Axios

Vice President JD Vance addressed reporters on Thursday regarding a reported preliminary Iran agreement and reactions from Israeli officials. Supported statements from Axios confirm Vance's remarks on U.S. defense aid to Israel and Israeli cabinet criticism, while multiple details remain unverified by New York Post reporting alone.

Multiple outlets report that Mojtaba Khamenei authorized a memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States and issued a written statement outlining limits on future talks. Sources agree on the authorization and several stated conditions but differ on internal deliberations, posting details, and external leverage. Direct talks are reported as planned in Switzerland.

Axios reporting establishes that David Sacks and Siriam Krishnan served as architects of the Trump administration's AI agenda before stepping back, while Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick imposed export controls on Anthropic that resulted in model takedowns. A bipartisan House AI safety bill was introduced and Biden-era requirements were rescinded. Unverified reports from the Washington Free Beacon describe separate congressional inquiries into foreign influence on AI infrastructure.

Ukrainian President Zelenskiy is dispatching senior envoys to the United States for meetings with Steve Witkoff, identified as a Trump envoy. Witkoff is separately traveling to Switzerland ahead of possible Iran talks. Available reporting from two left-center sources confirms the travel but provides limited details on meeting agendas or outcomes.

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court struck an income-tax reduction proposal from the November ballot, preventing voters from considering the measure. The ruling was based on sources from Axios and The Boston Globe. Limited sourcing from left-center outlets constrains available details on procedural grounds and proposal specifics.

Multiple outlets report an interim US-Iran agreement to end hostilities that includes uranium dilution, sanctions relief, reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and a 60-day period for further nuclear talks. The claim that Presidents Trump and Iran signed the deal on June 17, 2026, is disputed by one source. Details on the preceding war, including its exact start date and the assassination of Ayatollah Khamenei, rest primarily on a single outlet.

Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns informed Gov. Brian Kemp that the legislature will not pursue congressional or state legislative redistricting during the current special session. The decision follows the Supreme Court's April ruling that narrowed Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Democratic and Republican leaders offered differing interpretations of the choice to maintain existing maps.

A US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding was signed by President Trump. Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, remained silent at the announcement according to Axios reporting. Four months remain before Israel's next election.

The United States has delayed adding Chinese AI startup DeepSeek and more than 100 other firms to the Commerce Department's Entity List, even after interagency approval last year. DeepSeek released a low-cost AI model in January 2025. A State Department official previously stated that DeepSeek supported China's military and intelligence operations.