Tehran, June 17: Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said that negotiations between Iran and the United States on a final agreement will begin on Friday following the two sides’ official signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to end the war, according to the official news agency media.

Araghchi made the remarks at a meeting with foreign diplomats in the Iranian capital Tehran while elaborating on the peace MoU that was finalised on Sunday between Iran and the United States, Xinhua news agency reported..

“The new round of negotiations between Iran and the United States on reaching a final agreement will probably begin on Friday at the venue that will be decided,” he said, explaining that owing to the difficulties in reaching an agreement between Iran and the United States that resulted from the US and Israeli “criminal aggression” against the country, “we ultimately decided to divide the negotiations into two stages.”

He said the first stage pertained to the finalisation of an MoU on issues such as the war’s end, the Strait of Hormuz, US anti-Iran naval blockade, Iranian frozen assets and the reconstruction of war damages, adding that in the second stage, negotiations will continue for a 60-day period to reach a final agreement on nuclear issues and the removal of sanctions on Iran.

Araghchi noted that in the first stage, the most important thing that will happen is the declaration of an end to the war, stressing, “Based on the decision we made, the end of the war was also announced on Monday morning when the agreement was finalized, but the official start of the MoU will be on Friday.”

The minister said the “immediate and permanent” end of the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, is perhaps the most important issue in the MoU, noting that owing to the connection that the war in Lebanon and Israel’s “aggression” against southern Lebanon found with the war against Iran, and the fact that the two fronts became somehow connected to and dependent on each other.

Araghchi described the war’s end in Lebanon as an “inseparable” part of the Iran-US peace MoU, stressing “The war’s end also includes the end of (Israel’s) occupation. The war’s end is not complete without the Israeli forces’ withdrawal from the (Lebanese) territories they occupied in this war.”

Araghchi emphasised that from now on, Iran considers any military attack by Israel against Lebanon and the continued occupation of the Lebanese territories a violation of the peace MoU.

The United States, Pakistan and Iran early Monday announced the finalisation of the MoU on ending the war following weeks of negotiations, adding that it will be officially signed in Switzerland on Friday.

On February 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and US bases and assets in the region.

Jaipur, June 17: A day before Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s high-stakes ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ rally in Kota, a fresh political battle has erupted in Rajasthan, with the Congress accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of removing posters, intimidating stakeholders, and attempting to undermine the Opposition leader’s outreach to students.

The Congress claims the state administration has begun taking down banners and hoardings promoting Rahul Gandhi’s Wednesday event and is exerting pressure on coaching institutes, PG operators and guest-house owners to discourage student participation.

The BJP has however denied the charges, calling them “baseless” and “politically motivated”.

The confrontation comes as Rahul Gandhi prepares to spotlight issues such as paper leaks, recruitment exam irregularities and unemployment from Kota, India’s coaching capital and a city symbolic of the aspirations and frustrations of millions of students.

Rajasthan Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra accused the BJP of being rattled by the response to the programme.

He alleged that authorities were removing publicity material ahead of the rally and said the event would proceed regardless of any hurdles.

Dotasra also said that while Rahul Gandhi is expected to travel to Kota by train, a charter aircraft has been kept ready as a contingency plan.

“If the train is delayed, the programme schedule could be affected. Therefore, a Plan B has been arranged. Whether Rahul Gandhi arrives by train or charter, the programme will take place as scheduled,” he added.

Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot sharpened the attack on BJP, saying that repeated paper leaks and recruitment controversies have shattered young people’s faith in the system.

He said launching a movement centred on students from Kota carries a powerful political message and alleged that attempts were being made to create obstacles around Rahul Gandhi’s visit.

Gehlot also alleged that a situation is being created around Rahul Gandhi’s programme suggesting that Lok Sabha Speaker and Kota MP Om Birla is opposed to the visit.

He noted that complaints regarding the intimidation of coaching institutes and other individuals are surfacing, which is not a good sign for the democratic system.

The Congress’ official X account also accused the BJP government of trying to suppress student voices by removing banners and posters.

“Posters can be removed, but the voice of the youth cannot be silenced,” the Congress said.

Rahul Gandhi, meanwhile, has framed the rally as a platform for students and job aspirants.

In a social media appeal, he accused the Narendra Modi government of failing the country’s youth through paper leaks, examination mismanagement, rising education costs and shrinking opportunities.

Meanwhile, young Congress leader Nirmal Chaudhary also raised questions, asking why complaints regarding the removal of posters and pressure tactics concerning the event are surfacing if the BJP is not afraid of Rahul Gandhi.

He remarked that while posters can be removed, the questions raised by lakhs of students cannot be erased.

The BJP, however, has dismissed the allegations as a desperate attempt to generate political attention.

Senior BJP leader Rajendra Rathore challenged Congress leaders to provide evidence for their claims and criticised attempts to drag Lok Sabha Speaker and Kota MP Om Birla into the controversy.

According to officials, several hoardings were removed because they had allegedly been installed without the required municipal permissions.

With both BJP and Congress involved in a war of words, what was planned as a student-focused rally has already evolved into a political flashpoint.

As Rahul Gandhi arrives in Kota to amplify youth concerns, the battle over posters, permissions and political messaging has become a story in itself.

Bhopal, June 16: With the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2026 scheduled to be held on June 21, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Tuesday reviewed the state’s preparedness and directed government officials to ensure a “transparent, secure and error-free conduct” of the examination across all examination centres.

Chairing a high-level review meeting via video conference from the Mantralaya, the Chief Minister said the credibility of a national-level examination depends on meticulous planning and flawless execution.

“NEET is a national-level examination. All preparations must be completed in advance and the examination should be conducted with complete transparency. There should be no lapses or errors at any stage,” Chief Minister Yadav said in statement.

The examination will be conducted at 283 centres spread across 30 districts of the state, with Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior and Jabalpur accounting for the largest number of centres.

The examination will be held from 2 to 5:15 p.m. on June 21 in pen-and-paper mode.

Against the backdrop of heightened scrutiny of competitive examinations in recent years, the Chief Minister directed government officials to strengthen security arrangements and ensure that biometric verification systems, CCTV cameras and jammers are installed at all examination centres by June 19.

He also ordered trial runs of the equipment a day before the examination.

The review meeting paid special attention to Jabalpur, where President Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to visit on the same day.

Chief Minister Yadav instructed district administration and police officials to formulate a detailed traffic management plan to ensure that candidates reach their examination centres without delays.

He also noted that the International Yoga Day programmes would coincide with the examination and said administrative arrangements should be made to prevent any disruption to students.

“No candidate should suffer because of transportation or traffic-related issues. If required, administrative and police officials should assist students in reaching examination centres through available government resources,” the Chief Minister said.