• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is on a Middle East tour, says any agreement with Iran will ensure maritime freedom in the Strait of Hormuz.
• US President Donald Trump says Iran agreed to the “highest level” of nuclear inspections, but Tehran says there is no “clear schedule” for such a move.
• Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian says Tehran’s ballistic missiles program is not up for discussion in the ongoing talks with the US.
• Israel and Lebanon kick off a fifth round of US-brokered negotiations, with the Israeli envoy describing the talks as a “train wreck”.
• Israeli forces open fire in southern Lebanon, killing two people, in an attack Hezbollah described as a “blatant violation of the ceasefire”.
• The US Senate has approved a war powers resolution for the first time, directing Trump to halt military action against Iran.

Trump disputes Iran’s rejection of nuclear inspectors

Trump has pushed back on Iran’s Foreign Ministry claim that there are no plans to allow IAEA nuclear inspectors into Iran, and has threatened to “cancel” further peace talks if Tehran blocks them from entering.

What Iran’s FM spokesman Baghaei said yesterday:

• Iran’s delegation in Switzerland did not meet with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi during the latest round of talks. He said there is no “clear schedule” for the agency to examine Iran’s nuclear facilities that were attacked by the US and Israel.
• Iran did not make any commitments regarding its nuclear program during the talks in Switzerland.

Iran’s stance on nuclear inspections

Esmaeil Baghaei, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, most recently came out to say that they had no meeting with the UN nuclear watchdog’s director, Rafael Grossi.

He also emphasized that, at this point, there is no plan for a visit or inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) inspectors.

Baghaei also said Iran’s interaction with the IAEA will be based on four principles:

• the procedures that exist in that regard;
• Iranian obligations under the Safeguards Agreements (signed with the IAEA in 1974);
• the regulations passed by the Iranian Parliament;
• the decisions made by the Supreme National Security Council of the country.

In June 2025, when the US and Israel started the preemptive campaign of air strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities – most importantly in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan – the Iranian Parliament passed a bill to suspend cooperation between the IAEA and the country and put a hold on inspections by the UN nuclear watchdog.

Then, a lot of diplomacy is currently at work.

The two sides have been given a period of 60 days to follow up the conversations regarding the nuclear dossier. But what is clear at this point is that Iran has not given any permission for the inspections of the IAEA. The latter is not the same as what Trump is insinuating, that Tehran refuses these inspections.

Rubio ‘trying to sell the deal’ with Iran on Gulf tour

Marco Rubio to visit the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Bahrain. What do the three countries have in common? They’re the ones who allowed the United States to attack Iran from their soil.

It’s often forgotten that Rubio, as well as being secretary of state, is also Trump’s national security adviser, and one of the things that he’ll be saying to those countries is that the deal that the US has to protect them is still in place.

There’s a great deal of concern that those countries were attacked so heavily by Iran, and many people locally were questioning where the support from the US was.

Rubio is in Bahrain to speak to the  Gulf Cooperation Council, and to sell the deal.

Washington will tell everyone that Rubio doesn’t think the Iran deal is actually a good deal, but the State Department says there is no daylight between him and the rest of the administration, particularly the president and the vice president, who’s leading so much of the negotiations.

So Rubio has to try and sell this deal to the GCC and make sure that they feel secure that the US will be there for them if there are any future conflicts.

Iran’s military has shifted to an ‘offensive doctrine’, says senior commander

General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan, the head of Iran’s Army Strategic Studies and Research Center, says the country’s military strategy has shifted from a defensive posture to an “offensive doctrine”.

“Under the offensive doctrine, preemptive operations are also defined, and should national expediency require it, we may severely surprise the enemy through preemptive operations in unknown arenas,” Pourdastan was quoted as saying by the semi-official Fars news agency.

He added that Iran’s armed forces have yet to operationalize a significant portion of their capabilities and announced the country’s full readiness to defend the people of Lebanon.

Under former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Iran’s military adhered to a doctrine known as “strategic patience”. Experts describe the strategy as one of “deliberate, calculated” restraint that focused on deterrence over confrontation.

But with the US and Israel’s war on Iran, Tehran shifted to a doctrine of “active and unprecedented deterrence”, with strikes on US assets in the Middle East, including in Kuwait, the UAE and Bahrain, as well as Israel.

The Israeli Menachem Begin doctrine, introduced in 1968, is drafted with the aim to attack any country in the region preemptively if it dares to launch its own nuclear program.

After 14 years of not responding to Israeli bombardments on Iran's presence in Syria, assassination of high ranking persons, and sabotage, including cyber attacks, then forced to respond to an preemptive war and the resumption of that war on February 28th, Iran has learned its lesson and is now abandoning the doctrine of strategic patience to answer the Israeli doctrine with a similar doctrine.

US Senate voted on resolution to curb Trump’s war powers

The US Senate has voted 50-48 in favour of a war powers resolution, requiring the president “to remove” US forces from “hostilities with Iran”.

Four Republicans broke with their party’s leadership to support the measure. They were: Susan Collins of Maine, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.

Renegade Democrat John Fetterman voted against the resolution, the only member of his party to do so in either body of Congress.

Two Republican senators – Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and David McCormick of Pennsylvania – were absent.

US pushes for lasting peace as Israel, Lebanon talks begin

The fifth round of peace talks between Israel and Lebanon in Washington has began.

The US State Department says their goal “is to end the cycle of violence for good”. They say they “are enabling Israel and Lebanon to negotiate as two sovereign states and to find a way to have peace and security”.

As for the format for these talks, it’s going to be very similar to the previous rounds, where there is both a military track and a political track. On the political track, the goal is to stabilize, to normalize the relationship between Israel and Lebanon. This is a relationship that doesn’t really exist outside of these talks. Lebanon and the Israelis are technically at war, and there is no formal diplomatic relationship between them.

And on the military track, the goal is to de-escalate, to reduce tensions, and to minimize the risk of any sort of spillover that could transform this into a wider regional conflict.

Now, there are still many questions that remain unanswered. But from a diplomatic perspective, at least from the point of view of US officials, the fact that these talks are still ongoing, the fact that this is now the fifth round of negotiations, does show that there remains interest from both Israel and Lebanon towards finding that durable, lasting peace.

Lebanon has never recognized Israel as a sovereign state and the two parties have been in a formal state of war since 1948.

"... the risk of any sort of spillover that could transform this into a wider regional conflict."

As we have commented many times: on June 16, 2025, Netanyahu called on the US for help in the assassination of Khamenei while knowing that Hezbollah would respond. During the six months after his call, the Israeli Mossad and the CIA were preparing the assassination, knowing that Hezbollah would respond.

The CIA needs for its covert activities presidential approval. So, Trump must have knowledge about the preparation thus also knew that Hezbollah would respond.

When Netanyahu resumed his preemptive 12-day war on Iran by assassinating Khamenei, he has not only dragged Hezbollah in his 30-year obsession against Iran. He also spilled over his war on Iran to Lebanon.

When Trump decided to join Netanyahu's war, he spilled over Netanyahu's war across the region by attacking Iran from countries in the Gulf region, making these countries not only a co-belligerent but also a military objective for Iran.

Israel believes US-Iran MoU has given Hezbollah ‘a new lease on life’

When Israel first started the talks with Lebanon in Washington, DC, in April, it believed that Iran had been weakened. But this meeting is the first since the MoU between the US and Iran, and the feeling in Israel is that Hezbollah is getting a new lease on life.

The Israeli ambassador to the US has called this fifth round of talks a “train wreck”. He said that in the beginning, the talks were heading towards a shared goal, which is having an Iran-free Lebanon, an agreement that would lead to peace with Lebanon, as well as the dismantling of Hezbollah.

This ambassador is now saying this is not happening.

The Israelis have been focusing on one thing: that they will not be leaving the so-called “security zone” in southern Lebanon so long as Hezbollah poses a threat to their communities.

They also want the Lebanese government and army to assume responsibility for areas there and to disarm Hezbollah.

Now, the Israelis have been under US pressure to stop their attacks on Hezbollah, and there’s a feeling that their hands are tied, that their operations are being curbed, and limited only to defensive operations. And hence, there is frustration inside Israel, and many voices are criticizing Netanyahu, not only for not meeting strategic goals in southern Lebanon, but also for the rift that they believe is happening now with Washington.

"... so long as Hezbollah poses a threat ... ''

What is currently taking place in the West Bank is a clear example showing who really poses a threat. The Israelis are the ones who create threats to brand the inflicted results of these threats as a threat on them.

It is no different in the context of Lebanon, as Netanyahu's spillover of his war on Iran into Lebanon is creating threats to his own people also branding the inflicted results as a threat.

Oil prices decrease in early trading

Oil prices have continued to decline, trading near four-month lows on optimism that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz will increase global supplies.

Brent crude futures – the international benchmark – were down 0.5 percent, trading at $76.71 a barrel as of 00:43 GMT. This comes after Brent crude fell nearly 1 percent on Tuesday, reaching its lowest level since early March.

Energy prices had surged at the outset of the US-Israel war on Iran after Tehran closed the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting one of the world’s most crucial shipping lanes.

Strikes by both sides on energy infrastructure pushed prices even higher.

Four more South Korean ships safely exit Strait of Hormuz

South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries has said that four more South Korean-operated ships have safely left the Strait of Hormuz, bringing the number of vessels that have left the region to six.

“Four vessels operated by our shipping companies that were waiting inside the Strait of Hormuz have passed through the strait and are sailing normally,” the ministry said, according to the Yonhap news agency.

The ships had 26 Korean crew members on board, and one of the ships is headed back to South Korea, the ministry added.

With their departure, the number of South Korea-linked ships remaining inside the strait has fallen to 18, Yonhap reported.

The report came as the International Maritime Organization (IMO) began evacuating more than 11,000 sailors who have been stranded in the Strait of Hormuz for months.

US Senate votes to pause Iran war in rare rebuke to Trump

The US Senate has voted 50-48 to pause the war on Iran. Four Republicans voted for the resolution, which, for the first time, requires President Donald Trump to get congressional approval for further military action.

However, the bill has already passed the House. It’s been tried a few times in the Senate, but never managed to get through.

It did this time because four Republicans voted with the Democrats. One Democrat voted with the Republicans, while two Republicans were missing.

And effectively, this says that the US can’t go back to war with Iran unless it gets permission from Congress. At the moment, we’re in the peace talks, so there’s no immediate sign of that happening.

Unfortunately, the White House doesn’t really care about the voting. They can’t veto this. They think the voting has no real legal standing.

If the war had continued and the bill had been passed, then they would be able to test the constitutionality of the bill – going as far as the Supreme Court.

Over the last couple of months, people at the White House have been saying that the president has the right to decide if America is at threat and whether or not to launch an attack.

The voting is important because it is the first big split between Republicans in the Senate and Trump during his second term in the Oval Office.

Trump slams Senate’s war powers resolution

Trump has responded to the Senate’s approval of a war powers resolution directing him to halt any military action against Iran.

“So, I have Iran on the ‘ropes,’ ready to go down for the fall, willing to give us practically anything, and for the first time in decades, respecting the hell out of the United States and its President, ME, and the U.S. Senate decides to have a poorly timed and meaningless War Powers Act Vote,” Trump wrote on X.

The resolution tells “the Number One Sponser [sic] of Terror in the World that the United States doesn’t like what I am doing to them, and I must stop, and by so doing has provided aid and comfort the Enemy”, he said.

The president went on to slam the four Republican legislators who voted with the Democrats to approve the resolution, saying: “These Senators have just made my job more difficult, but I will get it done, one way or the other, because I always get it done!”

Rubio says Iran has ‘an opportunity to do incredible things’

Marco Rubio said to reporters in Abu Dhabi that if Iran makes the decision “that they want to be a country, instead of a revolutionary movement”, they could benefit from new economic opportunities, including investments.

“They’re going to have an opportunity to do incredible things in Iran,” Rubio said.

“I’m not promising you that’s the choice they’re going to make. I’m saying if that’s the choice that they make, then there will be opportunities, and those opportunities could include investment, as you’ve seen other countries in this region benefit from investment, from foreign direct investment. It won’t be our investment. It won’t be our government money,” he said.

Rubio added that Iran’s political trajectory would depend on whether progress is made on a “host of other security issues” that will be discussed in the coming days.

Crossings in Strait of Hormuz ‘nearly triple week-on-week’

Shipping monitor MarineTraffic says that traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has rebounded sharply and nearly tripled across two consecutive weekends.

It said its data, along with Kpler’s, confirmed that “crossings rose from 32 vessels between 12-14 June to 93 vessels between 19-21 June”.

“The recovery has been supported by recent diplomatic developments” as well as the US’s temporary waiver of Iranian oil sanctions, “which has helped ease immediate compliance uncertainty around approved Hormuz transits” until August 21, MarineTraffic added.

Windward, another monitor, said it recorded 25 transits on Monday, June 22, and that the situation reflected “early-stage normalisation, not full reopening”.

Syrians reject Trump’s call for Syria to combat Hezbollah in Lebanon

Residents in Damascus have rejected Trump’s suggestion that Syria should confront Hezbollah in Lebanon.

They say Syria should avoid being drawn into new regional conflicts.

In a rare critique, Trump had told Israel to let Syria take on Hezbollah.

Qatar could resume normal LNG production ‘within a few weeks’, PM says

Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has told The Financial Times that Qatar is preparing to resume the normal production of Liquefied Natural Gas following the signing of an interim deal between the US and Iran.

Qatar is the world’s second-largest LNG producer and halted production in March following an Iranian drone attack at its Ras Laffan plant.

“Within a few weeks, production will come back to normal, except the damaged facility,” Sheikh Mohammed told the FT.

“Our teams have been mobilised already for a few weeks. QatarEnergy is preparing for operations to come back to normal as soon as the situation in the strait [of Hormuz] normalizes.”

But Sheikh Mohammed said QatarEnergy, which is state owned, would lift the force majeure it declared in March only “once the company sees they have addressed all the issues, and it’s safe to operate”.

Qatar says restoring traffic in Hormuz will take time and effort

The Qatari prime minister said to The Financial Times:

• The Strait of Hormuz is open. After Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced a closure on Saturday, mediators checked with Iranian officials and were told no order had been made to close the strait.
• Traffic through the strait is expected to return to pre-war numbers on day 30 of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding (MoU). But it will “take a lot of effort” and will “take time to restore confidence again”.
• Qatar will resist any Iranian plans to charge fees in the strait. “This is against this international protocol. For a country like Qatar, it’s our only water corridor.”
• “If there is a proposed model by the Iranians, … they need to argue the case, [and] we need to look at it. We cannot accept a situation or a condition where our gateway to the world is controlled.”

Iran says no plans for IAEA inspections for now, but ‘not rejecting possibility’ in future

Iranian officials say they did not make any commitments in Switzerland regarding Tehran’s nuclear program and that they did not meet with any officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), including its director-general, Rafael Grossi.

Over the last year, there has been major tension between the IAEA and the Iranian government, which accused the IAEA of cooperating with Israel. Iran asked the agency to leave during the 12-day war last June for safety reasons.

Iranian officials say that, as they have not made any commitments, they have no plans to invite the IAEA back into the country. That said, Iran is not rejecting the possibility that this could happen in the future. To provide the legal framework for this, any decision to allow inspectors back would rest with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

It is not only about the legality. When it comes to Iran’s facilities in Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan, which were heavily bombed by the US, the situation is unclear, and there are expected to be huge technical, operational and logistical challenges.

‘This is going to happen’: IAEA says Iran nuclear inspections will take place

IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi has said the agency’s inspectors will eventually inspect Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites.

“Whether this happens the day after tomorrow or in one week or in 10 days, it’s important, but not essential,” Grossi told journalists in Tokyo. “This is going to happen.”

The US and Iranian officials have given different accounts of Tehran’s commitment to nuclear oversight. US Vice President JD Vance has claimed Iran agreed to invite IAEA inspectors back into the country, but Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei has said Iran has not met with Grossi and has no clear schedule for any inspections.

UN begins evacuation of 11,000 sailors stranded in Strait of Hormuz

The UN’s maritime agency has launched an operation to evacuate more than 11,000 sailors stranded in the Strait of Hormuz after the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding paused the war. The waterway had been in effect closed by Iran since late February, leaving vessels trapped for months.

Ceasefire in Lebanon continues to hold

In Lebanon, there has been very little to report in the way of military exchanges.

There were reports during nighttime hours of military activity down towards the city of Tyre, of Israeli vehicles on the move, and also reports of gunfire.

That seems to be one of the very few incidents other than that overnight.

The last major incident was of open fire near the city of Nabatieh, almost the best part of 24 hours ago now, with two men being killed, one person wounded. This incident was about residents who were returning home.

In another instance, the Israelis were seeking for justification of their gunfire by saying they were shooting at Hezbollah operatives on board an excavator that failed to heed warning shots. Hezbollah said they were part of a clearing crew removing debris from roads, because there’s been a lot of work there by a civil defense team.

US proposes pilot program for Israel’s withdrawal from parts of Lebanon

Contrary to the Israeli ambassador’s description of the talks in Washington as a “train wreck”, the Israeli military radio says that eight hours of talks were very constructive and that there is progress in discussions of a partial Israeli withdrawal from certain areas.

There is an American proposal of using pilot areas where Israel would withdraw from; the Lebanese army would take over those areas and ensure that there was no Hezbollah presence.

After the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran, Israel escalated its invasion in Lebanon, taking over areas beyond the Litani River near Nabatieh, where all this friction is happening.

They are well beyond the initial areas that were occupied by the Israeli army, but according to Israeli reports, it was done precisely because those would be the areas that Israel would be perhaps willing to withdraw from.

There is no breakthrough but certainly talk of perhaps a path forward between Israel and Lebanon, and it is something Israel needs to decouple the Iran and Lebanon tracks.

Trump says oil companies not lowering gas prices enough, orders probe

Trump says major oil companies are not setting gas prices “commensurate with the sharply lower prices they are paying” for oil.

“I have instructed the DOJ [Department of Justice) to immediately start looking into this,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. “Gasoline prices better start going down a lot faster than what I’m seeing!”

Trump has repeatedly said petrol prices will sharply drop once the conflict with Iran ends and the Strait of Hormuz reopens. While prices have dropped since the signing of the US-Iran deal, some analysts say it will likely take months before consumer prices return to pre-war levels.

Expectations in Lebanon ‘tempered’ as talks with Israel continue

The fact that ceasefire talks are happening at all is significant, especially for people in Lebanon.

These are the first direct talks between Lebanon and Israel in decades, and, significantly, they were also the first requested by the Lebanese themselves.

The talks are important for Lebanon, for their sense of self-esteem, for prestige, that they are included in this process.

What happens on Lebanese soil directly impacts the whole peace negotiations between the United States, Israel and Iran, but it often feels as though Lebanon is being left out of this, on the sidelines.

As for the chances of success, the people’s expectations are tempered. And on the reports of a pilot program, with the handing over of some land from Israeli control to Lebanese control, people in Lebanon see that as a possible first step towards Israel withdrawing forces altogether from Lebanon.

Israel has said it’s only ever going to withdraw its forces completely once Hezbollah disarms, but that is a long way to go from that.

"... the first direct talks between Lebanon and Israel ..."

The Lebanese constitution states that the government needs a (constitutional) approval for going into direct talks, which it hasn't.

Oman announces IMO-backed transit corridor in Strait of Hormuz

Oman says it is working with the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) to put in place a temporary transit corridor for vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

In a post on X, Oman’s Maritime Security Centre said the corridor is in line with Oman’s commitment to international law and ensuring toll-free navigation of the strait.

It said vessels using the corridor would need to coordinate with the IMO.

EU safety agency urges airlines to steer clear of Iranian, Lebanese airspace

The European Union’s Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has warned that airlines should avoid flying through the airspace of Iran, Iraq and Lebanon despite the interim US-Iran agreement.

In a notice, the agency said short-term violations of the US-Iran ceasefire were possible, in particular in and around the Strait of ⁠Hormuz and neighbouring airspace. It also flagged the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah and ⁠the potential for military activity impacting the ⁠airspace of Lebanon.

EASA said ⁠all operators must also exercise caution and take potential risks into account when operating ‌within the airspace of Bahrain, Kuwait, Israel, Jordan, Qatar, Oman, the United ‌Arab Emirates ‌and Saudi Arabia.

Extending ‌the agency’s conflict-zone advisory for the region until July 1, the notice said: “While the overall level of risk has decreased in the region, the sustainability of the ceasefire remains uncertain in the longer term, with a possibility of rapid escalation.”

Iran’s parliament speaker says withdrawal of foreign forces ‘a strategic objective’

Top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf says regional countries alone ⁠should determine the Middle East’s ⁠security structure.

“We consider the withdrawal of foreign military forces from the region a strategic objective. We see the future of the region not in confrontation, but in interaction. [Military] bases of extra-regional forces in West Asia are a source of instability,” he said.

Speaking during a trip to Baku, Azerbaijan, Ghalibaf said Iran is ready to cooperate with nations in the Middle East on the basis of “non-interference in internal affairs and respect for sovereignty”.

He reiterated Iran’s stance that Israel must halt its attacks and occupation of southern Lebanon.

“We have not abandoned our friends and strategic partners in the most difficult and complex conditions … A ceasefire and an end to the war in Lebanon is just as important to us,” Ghalibaf said.

Iran: Deal to end US-Israel war a ‘declaration of US defeat’

The deal between Iran and the United States to end the war is “America’s declaration of defeat”, says Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, head of the Iranian negotiating team.

“The Islamabad understanding was not the result of pressure and coercion, but rather the result of the resistance and authority of the brave Iranian nation,” Ghalibaf said at a conference in Azerbaijan broadcast on Iranian television.

“That is why the Islamabad memorandum of understanding became a declaration of America’s defeat.”

Pakistan says US-Iran talks to resume next week

Pakistan has said technical talks between the US and Iran will restart early next week.

“Talks will resume next week, I presume on Tuesday,” Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi told journalists in Islamabad, adding that Monday or Wednesday were also possible start dates, without providing details on the location of discussions.

Iran pushing for new maritime regime for Hormuz ‘one way or another’

For the first time, a joint statement from Iran and Oman reveal that the two countries are clearly talking about potential fees for the Strait of Hormuz.

A key distinction is emerging between tolls and service fees. For a while during the war, Iranian officials were talking about starting a new maritime regime that included tolls.

Recently, they shifted their rhetoric, instead saying that the states bordering the strait – Iran and Oman – have the right to charge service fees to provide security and for environmental reasons. In the joint statement with Iran, the two countries said they will create a working group to study the issue.

What is clear is that Iran, one way or another, and now Oman as well, is looking to create a new maritime regime for the Strait of Hormuz.

How will Iran’s ‘greatly increased deterrence’ affect Gulf relations?

While Iran and Oman say they’re working on “mechanisms” to administer the Strait of Hormuz, it remains unclear how other nations in the Gulf will respond, an analyst says.

“I think this is a very big question and the biggest question is whether they will be able to sell it to the Emirates,” said Cyrus Schayegh, professor of international history and politics at the Geneva Graduate Institute.

“I think the Emirates will need to be involved in a really substantive way for any sort of new authority to actually work.”

Ultimately, administration of Hormuz is “only one piece of a much larger puzzle, and that larger puzzle is the overall architecture of the security of the Gulf into which [it] is trying to get integrated more”, said Schayegh.

“[That] is something that a good number of its neighbors, bar the Emirates, are actually keenly interested in, and the reason is that they too accept that Iran has greatly increased its deterrence through the attacks it launched against these neighbors during the 40-day war.”

 

Iran’s central bank governor says Iran can receive payment for oil exports in any currency it chooses

Iran’s central bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati has highlighted new details emerging from recent negotiations with the US, including on the reported release of $12bn in Iranian assets and the waiving of sanctions on Iranian oil.

In a video message shared by Ali Ahmadnia, head of the Iranian government’s information office, Hemmati said that Iran has no obligation to use the funds to buy US agricultural products, as claimed by US officials, but that it is not opposed to doing so if the US products are competitive.

Regarding Iranian oil exports, Hemmati emphasized flexibility in how Iran can transport the oil and receive payments, saying funds can be accepted in any currency Iran chooses, not only dollars.

This sounds like that Tehran wants to avoid that oil revenues goes via the dollar system.

Iran’s Araghchi briefs senior Hamas official on US negotiations

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has discussed recent US-Iran negotiations and the situation in Israeli-occupied Gaza during a call with senior Hamas official Basem Naim.

In a statement, Hamas said Naim congratulated Iran on its interim agreement with the US and expressed “deep appreciation for Iran’s steadfastness” during US-Israeli “aggression”.

Araghchi reiterated Iran’s support for the Palestinian people and said its negotiating team has been raising the issues of Israel’s continued “aggression against Gaza” and ceasefire “violations” with US officials and mediators.

Gulf countries want US assurances that future Iran deal will address their concerns on security, Hormuz

Gulf countries have some serious security concerns when it comes to Iran. During the war, the majority of Iran’s retaliatory attacks targeted them.

The UAE, where US Secretary of State Marco Rubio currently is, was targeted by about 2,800 missiles and drones.

After the UAE, Rubio is supposed to go to Kuwait City to meet with the country’s emir. Kuwait was also hit really hard during the war, including its airport, commercial ports and desalination plants, which it considers a red line. Ninety percent of Kuwait’s drinking water comes from these desalination plants.

The Strait of Hormuz is also a major issue for Gulf countries. Oil and gas are the beating heart of Gulf economies and that strait is the main artery to get their oil supplies out into the global market. They want to be assured by the US that any agreement moving forward addresses those concerns.

China says US-Iran MoU sends ‘positive signal’

China’s Foreign Ministry has expressed optimism about the US-Iran interim agreement, adding that Beijing supports Iran in defending its “sovereignty, security, territory and national dignity”.

Speaking to reporters in Beijing, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the US-Iran MoU had delivered a “positive signal” and should be jointly safeguarded and implemented.

He added that China “always upholds a just position, supports all efforts conducive to peace, supports the Iranian side in defending sovereignty, security, and territory, and national dignity, and supports Iran in improving its relations with Gulf states and regional countries”.

US, Iran to create direct communication line to avoid miscommunication: Pakistan

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi, who has announced that US-Iran talks are due to resume next week, said the US and Iran have agreed to put in place a direct line of communication to avoid any incidents or miscommunication, particularly regarding the Strait of Hormuz.

Andrabi also said the parties agreed to establish a high-level political oversight committee for mediation, to which chief negotiators will regularly report; a roadmap for reaching a final agreement within 60 days; and a deconfliction cell also involving the Lebanese government and mediators.

Iran says UN nuclear inspections will occur after ‘final’ deal with US

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi says UN inspectors’ access to attacked nuclear sites and materials will “solely be examined and resolved within the framework of a final agreement” with the US.

He said UN inspections are dependent on “the other party’s practical action in terminating all sanctions”.

In a post, Gharibabadi also said that during the Switzerland negotiations, no Iranian officials met with International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi “despite his request”.

Earlier, Grossi said inspections of Iranian nuclear sites are “going to happen”.

“Whether this happens today, after tomorrow or in one week or in 10 days, it’s important but not essential. This is going to happen.”

Rubio ‘reaffirms’ security commitment with UAE president

Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the US-Iran deal with the leader of the United Arab Emirates and renewed the US’s commitment to its security on his first leg of a tour of the Gulf.

Rubio met UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed on Wednesday, said his spokesperson Tommy Pigott.

“They discussed President Trump’s memorandum of understanding with Iran, efforts to secure full and safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz, and the importance of peace and stability in the region,” Pigott said.

Rubio “reaffirmed the US commitment to the security of the Emirates”, he added.

Lebanon to ‘consolidate’ truce after Israeli pullout: President

President Joseph Aoun says Lebanon is seeking continued UK support as UN peacekeepers prepare to withdraw in 2027.

He told a visiting British delegation that his government’s efforts are focused on consolidating the southern ceasefire after an Israeli military withdrawal by deploying the Lebanese army.

Reconstruction of destroyed areas will come next, Aoun said, adding that the Lebanon-Israel peace talks in Washington, DC, are separate from the US-Iran negotiations.

Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has quieted down over the past few days after demands by both Iran and the US for an actual ceasefire.

Israeli defense minister says military will not withdraw from Lebanon, even if US demands it

Israeli defense minister Israel Katz has said Israel will not pull its forces out of southern Lebanon “even if there is an American demand”.

“200,000 residents will not return,” said Katz, referring to the Lebanese forcibly displaced by Israel’s invasion and attacks, in comments carried by The Times of Israel.

“What happened in the past in security zones, where there was also a civilian population [present], was roadside bombs and attacks against the soldiers, and therefore we will not allow that,” added Katz. “We are not withdrawing.”

Oman’s Sultan Haitham meets Qatar’s PM

Oman’s ruler, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, has met Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, at Al Baraka Palace on the outskirts of Muscat, Oman’s state media report.

It said the meeting addressed the course of the US-Iran negotiations with Pakistani-Qatari mediation as well as the latest developments in diplomatic efforts to end the state of war and reach a final settlement of the crisis in all its aspects.

Haitham bin Tariq is reported to have “stressed the need to push forward these efforts to achieve security and stability in the region”.

Iran intent on ‘imposing new protocol’ over Hormuz

Mostafa Khoshcheshm, a professor at the University of Applied Sciences in Tehran, says Iran is unlikely to back away from plans to introduce service fees in the Strait of Hormuz over the long term.

“According to the MoU, Iran is not going to charge service fees for 60 days, but afterwards, Iran is definitely going to do that,” Khoshcheshm said, adding that many Iranians are already dissatisfied with the government foregoing fees during the 60-day negotiating period.

“The money is not the real core of the issue,” Khoshcheshm added. “The point here is how to impose your new protocols in the region. This is highly important for the Iranians.”

Ships have crossed Hormuz under IMO-backed scheme: Agency spokesperson

Ships have begun crossing the Strait of Hormuz through a newly launched evacuation scheme backed by the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO), Reuters reports an IMO spokesperson as saying.

The spokesperson did not offer details on how many vessels had crossed as part of the plan, but Reuters cited ship-tracking data as saying at least two dry bulk ships and one cargo ship had passed over the last 12 hours.

Earlier, as we reported, Oman said it was working with the IMO to put in place a temporary transit corridor for vessels passing through Hormuz.

Israeli army says it attacked Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon

Israel’s military says it has carried out an attack on two Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon’s Ali al-Taher area.

In a statement, the military claimed the fighters were located near Israel’s “security zone” in southern Lebanon, posing “an immediate” threat to Israeli soldiers.

“Immediately after the identification, the air force and ground forces struck the terrorists to remove the threat.”

The Israeli military will “continue to operate to remove immediate threats”, it said.

“security zone”

The security zone is 20 kilometers south of the Litani river, while the Ali al-Taher area or hills is north of that river.

Trump to meet arms dealers as weapon stockpiles dwindle

President Trump is set to meet munitions makers at the White House as his administration pushes ⁠to expand weapons production after the war on Iran and Israel's genocidal waron Gaza, and the war in Ukraine drew down the US arsenal.

The United States has supplied large quantities of arms to allies while ⁠also firing loads of munitions, raising concerns about inventories of key air-defense and precision-guided weapons.

Wednesday’s meeting marks the second White ⁠House gathering with chief executives of major defense firms focused on ramping up weapons production. A March gathering included CEOs and other officials from BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, RTX Corp, Boeing, Honeywell Aerospace and L3Harris Technologies with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

The meeting comes as Pentagon negotiators press contractors to ‌move much faster with tentative production agreements struck earlier this year. Demand for air-defense systems has surged among the US and its allies during heightened geopolitical tensions and the US-Israel war on Iran.

Trump says Iran told US no tolls being sought for Hormuz travel

President Donald Trump says ⁠Iran told the United States ‌no tolls are being sought from ships traveling through ⁠the Strait of Hormuz.

“If ⁠this is false information ⁠negotiations would ⁠end immediately,” ⁠Trump wrote on ‌his social media platform Truth Social.

“NO TOLLS, NO INSURANCE COSTS, & NO OTHER CHARGES OF ANY KIND BEING SOUGHT OR RECEIVED BY IRAN ON SHIPS TRAVELING THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ.”

Trump added: “Additionally, no money has been given to Iran, or released from their money to them, by the US. We will be releasing some of their money, that is totally controlled by us, to our Farmers and Ranchers, for the purchase of Corn, Wheat, Soybeans, and more.

“Food is desperately needed in Iran and we will be purchasing it for them exclusively from the United States.”

EU diplomatic service proposes three-year training mission for Lebanese military, police.

The EU’s diplomatic ⁠service has drafted plans for a three-year military and civilian mission to advise and train Lebanese forces, reports the Reuters news agency.

The mission would “support the Lebanese authorities in reinforcing territorial control and ⁠border security” by bolstering Lebanon’s armed forces and police, according to a document from the European External Action Service circulated to EU members and seen by the news agency.

“To ⁠this end, the Mission would focus on strengthening land border regiments; Mobile Force and Regional ‌Gendarmerie Units; enhancing Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities; and reinforcing maritime security capacities, including ‌border ‌and port security governance,” said the document.

For any such mission to go ahead, all 27 EU countries would have to approve it.

Israeli minister warns US will soon find itself ‘on collision course’

The United States will soon find itself “on a collision course” with Israel over its agreement with Iran, an Israeli minister says.

Israeli Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar criticized Washington’s handling of negotiations with Tehran.

“The conduct of the US at this moment regarding the Iranian issue is not good. They do not internalize who they are dealing with,” Zohar was quoted as saying by Israeli news site Ynet.

“The US will find itself on a collision course with Israel in the near future, and our response to the US will not be automatic. Our security interest will dictate the military move.”

Zohar also expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war. “A US agreement, in my opinion, will not solve the nuclear weapons issue, and the war phase will return faster than people think.”

The comments come amid growing criticism within Israel of President Trump’s administration.

“on a collision course” with Israel'

His statement is probably inside information, he made public.

Reports suggest Israel-Lebanon talks will contain a military-to-military component

There hasn’t been a formal readout of yesterday’s meetings between Israeli and Lebanese officials in Washington, but those discussions do continue.

It’s being reported that today’s discussions will include a military-to-military component, because one of the issues being discussed is the matter of security in areas currently occupied by the Israeli military in southern Lebanon.

There is a proposal, perhaps, to allow Lebanese forces to replace those Israeli forces, so long as they have been vetted by the United States as having no links to Hezbollah.

That is apparently going to be one of the main topics for today’s discussions.

US Treasury secretary says unfrozen Iranian funds to be ‘recycled into US products’

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has insisted that a large portion of unfrozen Iranian assets would go towards purchasing US food and medicine, despite claims from Iranian officials that they have made no such commitment.

“Any money that the Iranians get is going to be used, first, for the benefit of the Iranian people,” Bessent told CNBC.

He said the US Treasury will directly oversee how the funds – likely distributed through Qatar – are allocated. “A very large percentage of it will go to buy US foodstuffs and medicine,” said the US treasury secretary. “So we will be recycling the money back into US products.”

Marco Rubio arrives in Kuwait after UAE

The US secretary of state has arrived in Kuwait after his meetings in the nearby United Arab Emirates.

Rubio thanks the UAE for its ‘leadership and unparalleled support’

Tommy Pigott, a spokesperson for the US Department of State, has provided more details of the meeting between Marco Rubio and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and senior UAE leaders in Abu Dhabi.

The two men discussed US President Trump’s efforts to secure full and safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz, and the importance of peace and stability in the region. They also discussed the strong bilateral US-UAE ties and continued partnership in the areas of defense and commerce, Pigott said.

Rubio “thanked the UAE for their leadership and unparalleled support, praised their courage and resilience in the face of Iran’s attacks, and reaffirmed the US commitment to the security of the Emirates”, Pigott noted.

Two killed in Israeli drone attack in southern Lebanon

At least two people have been killed in an Israeli drone attack in the southern Nabatieh area, Lebanon’s National News Agency is reporting.

The attack targeted a vehicle on the Tallat al-Dabsha road near Kfar Reman, NNA said.

Reduction but not cessation of Israeli operations in southern Lebanon

Despite the fact that there is supposed to be a ceasefire, the Israeli army has continued to carry out attacks.

They have been much more limited than what has been over the weekend.

Two people were killed when their car was hit near the village of Kharaman. The Israelis are also still operating on the ground, including in areas that the Lebanese army had, in the past day or so, reopened… including a village called Ain al-Arab, where people had returned to their homes.

An armored Israeli bulldozer and a patrol entered that village and told the local community leader that people "needed to leave" their homes again and that if they did not do so by 5pm (14:00 GMT), those homes would be demolished.

So what we are seeing is a reduction, but not a cessation, of Israeli military activity here in southern Lebanon.

Price of Brent crude falls to near four-month low

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading at $74.80 per barrel at 12:34 GMT today, according to Bloomberg.

This marks the first time the benchmark has fallen below $75 per barrel since February 27, the day before the US-Israeli war on Iran started, according to Reuters.

Qatar’s PM speaks with Pakistan counterpart about status of US-Iran deal

Shehbaz Sharif received a telephone call from Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, according to his office.

A statement released by Islamabad said the two men “discussed the successful diplomatic efforts that led to the historic signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between the US and Iran”.

“Both leaders expressed satisfaction with the first round of technical-level talks held in Burgenstock and stated that positive momentum must continue so that negotiations could be successful,” the statement said.

Japan weighs deploying forces to demine the Strait of Hormuz

Japan is considering sending its navy to help clear mines in the critical Gulf waterway following the US-Iran ceasefire.

But the proposal has sparked a domestic debate due to the country’s post-WWII pacifist constitution.

Attacks by Iraqi armed groups also major concern in Gulf

They want peace and stability. The Gulf countries have serious security concerns. They felt betrayed when Iran attacked them.

They also had concerns when it came to armed groups in Iraq that are affiliated with Iran. When I was covering Kuwait, they were talking about a lot of these attacks coming from those armed groups.

In the Gulf, security is the main issue – to keep the guns silent.

People here want a long, comprehensive plan that will bring about peace and stability, not just right now but for years and generations to come.

Lack of self-reflection is common in the Arabic world.

If

Rubio trying to convince Gulf nations that US remains ‘reliable partner’

That’s because the US-Israeli war on Iran has demonstrated that US military defense systems “can be taken out by relatively cheap Iranian drones”, says Patrick Bury, a defense and security specialist at the University of Bath in the UK.

“I think if you’re a Gulf leader, [you’re thinking about] militarisation on your own terms rather than relying so much on the Americans as in the past,” Bury says.

Iran fired drones and missiles throughout the war at what it said were US military targets across the Gulf region, prompting widespread condemnation.

Israeli defense minister says ‘no US demand’ to withdraw from Lebanon

Israeli defense minister Israel Katz says Washington has not demanded that Israel withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon.

“We have announced that in any case we are not withdrawing and, as of this moment – and this is a diplomatic achievement – there is no American demand for Israel to withdraw from Lebanon,” Katz said in an interview at a convention of local leaders in Tel Aviv.

When asked if the army would adhere to such a US request if it arrived, Katz said he told US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, while Netanyahu told Trump, that “we are there to protect the residents of the north”.

Israeli artillery shelling reported in Lebanon’s Bint Jbeil area

The Israeli military has targeted the outskirts of the town of Yater with artillery shells, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency is reporting.

Netanyahu reaffirms pledge to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapon

Speaking at the Muni Expo local government conference in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu said Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon would pose an existential danger to Israel and vowed that his government is determined to prevent that from happening.

He said Israel has carried out numerous operations inside Iran and is actively working to stop Tehran from becoming a nuclear-armed state.

Israel and the US have claimed for years that Iran is close to building nuclear weapons, without offering any meaningful proof.

Addressing tensions on Israel’s northern border, Netanyahu said Israel’s military objectives in Lebanon are not yet complete.

He added that Israel is in the process of creating a security buffer zone in southern Lebanon aimed at preventing Hezbollah from staging attacks across the border.

"...Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon would pose an existential danger to Israel ..."

The Israelis had already created, not a existential danger, but a nuclear threat after they had their first nuclear weapons in 1967. When they introduced the Menachem Begin doctrine a year later, which is to attack any country in the region preemptively if that country launches its own nuclear program, the Israelis created another threat.

So, the doctrine, create a threat and claim that the inflicted effect is a threat to you while you created, is not new.

Iranian official says Israel responsible for ‘all region’s problems’

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a top Iranian negotiator and speaker of the country’s parliament, says Washington’s “hegemony” has collapsed as a result of the war.

“And the countries of the region must build a new system based on their capabilities,” he said in remarks shared by Iran’s Tasnim news agency.

Speaking after a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Ghalibaf also said “harmony” among Muslim countries has now become “an unavoidable necessity”.

Kuwait’s emir discusses regional developments with US’s Rubio

Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Mishal al-Ahmad al-Sabah has discussed regional issues with the US secretary of state, the Kuwait News Agency is reporting.

The two leaders discussed “historical relations between the two countries” as well as “efforts and endeavors to enhance its security and stability” in the region.

Rubio says US security assurances in Gulf ‘real’

The US secretary of state is taking questions from reporters in Kuwait City.

“I didn’t sense any doubts about our security assurances because they’re real, they’re not promises – they exist,” Rubio said.

US will not ‘do anything that undermines security’ of Gulf allies: Rubio

The US secretary of state says the Trump administration will be “completely aligned with [its] partners in the Gulf” as negotiations proceed with Iran.

“That’s why we’re meeting with all of them tomorrow. That’s why I’m taking these trips now, and it’s the reason why I’m here, apart from thanking them for the incredible support they gave us throughout this process,” Rubio told reporters.

“We want them to know, and we want to reiterate, and begin to talk to them and engage them in conversations about every decision that’s made with regards to this negotiation.

“We’re not going to do anything that undermines the security of our allies – our longstanding allies – in the region.”

Rubio reiterates Iran cannot charge fees for Hormuz transit

The US secretary of state says “the whole world will be against any mechanism that charges money to use an international waterway”.

“It’s that simple. The president has already said it: That’s not going to happen,” Rubio said, adding that he believes every country in the Gulf will be supportive of that stance.

As we’ve been reporting, Iran has floated the idea of charging for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, the critical Gulf waterway through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies transit.

Rubio says ‘very frank, honest’ talks in Gulf

Rubio has refused to offer details when asked what concerns Gulf leaders may have raised in his meetings in the region so far.

But he acknowledged that Washington “speaks very frankly” with its longstanding allies.

“That’s what we’re here to do – get their input,” Rubio said. “I thought they were very frank, honest and important conversations, and I think we’re very strongly aligned.”

US expects Iran to ‘live up to commitments’ or Trump has ‘options’: Rubio

The US secretary of state has described a 60-day sanctions waiver for Iran as “a temporary measure”, while stressing that Washington expects Tehran to “live up to the commitments” made in the deal.

“If they don’t live up to those commitments, the president [Trump] has a lot of options at his disposal including – I’m not saying he’s going to do it, I’m saying including – reversing these sanctions,” Rubio told reporters in Kuwait City.

“They made very straight-up commitments in Switzerland, and the president has been very clear they need to keep those commitments,” he said.

“If they do, we’ll keep forward. If not, the president will have options at his disposal for what to do about it. Let’s hope they keep those commitments.”

Rubio says Israel making no claims to Lebanese territory amid continued occupation

Rubio has been asked whether Washington would support Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

“The only reason Israel is in Lebanon is because Hezbollah launches rockets and drones from there. They’ve made that clear,” the US top diplomat replied.

He stressed that Washington wants Lebanon’s military and government to be in greater control of Lebanese territory while claiming that Israel does “not have any claims on the territory of Lebanon”.

“The more of that area the Lebanese armed forces is able to secure, the less of it’s in Hezbollah’s control, the less Israel will be in Lebanon.”

As we’ve been reporting, Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, have openly said the country has no plans to withdraw from southern Lebanon, where it continues to carry out attacks despite the US-Iran deal stipulating an end to the war on all fronts.

Israel’s defense minister also said earlier that Washington has not demanded that Israel withdraw its troops.

Iran blames US for regional instability, responding to Rubio’s remarks on armed groups

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei has rejected remarks by US Secretary of State Rubio linking regional instability to Iran-backed groups, arguing that American policies are the main obstacle to peace in the Middle East.

“No one will be fooled,” he posted on X, together with a clip of Rubio condemning Iraq-based armed groups, as well as Hezbollah and Hamas.

“We can’t have a peaceful region so long as American militarism and interventionism persist, and their occupying proxy [Israel] continues, with absolute impunity, to inflict endless wars across the region and perpetrate genocide, terror violence and every atrocities.”

"American policies are the main obstacle to peace in the Middle East."

US politics on the Middle East has always been in the Israeli interest.
 

Israeli army says it ‘struck’ two people who crossed ‘security zone’ in Lebanon

The Israeli army, in a brief statement on X, says it attacked two people who crossed into the zone it occupies in southern Lebanon.

The army claimed that the two, traveling in a vehicle, were threats to its forces, without providing evidence.

About Rubio’s claim Iran cannot charge tolls in Hormuz

While a number of ships have crossed through the Strait of Hormuz since the US-Iran agreement was signed last week, uncertainty remains over whether Iran intends to impose permanent fees or service charges on shipping operators using the route.

Rubio, the US secretary of state, has said Tehran will not be permitted to charge tolls or fees for vessels transiting the waterway under any final agreement with Washington.

Rubio says US-Iran technical talks due in Switzerland early next week

The US secretary of state said he believed technical talks between the United States and Iran would resume on June 29 or 30 in Switzerland.

“The technical group will be back, I believe, on the 29th or the 30th… I believe they’re going back to Switzerland, if I’m not mistaken,” Rubio said.

Gulf states have ‘clear role to play in what comes next’

Bader al-Saif, an assistant professor at Kuwait University, says Rubio’s Gulf visit is “long overdue”.

“And it’s one that’s necessary [for the US] to reassure their partners in the region that they are real partners and moving forward,” al-Saif said.

He explained that Gulf countries have a “clear role” to play in what follows the US-Iran deal.

“Having the Qataris along with Pakistan involved in the mediation is encouraging,” al-Saif said. “We need to be in the room, but we actively need to be shaping outcomes that not only guarantee peace and prosperity for the US and Iran, but for the rest of the region, including the Gulf states.”

Iran ‘making very big concessions’, Trump claims

The US president has made very brief remarks to reporters ahead of a visit to the Senate.

“We’re winning by a lot. Iran is making very big concessions,” he said, without offering any further details.

He added that things are “going very, very well”, again without elaborating.

‘Netanyahu will test Trump’ as Israel continues attacks on Lebanon

A major outstanding question is whether Netanyahu will place himself in a position where Trump thinks Israel will undermine the broader US-Iran deal, says Daniel Levy, head of the US/Middle East Project.

“So the Israeli leadership will test their freedom of manoeuvre,” Levy said, noting that the Israeli prime minister has repeatedly said Israel will maintain a “security zone” in Lebanon.

“Netanyahu will test the [US] president. Netanyahu will hope that despite everything we’ve heard in the last days and week – all the frustrations – that you will have a US that comes around and says, ‘Look, we can’t go too hard against the Israelis. Maybe we have to owe Netanyahu something.'”

That has been how the longtime Israeli leader has operated in the past, Levy added.

“When it comes to Israel in Lebanon, if you actually want to get the Israelis to do what’s in the deal and what you’ve agreed to, you will have to sustain a standoff and pressure and use your leverage,” he said, referring to the US government.

Washington provides Israel with billions of dollars in military aid annually.

UN peacekeepers report relative calm in southern Lebanon

UN peacekeepers reported no missile trajectories or airstrikes from midnight to 4pm local time (1300 GMT) today, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, has revealed.

Haq said that last night, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNFIL) “observed two missile trajectories launched from south of the Blue Line that landed north of the Litani River”.

Despite the relative calm, UNIFIL “observed ongoing Israeli airspace violations, mostly by drones”.

According to Haq, Israeli ground activity was also observed, which included “armored vehicle movements, engineering work, and logistical activity”.

He said UNIFIL also “observed four Israeli patrol boats within Lebanese territorial waters southwest of Naqoura.”