President Donald Trump has admitted he is not Iran's supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, “favourite person” after an airstrike killed his father.
"I would say I'm not his favourite person. But, that being said, he's probably a professional in some circles. He has a very good reputation, actually,” Trump said.
He added that although he doesn’t want to meet Khamenei he would be "honoured to meet him” and would possibly do so if a deal was made.
"But if we make a deal, it's possible that I would meet him. I'd be okay with that,” Trump said.
Iran's former supreme leader Ali Khamenei - Mojtaba's father - was among those killed in the strikes, while Mojtaba himself was thought to have been seriously injured.
The presidents comments come after Israel said it will continue operations in Lebanon despite a ceasefire and Lebanese residents forced to flee will not be able to return, Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said on Thursday.
The ceasefire contingent on Hezbollah’s surrender had been announced in a joint statement after representatives from all three countries met on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Key Points
- Trump rants about ‘grandstanding’ Republicans after they vote to block him striking Iran
- Israel to continue operations in Lebanon for now despite ceasefire, defence minister says
- Hezbollah rejects US-Lebanon deal
- Israel and Lebanon agree to ceasefire amid escalation in fighting
- Trump confirms he called Netanyahu crazy
- Israeli strikes kill eight in Gaza city
Watch: Kuwait releases footage of 'brutal Iranian drone attack' on airport terminal
23:00 , Rebecca Whittaker
Recap: Trump rants about ‘grandstanding’ Republicans after they vote to block him striking Iran
22:30 , Rebecca Whittaker
President Donald Trump has ranted about “grandstanding” Republicans after the House of Representatives voted to block strikes on Iran on Wednesday.
“Yesterday, in a meaningless vote, the House voted, 4 bad Republicans and all of the Dumocrats, to limit my War Powers, right in the middle of my final negotiations to end the War with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he wrote in a Truth Social post on Thursday.
“Who would do such an unpatriotic thing. They know where the negotiations stand. The Democrats are fueled by Trump Derangement Syndrome. They would rather have our Country fail than give me another, of many, victories. The four Republicans, that’s a whole other story - They’re GRANDSTANDERS! They should be ashamed of themselves. MAGA!!! President DJT”.
Trump says he is not Mojtaba Khamenei’s 'favourite person'
22:18 , Rebecca Whittaker
Donald Trump has admitted he is probably not Iran's supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei’s, “favourite person”.
It comes after the US president said although he didn’t want to meet him he would be “honoured” if he did.
Iran's former supreme leader Ali Khamenei - Mojtaba's father - was among those killed in the strikes, while Mojtaba himself was thought to have been seriously injured.
Trump said: "I would say I'm not his favourite person. But, that being said, he's probably a professional in some circles. He has a very good reputation, actually."
Trump says he would be 'honoured' to meet Iran's supreme leader
22:13 , Rebecca Whittaker
Donald Trump has said if he did meet Iran's supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei he would be “honoured”.
"I don't want to meet. But if I did meet, I'd be honoured to meet him," the US president said.
"But if we make a deal, it's possible that I would meet him. I'd be okay with that."
Trump added that he is unsure if he would host the supreme leader in the US, but adds he would "be respectful".
Trump insists US will 'win' and wrap up the conflict in Iran
22:02 , Rebecca Whittaker
Donald Trump reiterated that he’s certain his administration is on track to successfully wrap up the conflict.
“We're going to win one way or another,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
It comes as a series of strikes by the US and Iran this week has raised fresh concerns that the ceasefire could collapse.
How Iran’s ‘bazaar style’ negotiation tactic is stalling deal discussions to its benefit
22:00 , Rebecca Whittaker
Negotiations between the US and Iran over an end to the war on the country have been languishing in a stalemate for weeks as both sides remain intransigent about key issues including nuclear development and the situation in Lebanon.
The US is insistent that Tehran surrender its right to ever develop highly enriched uranium and appears to have been manoeuvring to install a government more sympathetic to Western interests.
Read more here by Maira Butt:
How Iran’s ‘bazaar style’ negotiation tactic is stalling deal discussions
Trump says he does not need deal with Iran to get enriched uranium
21:58 , Rebecca Whittaker
Donald Trump told reporters that Washington did not need a deal with Iran to get enriched uranium from the country.
But he added that if Washington and Tehran reached a deal, it was possible that the two would meet and added: "If it happened ... I'd be respectful".
"We could get it right now. I don't think they could stop us if we wanted, but there's no reason to. It's entombed," he told reporters in the Oval Office.
Trump also said that he did not want to meet with Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
Trump responds to Hezbollah rejecting the new ceasefire agreement
21:23 , Rebecca Whittaker
Donald Trump has responded to Hezbollah rejecting the new ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon and insisting "resistance will continue".
Speaking to a reporter in the Oval Office he said: "They didn't reject me.”
"I will tell you, they called us and they said, 'How about stopping?'
"I think you're going to see things happen over there."
Watch: Video released by Iranian military shows missiles and drones launched in new exchange of fire
21:00 , Rebecca Whittaker
Trump spins ‘meaningless, unpatriotic’ Iran war powers rebuke after House Republicans revolt against his authority
20:30 , Rebecca Whittaker
President Donald Trump on Thursday slammed Congress’ efforts to restrain him from launching new attacks against Iran without their approval and said he wasn’t concerned about the Senate joining the House of Representatives in adopting a resolution invoking the 1973 War Powers Act against him.
In a brief phone interview with The Independent, Trump said he was “not concerned” about the legislation to rein him in following a close House of Representatives vote to do the same a day earlier.
“It's a meaningless, unpatriotic waste of time, very unpatriotic to do, but that's okay — it means nothing,” he said.
Read more here by Andrew Feinberg:
Trump spins ‘meaningless, unpatriotic’ Iran war powers rebuke after House GOP revolt
UN peacekeeper in Lebanon is seventh killed in the country since March
20:00 , Rebecca Whittaker
A Serbian UN peacekeeper in Lebanon died from wounds sustained when mortar shells hit his position near Marjayoun in southeastern Lebanon.
He is the seventh peacekeeper killed in the country since March.
The UN said two other peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were wounded in the incident, one from El Salvador and the other from Spain.
The soldier killed was Sergeant Milovan Jovanovic of Serbia's 27th Mechanized Battalion, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a news briefing at UN headquarters in New York.
He said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the killing of Jovanovic, who would have turned 37 on Saturday.
He was married, with a son and a daughter, and was on his first peacekeeping deployment.
"We reiterate that attacks on peacekeepers must stop," Dujarric said. "They are grave violations of international humanitarian law and ... may amount to war crimes."
"Those responsible must be held to account," Dujarric said.
Pictured: Thousands gathered in Tehran to commemorate Eid al-Ghadir
19:30 , Rebecca Whittaker
Watch: Trump claims US military 'wants to' wipe out' all of Iran and is 'ready to do it'
19:00 , Rebecca Whittaker
EU to send €100m to support the Lebanese Armed Forces
18:30 , Rebecca Whittaker
The European Union is set to send €100m to reinforce the Lebanese Armed Forces, as it operates in the fragile ceasefire.
The funding, announced by the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, is drawn from the European Peace Facility.
“The best way to reduce the threat posed by Hezbollah is to strengthen the Lebanese state, empower its institutions, and restore its monopoly on the use of force,” Kaja Kallas said in a post on X.
The latest ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon offers a chance to prevent a return to full-scale hostilities.
— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) June 4, 2026
But the death of a UNIFIL peacekeeper and continued skirmishes underscore the tenuous nature of what was agreed.
The best way to reduce the threat posed by Hezbollah…
Major US city tacks on surcharge for taxi rides amid fuel cost rises driven by Iran War
18:00 , Rebecca Whittaker
Chicago taxi riders will now see higher fares thanks to a new fuel surcharge to help drivers offset rising gas prices amid the war in Iran.
The temporary Taxi Fuel Surcharge Fee took effect in Chicago Monday and applies to all licensed taxi rides, the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection revealed in a news release. It is based on the pre-tax meter fare and increases depending on the cost of the trip.
For shorter rides with a meter fare under $20, passengers will pay an additional $1. Trips ranging from $20.01 to $40 will include a $2 surcharge, while longer or more expensive rides above $40 will carry a $3 fee.
Read more here by Erin Keller In Ohio:
Chicago cabs just got more expensive thanks to the war in Iran
More than 3,500 people killed in Israeli attacks across Lebanon
17:30 , Rebecca Whittaker
About 3,526 people have been killed in Israeli attacks across Lebanon since March 2, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health.
Latest figures show 10,733 people have been wounded and more than a million people displaced.
Hezbollah rejects new ceasefire in Lebanon
17:00 , Rebecca Whittaker
The pro-Iran Hezbollah movement has rejected a new ceasefire in Lebanon and Israel said it would not withdraw troops from the country, undermining US President Donald Trump's efforts to halt fighting there to forge peace with Tehran.
Iran has made a ceasefire in Lebanon a condition for any peace deal with Washington, and has suggested in recent days that it could intervene directly in support of its proxy Hezbollah if Israel keeps up or escalates attacks there.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the ceasefire would come into force within 24 hours of all concerned parties approving it. However, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem rejected the Washington declaration, insisting "resistance will continue".
Watch: Kuwait releases footage of 'brutal Iranian drone attack' on airport terminal
16:30 , Rebecca Whittaker
Oil execs warn Trump that Iran war will cause gas prices to spike within weeks due to dwindling supplies: report
16:00 , Maira Butt
Several oil industry executives have reportedly privately warned the White House that the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz is straining global oil inventories and could lead to gas price spikes in the coming weeks.
For more than three months, Americans have been forced to confront high gas prices as a result of President Donald Trump’s war with Iran. The conflict has disrupted global oil production because Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 34 percent of the world’s oil passes.
But executives from unidentified oil companies have warned senior administration officials in recent weeks that they’re concerned prices could rise further as a result of diminishing oil supplies, four executives told Politico.
Oil execs warn Trump that gas prices could spike due to dwindling supplies: report
Exclusive: Trump spins ‘meaningless, unpatriotic’ Iran war powers rebuke after House Republicans revolt against his authority
15:30 , Maira Butt
President Donald Trump on Thursday slammed Congress’ efforts to restrain him from launching new attacks against Iran without their approval and said he wasn’t concerned about the Senate joining the House of Representatives in adopting a resolution invoking the 1973 War Powers Act against him.
In a brief phone interview with The Independent, Trump said he was “not concerned” about the legislation to rein him in following a close House of Representatives vote to do the same a day earlier.
“It's a meaningless, unpatriotic waste of time, very unpatriotic to do, but that's okay — it means nothing,” he said.
Trump spins ‘meaningless, unpatriotic’ Iran war powers rebuke after House GOP revolt
Marjane Satrapi, Iranian-French cartoonist and filmmaker behind Persepolis, ‘dies of sadness’ aged 56
15:00 , Maira Butt
Marjane Satrapi, the acclaimed Iranian-French cartoonist and filmmaker behind the 2007 drama Persepolis, has died at the age of 56.
In a statement, the French presidency hailed her passing as “the loss of a leading figure of French culture and an artist devoted to freedom, whose work carried a universal message and earned her immense international acclaim”.
President Emmanuel Macron and his wife also paid tribute, saying that she was “a remarkable artist who transformed an Iranian childhood into a universal fable”.
Filmmaker behind Persepolis ‘dies of sadness’ aged 56
Watch: Trump claims US military 'wants to' wipe out' all of Iran and is 'ready to do it'
14:30 , Maira Butt
In pictures: Aftermath of Israeli strikes on Lebanon
14:00 , Maira Butt
House Republicans join Democrats in rebuke to Trump’s Iran war powers
13:30 , Maira Butt
Republicans joined Democrats in the US House of Representatives to pass a resolution limiting Donald Trump's war powers. The resolution passed by a vote of 215 to 208, but still needs approval from the Republican-controlled Senate. The vote is largely symbolic and is likely to be ignored by the White House.
Read the full story below:
House Republicans join Democrats in rebuke to Trump’s Iran war powers
Hezbollah hits out at Israeli negotiations as 'shameless'
13:13 , Maira Butt
Lebanon’s Hezbollah chief has called Washington’s announcements of a ceasefire as a “roadmap to annihilate part of the Lebanese people” since it is the closest thing to a rejection.
He called negotiations with Israel “shameless”.
Trump rants about ‘grandstanding’ Republicans after they vote to block him striking Iran
12:54 , Maira Butt
President Donald Trump has ranted about “grandstanding” Republicans after the House of Representatives voted to block strikes on Iran on Wednesday.
“Yesterday, in a meaningless vote, the House voted, 4 bad Republicans and all of the Dumocrats, to limit my War Powers, right in the middle of my final negotiations to end the War with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he wrote in a Truth Social post on Thursday.
“Who would do such an unpatriotic thing. They know where the negotiations stand. The Democrats are fueled by Trump Derangement Syndrome. They would rather have our Country fail than give me another, of many, victories. The four Republicans, that’s a whole other story - They’re GRANDSTANDERS! They should be ashamed of themselves. MAGA!!! President DJT”.
Iran says Hezbollah seeks Israeli withdrawal to pre-war positions in Lebanon
12:30 , Maira Butt
Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force Commander Esmail Qaani has said that the baseline demand in Lebanon is for Israel to withdraw to positions it held prior to the start of the US-Israel war on Iran, according to state media.
He added that Lebanese fighters would soon see the results of their resistance and said supporting the resistance in Lebanon was the duty of all Muslims.
Trump’s approval rating hits another new low on 500th day back in the White House
12:00 , Maira Butt
President Donald Trump marks the 500th day of his second term in the White House Thursday, but the milestone coincides with a poll showing his approval rating at a new low.
The latest survey from The Economist and YouGov places Trump’s net approval rating at -25, down 1.1 points in a week, and reveals that only 35 percent of the American public approves of the job he is doing in the Oval Office, with a massive 60 percent disapproving and the remaining 5 percent unsure.
The news magazine explains that the results make the president the most unpopular U.S. commander-in-chief since it began polling in 2009.
Joe Sommerlad reports:
Trump’s approval rating hits another new low on 500th day back in the White House
Iranian drone strike ignites huge fireball at Kuwait airport
11:30 , Maira Butt
Noopur Jambhekar reports:
Kuwait officials released footage that they say shows Iranian drones striking Kuwait International Airport on Wednesday (3 June).
Video shows an Iranian drone hitting the roof of the terminal, which erupts in flames.
Kuwaiti authorities and state media said one person was killed and more than 60 others were injured.
The attack caused "severe damage" to the Terminal 1 building, the state news agency reported, citing the General Civil Aviation Authority.
Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards said they did not fire at the airport, blaming the destruction on US interceptor missiles that failed to hit their targets, according to Iranian state media.
US military officials said that was not accurate and that Iranian drones targeted the airport deliberately.
Trump’s Iran gamble leaves him trapped between hawks and voters
11:00 , Maira Butt
President Donald Trump finds himself increasingly cornered by both adversaries and allies over the protracted Iran conflict, a military engagement he initially presented as a swift incursion but which has since devolved into a stubborn stalemate.
The situation has grown particularly tense following a tentative agreement nearly a week ago between U.S. and Iranian negotiators to extend a ceasefire by 60 days and initiate new talks on Iran’s nuclear program, an accord awaiting Trump’s final approval.
However, Trump has demanded unspecified alterations to the agreement. Iranian officials, perhaps calculating that the Republican president is hesitant to resume bombardment after depleting key weapons systems, are showing no inclination to concede to these new demands.
Trump’s Iran gamble leaves him trapped between hawks and voters
How Iran’s ‘bazaar style’ negotiation tactic is stalling deal discussions to its benefit
10:35 , Maira Butt
Negotiations between the US and Iran over an end to the war on the country have been languishing in a stalemate for weeks as both sides remain intransigent about key issues including nuclear development and the situation in Lebanon.
The US is insistent that Tehran surrender its right to ever develop highly enriched uranium and appears to have been manoeuvring to install a government more sympathetic to Western interests.
Meanwhile, Iran has said that it will never agree to a deal that does not ensure the sovereignty of Lebanon and its borders from Israel - with Israeli strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon continuing - and has insisted on its ability to hold on to some nuclear development capabilities.
How Iran’s ‘bazaar style’ negotiation tactic is stalling deal discussions
Hezbollah rejects Israel-Lebanon ceasefire agreement
10:09 , Maira Butt
Hezbollah has told Lebanon’s president that it rejects a ceasefire agreement between the country and Israel.
The group demanded that Israel withdraw completely from Lebanon.
Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz has said that strikes on the country, including Beirut, will continue in the fighting.
Ben-Gvir calls Lebanon ceasefire a 'serious mistake'
09:27 , Maira Butt
Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Thursday called the ceasefire a “serious mistake” and said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should bring it to the cabinet for a vote.
Ben-Gvir said that Hezbollah would not withdraw its fighters from the area south of the Litani River and that the Lebanese Armed Forces were incapable of forcing Hezbollah to comply.
“The Lebanese state is a partner of Hezbollah,” he said. “In practice, Hezbollah will only grow stronger, and instead of defeating it, Israel is accepting its very existence.”
Iran's Khamenei warns against divisions after 'enemy's defeat on battlefield'
08:59 , Maira Butt
Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has said that Iran's enemies, having been defeated on the battlefield, are now seeking to undermine public resilience and sow internal divisions in a message to the nation read on his behalf on Thursday.
Khamenei called for national unity in the face of those threats and said any action that created pessimism or frustration among the public amounted to helping the enemy.
The message was read during ceremonies marking the anniversary of the death of the Islamic Republic's founder, Ruhollah Khomeini, as well as a major Shi'ite holiday.
Khamenei has not been seen in public since he was injured in a US-Israeli strike that killed his father on 28 February.
Trump says definition of ceasefire is different in Middle East
08:27 , Maira Butt
President Donald Trump on Wednesday dismissed questions on whether the shaky ceasefire with Iran is holding by suggesting that the definition of a ceasefire is different in the Middle East region.
Asked whether the ceasefire is still in place after Iran fired missiles against targets in Kuwait, Trump replied that there was “a reason” for the exchange of fire.
“We've been hitting them pretty hard, a little bit, so there is a reason for certain things, and there's usually a reason that sometimes makes sense. Some, but they did something for not a big deal. We got it, we nipped it in the bud very quickly, as we do with the greatest military in the world, but some people would say they were slightly provoked because we took a strong action for a different reason, so they were reciprocating,” he said.
The Independent’s White House correspondent Andrew Feinberg reports:
Trump describes Iran ceasefire as ‘shooting in a moderate manner’
Watch: US House votes to limit Trump’s war powers
07:54 , Maira Butt
Israel to continue operations in Lebanon for now despite ceasefire, defence minister says
07:28 , Maira Butt
Israel will continue its operations on the ground in southern Lebanon for the time being and Lebanese residents forced from their homes by Israel would not be able to return, Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday.
His comments came a day after Lebanon and Israel said they had agreed to implement a ceasefire during talks in Washington. The deal is contingent on a cessation of fire from militant group Hezbollah.
In a statement, Katz said troops would remain in its so-called security zone in southern Lebanon, including in the area of Beaufort Castle, a 900-year-old fortress captured by Israel on Saturday.
He said Israel would continue to “dismantle terrorist infrastructure in the area” while Israel had “freedom of action, backed by the United States, to strike in Beirut in response to attacks on Israeli communities and territory.”
Watch: Kuwait releases footage of 'brutal Iranian drone attack' on airport terminal
07:10 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Inflation and ICE fears threaten to dampen World Cup economic benefits in US
07:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
When the U.S. last hosted the World Cup in 1994, the event drew unexpectedly large crowds. At that time, football wasn’t as popular among Americans as it is now, so expectations for attendance had been fairly low.
So as the U.S. prepared to host the World Cup again in 2026, expectations for tourism were high.
But in the run-up to this year’s World Cup, the ongoing war in Iran has resulted in soaring inflation and high fuel prices, neither of which bodes well for tourism or event attendance.
Recent tourism reports indicate there will be fewer hotel reservations than anticipated due to reduced international travel confidence and a growing uncertainty related to U.S. immigration policies, geopolitical instability, tariffs and inflation.
More here.
Inflation and ICE fears threaten to dampen World Cup economic benefits
House Republicans join Democrats in rebuke to Trump’s Iran war powers
06:50 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
A handful of Republicans joined Democrats on Wednesday and bucked President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson to rein in the president’s power to further prosecute his war in Iran.
The House passed the War Powers Act resolution 215-208. The move came after four Republicans defected to the Democratic side.
Under U.S. law, the president must withdraw troops within 60 days of a military engagement unless Congress declares war or authorizes the use of military force. The president must also inform Congress within 48 of committing armed forces into action.
More here.
House Republicans join Democrats in rebuke to Trump’s Iran war powers
Israeli strikes kill eight in Gaza city
06:31 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Israeli attacks in Gaza killed at least eight people, the civil defence agency in the Hamas-run Strip said.“At least eight martyrs as a result of Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City at dawn,” spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal told AFP.
He said seven were killed in strikes on residential buildings and one in the Al-Shati refugee camp to the west of Gaza City
Iran’s fortress island with an underground ‘missile city’ threatening US troops in Hormuz
06:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The US military launched fresh strikes on a fortified Iranian island near the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday as diplomacy slowed and Iran restarted attacks on its neighbours.
US Central Command said the military attacked a ground control tower on Qeshm Island in “self-defence”, claiming Iran had tried and failed to attack Kuwait and Bahrain with missiles.
Residents reported hearing early morning explosions on the 558sq mile stretch off the mainland, which has been used throughout the conflict to attack ships passing through the closed waterway.
More here.
Inside Qeshm: How Iran’s fortress island holds the key to the Strait of Hormuz
Funeral held for victims of Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon
06:13 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
