• A cargo vessel was struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, creating immediate tension in one of the world's most critical maritime corridors.
• The attack occurs during a fragile ceasefire and ongoing peace talks between the United States and Iran, threatening to derail diplomatic progress.
• This incident highlights the persistent volatility of regional security and the risk of escalation despite current efforts to maintain stability.
• On June 24, 2026, updates were released regarding the ongoing conflict involving the US, Israel, Iran, and attacks on Lebanon.
• US Senator Marco Rubio described recent discussions with Gulf nations as "frank," highlighting diplomatic efforts to manage regional tensions.
• Further diplomatic talks with Iran are scheduled for next week to address the escalating war.
• This week's international news highlights a series of diplomatic and military developments, including US-Iran talks aimed at ending their conflict and a sudden diplomatic dispute between Ukraine and Poland.
• Ukraine has intensified its military operations by increasing strikes on Russian-occupied Crimea to destabilize Russian control in the region.
• In political shifts, the report notes the resignation of Keir Starmer in the UK, alongside updates on the progress of the Fifa World Cup in the US.
• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that a new round of technical negotiations between the United States and Iran will resume in Switzerland at the end of June.
• The announcement followed a high-stakes tour of the Persian Gulf, where Rubio sought to reassure regional allies regarding security and Washington's tentative accord with Tehran.
• This diplomatic push aims to calm regional concerns and signal a return to normal operations after months of conflict and disruption.
Defence minister says troops are not withdrawing even though Tehran sees end to conflict in Lebanon as part of any deal with USThe Israeli defence minister, Israel Katz, has said that Israeli troops would not withdraw from southern Lebanon, further complicating Iran peace talks as fighting in Lebanon continues to be an obstacle to permanent peace.Speaking on stage in an interview in Tel Aviv, Katz said that Israeli troops would remain in south Lebanon – echoing sentiments from the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Continue reading...
• AI-driven demand is significantly reshaping the global semiconductor industry, leading to major shifts in market valuations.
• SK Hynix has officially overtaken Samsung Electronics to become the most valuable company in South Korea.
• This shift highlights the growing dominance of high-bandwidth memory and AI hardware over traditional consumer electronics.
• U.S. officials, including JD Vance, met with representatives from Iran, Pakistan, and Qatar at a Swiss resort for a first round of talks to end the current conflict.
• Iran reaffirmed its commitment to not procure or develop nuclear weapons, a primary catalyst for the attacks initiated by Donald Trump.
• The two nations agreed to establish a framework for the disposal of Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpile under U.S. supervision.
• Vice President JD Vance announced on Monday that high-level talks in Switzerland between the U.S. and Iran have established a "good foundation" for a deal to end the war.
• As a key outcome of the marathon negotiations, Tehran has agreed to allow United Nations nuclear inspectors to return to the country.
• This agreement is significant as it marks a potential breakthrough in monitoring Iran's nuclear activities and reducing geopolitical tensions.
• Following a "very, very good" first day of negotiations with the U.S., Iran has agreed to allow international nuclear inspectors to resume their work within the country.
• As part of the agreement, the U.S. will lift specific sanctions, providing Iran with a significant financial boost to support its economy.
• The two nations are continuing talks regarding the release of approximately $100 billion in frozen Iranian financial assets.
• Iran has reportedly walked away from peace negotiations in Switzerland following aggressive threats from Donald Trump, who vowed to "blow the s*** out of them" and take over the country.
• The diplomatic mission included JD Vance and his wife Usha, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, who arrived in Switzerland on Sunday.
• This escalation marks a significant breakdown in diplomatic efforts to avoid further conflict between the U.S. and Iran.
• The United States and Iran have reported "progress" in diplomatic negotiations currently taking place in Switzerland.
• The talks aim to establish a formal deal to resolve a conflict that has persisted for four months.
• This diplomatic effort is critical for stabilizing regional tensions and settling the ongoing dispute between Washington and Tehran.
US president threatened Iran over strait of Hormuz in sweary outburst. Plus, Starmer to step down as UK’s PM two years after historic landslideGood morning. Iran’s foreign minister has declared “progress” after the first day of talks between high-ranking officials from Washington and Tehran ended in Switzerland, despite a tense opening marked by Donald Trump’s threats to restart attacks.Abbas Araghchi said Pakistani and Qatari mediation “has delivered major progress to end [the] Lebanon war”. Iran has been adamant that Israeli attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon must end as part of any deal. The Israelis are not directly participating in the talks.What has been agreed? A joint statement from mediators Qatar and Pakistan said the US and Iran agreed a roadmap towards a final deal within 60 days. Technical talks between lower-ranked officials will continue for the rest of the week. In a development that is critical to unlocking progress, the US Treasury was also preparing to issue a 60-day waiver lifting sanctions on oil, petrochemicals and derivatives.What threat did Trump issue to the Iranians? Over the weekend, Iran said it had reinstated its blockade in the strait of Hormuz in protest at the continued Israeli strikes on Lebanon. The US president responded on social media, saying: “You close it and you won’t have a country. You won’t even make it back to your fucking country.”What impact has the war had on support within Iran for the government? Saeed Shah reports that the war has triggered a rare moment of solidarity in a country that was reeling from the killing of thousands of protesters by the authorities at the start of the year.Why has Starmer stood down? After months of internal party pressure and plunging poll numbers, his downfall has been triggered by key political misjudgments including appointing the Jeffery Epstein-linked Peter Mandelson as US ambassador despite a failed security vetting. Policy reversals have led to his MPs viewing him as weak, a sentiment reinforced by devastating losses in the May elections that underscored his deep unpopularity with voters. Continue reading...
Negotiations due to continue for rest of week in Switzerland after tense start as Iranians protest against threat from Donald TrumpIran hails ‘progress’ as first day of talks with US conclude after shaky startThe first round of face-to-face talks between the US and Iran ended in Switzerland on Monday, mediators said, after a tense opening marked by Tehran saying it had again closed the strait of Hormuz and Donald Trump repeating his threats to resume attacks on Iran.Mediators Qatar and Pakistan said Washington and Tehran agreed to a roadmap towards a final deal within 60 days and that technical talks would continue for the rest of the week in the Swiss mountain resort of Buergenstock.The talks had a tense start, with Iranian negotiators walking out in protest against Trump’s threats. Iranian state media said the talks had entered a “difficult phase” and recessed after the “publication of an insulting message by the US president”. But high-level negotiations continued before concluding in the early hours of Monday, with Pakistan and Qatar saying technical talks between the two sides would continue for the rest of the week.After Trump’s threats became public, the Iranian delegation refused to return to the room where talks were held, though messages were still being traded via Pakistani and Qatari mediators, according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency.Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said on social media his country had secured waivers for oil and petrochemical exports, the release of some frozen assets and the launch of a reconstruction and development plan for Iran. The US did not immediately comment on the claims.Iran said at the weekend that it had again stopped maritime traffic through the Hormuz strait, in response to continuing fighting in Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel, and that Sunday’s talks would not cover substantive issues such as Iran’s nuclear program.In Switzerland, US vice-president JD Vance played down the impact of the violence in Lebanon, saying progress had been made towards ending hostilities there. “These things are always a little bit messy,” said Vance, leading the American delegation.In the US, Trump threatened to resume attacks on Iran if it did not rein in its allies. “Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble,” Trump said on social media, apparently referring to Hezbollah. “If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!”Despite Trump’s threats, Vance told reporters the US president had “asked us to turn over a new leaf to transform our relationship with the people of Iran”.Five vessels passed the strait on Sunday, a sharp drop from the 26 ships spotted a day earlier, data from analytics firm Kpler showed. The data may exclude vessels that switch off their transponders while travelling in the Gulf.Sunday appeared to be the quietest day in Lebanon for some time, with no reports of major violence by nightfall, after two days of heavy Israeli strikes, which killed many people including civilians, and fire from Hezbollah fighters on Israeli positions. Reuters journalists in southern Lebanon on Sunday saw some of the heaviest traffic since the memorandum of understanding was signed, with residents returning to their homes, some waving Hezbollah flags.With news agencies Continue reading...
Mediators Pakistan and Qatar issue statement saying talks will run for rest of the week, as fighting in Lebanon continues to threaten agreementIran’s foreign minister has declared “progress” after the first day of talks between high-ranking officials from Washington and Tehran ended in Switzerland, despite a tense opening marked by Donald Trump threats to restart attacks.A joint statement from mediators Qatar and Pakistan said the US and Iran agreed to a roadmap towards a final deal within 60 days. Technical talks between lower-ranked officials will continue for the rest of the week, according to the statement, with fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon at the top of the agenda. Continue reading...
• An emergency session focused on the situation in Lebanon has been added to the ongoing diplomatic negotiations between Iran and the United States in Switzerland.
• The addition of this session comes amid escalating tensions and instability within Lebanon, necessitating urgent high-level discussions.
• This development highlights the critical role of Iran-US relations in managing regional conflicts and the potential for diplomatic intervention to prevent further escalation.
Objections comes as Trump threatens to renew attacks on Iran if it doesn’t rein in its proxy in LebanonUS political figures from left and right voiced fresh objections on Sunday to Donald Trump’s provisional deal with Iran – even as the US president made fresh threats while Vice-President JD Vance hailed progress during the first round of direct peace talks in Switzerland.Senator John Cornyn, a Texas Republican who recently lost his primary battle for re-election, posted a line on X from a Wall Street Journal article on how rogue regimes evade US economic warfare. It said: “Iran’s ability to withstand sanctions so far exposes a hard fact for Washington: economic pressure has largely failed to cow rogue regimes, as they game out more ways to sidestep US restrictions.” Continue reading...
• The Indian stock market is expected to be driven this week by US-Iran diplomatic talks, global crude oil price fluctuations, and foreign institutional investor (FII) activity.
• Technical-level discussions between the US and Iran are scheduled to take place this Sunday in Burgenstock, Switzerland.
• These factors are critical as they directly impact market volatility and investor sentiment during a holiday-shortened trading week.
• Stock market movements this week will be primarily driven by crude oil prices, foreign institutional investor (FII) trading activity, and the outcome of US-Iran diplomatic talks.
• Technical-level discussions between the US and Iran are scheduled to take place this Sunday in Burgenstock, Switzerland.
• Analysts indicate that the trajectory of the domestic monsoon will also be a critical factor for market performance.
JD Vance says talks aim to ‘make progress on the nuclear issue, make progress on the Lebanon ceasefire issue’Middle East crisis – live updatesTalks between Iran and the US aimed at building out the fragile interim deal to end the war are due to get under way in Switzerland, beset by difficulties including an Iranian decision to keep the strait of Hormuz closed in protest at Donald Trump’s inability to force Israel to end the fighting in Lebanon.The US vice-president, JD Vance, leading the US delegation, said he was adding Lebanon to the agenda, which had originally been conceived to focus on the opening of the strait, the lifting of US sanctions on Iranian oil exports and the unfreezing of Iranian assets held overseas. Continue reading...
Iran says decision comes after waves of Israeli strikes in Lebanon, as delegations arrive as Swiss resort for talksIran says it is closing strait of Hormuz over Israeli strikes in LebanonIran said on Sunday that the ongoing conflict in Lebanon between Israel and militant group Hezbollah will top the agenda in talks with the US in Switzerland, as well as issues such as frozen Iranian funds and the sale of the country’s oil.“The Zionist regime continues to violate its commitment in Lebanon, this issue will be the main topic of discussion in today’s talks,” foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said in a video shared by IRNA state news agency. Continue reading...
JD Vance lambasted Israeli critics of the proposed deal, but did not travel to Europe as planned. Plus, at 82 years old, Keith Richards still gives some of the best interview quotes in townGood morning. Talks set to take place today between the US and Iran to implement a peace deal were abruptly cancelled. The White House said the US still looked forward to “beginning technical talks as soon as possible”. Hezbollah-linked media reported Tehran was delaying sending its delegation due to Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Lebanon.The talks were set to begin in the Swiss village of Obbürgen two days after the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that opened a 60-day window to negotiate a permanent agreement over Iran’s nuclear programme, while reopening the strait of Hormuz. The centre of the strait is blocked with about 80 mines that will need clearing for normal shipping to resume, the independent tanker owner trade body has said.What is happening in Lebanon? Hezbollah targeted Israeli forces near Nabatieh with several salvoes of rocket fire after Israeli shelling. Israel responded with a wave of airstrikes, killing at least 18 people and injuring 33. Iran has said Israel’s attacks on Lebanon must end as part of any peace deal.What did JD Vance say to Israeli critics of the deal? In sharp words, the vice-president said: “Donald J Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time. If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world.”Why does Trump’s Iran entanglement echo the Jimmy Carter years? In this excellent analysis piece Robert Tait reminds us that one of Trump’s earliest political forays was lambasting the Democratic president during the 1980 Iran hostage crisis. Trump, Tait says, now finds himself in a position that uncannily resembles that of his predecessor – unable to bend Iran to his will despite superior US military power. Continue reading...
IDF claims continuing strikes come after Iran-backed group repeatedly violated ceasefire; JD Vance cancels trip as US-Iran talks set for Friday cancelledUS-Iran talks in Switzerland abruptly called offJD Vance tells Iran deal critics in Israel: Trump is your only ally left in the worldWelcome to our continuing live coverage of events in the Middle East.Israel’s military says it is attacking Hezbollah in several areas across southern Lebanon and has been striking throughout Thursday night.Vance lashed out at Israeli critics of the Iran deal, saying Donald Trump was Israel’s only ally left in the world, in a sharp rebuke that referenced the billions in defence aid the country receives from America. Trump “is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time”, Vance told reporters.Trump said the US expected “a complete ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, Hezbollah and Israel”, adding in a social media post: “We encourage everyone in the Middle East Region to maintain their commitment to allowing our negotiations to beautifully unfold.”Iran’s supreme leader said he approved the deal with the US despite having a “different view”, without elaborating. Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said in message read on state television: “In principle, I had a different view [about the memorandum of understanding], but I issued my permission due to the commitment that the honourable [Iranian] president, as the chairman of the Supreme National Security Council, gave me on behalf of himself and other members to protect the rights of the Iranian nation and the resistance front.”In Khamenei’s message on Thursday – his first reaction to the Iran-US deal – he claimed Trump had “used all kinds of levers” to secure the deal “out of desperation”. The US president has claimed the agreement is a victory for Washington and averts a “worldwide depression”.Iran announced plans to introduce a system of maritime fees in the strait of Hormuz after the 60-day period of negotiation triggered by the signing of the memorandum of understanding with the US. Tehran, claiming a historic victory over the US, said the strait was under its control and a European plan for a naval mission to escort ships though the vital waterway would not be welcome, reports Patrick Wintour.Vance said the 60-day period in which to reach a final agreement with Iran started on Thursday. That would set a deadline for the final agreement between Iran and the US as 17 August.US Central Command ended its blockade in the Hormuz strait, it announced on social media. The US naval blockade of the strait had been in effect since 13 April, with control of the waterway being a key point of conflict in the war. Marine Traffic data showed that at least seven ships had crossed the strait on Thursday.The US would restart military action and reimpose a blockade against Iran if it did not fulfil its commitments under the signed agreement, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said at a meeting with Nato defence ministers in Brussels.Khamenei said in his message that he received assurances from Pezeshkian about the deal and that it would not be accepted “if the American side wants to make excessive demands”. “It is obvious that the face-to-face negotiations that will be held in the future will not mean accepting the enemy’s point of view,” he added.Pakistan’s foreign ministry said the agreement’s signing ceremony in Switzerland, which was due to take place on Friday, was cancelled as it is understood that the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran has already been signed remotely.EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she was representing the bloc’s position on the Middle East, after Israel announced it was severing diplomatic relations over allegations she had compared the country to apartheid South Africa. Continue reading...
JD Vance’s staff were at the airbase ready to fly to summit in Bürgenstock for Iran talks before trip was suddenly cancelledTalks set to take place on Friday between the United States and Iran on implementing the 14-point agreement to end their war have been cancelled, Switzerland’s foreign ministry has announced.The talks were set to begin in the tiny Swiss village of Obbürgen on Friday, two days after the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that opened a 60-day window to negotiate a permanent understanding about Iran’s nuclear program while getting oil traffic moving through the strait of Hormuz. Continue reading...
Joint statement welcomes Trump’s deal with Iran to end war and calls for further talks involving European leadersEurope live – latest updatesDonald Trump has backed a joint G7 leaders’ statement that welcomes the deal he has struck with Iran but says a follow-on agreement is necessary to rein in Iran’s ballistic missile programme, an issue not directly addressed in the memorandum of understanding that is due to be signed on Friday by Iran and the US.The statement says future negotiations with Iran would benefit from the involvement of a wider group of regional and international actors including the UN nuclear weapons agency, the IAEA. Continue reading...
Inherent ambiguities could yet derail signing, with Trump so far achieving none of his stated goals of the warTallying the global cost of the US-Israel war against IranMiddle East crisis – live updatesIf we get to a Friday signing ceremony without this uncertain new US-Iran deal being derailed by any of its inherent ambiguities, then nuclear talks can finally restart in the same place – and at almost exactly the same point they were before this conflict started.The world will have irrevocably been changed in other ways. There is no going back for the 120 Iranian children in Minab killed in their primary school in the war’s first hours, nor for their bereaved parents, or any of the thousands in Iran, Lebanon and around the region whose lives were erased or blighted by a feckless war of choice. Continue reading...
Agreement contains no restrictions on Iran’s ballistic missiles, nor does it call for regime change or surrenderMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe basic structure of the US-Iran deal reached late on Sunday – a return to the prewar status quo – has been on offer from Iran for more than a month. So has the specific architecture: an immediate unwinding of the consequences of the US-Israeli war through the reopening of the strait of Hormuz and a deferral of the actual negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme, the ostensible cause of the war. The concept of a 60-day ceasefire to resolve these issues has also been a fixture for more than a month.But it has taken the mounting pressure on the US and Iranian economies for both sides to recognise politically that a return to all-out war was unlikely to resolve the impasse, and if so, compromises would have to be struck. Continue reading...
Amid rhetoric, market uncertainty and tit-for-tit exchanges, the two sides are still trying to find a way out of the impasseGreat news! Donald Trump has said the US and Iran are on the verge of a peace agreement. Oil prices are down, and the stock market is up. This comes only hours after Trump warned Iran was about to be struck “VERY HARD”, a threat which had sent oil prices up and stocks down.It has been another ride on the Trump rollercoaster, keeping traders on edge, most of the world poorer, and people of the Middle East constantly whiplashing between fear and hope. But whether the ride veers up or down, the management always makes money. Continue reading...
Iran says US attacks make ceasefire ‘practically meaningless’. Plus, Trump says ‘I love the inflation’ when asked about jump to 4.2%Good morning.Has the ceasefire collapsed yet?What is the status of negotiations? Talks to turn the ceasefire into a durable peace deal have stalled for weeks, with periodic flare-ups as both sides continued to launch limited strikes and trade blame for violating the truce.What do the two side want? Iran seeks the lifting of international sanctions, the unfreezing of billions of dollars in assets, and control over the strait of Hormuz. Trump has said any future peace deal must prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, which Tehran denies it is seeking to do.This is a developing story. Follow our live coverage here.What did Gates say? “I support the release of all the Epstein files and sincerely hope that, through your efforts and those of others advocating on their behalf, the survivors of Epstein’s crimes can get the justice that they deserve.” Continue reading...
US launches second round of airstrikes on Iran, and Tehran responds by targeting Bahrain, Kuwait and JordanUS strikes Iran for second day, as ceasefire appears close to collapseWelcome to our live coverage of the conflict in the Middle East.The US has launched a second round of airstrikes, after Donald Trump warned that Tehran would “pay the price” for stalled negotiations, and Iran responded with strikes targeting Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.US Central Command said it had “completed” its latest round of airstrikes just before sunrise in Iran. It said the strikes targeted “Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communication systems and air defense sites,” and were carried out by the US air force, Marines and Navy.The sounds of explosions echoed around Tehran, the port city of Bandar Abbas and other southern areas along the strait of Hormuz.Iran responded by launching strikes on Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.Kuwait closed its airspace as its air defences fought off the attack. Kuwait’s directorate general of civil aviation said flights were being diverted to other airports, without elaborating.Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had fired ballistic missiles at a US command centre in Jordan, according to state media.Iran’s UN envoy said the US should refrain from threats of force if it wants a deal.Israel early on Thursday warned residents in the north to seek shelter after the detection of suspected incoming fire from Lebanon.The international benchmark for crude oil traded above $93 a barrel on Wednesday, up more than 25% since the start of the war. Continue reading...
US launches strikes in retaliation for downing of US army helicopter, while White House source says deal could still be closeThe future of peace talks in the Middle East have been thrown into question after Iran’s foreign ministry said it needed to “reassess” its participation, while Donald Trump said Iran would have to “pay the price” after the two countries traded fire overnight, drawing neighbouring states back into an on-and-off war that has consumed the region since late February.The US launched strikes against Iran in the early hours of Wednesday morning in retaliation for what it said was Iran’s downing of a US army helicopter near the strait of Hormuz. Iran then launched a wave of retaliatory airstrikes claiming hits on US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan. Continue reading...
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