New Delhi, Jun 19: The United States has lifted its naval blockade of Iran following the signing of an agreement aimed at ending the conflict in West Asia.

The US Central Command confirmed on X that the blockade had been terminated “in accordance with the President’s direction”, while noting that some American naval vessels would remain in the region.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei publicly endorsed the agreement for the first time, saying he had approved the deal despite holding a “different view” on the matter. Khamenei said he agreed after receiving assurances from President Masoud Pezeshkian that the government would “protect the rights of the Iranian nation”.

Khamenei accused US President Donald Trump of using “all kinds of leverage” to secure the agreement but stressed that future face-to-face negotiations with Washington would not amount to accepting the US position.

The agreement, formally known as a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), contains 14 key provisions, including the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a commitment that Iran will never acquire a nuclear weapon, and the creation of a USD 300 billion reconstruction and economic development fund for Iran.

The deal also sets a 60-day deadline for negotiating a final settlement, with the possibility of extension by mutual consent.

US Vice President J D Vance said the agreement had already come into force, triggering the 60-day negotiation period.

He indicated that further technical talks between US and Iranian representatives would likely take place in Switzerland.

Vance defended the accord amid criticism from some US lawmakers.

Republican Senator Bill Cassidy described the agreement as the “worst foreign policy blunder in decades”, arguing that Iran’s nuclear ambitions had not been sufficiently curtailed.

However, Vance maintained that Iran would receive no financial benefits or sanctions relief unless it fulfilled its commitments, including destroying its stockpile of enriched uranium and ending support for proxy groups in the region.

The vice president also criticised members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet who have opposed the deal, saying they should “wake up and smell the reality”.

He warned that civilian casualties resulting from attacks in Lebanon were “not acceptable” and said Israel must respect the peace process with Iran.

Despite the agreement, tensions remain high.

Both Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement have reportedly continued exchanging strikes, including attacks in Lebanon that reportedly killed three people on Thursday.

Israel has maintained that its conflict with Hezbollah is separate from the war with Iran, while Hezbollah has rejected the terms of the US-Iran agreement.

The deal marks the most significant diplomatic breakthrough between Washington and Tehran in years and is being closely watched as both sides begin negotiations on a comprehensive settlement.

Rome, Jun 19: The Italian government closed ranks on Friday to slam US President Donald Trump over his claim that Premier Giorgia Meloni had “begged” for a photo with him during the recent G7 summit, a pushback that suggested the longtime US ally had had enough of Trump’s boasting.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani abruptly cancelled a planned trip to the United States this weekend, calling Trump’s claims “serious and offensive” toward Meloni and all of Italy.

Meloni for her part posted a video calling Trump’s claims “completely fabricated” and expressing astonishment that he would invent such things about an ally. She concluded: “Italy and I do not beg.”

Trump had made the comments in an interview broadcast Friday morning on the La7 network. The La7 correspondent had asked Trump about Ukraine, but Trump raised Meloni and the conversation turned to their meeting during the just-concluded G7 meeting in Evian-les-Bains, France. Meloni and Trump were filmed speaking at several moments, including alone on a small sofa.

According to La7, Trump said Meloni had “begged” him for a photo-op. Trump said he wasn’t obliged to do it but that he felt sorry for her and agreed, La7 said. The broadcaster has a dubbed version of the conversation online, not the original English audio.

Meloni is astonished and defiant

In her video, Meloni said she was responding to Trump’s claims because “certain things deserve an immediate response.”

“Donald Trump’s statements are completely fabricated. I am frankly stunned,” she said. “I don’t know why the president of the United States behaves this way toward his own allies. After all, this isn’t the first time this has happened.”

It was an apparent reference to an interview Trump gave to Italian daily Corriere della Sera in April in which he criticised Meloni’s refusal to back the US-Israel war in Iran. Meloni didn’t respond publicly at the time.

By Friday, it appeared she had had enough of his boasts and broadsides.

“I can only say that it’s a shame he doesn’t show the same resolve toward the enemies of the West, toward the enemies of the United States — toward leaders with whom he, on the other hand, is much more accommodating,” Meloni said Friday. “But there’s one thing he must remember: Italy and I do not beg.”

The White House did not return an immediate request for comment on Meloni’s remarks.

Meloni had initially sought to build on longstanding strong US-Italian ties when Trump began his second mandate, and had positioned herself as a “bridge” between Washington and the European Union. She was the lone EU head of state to attend his inauguration.

But relations have frayed over the US war in Iran, which Meloni has said was illegal, and Trump’s position on Ukraine, which Italy strongly supports. Trump’s tariffs and strong US support of Israel over its war in Gaza have been other points of contention.

Italian officials close ranks around Meloni

By Friday afternoon, solidarity with Meloni had poured in from across the government and political spectrum, and included a call from President Sergio Mattarella, Italy’s widely respected head of state.

“Whoever attacks @GiorgiaMeloni attacks all of us,” posted Transport Minister Matteo Salvini.

Justice Minister Carlo Nordio referenced the sacrifice of American troops in World War II in underlining the harm to US-Italy relations caused by Trump.

“The thousands of crosses marking the graves of American soldiers who died to free us from Nazi-Fascist dictatorship did not deserve such a painful blow to our fraternal ties,” Nordio said on X.

Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said he didn’t believe Meloni would ever beg someone for a photo, “not even under threat.”

“I can, however, imagine how much it cost her to set aside what Trump had said weeks ago, to serve the interests of Italy, of Europe, and of the West,” Crosetto posted on X. “Jokes of this kind do no good to anyone: neither to the USA, nor to Italy, nor to the alliance.”

Tajani had been due to travel to the US on Sunday to take part in an Italy-US business forum in Miami during which he was to have meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to a US State Department announcement of the meeting.

A fantastic’ friendship frays

Meloni had long been considered one of Trump’s closest allies in Europe, trying to act as a mediator between the often conflicting interests of the US and the EU.

They had gotten off to a strong start, and the two leaders are ideologically aligned on many issues. As the head of a far-right party, Meloni backs curbing migration and promoting traditional values.

Weeks before Trump’s 2025 inauguration, Meloni met Trump at his Mar-a-Lago retreat, a visit that she said went “beyond expectations.” It was, she said at the time, “an opportunity to confirm a relationship that promises to be very solid,” adding diplomatically, “I don’t know if I can say privileged.”

In the months after, Trump had praised her repeatedly, as “fantastic,” “incredible,” beautiful and a friend.

But stark differences emerged over Ukraine, after Trump wavered in his support while Meloni kept backing Kyiv after Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

More recently, she sharply warned against US threats to take Greenland by force, saying she didn’t believe Washington would go so far and that regardless Italy would never support such a move.