Senate Republicans say there are many unanswered questions about the deal and question inclusion of funds for Iran The US vice-president, JD Vance, has said a number of issues still need to be figured out with Iran, as many Republicans expressed scepticism of the agreement reached this week by Donald Trump, and pressed the White House to release more information about it.The memorandum of understanding (MOU) announced Sunday to end the war in Iran, set for a ceremonial signing on Friday in Geneva, is centred around reopening the strait of Hormuz and lifting the United States’ naval blockade in the region, along with financial incentives for Iran if it meets certain benchmarks. Continue reading...
US president says ‘great settlement’ reached but Iranian spokesman says there has been no final conclusionFull report: Trump claims US and Iran on verge of signing peace agreementHello and welcome to the Guardian’s continuing coverage of the crisis in the Middle East.Iran’s foreign ministry has contradicted claims from Donald Trump that a peace deal between Washington and Tehran could be signed as soon as this weekend.Trump said he was cancelling a third day of US airstrikes and bombings that he had earlier said would happen because “discussions” with Iran “have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved”. He also said on social media: “Discussions and final points have been, in both concept and great detail, approved by all parties involved, including the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, and others.”Israel, however, said it was “not a party to” what prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office described as an emerging memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran. But the office said Netanyahu had spoken with Trump and that the final agreement at the conclusion of negotiations would include the removal of enriched material, the dismantling of enrichment infrastructure, limits on missile production, and the cessation of Iran’s support for its terrorist proxies in the region – measures that have been red lines for Iran in the past.The strait of Hormuz would open “as soon as we sign” the documents of the “great settlement” reached with Iran, Trump said. “The whole Middle East is happy.”Iranian media said the country’s forces had stopped a “violating tanker” from entering the strait of Hormuz. The report from the Fars news agency – closely linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards – came shortly after the sound of explosions were reportedly heard near the port city of Bandar Abbas.Trump had earlier posted on social media that the US would seize Iran’s Kharg Island “in the not too distant future”, but later said the seizure would be off the table “if we sign this agreement”.The price of oil rose after Trump threatened a “very hard” attack on Iran, but plunged hours later after he said he was cancelling the strikes. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell 1.9% to $86.08 a barrel, on top of a 2.6% drop overnight, and Brent dropped 1.5% to $89.08 a barrel, having fallen nearly 3% overnight. Asian stocks joined a global rally, with South Korea’s Kospi surging 7.4% and Japan’s Nikkei up 2.7%.A strike wounded 10 staff members of a hospital in the Lebanese city of Tyre on Thursday, the facility’s director told the AFP news agency, as Israeli raids continued in the country’s south. All three of the historic city’s hospitals have been hit since the start of the latest war between Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah and Israel in early March.India’s government voiced a “strong protest” after three Indian seafarers were killed in US military strikes against oil tankers travelling through the strait of Hormuz. Continue reading...
• Portugal's Minister for Diplomacy, Mr. Rangel, announced that the agreement allowing the United States to use Lajes Air Base will be reviewed.
• The review is deferred until after the current crisis in the Middle East is resolved to ensure regional stability.
• Rangel highlighted that shifts in U.S. foreign policy under the current administration have introduced significant changes to the transatlantic relationship and global geopolitics.
Israel claimed it was attacking Hezbollah command centers in response to attacks on northern IsraelWe are seeing reports of Israeli attacks on Beirut’s southern suburbs, Dahiyeh, with at least three explosions heard so far. The Israeli military claimed about an hour ago in a post on X that it was striking Hezbollah infrastructure in the Lebanese capital, without providing evidence.In a joint statement, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said the Israeli military had struck “terrorist” headquarters in Beirut’s southern suburbs in apparent retaliation for Hezbollah firing toward northern Israel earlier. Continue reading...
• European governments are reevaluating their partnerships with US defense contractor Palantir due to security concerns and the company's ties to controversial military and immigration enforcement activities.
• A UK parliamentary report warned that Palantir's programs create an "unacceptable point of weakness" for the national government, while Switzerland has rejected the firm's bids at least nine times.
• Denmark is actively seeking local software alternatives to reduce its reliance on the US-based technology provider.
• Arsenal and Manchester City are both reportedly interested in signing 23-year-old Newcastle United full-back Tino Livramento.
• Despite their interest, Mikel Arteta and Arsenal have expressed reservations regarding Livramento's previous injury record.
• The Gunners are also considering Sporting CP full-back Ivan Fresneda as a potential addition to their defensive line.
US president’s move comes as both sides try to prevent fresh ceasefire breaches scuppering a potential dealMiddle East crisis – live updatesDonald Trump has circulated a draft peace agreement for the war with Iran among allies including Israel as both sides try to prevent fresh breaches of the ceasefire escalating out of control and scuppering any deal.In an attempt to speed up the negotiations, Pakistan‘s foreign minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, will fly to Washington on Friday to meet his US counterpart, Marco Rubio. Continue reading...
• A formal review of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) is scheduled for 2026, potentially aligning with broader efforts to reset diplomatic and economic relations.
• Proposed initiatives include establishing a common sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) area for food and agricultural standards and linking the UK and EU emission trading schemes (ETS).
• Further negotiations may cover UK participation in the EU’s internal electricity market and the creation of a UK-EU youth experience agreement.
Secretary of state says a deal could materialise ‘today’, while Trump says talks with Iran proceeding constructively as he faces criticism from within his own partyHello and welcome to the Guardian’s continuing coverage of the crisis in the Middle East.US secretary of state Marco Rubio said on Monday that a deal to end the war with Iran could materialise “today”. Continue reading...
Media regulator announces commitments by Elon Musk’s platform to crack down on terrorist and hate contentElon Musk’s X platform has pledged to block UK access to accounts linked to banned terrorist groups under an agreement with the communications regulator to crack down on terrorist and hate content.X will also review suspected illegal terrorist and hate content within 48 hours and seek expert advice on how to handle user reports of such content. Continue reading...
