The briefing for Monday, June 22.

Vice President JD Vance concluded initial peace talks with Iranian officials in Switzerland on Monday, saying the discussions set a "good foundation for a successful final deal" to end the war that began in late February. The talks, which stretched from Sunday into the early hours of Monday, saw Vance meeting with Iran's parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi at a mountainside resort near Lake Lucerne.

The negotiations had a rocky start when President Trump posted on social media threatening to "hit Iran very hard again" if Tehran didn't stop its proxies in Lebanon from "causing trouble." Iranian state media reported that talks paused after what they called "an insulting message" from Trump, though the Iranian delegation ultimately remained engaged. Pakistan and Qatar, serving as mediators, said the talks showed "encouraging progress" despite the tensions.

Key issues remain unresolved in the 60-day sprint to reach a permanent agreement. Iran wants to discuss the conflict in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah first, while the U.S. seeks commitments on Tehran's nuclear program and keeping the Strait of Hormuz open. Vance suggested the administration could agree to unfreeze Iranian assets specifically for purchases of American agricultural products, with Qatar overseeing the process. Technical negotiations will continue in Switzerland this week as both sides work toward a final deal.

Political newcomer Abelardo de la Espriella held a narrow lead in Colombia's presidential runoff election with nearly all votes counted Sunday, though his progressive rival has challenged the preliminary results. With 99.9% of results released, de la Espriella won 49.7% versus 48.7% for lawmaker Iván Cepeda, an ally of outgoing President Gustavo Petro. The businessman and lawyer, who earned Trump's endorsement despite never having held office, told thousands of supporters in Barranquilla that "the Colombian people have entrusted me with the supreme honor of serving them as their next president."

Cepeda, who was seen as the architect of Petro's controversial "total peace" strategy of negotiating with armed groups, has not conceded. His campaign called the count "unofficial and non-binding" and said it would challenge results from more than 30,000 voting stations. No recount has ever flipped a presidential election result in Colombian history. The tight margin reflects deep divisions in a country where illegal armed groups have roughly doubled their membership in the past five years.

De la Espriella promised a military crackdown on armed groups and drug trafficking, including building 10 mega-prisons and ending negotiations with criminal organizations. The election was marked by escalating violence, with the assassination of one candidate and an internal conflict that has displaced tens of thousands of people. Late Sunday, clashes erupted between protesters and police in Cali, with demonstrators burning U.S. flags as concerns mounted about potential unrest if critics don't recognize the result.

An explosion tore through Qatar's Ras Laffan gas export terminal Sunday night as workers attempted to resume operations after Iranian bombing during the war, causing a fire that injured at least 54 people with another 18 still missing hours later. The blast occurred at the Barzan gas supply facility, which Qatar had shut down after Iran's chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz prevented shipments to clients. State-run QatarEnergy said the explosion happened as the country tried to restart its export terminal following Iran's loosening grip on the strait during ongoing peace negotiations.

The scale of damage remains unknown, with officials initially reporting only minor injuries before Qatar's Interior Ministry provided the far higher casualty figures. The Barzan plant had a capacity of almost 1.4 billion standard cubic feet of sales gas per day, primarily used for local electricity generation and crucial water desalination plants. Qatar owns nearly all of the facility, with ExxonMobil holding a small share.

The explosion could cause further chaos in global energy markets, as Qatar remains one of the world's top natural gas producers. In March, an Iranian missile hit Ras Laffan, sparking a fire that caused "extensive" damage before being extinguished. Qatar shares its massive offshore natural gas field in the Persian Gulf with Iran, and that production has made the country wealthy enough to host major international events and serve as a global mediator, including the current talks between Iran and the United States in Switzerland.

China announced sanctions Monday on 10 American defense companies in response to recent U.S. moves barring Chinese tech giants from defense contracts. The Commerce Ministry said Chinese companies would be blocked from exporting "dual-use" items—goods with both military and civilian applications—to firms including military drone makers and rare earth mining companies. The ministry said the export ban aims to safeguard China's national security and counter what it called the "wrongful expansion" of the U.S. List of Chinese Military Companies.

Separately, China's Finance Ministry said government entities would be prohibited from buying products from 46 American companies, including multiple units of Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and General Dynamics. The announcement provided no specific reason for the procurement ban. The moves follow the U.S. Defense Department's decision earlier this month to add several tech companies, including Alibaba and Baidu, to its list of firms allegedly linked to the Chinese military—a designation that prevents them from receiving U.S. military contracts.

China's Commerce Ministry said at the time that the American sanctions contradict the consensus reached between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and President Trump during Trump's visit to China in May. The 10 sanctioned companies include AVEOX, Red Cat Holdings, Teal Drones, Ball Aerospace & Technologies, and rare earth firms MP Materials and USA Rare Earth. George Chen of advisory firm The Asia Group called the response "unsurprising and proportionate," noting the symbolic nature since most targeted companies don't conduct business in China.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer conceded Monday that he had lost support among Labour Party members in Parliament and announced he will step down as soon as his successor is chosen, possibly as soon as mid-July. The announcement came after Andy Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, won a resounding victory in a special election last week that showed he could appeal across the political spectrum. Burnham's nearly 55% vote share in the Makerfield constituency defied Labour's dismal poll ratings and May's local election losses.

Burnham confirmed Monday he will run for Labour leader after being sworn in as a member of Parliament. He won the backing of Wes Streeting, who quit as health secretary last month and had previously considered running himself. Streeting said Burnham "can win the fight of our lives against the forces of nationalism," referring to Nigel Farage's anti-immigration Reform UK party that has overtaken Labour in opinion polls since the July 2024 general election.

Starmer said Labour's national executive committee will open nominations on July 9. If Burnham is the only candidate, he could be confirmed as party leader within a week. A contested election would likely extend into September. Starmer struggled to deliver promised economic growth and repair public services while facing repeated missteps, including appointing Peter Mandelson, a scandal-tarnished friend of Jeffrey Epstein, as ambassador to the United States. President Trump weighed in on social media, saying Starmer "failed badly" on immigration and energy policy, though Starmer had won praise for his international role supporting Ukraine.

Bolivia continued clearing anti-government roadblocks Sunday, a day after President Rodrigo Paz declared a 90-day state of emergency that parliament overwhelmingly ratified. The emergency decree gives the military broad power to remove road blockades that have strangled fuel and food supplies to La Paz and other major cities for five weeks. Six people, including Bolivian Air Force officers, were killed Sunday when a light aircraft conducting aerial patrols over a blockaded highway crashed.

The protests, which called for Paz to step down over austerity measures including canceled fuel subsidies, unleashed violent confrontations between dynamite-wielding demonstrators and riot police. Authorities report at least 365 arrests, 37 injuries, and 17 deaths—most linked to lack of medical care caused by transportation disruptions. Hundreds of trucks were stranded on highways, and business groups estimate losses exceeding $2 billion as cities faced fuel and food shortages.

While road blockades have been suspended across much of the country, they continue in parts of the Cochabamba region, led by coca growers' unions allied with former President Evo Morales. Security forces have not entered the Chapare region, Morales' stronghold, where he has refused to appear in court on allegations of abuse of a minor during his presidency. The government accuses Morales of instigating and financing the demonstrations to secure impunity. Paz said the emergency decree aims not to restrict lives but to "give people back their freedom."