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Middle East
Hezbollah rejects Israel-Lebanon ceasefire
Efforts to secure a broader peace agreement between the United States and Iran suffered a setback on Thursday after Hezbollah rejected a proposed ceasefire in Lebanon, while Israel signalled it would continue military operations in the country. The Iran-backed militant group dismissed a U.S.-brokered agreement negotiated between Israel and the Lebanese government, raising fresh doubts over President Donald Trump's push to stabilise the region and bring an end to hostilities involving Tehran. Iran has repeatedly indicated that a ceasefire in Lebanon is a prerequisite for any peace agreement with Washington and has suggested in recent days that it could become more directly involved if Israeli operations continue. According to Kurdistan24, citing a written message broadcast on Hezbollah's Al-Manar television channel, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem rejected the proposed truce, noting that the organisation had not participated in the negotiations. "The ceasefire must be comprehensive, without a separation between the south and the rest of Lebanon, and without the Israeli enemy having the freedom to kill," he stated. There was no immediate response from Israeli, Lebanese or U.S. officials following the rejection. Israel
Middle East
Iran's attack on Kuwait tests fragile ceasefire
The fragile ceasefire between Iran and the United States came under renewed strain on Wednesday after an Iranian missile and drone attack struck Kuwait International Airport, killing one person and injuring dozens, while lawmakers in Washington voted to limit President Donald Trump's authority to continue military operations without congressional approval. Kuwaiti authorities said commercial flights had been suspended after the attack damaged the airport's passenger terminal just days after the facility reopened following disruptions caused by the regional conflict. Defence Ministry spokesperson Brig. Gen. Saud Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi said that "a number of hostile drones" had targeted Kuwait International Airport's passenger building, causing severe damage and injuring "a number of individuals". The attack followed another exchange of fire between Iran and the United States. Late Tuesday, the U.S. Central Command said it had launched strikes against an Iranian military facility in retaliation for missile attacks targeting Kuwait and Bahrain. According to the U.S. military, Iran fired two missiles towards Kuwait that broke apart before reaching their targets, while U.S. and Bahraini forces intercepted missiles aimed at Bah
Middle East
Trump, Rubio say Iran talks remain active
United States President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that negotiations between the United States and Iran remain active, contradicting reports from Iranian state media that communications between the two sides had ceased. The comments came after Iran's Fars news agency reported, citing a source, that Tehran and Washington had stopped exchanging messages several days earlier. Trump dismissed the reports in a post on Truth Social. "Fake News Reports that the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the U.S.A., stopped speaking a few days ago are false and erroneous. The conversations between us have been going on continuously, including four days ago, three days ago, two days ago, one day ago, and today. “Where they lead, one never knows, but as I told Iran, ‘It’s time, one way or another, for you to make a Deal. You’ve been doing this for 47 years, and it cannot be allowed to go on any longer!'” Rubio echoed Trump's remarks during testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, confirming that discussions remain underway despite the indirect nature of communications. "Now we are in talks." "And I say talks because talks with Iran are not like talks with Switzerland, they’re very
Middle East
Trump sees Iran deal within a week despite complications
United States President Donald Trump said he expects an agreement with Iran to extend the current ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz within the next week, despite reports that Tehran has suspended communications with Washington amid escalating tensions linked to the conflict in Lebanon. Speaking to ABC News, Trump expressed confidence that negotiations would ultimately succeed. “There was a little glitch today, but I turned that one around very quickly, as you probably noticed earlier,” he said. The president said Iran's concerns stemmed from Israel's military operations in Lebanon. “So I spoke with Hezbollah, and I said no shooting, and I talked to Bibi [Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu] and said ‘no shooting’ and they both stopped shooting each other.” Trump described a potential agreement with Tehran as preferable to military action. “It’s not a simple thing. You’re talking about a real large country … making a deal. Tremendous hostility, really. “So it’s not an easy thing for them. It’s actually not easy from our standpoint either. But we’re getting what we need to get.” Asked when a memorandum of understanding to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could be completed, Trump replied: “I think yo
Middle East
US-Iran negotiations continue; regional tensions simmer
The United States and Iran remain without a formal agreement to end the conflict that has now entered its fourth month, with President Donald Trump indicating he is prepared to continue negotiations rather than rush a deal. Speaking in an interview with Lara Trump on Fox News, the president said his administration remained focused on securing commitments that Iran would never acquire a nuclear weapon and would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy shipping route. "I'd like to say I'm in a hurry because gasoline prices are going to come tumbling down, but if you're going to be in a hurry, you're not going to make a good deal," Trump said. "And slowly but surely we're getting, I think, what we want, and if we don't get what we want we're going to end it a different way." Trump added: "We're going to make a great deal, [otherwise] we'll just go back and finish it off militarily." Negotiations between Washington and Tehran have continued for several weeks while a fragile ceasefire remains in place. The conflict has disrupted global energy markets and contributed to a sharp rise in inflation after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz at the outset of hostilities. The waterway, which handles approximately one-

Middle East
US-Iran ceasefire extension awaits Trump approval
The United States and Iran have reportedly reached an agreement on a memorandum of understanding to extend their ceasefire for 60 days, although U.S. President Donald Trump has yet to approve the proposal, according to four sources familiar with the matter cited by Reuters. Under the proposed agreement, the truce would be extended for another 60 days while negotiations continue over key issues, including Iran’s nuclear program. The deal would also allow unrestricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and require the United States to lift its blockade of Iranian ports and ease some sanctions on Iranian oil exports. If approved by leaders in Washington and Tehran, the agreement would mark the most significant step toward peace since the conflict began on 28 February. News of the draft deal emerged after reports of attacks between the two countries, the latest flare-up since the ceasefire came into effect in early April. The Trump administration has repeatedly signalled that an agreement to end the conflict was close, although Iranian officials have frequently disputed or downplayed those claims. The reports helped push oil prices lower on optimism that the Strait of Hormuz could remain open. The strategic wat
Middle East
Trump: Iran 'negotiating on fumes' as strikes reported
United States President Donald Trump said Iran was "negotiating on fumes" and warned the U.S. could still resume military action if Tehran failed to reach an agreement, saying, "Maybe we have to go back and finish it, maybe we don't." Additionally, Reuters reported, citing an anonymous U.S. official, that the U.S. military shot down Iranian drones and carried out fresh strikes on a military site near the Strait of Hormuz that posed a threat to American forces and commercial shipping operating in the strategic waterway U.S. negotiations with Iran remained unresolved on Wednesday, with the White House dismissing reports that Tehran and Oman could jointly manage shipping through the Strait of Hormuz as part of a broader agreement to end the war. Speaking during a cabinet meeting attended by reporters, Trump rejected suggestions that any single country would control the strait and appeared to warn Oman against attempting to do so. "Nobody's going to control (the strait)," Trump said. "It's international waters and Oman will behave just like everybody else or we'll have to blow them up. They understand that. They'll be fine." Iranian officials responded to Trump’s remarks, signalling that major disagreements remained des
Middle East
Iran says US strikes breach fragile ceasefire
Iran accused the United States on Tuesday of violating a fragile ceasefire after American strikes targeted sites near the Strait of Hormuz, threatening efforts to end the conflict and restore stability to global energy markets. Iran’s foreign ministry said the strikes in the southern province of Hormozgan, where Iranian media reported explosions early Tuesday, breached the ceasefire that has been in place for nearly seven weeks. The United States said the attacks were defensive, targeting missile launch sites and boats allegedly attempting to deploy naval mines. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a deal with Iran remained possible, adding that President Donald Trump wanted to either “make a good deal” or no deal at all. Rubio also said it could take "a few days" to negotiate an agreement to halt the conflict after both sides previously indicated progress towards an initial framework. That preliminary agreement would reportedly provide negotiators with 60 days to address more complex issues, including Iran’s nuclear program. Oil prices rose again following the latest strikes, reflecting ongoing concerns about disruptions to global energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking to reporters while t
Middle East
Israel intensifies strikes on Lebanon amid ceasefire
Israel’s air force struck multiple Hezbollah-linked targets across Lebanon late on Monday, including positions in the eastern Bekaa Valley, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to intensify military operations against the Iran-backed militant group. Netanyahu’s warning came amid an uptick in Hezbollah’s use of fibre optic drones against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon and northern Israel, a technology also widely deployed in the war in Ukraine. “We will hit them. It's true that they are shooting drones at us, fiber optic drones. We have a special team working on that and we will solve that too,” Netanyahu said in a video posted on social media. “What this requires of us now is to increase the blows, to increase the intensity. We will smite them hip and thigh.” Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that, following Netanyahu’s comments, some residents began evacuating Beirut’s southern suburbs, where Hezbollah maintains a significant presence. The agency also said airstrikes hit the eastern town of Mashghara in the Bekaa region overnight. Hezbollah, meanwhile, said it carried out eight attacks earlier on Monday, including a drone strike targeting Israeli troops in Misgav Am in northern