Top Stories: US-Iran Nuclear Deal Draft, Sena MP Claims, G7 Proposals, Telegram Ban

Several political and international developments marked the day, ranging from a leaked draft agreement between the United States and Iran to allegations of monetary inducements to Members of Parliament in Maharashtra and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposals at the G7 summit.

A memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran, expected to be signed in Geneva on June 19, 2026, has been published by Saudi Arabia’s Al Arabiya network. The draft states that Iran has pledged never to produce nuclear weapons. In return, the US would lift sanctions on the sale of Iranian crude oil, petrochemical products, and other services including banking during the negotiation period, and commits to lifting all sanctions as part of a final agreement. The briefing also mentions $300 billion in financing.

Amid reports that six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs may quit the party, the party has convened a meeting of its parliamentary board on June 18 and written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking exclusive recognition as the party’s authorised faction in Parliament. Senior party leaders claimed on June 17 that they have no confirmed information about the whereabouts or intentions of the MPs. The party has alleged an “Operation Tiger” under which its MPs were offered ₹50 crore to switch sides.

At the G7 Summit outreach session in Evian-les-Bains, France, Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed a global skills mobility mechanism and an economic corridor for the Global South, modelled on the India Middle East Economic Corridor (IMEC). The session was titled “Reviving a Balanced, Shared and Sustainable Economic Growth for All.” He later wrote on social media platform X, “Like the vision of IMEC, can we work on connectivity projects with countries in Africa, Latin America and the Pacific Islands?”

The messaging app Telegram has filed a petition in court challenging the Centre’s order that temporarily blocks its use to prevent NEET UG exam fraud. The block, which began on June 16 and will run until June 22, was imposed to stop candidates from cheating during exams. The court agreed to hear the matter urgently after the advocate raised it during another hearing. Justice Tejas Karia is scheduled to hear the case.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav dismissed claims of an impending split in his party, stating that the SP remains strong and that it is the BJP which has a history of “engineering” defections through inducements and pressure. He was responding to queries about possible discontent within the party.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the government’s temporary restriction on Telegram, calling it a “new trick” akin to putting a lock on the victim’s house instead of catching the thief. He urged the government to strike at the “paper leak mafia” rather than target students. Telegram remains operational via Virtual Protocol Network (VPN) for existing users in India.

Senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot alleged that local authorities in Kota had removed banners and posters related to Rahul Gandhi’s visit, and that there was pressure on people not to attend his programme. Mr. Gandhi is set to interact with students in Kota on June 17 evening as part of his party’s campaign on paper leaks and youth issues, an event that has triggered a political row in Rajasthan.