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A formal announcement will be unveiled ‘shortly,’ the Republican president said
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Donald Trump walked back his threat to strike Iran “hard” tonight, citing progress being made in peace negotiations.
The US president said he “cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening”.
He added that “discussions and final points” have been “approved by all parties involved”. He later told reporters that a deal could be signed as soon as this weekend.
Iran’s foreign ministry has reportedly said, “nothing has been finalised”.
Just hours earlier, Trump had issued a bombastic warning, threatening to seize Kharg Island, a strategic hub for oil exports, after striking the country “VERY HARD”.
The missive came after Iran declared the ceasefire with Washington “practically meaningless” after US forces fired 49 Tomahawk missiles on Wednesday. On Thursday, both sides traded strikes for the second day in a row, leaving a fragile ceasefire in jeopardy.
Tehran condemned the “illegal and criminal attacks” by the US and warned American leaders would be held responsible.
Ceasefires have been announced, often to great fanfare, in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. So why is there still so much fighting?
In just the last few weeks, Israeli forces have captured more territory in Gaza and killed two top Hamas militants there, as well as more than a dozen other people.
And the fighting in Lebanon showed no sign of letting up. Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed at least 13 people on Wednesday, Lebanese security sources said, while Hezbollah claimed fresh attacks against Israeli forces.
More here.
President Donald Trump has unveiled his 80th birthday wish, revealing that he hopes for “peace for the world” – despite the US launching more strikes on Iran.
Trump, who officially becomes an octogenarian on June 14, made the remark in the Oval Office on June 10. He was responding to a reporter who asked what his birthday wish would be, other than peace in the Middle East.
After pausing, Trump responded, “Well, I’ll go a step bigger…peace for the world, OK?”
“Peace for the world,” he repeated. “Middle East? Yes. Peace for the whole world.”
More here.
Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement after the Israeli leader and Donald Trump spoke that Israel was not a party to the memorandum of understanding with Iran.
Netanyahu expressed his appreciation for Trump’s commitment to securing a deal that includes removing enriched nuclear material, dismantling enrichment infrastructure, limiting missile output and ending support for regional proxies, the summary showed.
Tehran has been demanding an end to Israeli attacks in Lebanon, where fighting has continued in a parallel war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants.
The Iranian foreign ministry has condemned the US strike on a commercial vessel that killed at least three Indian sailors.
Iran’s Esmail Baghaei said: “The brutal US attacks… stand as clear evidence of America’s ongoing policy of armed robbery and State piracy.
“We extend our sympathies to the families and friends of the slain Indian sailors and offer our sincere condolences to the Indian people and government.”
India’s foreign ministry earlier criticised the attack, saying: “We reiterate our call for immediate de-escalation of tensions, and the conclusion of ongoing negotiations for a diplomatic solution so that peace and stability can return to the region.”
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi is yet to issue a statement.
Israeli and Palestinian civil society groups will meet in France today to urge the international community not to abandon a two-state solution, as Paris seeks to keep the issue alive amid the Middle East war.
The meeting, attended by foreign ministers and senior officials from dozens of countries, marks one year since the UN-backed New York Declaration, which set out a roadmap toward Palestinian statehood and prompted around a dozen countries, including France, Britain and Canada, to recognise a Palestinian state.
“Given the current situation in the region, marked by seemingly endless conflicts, too many civilian casualties and a cycle of violence, and in light of the stalled implementation of the Gaza ceasefire … we believe this conference is now more essential and urgent than ever,” a French foreign ministry spokesperson said.
Leaders from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan called Donald Trump after the US president threatened to hit Iran “very hard tonight” and urged him to hold off strikes, Politico reported.
Trump said he “cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening”, adding that “discussions and final points” have been “approved by all parties involved” regarding the peace deal.
He later told reporters that a deal could be signed as soon as this weekend.
Iranian forces prevented a tanker from transiting the Strait of Hormuz without coordination with the Iranian authorities, state media reported this morning.
Iranian media earlier reported sounds of explosions near Bandar Abbas, but state news agency IRNA later said no explosions had been reported in the port city and that any sounds could have been related to military activity in maritime areas.
Iran’s top joint military command announced yesterday the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, including oil tankers and commercial ships, saying any vessel that will attempt passage will be shot at.
Iranian media also reported explosion sounds off the coast of Sirik.
A military source told state media that the sounds heard near Sirik were linked to Iranian forces confronting an oil tanker attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
The tanker later complied with the ban on transit after receiving warnings from the IRGC Navy, the source said.
A lawsuit has been filed against Fifa over its ban on supporters bringing the Lion and the Sun pre-revolutionary Iranian flag into the World Cup games.
The Institute for Voices of Liberty submitted a lawsuit to the Los Angeles County Superior Court, which claimed that those who wished to fly the flag possess “protected symbolic and political speech” which requires “immediate judicial intervention”, according to The New York Times.
The California-based non-profit is calling for a declaration that a ban is unlawful in California and that supporters should be allowed to carry the old flag, and demanded Fifa pay compensatory damages for any individual banned for possession of the flag.
The pre-revolutionary Iran flag is associated with the country’s previous Shah-led regime.
Oil prices slumped to two-month lows on the news of an agreement before trimming some of the losses.Brent dropped 1.1 per cent at $89.40 per barrel, having fallen nearly 3 per cent overnight.
US West Texas Intermediate crude futures were last down 1.2 per cent to $86.69 a barrel, on top of a 2.6 per cent drop overnight.
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