What They’re Saying About the U.S.–Iran Talks—June 24, 2026
U.S.
President Donald Trump | Truth Social
“Iran has informed the U.S. that, despite troublemaking Fake News reporting to the contrary, there are ‘NO TOLLS, NO INSURANCE COSTS, & NO OTHER CHARGES OF ANY KIND BEING SOUGHT OR RECEIVED BY IRAN ON SHIPS TRAVELING THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ.’ If this is false information, negotiations would end, immediately! Additionally, no money has been given to Iran, or released from their money to them, by the U.S. We will be releasing some of their money, that is totally controlled by us, to our Farmers and Ranchers, for the purchase of Corn, Wheat, Soybeans, and more. Food is desperately needed in Iran, and we will be purchasing it for them exclusively from the United States.”
President Donald Trump | Comments to Journalists
“Iran is being very nice. They’re agreeing to everything that I want, and they have to. Otherwise we just go back and do what we have to do.”
President Donald Trump | Comments to Journalists
“The war is going very well. As you know, we are winning by a lot. Iran is making very big concessions. We will see what happens, but it's been very powerful. It’s going very, very well.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio | Comments to Journalists
[Question: “How soon should nuclear inspectors be allowed into Iran?”]
“As soon as possible. . . . and the President said that yesterday. They’ll be there when they need to get there, but that needs to happen. That’s a commitment they made, and it’s one they need to keep.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio | Comments to Journalists
“[O]bviously anytime you enter into a negotiation it’s a process of give and take. This [the U.S. waiver of sanctions on the sale of Iranian oil] is a temporary measure. It’s for 60 days. And as a result, we expect them to live up to the commitments they made in Switzerland. If they don’t live up to those commitments, the President has a lot of options at his disposal, including—I’m not saying he’s going to do it, I’m saying including reversing these sanctions. They made very straight-up commitments in Switzerland, and the President has been very clear they need to keep those commitments. If they do, we’ll keep forward. If not, the President will have options at his disposal for what to do about it. Let’s hope they keep those commitments.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio | Comments to Journalists
“I think the whole world will be against any mechanism that charges money to use an international waterway. It’s that simple. The President’s already said that that’s not going to happen. When we mean open the straits, we mean open the straits free and international waterways. So we’ll express that tomorrow. I am certain that not only will every country in the Gulf region be supportive, probably with the exception of Iran, but all the GCC members will be supportive, but the whole world will be supportive. I know of no country on the planet that supports tolling or a fee for the use of the straits. That’s just not—that’s not going to happen. The President has been abundantly clear.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio | Comments to Journalists
“What the President has stated is very clear. We expect them to keep their – they want to get into a negotiation, we’ll do a negotiation. If they make commitments at the negotiation, they need to keep them. If they don’t keep them, the President has multiple options at his disposal. That includes sanctions; it includes other things. So I think the President’s been clear. If we’re going to get a deal, it has to be a real deal and it has to be a good deal. If Iran wants to make a good and real deal, the United States is open to that. If they’re not, then of course the President has options. We want this to work out. We hope it works out. But if it doesn’t, the President knows what his options are, and I’m not—that’s all I’ll say about it for right now.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio | Comments to Journalists
“[T] he only reason Israel is in Lebanon is because Hizballah launches rockets and drones from there. They’ve made that clear. And we—the talks continue today; they started yesterday, they’ll go on today, they’ll go on tomorrow. And that’s exactly what—that they’re talking to the Lebanese about with our mediation. And that is our hope, that the Lebanese Armed Forces and the legitimate, sovereign Lebanese Government will continue to be able to control and secure more and more of their own territory—because that’s who needs to control Lebanese territory, not a terrorist group like Hizballah. . . . But the more of that area the Lebanese Armed Forces is able to secure, the less of it’s in Hizballah’s control, the less Israel will be in Lebanon. But obviously, that’s the process we’re working through right now with these talks. It’s at the core of these talks.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent | Press Interview
“Any money that the Iranians get first is going to be used for the benefit of the Iranian people. It is going to be Iranian frozen funds. The initial money will likely be released from Qatar. The U.S. Treasury will have people sitting in Doha overseeing how the money is allocated, and a very large percent of it will go to buy U.S. foodstuffs and medicines. So we will be recycling the money back into U.S. products, but it will be overseen by Treasury in the Middle East.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer | X
“Today, Congress stood up to Donald Trump and voted to end his costly, unnecessary, and devastating war with Iran. Let me be clear: for the first time, this resolution has passed both chambers of Congress and does not require the President’s signature. The message from the only branch of government with the power to declare war is unmistakable: the Trump administration must withdraw U.S. forces from hostilities in Iran. The pressure on Republicans mounts. Trump promised ‘maximum pressure’ on Iran. What he delivered through this reckless war was maximum confusion, maximum chaos, and maximum cost to the American people. For more than 100 days, Congress – and the American people – have demanded transparency, answers, and an end to the fighting. Every second this war continues, the cost to the American people goes higher and higher.”
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton | X
“Senator Sheehy is right. The Iranian regime cares nothing for gas prices or opening the strait. Its single, explicit goal is the destruction of America and Israel.”
Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Jack Reed | X
“Americans strongly disapprove of President Trump's reckless Iran war & today the full U.S Senate voted 50-48 to put a check on President Trump’s actions, halting further military operations in Iran.”
House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith | Press Interview
“This is not surrender to Iran. This is not ‘Oh, Iran’s fine, we’re all just going to get along.’ It’s an acknowledgment of the situation that we’re in and that there’s not a military solution to this. Which was, as you and I talked about many times in the lead up to this and during it, that was always my position. I never thought the bombing campaign was going to break the Iranian regime and bring them to heel.”
House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith | Press Interview
“I’d be really surprised if that part of it is true, that it is going to be bought exclusively from our farmers. I cannot imagine that they would set up the situation where that would be the case, Iran buys a variety of different products when they can from a variety of different places. So I’m pretty sure Trump is making that part up. And then the other thing is this is exactly what he criticized Obama for doing, was freeing up Iranian assets one exchange for them stopping their nuclear program. Yeah freeing up Iranian assets so they could then buy humanitarian assistance, that’s exactly what the JCPOA did. So Trump’s Obama derangement syndrome that made him tear up the JCPOA, now we’re right back to where we were before but we fought an incredibly costly war in the meantime. I mean we will see, maybe they wind up having to buy all of it from American farmers but I am fairly confident President Trump is making that up at this point.”
“The Trump-Vance Administration’s war is foolish and both houses of Congress just told the President it’s illegal.”
[Responding to Secretary Rubio’s assertion that Iran will not be allowed to impose tolls on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz]
“Ok, except the temporary deal cedes control of the Strait to Iran and Oman and both nations already sent out a joint statement making clear they are planning to charge tolls! This is the price of diplomatic incompetence.”
Sen. John Fetterman | Press Interview
“There are plenty of people that are really angry or disappointed by the outcome [of the U.S.–Iran negotiations], and there are definitely parts of it that I didn’t support. But I will say that I will always support, and [President Trump] did make the right decision to bomb the nuclear facilities in June, and also Epic Fury was a significant win, too, that significantly degraded the military and killed the leadership. . . . And there are other parts of it that I really don’t support or understand. But I'm going to continue to follow Israel through all of this, and their interests and the kinds of security that they demand . . . the nuclear dust, I’ve read that the Iranian regime now agree to let the UN to check it out . . . But we can't ever allow Iran to fire a nuclear bomb.”
Sen. Dave McCormick | Comments to Journalists
“I’m not going to have an Iranian regime pursuing ballistic missiles.”
[Question: “So do you disagree with the president when he says it’s a little unfair for Iran not to have ballistic missiles?”]
“I’m not worried about what the president says. I have my own opinion.”
Rep. Josh Gottheimer | Comments to Journalists
“What’s been proposed with the MOU so far certainly doesn’t put us in a good position as a country. I’m not sure what we’ve gotten out of this.”
ISRAEL
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu | Speech
“When I came to President Trump, I told him: ‘We are going into Iran.’ I did not ask permission. I simply informed him of our plan.”
“STRUCK: 2 armed Hezbollah terrorists in the area of Ali al-Taher Ridge, near the Security Zone, who posed an immediate threat to IDF soldiers operating there. The IDF will not allow Hezbollah to harm Israeli civilians or IDF soldiers.”
IRAN
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf | Speech
“For us, a ceasefire in Lebanon has been as important as a ceasefire in Iran, and likewise, ending the war in Lebanon has been as important as ending the war in Iran.”
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf | Speech
“The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding became a declaration of America’s defeat.”
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf | Speech
“The Iranian nation demonstrated that the era of imposing one’s will on independent nations has ended. And you witnessed how the world admired this steadfastness and victory.”
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf | Speech
“The policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is based on these fundamental beliefs that the security of the region must be provided by the countries of the region themselves. No country in the region will find its security in the insecurity of others.”
President Masoud Pezeshkian | Comments to Journalists
“If we did not have our missiles, which are for our self-defense, Israel and America would have plowed through Iran the way Gaza was plowed through, and they would have shown no mercy to the old or the young. They speak of human rights. It is a great lie. If we could not defend ourselves, they certainly would not have shown mercy to our country and would have destroyed our power. Therefore, we will never, under any circumstances, negotiate with anyone over our defensive capabilities.”
Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi | X
“No meeting with [International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael] Grossi took place in Switzerland, despite his request. There is also no plan for access to the attacked facilities and nuclear materials. These issues will be discussed and resolved solely within the framework of the final agreement and as a result of the practical action of the other party in ending all sanctions and [y]ou cannot advance the ‘stir up and take over’ policy with media hype.”
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei | X
“The American ruling party has never shown honesty in its behavior towards the Iranian nation. While Iran had reason for this suspicion, it entered the diplomatic process in good faith and signed the Memorandum of Understanding to End the Imposed War. Iranians know that the enemy's hatred does not end with the signing of an understanding, and they will take every step with vigilance and in view of the experiences of the past five decades, especially the developments of the last year and a half. The contradictory statements of American officials regarding the understanding to end the imposed war will not help reduce the accumulated suspicion of Iranians and are merely a reminder of previous breaches of promise. The American ruling party should keep in mind that the principle of ‘commitment for commitment’ requires fulfilling reciprocal commitments and avoiding interpretations that are completely contrary to the explicit text of the Memorandum of Understanding.”
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei | X
“No one will be fooled; we can't have a peaceful region so long as American militarism and interventionism persist, and their occupying proxy continues, with absolute impunity, to inflict endless wars across the region and perpetrate genocide, terror violence and every atrocities.”
GULF STATES
“In light of the Sultanate of Oman’s responsibility regarding the Strait of Hormuz and its importance to the global economy, and in accordance with its steadfast commitment to international law and the Law of the Sea—ensuring freedom of navigation through the Strait without the imposition of transit fees and aligning with the outcomes of efforts and initiatives involving the United States and Iran—the Sultanate has worked in coordination with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to make a temporary maritime corridor available to all vessels. This corridor operates according to coordinates announced by the IMO and the competent Omani authorities, with vessels wishing to transit required to coordinate with the IMO.”
PAKISTAN
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif | X
“Delighted to welcome my dear brother, President Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian of the Islamic Republic of Iran, to Pakistan today. . . . We held warm and most cordial discussions wherein we reaffirmed our shared commitment to regional peace and the importance of pursuing dialogue and diplomacy to resolve all outstanding issues. We also agreed to further strengthen the enduring Pakistan-Iran relationship and expand cooperation across all areas of mutual interest. I conveyed Pakistan’s deep appreciation for the wise and sagacious leadership of His Eminence Supreme Leader Ayatollah Sayyid Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, and paid tribute to my dear brother President Pezeshkian and the Iranian leadership for guiding their brave and resilient nation with honour, patience and dignity during a challenging period.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif | X
“Had a warm and most cordial telephone conversation with my dear brother, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar, this afternoon. I thanked His Highness for Qatar’s steadfast support for the peace efforts that culminated in the historic Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. We expressed satisfaction at the positive progress made during the first round of technical talks in Bürgenstock and agreed on the importance of sustaining this momentum through continued dialogue and diplomacy.”
NATO
Secretary-General Mark Rutte | Press Interview
“I think Trump is doing exactly what is needed, degrading Iran’s nuclear capability. Could you imagine if Iran would get its hands on a nuclear weapon? This is an exporter of chaos. It is an exporter of terrorism. It would be devastating for the region. It would be devastating for the whole world.”
TURKEY
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan | Speech
“If peace is ever to come to our region, it will come despite Israel. If our region is ever to enjoy tranquility and stability, it will be in spite of Israel’s provocations and efforts to sow discord. No matter what this network of mass killing does, it will not be able to prevent peace, order, justice, stability, and prosperity from prevailing in our region.”
UNITED NATIONS
International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi | Comments to Journalists
“I can understand political statements, they are part of the reality. But the fundamental thing I would like to remind you and draw your attention to is that there has been a Memorandum of Understanding signed by both presidents [Donald Trump and Masoud Pezeshkian]. This has been signed; has been agreed. Paragraph 8 of this Memorandum of Understanding says explicitly that the nuclear activities that are going to be carried out with regards to the nuclear material facilities will be supervised by the IAEA, in all letters. Obviously, to do that we would have to inspect. Of course this will be done in collaboration and in cooperation with the government of Iran. I have no doubt that we are going to be able to do that. Whether this happened the day after tomorrow, or in one week, or in ten days, it’s important but not essential.”
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