US envoys are flying into Doha for high-level peace talks amid a renewed spate of strikes, despite claims from Tehran that no such talks have been arranged.
Secretary of state Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to represent the US, a White House official said.
“IRAN HAS REQUESTED A MEETING. IT WILL TAKE PLACE TOMORROW IN DOHA,” Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social.
However, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, said no talks between Iran and the US were scheduled in the coming days. He said that an Iranian technical delegation will visit Qatar this week, but it has no relation to US officials visiting the country.
Iran and the US had traded attacks in the Gulf in recent days as each accused the other of violating an interim deal signed less than two weeks ago to end their four-month war.
On Sunday, Iran said its naval and aerospace forces carried out a joint missile and drone operation targeting US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain, and warned further violations would receive a “crushing response”.
Key Points
- Trump says Iran and US to meet in Doha today
- Iran says its delegation will travel to Doha, but not for US talks
- Oil falls below $73 a barrel as investors focus on potential Doha talks
- Iran says final deal negotiation has not begun
- Rubio, Witkoff to brief US Congress on Iran deal, official says
Watch: Trump says envoys traveling to Doha for Iran meeting
05:45 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Oil falls below $73 a barrel as investors focus on potential Doha talks
05:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Oil prices dropped this morning, with investors eyeing the outcome of potential US-Iran talks in Doha amid weekend missile fire from both sides that tested an interim ceasefire to end the four-month-old war.
Brent August crude futures, which expire today, were down 1.03 per cent, or 75 cents, at $72.40 a barrel.
US West Texas Intermediate fell 0.66 per cent, or 47 cents, to $70.32 a barrel.
"Investors are pricing in hopes of a positive outcome from the Doha talks, even though real normalisation of flows through the Strait of Hormuz is not yet visible," said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade.
"The market is cautiously hopeful but still hedging its bets until we see more tangible signs of de-escalation," Waterer added.
Iran says its delegation will travel to Doha, but not for US talks
05:28 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Iran's foreign ministry said a delegation will be in Doha over the next two days, but the team will not meet with US officials.
Instead, the group will pursue, through the Qatari mediator, the implementation of US commitments under the memorandum of understanding, according to deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi.
President Donald Trump had said that Iran-US talks would be held in Doha today. However, Iran dismissed the statement, saying no talks have been scheduled for the coming days.
Locals push back as Israeli troops force into a town in Syria
05:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
As Israeli troops and vehicles entered the town of Abdin in southern Syria, residents blocked the roads with rocks, and some young men and boys threw stones to push back the military patrol.
Tensions in this part of the country created by a buffer zone occupied by Israeli forces have flared into violence in recent days, leaving residents anxious that more escalation is coming. Residents of Abdin, located near a UN-patrolled buffer zone now controlled by Israeli troops, tried to resist against a military incursion on Sunday.
"They come into the village regularly, every few days," said resident Mohammad al-Hassan.
"They come in armored 4x4 vehicles, they roam around the village and search some houses, they knock on doors and if people don't answer the door they break it down and enter the houses. Women and children start screaming, it's a terrifying thing, them coming here."
Israel says it needs buffer zones to prevent attacks.
Iran says final deal negotiation has not begun
04:45 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has said that negotiations on the final deal between US and Iran have not begun.
“We have not yet entered the negotiation phase for a final agreement,” he told Iran’s IRIB broadcaster.
“According to Article 13 of the Memorandum of Understanding, the commencement of negotiations for a final agreement is conditional on the commencement and continuation of the implementation of Articles 1, 4, 5, 10, and 11,” Baghaei added
Article 1 calls for an end to war on all fronts, including in Lebanon. Article 4 calls for the US to remove its naval blockade on Iranian ports, while Article 5 concerns the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Article 10 concerns lifting sanctions on Iranian oil exports, and Article 11 calls for the release of frozen assets.
US to suspend some duties on phosphate fertilizer from Morocco
04:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
US president Donald Trump has authorized the temporary suspension of certain duties on phosphate fertilizer imported from Morocco, the White House said, as farmers grapple with fertilizer shortages due to the Iran war.
White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said in March that the Trump administration was seeking more sources of fertilizer.
Supply from major producers in the Middle East was sharply cut by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
"Global supply chains for phosphate fertilizer and fertilizer inputs, including imports of such products into the United States, have been disrupted in recent months by, among other things, conflicts in fertilizer-producing regions as well as trade actions taken by major fertilizer-producing countries," Trump said in a proclamation released by the White House.
Watch: Trump claims communism is bigger threat to US than 9/11 and Pearl Harbor
04:15 , Rachel Dobkin
Demining of the Strait of Hormuz to be carried out only by Iran, deputy foreign minister says
04:00 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
The removal of mines from the Strait of Hormuz is to be carried out solely by Iran according to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between Tehran and Washington, a senior Iranian official has said.
Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi made the remarks in a post on X on Monday, in response to French President Macron's comments on the subject.
Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that France and Oman are working together to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East and will cooperate with their partners on clearing mines from the Strait of Hormuz.
“The situation is sensitive and complex, we strongly advise France not to complicate it further with its provocations,” Mr Gharibabadi added.
Watch: Rubio dismisses UAE fears over Strait of Hormuz toll as ‘semantics’ despite threat to peace talks
03:00 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
Trump demands gasoline retailers lower their prices
02:00 , Rachel Dobkin
US President Donald Trump has demanded that gasoline retailers lower their prices.
“Gasoline Retailers must get their Prices down, IMMEDIATELY! They’re too high considering that Oil is now at $68 a Barrel, and heading south.
“The Retailers must quickly react to this statement, and do what they know is right — DROP YOUR PRICE FOR OUR GREAT AMERICAN PEOPLE!” Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday night, local time.
The cost of fuel skyrocketed during the Iran war.
While gas prices in the US have dipped on hopes that the fighting is winding down, they still sit at $3.86 a gallon on average, according to the AAA motor club.
When the war started, gas prices in the US were below $3 a gallon on average, the Associated Press reported.
Trump promises farmers they will get to sell crops to ‘lovely country of Iran’ after war
01:00 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
President Donald Trump has promised American farmers they will soon be able to sell their crops to the “lovely country of Iran” now that he has signed a memorandum of understanding to end his war.
Speaking in the White House Rose Garden last Thursday, the president said: “After years of getting ripped off by other countries on trade, we’ve reduced the agricultural trade deficit, just this year, by 42 percent, opening markets to the American exports, and all over the world, we’re opening up markets for the farmers.
“And we have another one, a new market, coming up. And that’s called the lovely country of Iran. It’s a beautiful place. Would anybody like to go there?
“Uh, the Islamic Republic of Iran, uh, they’re having a hard time with food, and we’re gonna be taking some of their money and we’ll spend it, and we’re gonna be buying wheat, soybeans, and corn – a lot of it – and, uh, that process is gonna be starting pretty soon. It’s gonna be pretty big, too. I think it’s gonna be very big.”
You can read more below:
Trump promises farmers they will sell crops to ‘lovely country of Iran’ after war
UAE will allow nationals to travel to Lebanon from Monday
Tuesday 30 June 2026 00:00 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
The United Arab Emirates will allow its nationals to travel to Lebanon starting on Monday, the state news agency WAM reported.
UAE citizens planning to visit Lebanon must register through an official service, an emergency and support platform by the ministry of foreign affairs, before their departure, the agency added.
On April 30, UAE banned its citizens from traveling to Iran, Lebanon and Iraq, and urged Emiratis in those countries to leave immediately and return home, citing regional developments.
Trump says meeting with Iran this week could 'perhaps' be important
Monday 29 June 2026 23:00 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
US president Donald Trump told reporters on Monday that the US-Iran meeting in Qatar this week will be "perhaps important, perhaps not."
It comes as US envoys fly to Doha for fresh peace talks between Tehran and Washington on Tuesday.
But earlier on Monday, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said no talks between Iran and the United States are scheduled in the coming days.
He said that an Iranian technical delegation will visit Qatar this week, but has no relation to US officials visiting the country.
Watch: Protestors March Against The Iranian Regime And Football Team At World Cup Match
Monday 29 June 2026 22:00 , Harriette Boucher
No talks planned between US and Iran, Tehran says
Monday 29 June 2026 21:30 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
No talks between Iran and the United States are scheduled in the coming days, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said in a statement on Monday, adding that an Iranian technical delegation will visit Qatar this week, but has no relation to US officials visiting the country.
Tehran has not started negotiations for a final deal as these require the implementation of certain points of the MoU, which is Iran's priority currently, Mr Baghaei added.
‘Trump wasn’t victorious – it was a major defeat’: protestors inside Iran speak out
Monday 29 June 2026 21:00 , Harriette Boucher
Amirhossein Miresmaeili hears from unimpressed protestors within Iran who feel betrayed by Donald Trump’s promises of regime change:
‘Trump wasn’t victorious – it was a major defeat’: protestors inside Iran speak out
Iran's president says $6B in frozen assets in Qatar to be released as US talks challenged
Monday 29 June 2026 20:30 , Harriette Boucher
Iran's president said that $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets would be released by Qatar as negotiations with the United States were challenged by attacks across the Persian Gulf this weekend.
Masoud Pezeshkian 's mention of the funds appear aimed at selling the Iranian public on the interim deal, particularly as its grip on the Strait of Hormuz has been challenged by efforts to open Oman's territorial waters to both inbound and outbound traffic from the Persian Gulf.
Iran's attacks and threats stopped cargo ships and tankers from moving though the strait, in which about a fifth of all traded oil and natural gas passed in peacetime, creating a global energy crisis.
Read more here:
Iran's president says $6B in frozen assets in Qatar to be released as US talks challenged
Israel-Lebanon deal may entrench stalemate rather than end war, analysts say
Monday 29 June 2026 20:00 , Harriette Boucher
A security deal between Israel and Lebanon risks entrenching a stalemate rather than resolving Israel's underlying conflict with Hezbollah by tying Israel's pullout from southern Lebanon to the Iran-aligned group's disarmament, a condition regional analysts and politicians say is unattainable.
At its core is a bargain few see as workable: Hezbollah has flatly rejected disarmament, and no Lebanese government has the power to enforce it.
With Hezbollah unlikely to disarm, analysts say Israel has political cover to keep an open-ended military presence in southern Lebanon, which it invaded after Hezbollah fired at Israel on 2 March in solidarity with Tehran over the war in Iran.
The deal leaves the Lebanese state trapped between obligations it cannot meet and sovereignty it cannot fully reclaim, the analysts say.
The framework deal also collides with Lebanon’s political realities, asking a fragile sectarian state to confront the most powerful armed faction in the country despite a post–civil war system built on power-sharing rather than coercion.
“This is not an agreement, it is an imposed settlement,” said a senior Lebanese politician who declined to be named.
The Lebanese army, he said, was neither structured nor equipped to disarm Hezbollah, and expecting it to do so ignored both the group’s entrenched military capacity and the fragile sectarian balance on which Lebanon's stability rests.
Political analysts say the imbalance is built into the agreement’s design, with sweeping obligations placed on Lebanon but no reciprocal guarantee of Israeli withdrawal.
“This agreement has put all the burden on Lebanon," said Michael Young, a Beirut-based analyst, adding that it “creates a structure that allows the Israelis to remain [in southern Lebanon] indefinitely.”
Fawaz Gerges, a Lebanese scholar at the London School of Economics and Political Science, said the deal was “born dead” and is structurally flawed, hinging on a condition that is impossible to meet in practice.
ICYMI: US Navy carry out strikes on ten Iranian military targets
Monday 29 June 2026 19:30 , Harriette Boucher
Centcom chief meets Lebanese leader in Beirut
Monday 29 June 2026 19:00 , Harriette Boucher
Lebanon’s president met with the top US military commander in Beirut on Monday to discuss its agreement with Israel.
In a post on social media, Lebanon’s presidency said: “During the meeting, discussions were held regarding the preparations related to the start of implementation of the framework agreement that was approved as a result of the Lebanese-American-Israeli negotiations in Washington.
“President Aoun thanked Admiral Cooper for the attention shown by US president Donald Trump toward Lebanon to achieve security and stability in it, reaffirming the Lebanese state's determination to extend its authority through its armed forces all the way to the international southern borders.”
Traffic in Strait of Hormuz drops after vessel struck
Monday 29 June 2026 18:30 , Harriette Boucher
The number of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz plummeted over the weekend after a vessel was struck on Saturday morning.
Maritime tracking firm Kpler said 29 ships crossed the strait on Saturday and 12 on Sunday, a sharp decline from the 70 on Wednesday.
Donald Trump unleashed strikes on Iran after a commercial ship was targeted while exiting the Strait of Hormuz
'Trump unafraid to use might of US military'
Monday 29 June 2026 18:00 , Harriette Boucher
The White House has vowed violence against Iran if it does not hold up to its end of the peace deal.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Donald Trump was “unafraid to use the might of our military”, adding that the US would win no matter the outcome of talks.
“Special Envoy Witkoff and Jared Kushner will be flying to Doha for high-level meetings this week, as we continue to discuss the memorandum of understanding,” she told Fox News.
“On the sidelines of those high-level talks, will be the technical talks.
“As far as we're concerned, we're holding up our end of the ceasefire. Violence will be met with violence,” Ms Leavitt added.
“We hope we don’t see that, the president obviously wants to see the peace process play out and the Iranians would be best to sign a good deal with the US because the president has proven he is unafraid to use the might of our military.
“Either way, the US wins,” she added. “If the peace process plays, gas prices will continue to tumble...or if Iran choses to be a bad actor, they’ll prove themselves to be the pariah of the Middle East.”
Rubio to brief house lawmakers on Iran agreement - report
Monday 29 June 2026 17:30 , Harriette Boucher
Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff are expected to brief US Congress on peace talks and Washington’s tentative agreement with Iran.
Sources told CNN and Politico that the envoys would speak to house lawmakers at 4pm ET.
It would be the first time that a broad group of members have been briefed on the Trump administration’s efforts to wind the war.
It comes after both Republicans and Democrats called for more transparency over the agreement.
Iran denies 'technical talks' have been confirmed with US
Monday 29 June 2026 16:24 , Harriette Boucher
A top Iranian diplomat has denied claims that talks between Iran and the US were planned in Doha this week.
According to Iranian state media, Kazem Gharibabadi said: “technical working group meetings were not scheduled for this week.”
The deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs added that technical discussions would not take place until “necessary conditions” were met and a date and venue was agreed on.
“The first round of technical talks within the framework of the designated working groups will be held after the necessary conditions are met and following agreement on the date and venue, and consultations on these matters are continuing through the mediator countries.”
Qatar halts sailing after civilian killed by shrapnel
Monday 29 June 2026 15:57 , Harriette Boucher
Qatar’s ministry of transport has suspended sailing and maritime activities “in the interest of public safety”.
It said it was urging “all owners and users of marine vessels, including pleasure boats, fishing boats, jet skis, and all similar marine vessels, to temporarily suspend navigation and marine activities, effective from the date of issuance of this circular until further notice.”
It did not provide a reasoning behind the measure, but it comes one day after Qatar said one of its nationals was killed after sustaining injuries from shrapnel due to "military operations in the region" after his vessel went missing.
Rubio and Witkoff to brief US Congress on Iran deal, official says
Monday 29 June 2026 15:45 , Harriette Boucher
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff will brief the full US House of Representatives and Senate by phone on Monday on the deal with Iran, a White House official said.
'Trump wasn't victorious': protestors inside Iran speak out
Monday 29 June 2026 15:30 , Alex Croft
Amirhossein Miresmaeili hears from unimpressed protestors within Iran who feel betrayed by Donald Trump’s promises of regime change.
‘Trump wasn’t victorious – it was a major defeat’: protestors inside Iran speak out
Iran's president says $6B in frozen assets in Qatar to be released
Monday 29 June 2026 15:00 , Alex Croft
Iran's president has said that $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets would be released by Qatar as negotiations with the United States were challenged by attacks across the Persian Gulf this weekend.
Pezeshkian offered praise for the interim deal in comments published Monday by the state-run IRNA news agency, calling it “a great victory for the Iranian people.”
“Based on the plans made, $6 billion out of the total $12 billion of Iranian resources in Qatar will be released and returned to the country, and necessary follow-ups are being carried out,” he said. He did not elaborate.
So far, U.S. officials say no frozen Iranian assets have been released.
Kushner and Witkoff will travel for Iran meeting in Doha
Monday 29 June 2026 14:15 , Alex Croft
President Donald Trump's top envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will travel to Doha on Tuesday for talks with Iranian officials, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt has said.
"Special Envoy Witkoff and Jared Kushner will be flying to Doha for high-level meetings this week, as we continue to discuss the memorandum of understanding. On the sidelines of those high-level talks, will be the technical talks," she said.
"As far as we're concerned, we're holding up our end of the ceasefire. Violence will be met with violence," Leavitt added.
Trump had earlier announced in a post on Truth Social that a meeting would take place in Qatar at the request of Iran after both sides traded strikes over the weekend.
Watch: Protestors march against the Iranian regime and football team at World Cup match
Monday 29 June 2026 14:01 , Alex Croft
Qatar says citizen killed from shrapnel due to 'military operations'
Monday 29 June 2026 13:36 , Alex Croft
Qatar's interior ministry said on Sunday a Qatari national was killed after sustaining injuries from shrapnel due to "military operations in the area" after a vessel carrying him and another person went missing.
The ministry said the second individual was injured, adding that it located the missing vessel in the early hours of Sunday after search operations that started a day earlier.
It did not give the location of the incident and did not say whether the shrapnel was linked to Iranian drones launched against US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain on Sunday.
How violence followed a much-anticipated peace deal
Monday 29 June 2026 13:10 , Alex Croft
One round of mediated talks, led by vice president JD Vance and Iran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, was held in Switzerland a week ago and Washington waived sanctions on Tehran.
But fighting has since resumed and intensified.
In a Truth Social post, Donald Trump said on Sunday: "There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started.”
About an hour after Trump's post, Kuwait's army said its air defenses were responding to missile and drone attacks, while Bahrain said sirens had sounded there.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement its navy and air forces had launched missile and drone operations targeting US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain.
The Guards said US strikes had violated the ceasefire and "will result in the complete halt of all diplomatic processes", state-run Press TV said. The IRGC navy command said American bases in the region "will experience hell in the coming days".
Hours later, alarms sounded for a second time in Bahrain, where authorities said an Iranian attack damaged a residential building in Muharraq province, with no casualties reported.
The Kuwaiti army said it had intercepted two ballistic missiles with no damage or casualties.
Separately, Qatar said one of its nationals had died after sustaining injuries from shrapnel aboard a vessel that had gone missing on Saturday. A second person was injured in the incident.
Trump says Iran and US to meet in Doha tomorrow
Monday 29 June 2026 12:49 , Alex Croft
Donald Trump has said a team from Iran and the US will meet in Doha tomorrow, after the countries halted a renewed spate of strikes over their Strait of Hormuz dispute.
“IRAN HAS REQUESTED A MEETING. IT WILL TAKE PLACE TOMORROW IN DOHA!” the US president wrote on Truth Social.
It came just hours after Tehran’s deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on Monday that the technical working group meetings had not yet been planned.
Monday 29 June 2026 12:21 , Alex Croft
As we earlier reported, Iraq's foreign minister said in a meeting on Sunday with his Iranian counterpart that it was important to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and lift the US naval blockade on Iran.
Iraq does not support expanding the scale of the war on the Gulf states, and does not back attacks on Iran, Fuad Hussein told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who is visiting Baghdad.
We can now bring you some pictures from the meeting:
Price of crude oil edges up to $72 a barrel
Monday 29 June 2026 11:56 , Alex Croft
The price of crude oil edged up 0.2 per cent to $72 a barrel as investors assessed shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, with a tenuous interim ceasefire prevailing between the US and Iran.
The countries traded fire through the weekend before agreeing to halt hostilities and renew talks.
Despite the strikes, prices remain lower than they were before the US-Israeli war on Iran began.
Iran denies talks with US have been scheduled for this week
Monday 29 June 2026 11:30 , Alex Croft
Tehran has denied that talks as part of the scheduled memorandum of understanding were not scheduled for this week, according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency.
Deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on Monday that the technical working group meetings had not been planned.
Earlier, a source with knowledge of the talks told Reuters news agencyu that Iranian and US technical teams working on implementing the MoU would be meeting in the coming days.
Gharibabadi also said consultations between Iran and Qatar regarding the U.S. commitments were continuing as planned but that technical working group talks in Doha had not been confirmed.
‘Trump wasn’t victorious – it was a major defeat’: protestors inside Iran speak out
Monday 29 June 2026 11:06 , Alex Croft
This article first appeared on our partner site, Independent Persian
The signing of a memorandum of understanding between US president Donald Trump and Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian was seen by many Iranians not as the end of a crisis, as portrayed by Washington and Tehran, but as a symbol of “political betrayal” and “America’s historic failure”.
In messages sent to Independent Persian, readers from various cities across Iran said that after 39 days of war, Trump ultimately agreed to a deal with the Islamic Republic while the core power structure in Tehran remains intact, the influence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has grown, and ordinary Iranians have been left to cope with economic hardship, destroyed homes, unemployment and a new wave of executions.
Amirhossein Miresmaeili writes:
‘Trump wasn’t victorious – it was a major defeat’: protestors inside Iran speak out
Lebanon's parliament speaker slams US agreement between Lebanon and Israel
Monday 29 June 2026 10:40 , Alex Croft
Lebanon's parliament speaker Nabih Berri has slammed a US-brokered agreement between Lebanon and Israel, warning it could lead to attempts to divide Lebanese and said it would not be implemented.
In comments to Lebanon's al-Akhbar newspaper, Berri described Iran-US negotiations as the only realistic opportunity to secure Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon - adding that any attempt to separate Lebanon from the US-Iran track would prolong Israeli occupation.
Israel has occupied a swathe of southern Lebanon in the latest intensification of its conflict with Hezbollah since March.
The Lebanon war has been a central part of diplomacy towards ending the wider US-Iran conflict. Tehran has insisted on a Lebanon ceasefire as part of its interim deal with Washington, while the United States has sponsored separate talks between the Lebanese and Israeli governments - which Beirut has attended despite Hezbollah's objections.
Israel has praised the agreement, signed by the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to Washington on Friday, with prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying it allows Israeli forces to continue to occupy southern Lebanon if Hezbollah does not disarm.
Hezbollah, which has demanded Beirut quit its face-to-face talks with the Israeli government, has rejected the deal as a surrender to Israel.
In pictures: Vessels in Strait of Hormuz after Sunday's tit-for-tat strikes
Monday 29 June 2026 10:33 , Alex Croft
Iranian and US teams set to meet in Doha in coming days
Monday 29 June 2026 09:50 , Alex Croft
Iranian and US technical teams working on the implementation of a memorandum of understanding are set to meet in Doha in the coming days, a source with knowledge of the talks said on Monday.
Mediators have established communications channels to de-escalate any incidents, and technical talks are set to continue, the source added.
$6 billion of Iranian assets in Qatar to be released - Iranian state media
Monday 29 June 2026 09:27 , Alex Croft
Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday that, after an agreement with the US lifted oil and petrochemical sanctions, $6 billion (£4.5bn) out of $12 billion (£9.1bn) of assets frozen in Qatar would be released and returned to Iran, Iranian state media reported.
Iran and the United States signed an interim agreement this month to prepare the ground for a settlement of their conflict.
Iran narrowly knocked out of tumultuous World Cup on Austria's last-second goal
Monday 29 June 2026 09:05 , Alex Croft
Iran has been eliminated from the World Cup, narrowly failing to advance past the group stage in a politically charged tournament where the team played its matches amid tight restrictions imposed by the United States.
Iran missed the round of 32 by one spot in heartbreaking fashion.
It finished third in Group G with three points earned with draws against Belgium, New Zealand and Egypt. Iran appeared to have advanced via tiebreakers when Algeria scored a stunning stoppage-time goal to go ahead of Austria 3-2 Saturday night, but Austria tied it back up seconds later on the game's final play. Their draw ensured Iran's elimination.
It was one last painful moment for Iran in a World Cup that's been tumultuous, on and off the pitch.
Read more here:
Iran narrowly knocked out of tumultuous World Cup on Austria's last-second goal
By numbers: Impact of Iran-US war on fuel prices at the pump
Monday 29 June 2026 08:42 , Alex Croft
The four month conflict has sent fuel prices rocketing as countries reliant on Brent crude faced shortages of fuel.
In the UK, diesel prices shot up to £1.92, an increase of nearly 50 pence compared to pre-war, while unleaded petrol rose by 27 pence to around £1.59. These were the highest prices since highest since the late 2022, after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine sent unleaded prices up to £1.91 and diesel up to £1.99.
Watch: Protestors march against the Iranian regime and football team at World Cup match
Monday 29 June 2026 08:20 , Alex Croft
Iran and Oman hold first meeting of joint Strait of Hormuz committee
Monday 29 June 2026 07:54 , Alex Croft
Iran and Oman have held the first meeting of a joint committee on the Strait of Hormuz in Muscat, an Iranian deputy foreign minister said on his X account on Monday.
Kazem Gharibabadi said they had exchanged views on Gulf coastal states' sovereign rights and on future management of the strait.
“While reviewing current issues related to the Strait, we exchanged views on the future management of the Strait within the framework of paragraph five of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding and the sovereign rights of the coastal states,” he wrote.
How violence has followed a much-anticipated peace deal
Monday 29 June 2026 07:32 , Alex Croft
One round of mediated talks, led by vice president JD Vance and Iran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, was held in Switzerland a week ago and Washington waived sanctions on Tehran.
But fighting has since resumed and intensified.
In a Truth Social post, Donald Trump said on Sunday: "There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started.”
About an hour after Trump's post, Kuwait's army said its air defenses were responding to missile and drone attacks, while Bahrain said sirens had sounded there.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement its navy and air forces had launched missile and drone operations targeting US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain.
The Guards said US strikes had violated the ceasefire and "will result in the complete halt of all diplomatic processes", state-run Press TV said. The IRGC navy command said American bases in the region "will experience hell in the coming days".
Hours later, alarms sounded for a second time in Bahrain, where authorities said an Iranian attack damaged a residential building in Muharraq province, with no casualties reported.
The Kuwaiti army said it had intercepted two ballistic missiles with no damage or casualties.
Separately, Qatar said one of its nationals had died after sustaining injuries from shrapnel aboard a vessel that had gone missing on Saturday. A second person was injured in the incident.
‘Trump wasn’t victorious – it was a major defeat’: protestors inside Iran speak out
Monday 29 June 2026 07:00 , Graig Graziosi
The signing of a memorandum of understanding between US president Donald Trump and Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian was seen by many Iranians not as the end of a crisis, as portrayed by Washington and Tehran, but as a symbol of “political betrayal” and “America’s historic failure”.
In messages sent to Independent Persian, readers from various cities across Iran said that after 39 days of war, Trump ultimately agreed to a deal with the Islamic Republic while the core power structure in Tehran remains intact, the influence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has grown, and ordinary Iranians have been left to cope with economic hardship, destroyed homes, unemployment and a new wave of executions.
Their anger is directed above all at the gap between the rhetoric that accompanied the start of the war and its eventual outcome.
READ MORE:
‘Trump wasn’t victorious – it was a major defeat’: protestors inside Iran speak out
Qatar says citizen killed from shrapnel due to 'military operations'
Monday 29 June 2026 06:46 , Namita Singh
Qatar's interior ministry said on Sunday a Qatari national was killed after sustaining injuries from shrapnel due to "military operations in the area" after a vessel carrying him and another person went missing.
The ministry said the second individual was injured, adding that it located the missing vessel in the early hours of Sunday after search operations that started a day earlier.
It did not give the location of the incident and did not say whether the shrapnel was linked to Iranian drones launched against US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain on Sunday.
Iran cyberattacks on Israel surged in 2026, Israeli cyber chief says
Monday 29 June 2026 06:26 , Namita Singh
The number of Iranian cyberattacks against Israel has shot up since the launch of the US-Israeli offensive against Iran this year, a senior Israeli security official was quoted as saying on Monday.
Yossi Karadi, Director General of Israel's National Cyber Directorate, told German newspaper Die Welt that in June 2025 during Israeli military operations against Iran, Israel's authorities registered around 1,600 hostile cyber incidents.
During the same month in 2026, the number had jumped to some 4,800 incidents, he told the paper.
"Some groups are very skilled," Karadi said, according to the German text of the interview.
"We can handle them, but we have to take them seriously. Unlike in the kinetic realm, there's no ceasefire in cyberspace."
Karadi said the attacks were directed against systems used by Israel's critical infrastructure, central organisations, small to medium-sized companies and the public, citing law practices and accounting firms as among the smaller ones hit.
"So far – and hopefully it stays that way – we've managed to fend off attacks on critical infrastructure," he said.
Companies that were easier to penetrate often ended up having their computer systems wiped, he said, without mentioning any names. Iran typically denies carrying out hacking campaigns against other countries while reporting attacks on itself.
Israel says it destroyed Hezbollah underground infrastructure in southern Lebanon
Monday 29 June 2026 06:06 , Namita Singh
The Israeli military said it destroyed underground infrastructure used by Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in a village in southern Lebanon, according to a joint statement by the Israeli prime minister and defence minister on Sunday.
The US was informed ahead of the attack, which targeted a 200m long tunnel in the town of Majdal Zoun, according to the statement from Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister Israel Katz.
The strike came two days after Lebanon and Israel agreed a US-brokered security arrangement intended to ease hostilities along the border.
The agreement provides for a phased Israeli withdrawal from some parts of southern Lebanon alongside the deployment of the Lebanese army, although Israeli forces would be permitted to remain in an expanded security zone for the time being.
The Israeli statement said the tunnel contained hundreds of weapons and launchers. The attack comes hours after the Israeli military said it struck Hezbollah militants armed with rocket-propelled grenades and hit a rocket launcher in the Nabatieh area of southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah said early on Monday that the Israeli attacks were a "flagrant" violation of the ceasefire to which it has so far adhered, adding that it is closely monitoring all such violations and reserves the right to "defend its homeland and people”.
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has rejected the security agreement, describing it as a surrender to Israel. He said the group would continue its armed resistance.
Netanyahu said in his statement late on Sunday that the Israeli military would remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon and will "continue to destroy terrorist infrastructure, remove threats from the northern communities, and safeguard the security of Israel's citizens".
More than a million Lebanese have been driven from their homes by the conflict that has run in parallel with the wider Iran war. Hezbollah and Iran say Washington pledged to ensure the end of hostilities in Lebanon as part of its memorandum of understanding signed two weeks ago to end the wider war.
Qatari citizen killed, one other injured by military strike in Strait of Hormuz
Monday 29 June 2026 06:00 , Graig Graziosi
Qatar’s Interior Ministry announced on Sunday that a Qatari citizen had been killed and another injured amid the hostilities between the U.S. and Israel and Iran.
According to the interior ministry, the two individuals were on a boat that was struck by shrapnel from a military strike. The ministry said the vessel never returned to port on Saturday, which kicked off a search and rescue operation.
Responders found the vessel and the two individuals early on Sunday. The injured individual — who has not been identified — was transported to a hospital for treatment. The Qatari citizen died.
Philippines leads the world in rush to solar as power prices soar
Monday 29 June 2026 05:47 , Namita Singh
People in the Philippines are flocking to install solar power on rooftops and escape the burden of soaring electricity prices, making it the world's biggest spender on solar panels since the war in Iran started.
Top power distributor Meralco has raised prices by 10 per cent since the Middle East conflict began in late February. Now, a median household spends around 12 per cent of monthly income on electricity, assuming it consumes 200 kilowatt-hours – approximately the monthly average for three people.
The Philippines is one of the few countries in Southeast Asia with barely any power subsidies, and its residential power prices are the highest in the region. Only Singapore comes close, but its citizens average purchasing power is nearly 13 times higher.
Adrian Sabatera, a 39-year-old software engineer, thought about getting solar for years but found it too costly. That changed as costs came down and electricity prices kept rising."I wouldn't be shocked if a third of the middle-class population eventually finds their way to this setup," Mr Sabatera said after recently pulling the trigger on a ₱570,000 ($9,300) installation at the Manila house he shares with `three others.
The rooftop solar rush has resulted in $407m in panel imports in the three months through May, a 145 per cent increase from a year earlier, according to trade data from China, which accounts for most global supply.
Even when Chinese panel shipments fell 13 per cent in May after a tax rebate removal, exports to the Philippines rose by almost a third. On paper, the Netherlands remains a larger market for panels, but experts say that's because it is a transshipment hub.
Israel struck Hezbollah militants in Lebanon
Monday 29 June 2026 05:20 , Namita Singh
Israel said on Sunday it had once again struck Iran-backed armed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, destroying underground infrastructure used by the group in a village in southern Lebanon.
That came after another strike on Saturday, which closely followed its latest ceasefire deal with Lebanon on Friday. Iran says the fighting in Lebanon must end if the wider agreement is to stick.
The US military said earlier it had struck Iran again, hours after a tanker was hit in the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important energy shipping route, which Tehran has largely closed for most of the conflict.
"There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started," Trump said on social media, before the Axios report.
"If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!" he added. The 14-point interim peace accord was meant to halt the fighting, which the US and Israel started on 28 February, and reopen the strait while talks proceeded on issues such as Iran's nuclear program.
Iranian foreign minister says U.S., Israel have violated parts of memorandum of understanding
Monday 29 June 2026 05:01 , Graig Graziosi
Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, met with Iraqi officials in Baghdad on Sunday where he accused the U.S. and Israel of violating parts of the recently-established memorandum of understanding between the three nations.
He announced the meeting on his Telegram channel.
Araghchi met with Iraqi President Nizar Amidi and told the leader that the alleged violation could prove to be a major hurdle to future peace in the region.
He insisted that Iran was acting according to the memorandum but wanted the nation would respond decisively to breaches from the U.S. or Israel.
Video: Israel destroys Hezbollah underground infrastructure in southern Lebanon
Monday 29 June 2026 04:52 , Namita Singh
Iran and US agree to halt attacks and renew talks, US official says
Monday 29 June 2026 04:26 , Namita Singh
Iran and the United States agreed to halt recent hostilities in the Gulf and renew talks regarding their dispute over the Strait of Hormuz, a US official said on Sunday, raising hopes of saving an interim peace deal that was under pressure from days of tit-for-tat strikes.
“Technical talks are slated to continue on all areas of the Mou. Both sides will stand down for now and vessels can move freely," the official said, referring to the 14-point memorandum of understanding that was agreed on 17 June under which the strait would be re-opened for traffic.
Axios, which first reported the cessation of hostilities, citing a senior US official, said talks would resume on Tuesday in Qatar.
A return to diplomacy would follow several days of strikes and counterstrikes since an Iranian projectile hit a cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, with both the US and Iran accusing the other of breaking an interim ceasefire that was agreed to on 17 June.
Iran launched missiles and drones at US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain early on Sunday, shortly after president Donald Trump threatened that the Islamic Republic would cease to exist if it did not honor the agreement to end the war.
Israel moves to formally recognise Armenian WWI deaths as genocide
Monday 29 June 2026 04:15 , Namita Singh
Israel’s cabinet unanimously approved a proposal on Sunday to designate violence against Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during First World War as genocide.
The step, which still needs approval in parliament, reflects deteriorating ties between Israel and Turkey. Turkey has fiercely lobbied to prevent countries from officially recognising the mass deaths of Armenians around 1915 as a genocide, even as Armenians have pushed for it.
Historians estimate that up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks around the time of World War I, an event widely viewed by scholars as the first genocide of the 20th century. Turkey denies that the deaths constituted genocide, saying the toll has been inflated and that those killed were victims of civil war and unrest.
For years, Israel never officially broached the subject for fear of angering Turkey, but that relationship has soured over the past two decades, especially as the most recent wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran have dragged on.
“Despite the extensive and unambiguous historical documentation, the Armenian Genocide remains to this day the subject of an institutionalised campaign of denial and minimisation, including a manipulative rewriting of history, mainly by the Turkish government,” said Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar, who brought the decision to the government.
Turkey called Israel’s move a “politically motivated” step meant to distract from the country’s own actions against Palestinians.
RECAP: Interim ceasefire under strain as US and Iran exchange fire over Strait of Hormuz
Monday 29 June 2026 04:00 , Amy-Clare Martin
The interim peace deal between the US and Iran is under strain after both sides traded blows as tensions escalate over shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz.
The US bombarded Iranian military sites for the second day in row on Sunday in response to drone attacks on cargo ships in the region.
- 26 June: Singapore-flagged Ever Lovely cargo ship was hit by a drone in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump called the incident a “foolish violation” of the ceasefire agreement before the US hit back, striking targets in Iran’s Sirik region.
- 27 June: A Panama-flagged MT Kiku cargo ship was also struck in the Strait. Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Saturday evening to warn that Iran would “no longer exist” if Tehran kept breaking the ceasefire. US Central Command confirmed it had launched fresh strikes on Iranian military sites “in direct response to continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping”.
- 28 June: Iran on Sunday said its naval and aerospace forces carried out a joint missile and drone operation targeting US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain, and warned further violations would receive a “crushing response”. Gulf allies condemned the attacks in the region, but Iran’s foreign minister warned that any challenge to Iranian oversight of the strait will “increase tensions”.
What has Iran's foreign minister said?
Monday 29 June 2026 03:00 , Amy-Clare Martin
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has said bringing maritime traffic back to pre-war levels in the Strait of Hormuz lies solely with Tehran, and warned that any challenge over the strait will “increase tensions”.
The comments were made in a meeting with his Iraqi counterpart in Baghdad on Sunday, as the pair discussed the latest attacks as well as the all-important issue of the strait, according to Reuters.
Araghchi also reiterated his previous position that the memorandum of understanding signed with the US mandates that Israel withdraw from Lebanon and end its strikes there.
By numbers: Impact of Iran-US war on fuel prices at the pump
Monday 29 June 2026 02:00 , Amy-Clare Martin
The four month conflict has sent fuel prices rocketing as countries reliant on Brent crude faced shortages of fuel.
In the UK, diesel prices shot up to £1.92, an increase of nearly 50 pence compared to pre-war, while unleaded petrol rose by 27 pence to around £1.59. These were the highest prices since highest since the late 2022, after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine sent unleaded prices up to £1.91 and diesel up to £1.99.
Trump promises farmers they will get to sell crops to ‘lovely country of Iran’ after war
Monday 29 June 2026 01:00 , Amy-Clare Martin
President Donald Trump has promised American farmers they will soon be able to sell their crops to the “lovely country of Iran” now that he has signed a memorandum of understanding to end his war.
Read more:
Trump promises farmers they will sell crops to ‘lovely country of Iran’ after war
In detail: How Iran-US war hit global oil prices
Monday 29 June 2026 00:00 , Amy-Clare Martin
The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has had a direct impact on global oil prices. With Brent crude - the global benchmark - rocketing to a peak of $114 per barrel in early May, a seismic shift was felt across the world.
Prices have largely recovered since a temporary truce came into place between Washington and Tehran, with prices now sitting at around $77 per barrel - $6 higher than the day before the war, but nearly $19 higher than a year-low of $59 in early January.
ICYMI: Iran hit out at 'unfair' and 'unsportsmanlike treatment' as they exit World Cup
Sunday 28 June 2026 23:00 , Amy-Clare Martin
Iran’s football team fired a parting shot at what they called the “unfair and unsportsmanlike” treatment they have received as they left the World Cup.
Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Egypt, in which Iran had a goal disallowed after a lengthy VAR check, was not enough for them to reach the knockout stages, ending a fraught tournament amid their nation’s conflict with the US.
The team had been due to be based in Arizona but switched to Tijuana, Mexico, and have faced a number of travel restrictions for their matches in the United States.
In a statement as they headed home, the Iranian federation (FFIRI) thanked the media for covering their situation.
“Thank you for your professionalism, your support and for covering not only our team’s sporting journey but also the unfair and unsportsmanlike treatment our delegation experienced during our stay,” the statement said.
Full story: Iran attacks Bahrain and Kuwait following US strikes
Sunday 28 June 2026 22:00 , Amy-Clare Martin
Iran's Revolutionary Guard launched drone and missile attacks on Sunday targeting Bahrain and Kuwait in response to U.S. airstrikes that hit the Islamic Republic, and threatened a “complete halt” to negotiations to end the war if Washington continues its attacks.
Read more:
Iran attacks Bahrain and Kuwait following US strikes and threatens to halt talks to end the war
US and Iran agree to halt attacks, hold talks in Doha this week
Sunday 28 June 2026 21:48 , Dan Haygarth
The United States and Iran agreed to stop strikes against each other, a senior US official said, according to a report by Axios on Sunday.
The two sides anticipate meeting on Tuesday in Doha, Qatar's capital, Axios said, to work out their dispute over the Strait of Hormuz, a key corridor for oil shipments from the region
Figures lay bare impact of Iran-US war on shipping
Sunday 28 June 2026 21:00 , Amy-Clare Martin
The number of tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz collapsed dramatically the moment the blockade was imposed in March, from a five-day moving average of around 60 per day down to less than one.
Summary: Gulf allies condemn Iranian strikes on Bahrain and Kuwait
Sunday 28 June 2026 20:30 , Amy-Clare Martin
- The United Arab Emirates has condemned Iran’s fresh drone and missile strikes on US bases in Bahrain and Kuwait as a “flagrant violation” of the nations’ sovereignty.
- Qatar called the strikes a “flagrant breach” of international law and called for efforts to return to diplomacy to “reduce escalation” in the region.
- The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) condemned “treacherous” attacks, adding that they “actively undermine” peace efforts.
Photos show Ashoura commemorations shaped by war and loss in Lebanon and Iran
Sunday 28 June 2026 20:00 , Amy-Clare Martin
War, loss and remembrance shaped the observances this year in Lebanon and Iran of Ashoura, one of Shiite Islam's most important religious days.
Read more:
Photos show Ashoura commemorations shaped by war and loss in Lebanon and Iran
Watch: US Navy carry out strikes on ten Iranian military targets
Sunday 28 June 2026 19:30 , Amy-Clare Martin
Israel damaged heritage sites across south Lebanon, minister fears
Sunday 28 June 2026 19:00 , Amy-Clare Martin
Israel's campaign against Hezbollah has damaged or destroyed revered heritage sites across southern Lebanon, a minister has said.
Despite an interim ceasefire that took hold a week ago, authorities have yet to build a full picture of the damage as Israeli troops still occupy a zone about 10 km (6.2 miles) deep into Lebanon, according to Lebanese Culture Minister Ghassan Salame.
That occupation zone includes the medieval Beaufort Castle as well as centuries-old villages that were home to Christians, Shi'ite Muslims and Sunni Muslims and their places of worship.
"There are villages that have been completely bulldozed," Salame said, adding that ancient towns outside the zone including Tyre and Nabatieh were damaged by air strikes. Heavy bombing hit the town of Tebnin, prompting fears that its Crusader fortress was also damaged, the minister added.
Israel's military told Reuters it does not aim to "cause excessive damage to civilian infrastructure and strikes only out of military necessity”. It said it took into account the existence of "sensitive sites".
Iran and US step up attacks and threaten to escalate
Sunday 28 June 2026 19:00 , Dan Haygarth
Iran launched missiles and drones at US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain early on Sunday, shortly after Donald Trump threatened to wipe out the Iranian leadership if they did not stick to the interim agreement to end their war.
Israel said on Sunday it had struck Iran-backed armed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon on Saturday, just a day after it agreed the latest ceasefire deal with Lebanon to calm fighting that Iran says must end if the wider agreement is to stick.
The US military said earlier it had struck Iran again, hours after a tanker was hit in the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important energy shipping route, which Tehran has largely closed for most of the conflict.
"There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started," Trump said on social media.
"If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!" he added.
The 14-point interim peace accord was meant to halt the fighting.
