US-Iran peace deal

**Pippa** (0:00)
From BBC Learning English, this is Learning English from the News, our podcast about the news headlines.

**Phil** (0:07)
In this program, Iran and US peace deal.

**Pippa** (0:14)
Hello, I'm Pippa.

**Phil** (0:15)
And I'm Phil.

**Pippa** (0:16)
In this program, we look at one big news story and the vocabulary in the headlines that will help you understand it.

**Phil** (0:23)
You can find all the vocabulary and headlines from this episode, as well as a worksheet on our website.

**Pippa** (0:30)
bbclearningenglish.com So, let's hear more about this story.

**Phil** (0:39)
The US and Iran have agreed an initial deal to end the war between their two countries.

**Pippa** (0:45)
The agreement is due to be signed by the end of this week.

**Phil** (0:49)
It's not expected to contain many details, but will be an agreement for 60 days of further negotiations on topics such as Iran's nuclear weapons program and opening the Strait of Hormuz to ships.

**Pippa** (1:02)
During the conflict, over 3,000 people have been killed in Iran alone. Global oil prices have risen dramatically, while the Iranian government has stayed in place.

**Phil** (1:12)
Let's have our first headline. This is from CNN, an American news channel.
What was it all for? US-Iran agreement brings bitter rivals full circle.

**Pippa** (1:24)
That headline again from CNN.
What was it all for? US-Iran agreement brings bitter rivals full circle.

**Phil** (1:32)
This article highlights the similarities between the situation now and how things were in April 2025, when President Trump proposed nuclear negotiations with Iran. We're going to look at the expression full circle.

**Pippa** (1:46)
This is a metaphorical use of circle. Picture a circle. If you travel the full distance around the circle, you end up back where you started.

**Phil** (1:56)
We use this expression to talk about travelling a long way or doing many things just to end up in the same situation as before. It's often used to express frustration at a lack of progress or surprise at what's happened.

**Pippa** (2:10)
For example, say you had a problem. You spent lots of money fixing your car. It was OK for a bit, but then it started having the same problem. You could say that it's come full circle.

**Phil** (2:23)
But full circle is not always negative. For example, if you used to study English and now you teach others, you could say that you've come full circle.

**Pippa** (2:33)
The idea in the headline is that after all the military action of recent months, the US and Iran have been brought back to a similar situation to before. They've come full circle.

**Phil** (2:48)
We've had full circle come back to a similar situation.

**Pippa** (2:55)
For example, she's come full circle by managing the team she used to play for.

**Phil** (3:05)
This is Learning English from the News, our podcast about the news headlines. Today, we're talking about the proposed peace deal between the US and Iran.

**Pippa** (3:15)
When talking about what might be in the deal, US President Donald Trump has said that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon. Vice President JD Vance has said that Iran will not get a cent of American money.

**Phil** (3:28)
Meanwhile, Iran has said that as a result of the deal, Israel will have to remove its troops from Lebanon. Israel has insisted that they will not do this.

**Pippa** (3:38)
This leads us to our next headline. And this is from ABC News, which is based in Australia.
The spin wars about who wins and loses in the US Iran ceasefire have begun.

**Phil** (3:50)
That headline again from ABC, an Australian broadcaster. The spin wars about who wins and loses in the US Iran ceasefire have begun.

**Pippa** (3:59)
This headline is about the contrasting statements given by Iran and the US. We're interested in the word spin.

**Phil** (4:06)
This is another metaphor. Spin literally means rotate, but we use it metaphorically to talk about how information is presented.

**Pippa** (4:15)
Think about sports that use a ball, cricket, football, tennis. If you throw, kick or hit a ball in a way that makes it spin, it doesn't move in a straight line. You make it go to one side.

**Phil** (4:29)
Politicians, advertisers and news organisations often put a spin on the information they give out. They say it in a way that can influence you to think in a particular way.

**Pippa** (4:40)
If something is given a positive spin, it's reported as if it's good news. If something is given a negative spin, it's reported as if it's bad news.

**Phil** (4:50)
Now, we've been using it as a noun, but it can also be a verb. The article says that both the US and Iran are trying to spin the news to say that they are the winners from the deal.