TEHRAN, JUN 21: Legal proceedings have been initiated, and media officials have tendered their resignations after a hardline Iranian lawmaker appeared to publicly disclose private correspondence indicating Mojtaba Khamenei’s opposition to the terms of the memorandum of understanding with Washington, according to Iranian media reports.

Mahmoud Nabavian, a member of parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, told the state-run Khabar Network that in correspondence dated April 5, April 19, and May 24, Khamenei voiced clear opposition to any MoU that didn’t recognize the Islamic Republic’s right to enrich uranium.

Khamenei also allegedly said that Iran would be responsible for managing the Strait of Hormuz, denying even shared control with Oman despite talks between the two countries’ foreign ministries on the issue.

“What has taken shape in the Pakistan negotiations is fundamentally different from what was supposed to happen and from what constituted the condition for the legitimacy of the negotiations,” he claimed.

Khamenei’s conditions for Iran-US negotiations
Nabavian claimed that Khamenei had set 11 conditions for the continuation of Iran-US negotiations, including preserving the right to enrich uranium, lifting sanctions, releasing Iran’s frozen assets, receiving compensation from the US, and exercising full sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.

Khamenei also allegedly asserted that negotiations on the nuclear issue could not begin until the US concedes that the Islamic regime has a right to continue enriching uranium.

Saeed Ajorloo, an Iranian political analyst central to the ongoing negotiations, claimed that Nabavian sent a distorted version of the texts, omitting the 17 other letters allegedly penned by Khamenei.

Such terms, Nabavian noted, were incompatible with the current talks, and thus against the wishes of the supreme leader.

Nabavian’s remarks were quickly cut off by the Iranian Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation’s public relations department also announced that it would pursue legal action against Nabavian, claiming that the publication of incomplete state documents violated the law.

In a statement, the department said the news network “expresses regret over this guest’s disregard for the rules of live broadcasting, accepts the resignation of the relevant director general of the network and will take the necessary disciplinary action for negligence in professional management.”

Nabavian stated he was ‘expressing the Leader’s perspective’
Despite the legal implications, Nabavian asserted on X/Twitter after the interview that he was “expressing the Leader’s perspective on why he opposes the Iran-America memorandum of understanding when it was left incomplete. The important part of it was the examination of the memorandum’s text, which would have made the reason for the Leader’s opposition even clearer. Inshallah, may God keep us steadfast in following our dear Leader.”

Elmira Sharifi, an Iranian Broadcasting Corporation (IRCC) anchor, responded: “Revealing the country’s confidential and classified letters is a violation of the law! The representative of the legislative branch does not respect the law and causes trouble and embarrassment for others.”

Member of Parliament Mojtaba Zarei also criticized Nabavian on Telegram, complaining that Nabavian had threatened the civil order in Iran with his need to prove himself right.

While IRIB has deleted the interview, it is still notably available on the IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency.

Fars reported, “For the first time, Nabavian is revealing important details of the revolutionary leaders’ orders to the negotiating team, which it is essential for all people to take the time to watch these few minutes to understand why the revolutionary leader revealed in his recent message to the people that he had a different opinion, but because of the insistence of the officials, he issued a permit for the initial understanding with the United States.”

Security expert Roger Macmillan told The Jerusalem Post that the incident reflects a bigger issue than just a “hardliner’s outburst,” claiming it was a “rare public glimpse into a regime negotiating with itself as much as with Washington.”

Beyond displaying fractures in the regime’s ranks, the fact that a sitting member of the negotiating delegation breached Iran’s national security by sharing Khamenei’s classified correspondence, “accusing the team of breaching explicit red lines,” shows that the system is not “speaking with one voice.”

WASHINGTON, JUN 21: US President Donald Trump has warned of attacking Iran again if it does not stop what he calls its proxies in Lebanon, to stop “causing trouble” as Israel continued bombing Hezbollah locations despite a ceasefire.

“Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble,” Trump said on his social platform, Truth Social.

While top Iranian and US leadership meet in Switzerland along with mediators Pakistan and Qatar, the Strait of Hormuz — a critical oil supply route and a major talking point in talks between the warring countries — remains closed as per the Iranian military due to ceasefire violations by Israel.

Trump, in his post, added: “If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!”

Iran’s Tasnim news agency, citing a source close to the negotiating team, reported on Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz would not be reopened as long as a ceasefire in Lebanon was not respected.

The source said the waterway would also remain closed until waivers allowing the sale of Iranian oil were issued.

Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that there was and is no restriction on Israeli soldiers to act to eliminate threats in Lebanon, with troops remaining in positions in the security zone.

Israeli strikes killed at least 20 people in Lebanon on Saturday, Lebanon’s state news agency NNA reported, a day after a ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect after months of escalating violence.

Israel said the strikes were a response to projectiles fired by the Iran-backed group at its troops in southern Lebanon, prompting attacks on what an Israeli official described as “Hezbollah targets”.

Iranian officials have said Lebanon is the focal point for peace talks with the United States in Switzerland after Washington and Tehran signed a framework to halt the war between them that began at the end of February, escalating tension across the region.

Pakistan-mediated Switzerland talks begin
The technical-level talks between delegations from the US and Iran have begun in Switzerland, with Pakistan acting as mediator.

Ahead of the talks, US delegation — led by Vice President JD Vance and including special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner — met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir.

Later, the Iranian delegation — Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi — met the Pakistani side.

Vance expressed hope for additional progress in the coming hours during the talks, hailing the Pakistani leadership for their mediatory role.

Standing alongside the leadership of Pakistan and Qatar, Vance praised the roles played by PM Shehbaz and Field Marshal Munir for their contributions towards the US-Iran deal.

The US vice president said Pakistan’s role had been appreciated around the world and expressed a desire to build on the current momentum in the future.

The US vice president said Washington wanted Iran to play a positive role in efforts for peace, while adding that peace in the Middle East remained a priority.

He also voiced concern over the situation in Lebanon and said that Trump was working to reduce tensions in the country amid Israel’s continuous attacks against Hezbollah’s locations.

“The technical negotiations may not solve every disagreement, but it will allow us to sit together as teams for the first time in history,” he said, adding that Trump was committed to seeing a full regional ceasefire.

News Desk

ISLAMABAD: Taxes continue to account for 29% of the prices of both petrol and diesel despite the government’s latest reduction in fuel rates, sources in the Petroleum Division ..

The government on Saturday reduced the price of petrol by Rs74.28 per litre and diesel by Rs67.31 per litre, bringing the new prices to Rs299.50 and Rs311.47 per litre, respectively.

According to sources, the price of petrol includes Rs88.07 per litre in taxes. This comprises Rs19.32 in customs duty, Rs66.25 in petroleum levy and Rs2.50 in climate support levy.

The sources said the price of diesel also includes 29% in taxes, with total taxes amounting to Rs91.15 per litre.

The tax component in diesel includes Rs15.68 per litre in customs duty, Rs72.97 in levy and Rs2.50 in climate support levy, according to Petroleum Division sources.

The government, which would review the price of petroleum products on a fortnightly basis, has been reviewing petroleum prices on a weekly basis since the US-Israeli conflict with Iran on February 28.

The price of petrol was Rs258.17 per litre when the war began and jumped to as high as Rs458.41 per litre, before coming a little above Rs370 per litre, just a few days back. Meanwhile, diesel was at Rs275.7 per litre and jumped to as high as Rs520.35 per litre.

However, after US and Iran signed an interim peace deal, mediated by Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a reduction in petrol prices, saying he had fulfilled his promise.

News Desk

LONDON: Britain’s ‌King Charles will tell the public for the first time on Thursday how much tax he pays as monarch, a royal spokesperson said on Sunday, as Buckingham Palace seeks to be more accountable and transparent.

By law, Charles is not obliged to pay income tax, capital gains ‌tax or inheritance ‌tax on what ‌he ⁠received from Queen Elizabeth, but ⁠Charles has voluntarily agreed to pay income tax and capital gains tax when he sells private assets.

Details will come as part of annual royal accounts ⁠due for release on Thursday.

Charles ‌receives personal ‌income from land, private estates and investments ‌on top of the £132 million ($175 million) ‌he received from the government in the 2025/26 tax year to support royal duties.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said ‌the move aimed to “encourage wider understanding of our accountability.”

Charles ⁠provided ⁠information on his tax payments when he was Prince of Wales and intends to continue to do so in future years as king, the palace said.

The British parliament’s Public Accounts Committee launched an inquiry into residential property arrangements provided to members of the royal family last year. ($1 = 0.7557 pounds)