By Jillian Kestler-D'Amours
Israel continues to attack southern Lebanon as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the Israeli military is “not going to withdraw” from occupied areas.
Lebanese group Hezbollah has accused Israel of targeting civilians trying to return to their homes in Lebanon’s south, killing two people and wounding a third.
After a meeting in Bahrain, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Washington and its Gulf allies have rejected any Iranian fees or restrictions on transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned against any crossings of the strait without authorisation, as the critical waterway remains a major source of tension.
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“I don’t think we can call it any more a ceasefire – and that’s one of the things that the Lebanese delegation is really seeking, a comprehensive ceasefire,” Chamoun told Al Jazeera.
“The other point is the question of Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, and the Israelis have been very clear … [that] they will remain in Lebanon.”
Grossi says IAEA hopes to inspect Iran’s nuclear sites ‘as soon as possible’
Rafael Grossi, head of the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), says the agency has been tasked with inspecting Iran’s nuclear sites as part of the US-Iran deal.
“This MoU specifically indicates that the nuclear part of the memorandum will be supervised … by the IAEA. In order to supervise, we need to inspect, there is no other way,” Grossi told reporters in Tokyo, Japan.
“The technical work has started and we hope to be there soon.”
Grossi added: “The IAEA will have to have access and inspect. I am prepared to continue the technical work and be there as soon as possible.”
South Korea says 3 more ships to depart Strait of Hormuz at weekend
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung made the announcement in a post on X.
He said the departures were facilitated by several state agencies, including the Foreign Ministry, which “worked tirelessly through sleepless nights on communication and cooperation”.
Oil prices climb after attack in Strait of Hormuz halts evacuation plan
By John Power
Oil prices have jumped after the UN’s maritime agency called off its planned evacuation of ships stranded around the Strait of Hormuz following an attack on a cargo vessel in the waterway.
Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose as much as 4 percent on Thursday after the International Maritime Organization paused its evacuation plan amid renewed violence in the strait.
Brent futures for August delivery stood at $74.89 per barrel as of 02:00 GMT, after earlier dropping below $72.48, their closing price the day before the US and Israel launched their war on Iran.
After dropping sharply following the US and Iran signing the MoU last week, the price of Brent currently stands at about 3 percent above its pre-war level.
Rubio optimistic Israel, Lebanon can reach ‘commitment of intent’
By Manuel Rapalo
Reporting from Washington, DC
Day three of diplomatic talks between Israel and Lebanon has come to an end here at the State Department. The delegations did not reach any sort of meaningful or final conclusion, and have decided to resume talks on Friday.
Earlier, US Secretary of State Rubio had seemed to express optimism that both sides were moving very close to reaching a commitment of intent and an outline that he described as offering a promising future for both countries.
Throughout the course of this latest round of negotiations – we are now at the fifth round – there have been several contradictory bits of rhetoric. On Tuesday, there was a statement by the Israeli ambassador to the US, who described this round as a “train wreck”, seeming to contradict the more optimistic tone here at the State Department.
These talks are taking place against the backdrop of the wider efforts by Washington to find a way to calm tensions across the Middle East.
One of the main objectives of US officials is to keep these talks going, to continue to host a space for good-faith negotiations for Israel and Lebanon … [while] moving, ultimately, towards the goal of stabilising that relationship, and building the infrastructure necessary for a more lasting, durable and sustainable peace between the two countries.
What has Iran said about Trump’s push to use Iranian assets to buy US crops
As we’ve reported, the US president says his administration will use Iran’s unfrozen assets to buy US agricultural products.
But Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliamentary speaker and a key figure in the Iranian negotiating team, has rejected the idea.
“America falsely claims our unfrozen assets will buy their agriculture. Interesting. The only crop we’re harvesting is what you planted: decades of mistrust,” Ghalibaf recently wrote on X.
US president knows ‘he has to get an agreement’ with Iran
Doug Bandow, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute think tank, says that’s in part because Trump “wants to ensure that oil continues to flow” around the world.
“He doesn’t want continuing violence. He knows that Gulf countries are desperate as well to have stability … and return to economic growth and energy production,” Bandow told Al Jazeera.
“So there’s a lot of pressure on the president, and he’s going to be applying a certain amount of pressure on Israel” to rein in its military assault on Lebanon, Bandow said.
As we’ve been reporting, the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran stipulates an end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon. Despite that, Israel has continued to carry out deadly attacks on the country.
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Trump says he’ll use unfrozen Iranian assets to buy US agricultural products
The US president was speaking a short time ago at an event for US farmers.
“We’re going to be taking some of their money,” Trump said, referring to unfrozen Iranian assets.
“And we’ll spend it, and we’re going to be buying wheat, soy beans and corn – a lot of it. And that process is going to be starting pretty soon,” he said. “It’s going to be pretty big, too.”
The Trump administration has said Iran’s unfrozen money will be used to buy US agricultural products, which will then be provided to Iran. Read more about that here.
State Department official says Israel-Lebanon talks to continue on Friday
A US State Department official has told our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic that Israeli and Lebanese delegations will resume their meetings on Friday.
Officials from the two countries have been meeting for US-brokered talks in Washington, DC, aimed at reaching a deal to end fighting in Lebanon.
The discussions were set to conclude on Thursday.
What did Rubio, GCC ministers say after meeting in Bahrain
Here’s a quick look at what the US secretary of state and Gulf Cooperation Council ministers said in a statement after wrapping up their meeting:
Rubio stressed the “enduring US commitment to GCC security”.
The GCC nations welcomed the US-Iran deal, while stressing “the need to maintain momentum and unity as negotiations proceed toward a more permanent end to hostilities”.
The ministers “rejected any tolls, fees, or attempts to assert control” over the Strait of Hormuz.
They expressed a “full commitment to Lebanon’s sovereignty, security, stability, and territorial integrity”, as well as support for US-brokered talks between Israeli and Lebanese government officials.
“The Ministers condemned attacks by Iranian proxies in Iraq against GCC countries, including drone attacks damaging civilian facilities, critical infrastructure, and energy security.”
Israel’s war backfires as Gulf countries back US-Iran deal
By Urooba Jamal
Reporting from Doha, Qatar
Gulf states have welcomed the breakthrough agreement between the US and Iran to end a war they never wanted.
Six countries – Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman – form the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which was created in 1981 following fears of the perceived expansionist ambitions of a new Iranian government.
Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, Israel has attempted to isolate Iran and its wide network of regional proxy groups. But in a twist of irony, Israeli aggression in this pursuit has pushed some Gulf states closer to Tehran.
“The ongoing conflict … compelled the Gulf states to pursue a more pragmatic relationship with Tehran, one that will include enhanced dialogue to deter conflict,” Farah al-Qawasmi, a researcher at the Gulf Studies Center at Qatar University, told Al Jazeera.
See more in our video below.
A recap of recent developments
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the military will not withdraw from areas it occupies in southern Lebanon, stressing that “we will maintain these dominating territories for as long as required”.
Hezbollah has accused Israel of targeting civilians seeking to return to their homes in southern Lebanon, killing at least two people, despite the US-Iran deal stipulating an end to the war on all fronts.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Washington wants the deal with Tehran to work, but will not settle for “a deal at any price”.
After a meeting with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in Bahrain, Rubio also said the US and its Gulf allies are opposed to any Iranian fees or restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warns against any unauthorised crossings of the strait, saying that vessels not complying “will be dealt with”.
Welcome to our coverage
Hello, and welcome to our live coverage of the efforts to end the United States and Israel’s war on Iran.
Stay with us for the latest news and analyses from across the Middle East and beyond.
You can find our updates from Thursday, June 25, here.
Iran warns vessels to use only Tehran-approved routes as IMO halts Hormuz evacuation after ship struck.
Mr.BadGuy
Publisher
Mr.BadGuy
Publisher
These soldiers are from a country whose president is a Jew Zelensky. Orthodox churches are also being destroyed in this country. Synagogues are not touched. Surprisingly, it turns out that Jews get along well with the Bandera Nazis.