could take days or weeks to return to normal levels as mines are cleared and shipping companies regain confidence in the route.

Officials also said the agreement requires the Strait to remain open toll-free during the 60-day negotiating period. The administration expects shipping traffic to increase significantly over the coming days, easing pressure on global energy markets.

The deal, officials said, creates a framework under which Iran could eventually receive sanctions relief and broader access to the global economy in exchange for verifiable steps to ensure it does not rebuild its nuclear program and curbs support for terrorism and regional instability.

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“If they’re willing to behave like a normal country, then we’re willing to treat them like a normal country,” one official said.

The prospect of renewed traffic through the Strait has already reverberated through global markets. Oil prices fell following news of the agreement as traders bet that one of the world’s most important energy choke points could soon return to normal operations.

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6398480911112

Former VP Pence slams Trump’s anti-weaponization fund: ‘Deeply offensive to millions of Americans’

2026-06-15T22:22:15.470Z / CNN Politics

Former Vice President Mike Pence joins The Lead.

https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/15/politics/video/anti-weaponization-fund-president-trump-lead-jake-tapper

Rep. Ro Khanna reacts to Gavin Newsom saying the DOJ is investigating him and his wife

2026-06-15T20:46:11.957Z / CNN Politics

Rep. Ro Khanna reacts to Gavin Newsom saying the DOJ is investigating him and his wife

By Kasie Hunt, CNN

Published 4:46 PM EDT, Mon June 15, 2026

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Rep. Ro Khanna reacts to Gavin Newsom saying the DOJ is investigating him and his wife

The arena

Rep. Ro Khanna joins Kasie Hunt to discuss Gavin Newsom’s announcement that the DOJ is investigating him and his wife.

3:14 • Source: CNN

美国总统特朗普6月15日抵达法国阿尔卑斯山小城埃维昂，出席七国集团峰会。 （法新社）

美国和伊朗已通过电子方式签署一份谅解备忘录，正式签署仪式几天后举行。但美伊谅解备忘录具体条款仍保密，而以色列领导人似乎并未完全表示赞同。

综合路透社和《纽约时报》报道，美国总统特朗普星期一（6月15日）抵达法国参加七国集团（G7）峰会时说，美国和伊朗已经签署结束战争的初步协议。

特朗普说，“协议签好了”，他还说副总统万斯将在星期五（19日）出席日内瓦的正式签字仪式。

美国一名高级官员在当天的简报会说，特朗普和万斯签署了谅解备忘录，伊朗伊斯兰议会议长卡利巴夫代表伊朗方面签署文件，预计万斯以及特朗普的特使威特科夫和女婿库什纳将出席19日的签字仪式。万斯随后将带领美方进入下一阶段谈判。

这名官员说，美伊谅解备忘录将在未来24至48小时公开发布。不过特朗普在法国说，谅解备忘录将在正式签署仪式后才公布。

延伸阅读

美伊达成初步协议 特朗普称商船开始驶出海峡 把最棘手矛盾留给明天 美伊握手言和能走多远？

美国和伊朗官员15日继续就谅解备忘录条款发表相互矛盾的声明。条款内容首先侧重于停止军事冲突，并允许霍尔木兹海峡恢复通航。两国官员承认，他们将双方最严重的分歧留待后续谈判再议。

《纽约时报》报道，以色列总理内坦亚胡似乎有意与美伊协议划清界限，称协议为“他（特朗普）的决定”。内坦亚胡表示，他已在与特朗普的多次对话中表达了自己的意见，但他没有说明双方在哪些方面存在分歧。

路透社指谅解备忘录似乎并未实现特朗普当初承诺的目标，即摧毁伊朗军事能力、终结伊朗核野心、推翻伊朗神权统治。

美伊官员说，这项协议最终可能为伊朗带来可观的经济利益，具体措施包括解除制裁、解冻海外资产以及设立一个由及美国波斯湾盟友出资的3000亿美元（约3848亿新元）重建基金。

不愿具名的美国官员透露，伊朗要获得这些利益必须满足美国的条件，包括永远不制造核武器，并切断对黎巴嫩真主党等代理民兵组织的支持。

Same-name candidate disqualified from key Senate race over alleged Dem scheme to confuse voters

2026-06-15 17:13:12 EDT / Fox News

Republicans accused Democrats of recruiting a ‘sham’ candidate to split votes under ranked-choice voting

By Adam Pack Fox News

Published June 15, 2026 5:13pm EDT

NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

A top Alaska election official booted a same-name Republican challenger to Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, from the primary ballot Monday, ruling the campaign appeared designed to confuse voters.

Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher disqualified Dan J. Sullivan from the state’s hotly-contested Senate race over concerns that his candidacy was “filed with a purpose to confuse or mislead and to thereby compromise the ballot’s fairness or neutrality,” in a letter published Monday.

Dan J. Sullivan, a retired schoolteacher who filed as a Republican Senate candidate despite having no prior affiliation with the GOP, can appeal the ruling, Beecher wrote.

The letter caps weeks of outrage from the GOP, who argued the political newcomer’s entry into the race just days before the filing deadline was a covert attempt by Democrats to recruit a “sham” candidate into the race to confuse voters.

Newly-introduced Senate candidate Dan Sullivan, left, pictured alongside Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, right.(Sullivan for U.S. Senate; Brandon Bell-Pool/Getty Images)

GOP FIGHTS TO STOP MULTIPLE DAN SULLIVANS FROM APPEARING ON ALASKA BALLOT, CALLS CANDIDACY A ‘SHAM’

Under Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system, if Dan J. Sullivan had been allowed to remain on the August primary ballot, both he and Dan S. Sullivan, the incumbent, could have advanced to the general election among the top four vote-getters.

Democrats are eying Alaska as a potential flip opportunity as the party mounts a longshot bid to retake control of the upper chamber during the midterms. The incumbent Sullivan is running for a third Senate term against former Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, who was recruited by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., into the battleground contest.

Beecher cited several details about Dan J. Sullivan’s campaign that led to her conclusion that it was not filed in “good-faith.”

The political newcomer requested to appear on the ballot as “Dan Sullivan” despite registering to vote under the name “Daniel J. Sullivan, Jr.,” according to the letter. The longshot candidate also attempted to register with the incumbent’s initial on one occasion, according to Beecher’s letter.

“‘S’ is Senator Sullivan’s middle initial, not yours,” Beecher wrote.

The election official also noted that Dan J. Sullivan had not registered as a Republican before launching his Senate campaign and that his new website used a “color scheme and overall theme” similar to the incumbent’s campaign materials.

Additionally, Beecher discussed Dan J. Sullivan’s connection to Amber Lee, an Alaska Democratic consultant who has previously supported Peltola. Metadata from the campaign’s launch identified the Democratic operative as its author, Fox News Digital previously reported.

Former Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, is running to unseat Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan in the 2026 midterm elections.(Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

FORMER DEM REP. MARY PELTOLA ANNOUNCES U.S. SENATE RUN: “PUT ALASKA FIRST”

“This consultant’s work on your behalf is, in isolation, innocuous,” Beecher wrote. “Alongside the other facts I have catalogued in this letter, however, it suggests a determined effort and a deliberate attempt to use the similarity of your name to confuse Alaska voters in the upcoming primary election.”

Dan J. Sullivan’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The incumbent Sullivan previously blasted his same-name challenger as a “far-left liberal” who was complicit in Democrats’ efforts to “rig” the election.

“Is Schumer or Gillibrand and their staffs or the DSCC or the staff at the DSCC — were they aware? Were they coordinating, orchestrating? I mean, if that’s the case, that would be a huge scandal,” Sullivan told Fox News Digital last week.

Democrats have denied any involvement with Dan J. Sullivan’s campaign.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), Senate Republicans’ campaign arm, took a victory lap after urging Beecher to investigate the same-name challenger’s candidacy.

“Alaskans saw right through Chuck Schumer and Mary Peltola’s tricks to confuse and deceive them with a sham candidate,” NRSC Regional Press Secretary Nick Puglia said in a statement. “Nobody delivers for Alaskans like Senator Dan Sullivan, which is why Alaska Last Democrats like Mary Peltola are stooping so low.”

Democrats have dismissed allegations that party operatives are behind Dan J. Sullivan’s campaign.(Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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Dan J. Sullivans’ attempt to qualify for the primary ballot also sparked sharp criticism from Senate Republicans, who are expected to aggressively campaign to defend Sullivan’s seat.

“Even by Chuck Schumer’s low standards, this was an outrageous attempt to trick Alaska voters and rig the election,” Senate Republican Conference Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said Monday.

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Second Dan Sullivan ineligible for ballot in Alaska Senate race, official rules

2026-06-15 17:14:36 EDT / CBS News

By

Aaron Navarro Digital Reporter
Aaron Navarro is a CBS News digital reporter. He covered the 2024 elections and was previously an associate producer for the CBS News political unit in the 2021 and 2022 election cycles.

Read Full Bio

Washington — A candidate for Senate in Alaska with the same name as Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan is not eligible to appear on the ballot in the state’s primary, an Alaska election official determined on Monday, citing a “determined effort and a deliberate attempt” to confuse Alaska voters.

The candidate, named Daniel J. Sullivan, announced earlier this month that he was challenging the sitting senator, sparking confusion months ahead of the August primary — and concern among Republicans.

In a letter to the candidate on Monday, Elections Director Carol Beecher concluded that Sullivan’s entry into the race was not done to “declare an actual good-faith candidacy for the office of United States Senator, but was instead filed with a purpose to confuse or mislead and to thereby compromise the ballot’s fairness or neutrality.”

Beecher noted that at one point, Daniel J. Sullivan tried to file as just “Dan Sullivan,” despite never using that iteration of his name to vote. Beecher pointed out that Daniel J. Sullivan even tried to list “S” as his middle initial — the same initial as the incumbent senator. She also outlined how the two campaign websites look similar, suggesting a “deliberate” appropriation of Sen. Sullivan’s campaign.

The sitting senator brought the situation to reporters’ attention at the Capitol earlier this month, accusing Democrats of being “complicit in trying to trick Alaskans” to “rig an election in their favor.” Meanwhile, the National Republican Senatorial Committee and Alaska Republicans had been pushing to remove Daniel J. Sullivan from the ballot. Republican Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom last week opened an investigation into the non-Senator Sullivan’s candidacy.

Beecher noted that a political consultant for Daniel J. Sullivan has ties to the Democratic Party and Sen. Sullivan’s expected Democratic challenger, former Rep. Mary Peltola.

Daniel J. Sullivan has 30 days to appeal the decision.

The Alaska Senate race is expected to be among the most competitive of the cycle as Democrats look to flip the seat in their efforts to take control of the chamber. But it’s expected to be an uphill battle in a state that President Trump won by 13 points in 2024.

Kaia Hubbard contributed to this report.

Trump says July 4 National Mall celebration will double as a ‘Trump rally’

2026-06-15 16:18 UTC / Reuters

By Jarrett Renshaw

June 15, 2026 4:18 PM UTC Updated 54 mins ago

U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as he departs after attending UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 15, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo

June 15 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that a July 4 celebration on the National Mall marking ​the nation’s 250th anniversary would double as one of ‌his signature rallies, blurring the line between official commemoration and political event.

Critics have accused Trump of using presidential events and public spaces to promote his ​political brand, and his decision to label the celebration as ​a rally is likely to intensify that scrutiny.

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“We are ⁠going to host the most spectacular TRUMP RALLY of them ​all, a ‘TRIBUTE TO AMERICA,’” Trump wrote on his Truth Social ​platform.

The event is part of the administration’s broader “Freedom 250” programming. Trump said it will feature military bands, flyovers and a large-scale fireworks display between the ​Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.

The Independence Day festivities on ​July 4 are the centerpiece of celebrations commemorating the 250th anniversary of American ‌independence.

The ⁠White House also hosted a “Freedom 250” UFC event on Sunday, Trump’s 80th birthday, where fighter Josh Hokit used his post-bout interview to disparage former first lady Michelle Obama.

Several performers withdrew from the ​Great American State ​Fair, another ⁠marquee anniversary event slated to run from June 25 to July 10, saying they did not ​realize how closely it was tied to Trump. ​Trump responded ⁠by saying he would headline a kickoff rally on June 24 on the National Mall.

Trump said in his social media post on Monday ⁠that ​the July 4 event will include ​music from his rally playlists, not “those people that put you to sleep and constantly ​complain.”

Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw, editing by Colleen Jenkins and Nia Williams

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Exclusive: Democrats press Trump administration over “pay-to-play” pardons

2026-06-15T17:37:46.856Z / Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump signs documents as he issues executive orders and pardons for January 6 defendants in the Oval Office at the White House on Inauguration Day in Washington, U.S., January 20, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

WASHINGTON, June 15 (Reuters) – Two Democratic members of Congress on Monday pressed the administration of President Donald Trump to retain communication records related to pardons granted to recipients including an electric-vehicle manufacturer ​found guilty of defrauding investors of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Senator Peter Welch, a Judiciary Committee ‌member from Vermont, and Congressman Dave Min, an Oversight Committee member from California, made the request to determine whether “improper considerations, including quid pro quo or ‘pay-to-play’ dynamics, may have affected the clemency process,” they wrote in letters to the White House, Justice Department ​and U.S. Secret Service.

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The two lawmakers, citing coverage by Reuters and other media, in the letters ​reviewed by the news agency said they have been looking into the administration’s clemency ⁠efforts, which include pardons and commutations of sentences. They requested that all records be retained for 17 specific ​clemency recipients, including Trevor Milton, a businessman who was convicted in relation to a startup he ran touting electric ​vehicles that never became operational.

Last week a Reuters investigation found that 96% of Trump’s clemencies this term have gone to candidates, including Milton, who didn’t meet longstanding Justice Department guidelines for pardons. In response to questions from Reuters, a spokesperson for Milton criticized ​his conviction and said it had been politically motivated by prosecutors during the administration of President Joe Biden. ​The spokesperson didn’t respond to a question about the letters from the lawmakers.

Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, in a statement ‌by ⁠email, called the letters “nothing more than a sad messaging attempt, coordinated between Democrats and their media allies.”

The Justice Department and Secret Service didn’t respond to requests for comment about the letters from Welch and Min. Reuters last week reported that some clemency seekers, during in-person visits to President Trump, have routed pardon requests through the Secret ​Service, instead of traditional channels ​at the Justice Department.

The ⁠White House and Justice Department have both denied any impropriety with Trump’s clemency actions. The administration has defended the president’s constitutional power to pardon as “absolute” and said the process ​under Trump involves thorough and coordinated vetting by appropriate officials.

In their letters, the ​lawmakers questioned those ⁠assertions. “While the president’s pardon authority is broad,” they wrote, “Congress retains a legitimate legislative interest when credible questions arise regarding process, access, or abuse of power.”

Reuters’ analysis of pardon, lobbying, and electoral records found that clemency in the current ⁠administration routinely ​ignores longstanding protocol involving the Justice Department and instead hinges upon ​an informal and highly personalized network of influencers and advocates appealing to Trump himself. “This reporting,” the lawmakers wrote, “raises serious questions about whether traditional ​review channels were circumvented and whether established review procedures were followed, bypassed, sidelined, or inconsistently applied.”

Editing by Paulo Prada.

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Marisa Taylor, an investigative reporter, has more than two decades of experience covering business, healthcare, the Justice Department, and national security. As a Washington, D.C.-based reporter, she was part of the Reuters’ team that won a Pulitzer in 2024 for a series on Elon Musk’s businesses. She also helped break the Panama Papers, another Pulitzer Prize-winning series which exposed offshore companies linked to more than 140 politicians.

Trump’s recent insults show just how strained his relationships with G7 leaders have become

2026-06-15 12:00 PM ET / CNN

By Kevin Liptak, Alex Leeds Matthews

Photo Illustration by Alberto Mier/CNN/Getty Images/AP

With President Donald Trump’s arrival this week at the French spa resort Évian-les-Bains for a summit of top world leaders, the placid lakeside setting may disguise a somewhat more stormy atmosphere.

Trump has repeatedly insulted most of his Group of 7 counterparts over the last several months, reopening old grudges and igniting new feuds with leaders he once seemed to respect.

The root of his latest ire has been the leaders’ unwillingness to join in the US-Israeli war against Iran, which will be in the spotlight at the summit after Trump announced an agreement with Tehran over the weekend.

In reality, however, the president’s relationship with the G7 has been tortured for years, stretching back to tension-filled summits during his first term. Most of the time, his fellow leaders — who represent the United States’ staunchest allies — have tried to gloss over his jabs. But some have begun hitting back.

Trump has known French President Emmanuel Macron, the host of this year’s summit, the longest. As such, their relationship seems to be the most complicated: one day, a nod of respect; the next, a jab about Macron’s marriage. After years of taking pride in his ability to deal with Trump, Macron has lately sounded more exasperated with his American counterpart.

Things seemed to get off to a good start last year between Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, at least compared to the acrid relationship Trump had with Carney’s predecessor Justin Trudeau. But disputes over trade and a forceful speech Carney delivered earlier this year in Davos led Trump to change his view, and he’s lately taken to calling the leader “Governor Carney,” a nod to the president’s threat to make Canada the 51st US state.

Perhaps no leader in Europe has spent more time attempting to cultivate Trump than British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. For much of last year, it seemed to work. But Starmer’s unwillingness to support Trump’s war with Iran caused the relationship to deteriorate, and now Trump dismisses the prime minister as “no Winston Churchill.”

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made a good first impression when he arrived at the White House carrying the birth certificate of Trump’s German-born grandfather. But his status as one of Trump’s favored leaders in Europe took a hit after he questioned the Iran war and said the US was being “humiliated by the Iranian leadership.”

Even the European leader most aligned with Trump — Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — could not escape the president’s frustrations earlier this year after she declined to participate in the war with Iran. Later, she called Trump’s attacks on Pope Leo XIV “unacceptable.” Trump lashed out at her, proving even a staunch ally like Meloni could not escape his anger.

The newest member of the G7 is also the one who — so far — has mostly evaded Trump’s anger. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has made it her mission to develop a close personal relationship with Trump, aided by their shared connection to the slain Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. But Trump has still been critical of Japan’s refusal to participate in the Iran war, and a stray joke about Pearl Harbor during an Oval Office meeting this year went over poorly in Japan.

Sources: Truth Social and CNN reporting (quotes). Getty Images and AP (photos).