June 13, 2026
Key
Points
2 minutes ago
A senior US official said they believe Washington has a "strong deal" with Iran, Reuters reported.
The official added that the US would participate in the de-mining of the Strait of Hormuz once the accord is sealed.
Death toll in Lebanon rises to 3,756, health ministry says
9 minutes ago
Israel has killed over 3,756 people and wounded 11,632 others in Lebanon since early March, according to the latest statistics published by the health ministry.
Nearly 100 UK MPs and peers urge cancellation of Israeli settlement event
1 hour ago
Nearly 100 British MPs and peers have signed a letter calling for an upcoming London event advertising the sale of land in illegal Israeli settlements to be cancelled, warning that it could implicate the UK in international war crimes.
The Great Israeli Real Estate Event is scheduled to be held in London this Sunday, but its location is being kept secret.
Andy McDonald, an MP for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East, published the statement on X on Friday, urging the UK government to prevent the Great Israeli Real Estate Event from taking place.
"The govt has an opportunity to uphold obligations under international law and take action against Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine," McDonald wrote.
The letter, sent to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, described the event as "firmly embedded in Israel's project of colonial expansion" as it facilitates the sale of land seized from displaced Palestinians.
All Israeli settlements, properties and projects in occupied Palestinian territories are illegal under international law.
Palestinian killed by Israeli drone strike in central Gaza
1 hour ago
An Israeli drone strike on a landfill reportedly killed a Palestinian municipal worker nearby the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza.
The man was identified by local media as Muawiya al-Aidi.
Iran says signing of memorandum with US will not be on Sunday
2 hours ago
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that the exact timing of the Islamabad memorandum will not take place on Sunday.
He added that while there was a possibility of signing the memorandum in the coming days, he said that caution was needed regarding any comment on the signing date due to the reluctance of the other side.
Israel launches attacks on southern Lebanon
2 hours ago
The Israeli army targeted several towns in southern Lebanon, including the towns of Siddiqin and Burj Qalawiya.
Israeli army says at least 70 attacks in Lebanon over past day, as death toll reaches 3,711
2 hours ago
The Israeli army announced that it struck over 70 "Hezbollah infrastructures" in southern Lebanon in the past 24 hours.
Israeli attacks since early March have killed over 3,711 people in the country, with at least 1,417 of them killed after a ceasefire was announced in April.
The ongoing bombardment of southern Lebanon has displaced over 1.2 million citizens, with many residential areas and infrastructure left destroyed or damaged.
Death toll in Gaza nears 73,000
3 hours ago
The death toll during Israel's over two-year genocidal campaign has reached 72,993, according to Palestinian Ministry of Health in the besieged enclave.
Over 173,230 have been wounded during the same period. Thousands more are missing and presumed dead under the rubble.
Funeral preparations for Iran's former Supreme Leader set for 4 to 9 July
3 hours ago
Iranian state media is reporting that funeral procedures for slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei are set to take place between 4 to 9 July.
His body is set to be buried in the Imam Reza Shrine, located in the city of Mashhad.
Maritime body says tanker struck off the coast of Oman
3 hours ago
A tanker was struck by an unknown projectile 6 nautical miles off the coast of Oman, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported.
The incident occured on Friday, where the vessel's port bow off was hit. No environmental impact was reported, with crew noted to be safe.
Pakistan says US-Iran peace deal likely finalised within 24 hours
3 hours ago
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose government has mediated between Iran and the United States to end their war, said a peace deal would "likely" be finalised within 24 hours.
"We are closer to a peace deal than ever before. With finalisation likely expected in the next 24 hours, Pakistan is preparing for the electronic signing of the peace deal immediately after, followed by technical level talks next week," he said in a post on social media platform X.
Iran's slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei to be buried 9 July
4 hours ago
Iran's former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who ruled Iran for nearly 37 years before being killed by Israeli and US air strikes on 28 February, will be buried on 9 July, state television reported.
The burial in his hometown, the northeastern holy city of Mashhad, initially scheduled for March but postponed due to the war, will follow three days of funeral ceremonies in capital Tehran beginning 4 July and another in the holy city of Qom on 7 July, it said.
UAE denies reports of it releasing frozen funds to Iran: Report
4 hours ago
The UAE on Saturday denied media reports that it agreed to release billions of dollars of frozen funds to Iran, according to CNBC.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed that these allegations are entirely false and unfounded, stressing that no frozen Iranian funds have been released, transferred, or facilitated through the UAE," the government told CNBC.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister hopes US-Iran truce leads to 'peace and stability'
5 hours ago
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, in a call with his Swiss counterpart expressed hope that ongoing efforts to reach an understanding between the US and Iran will contribute to regional "peace and stability".
Pakistan says 'peace never this close' as Switzerland offers to host signing agreement
Iran offered its most definitive assessment on Friday that it was close to signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the US, as both countries jostled to frame the deal as a victory.
The signing of the MOU would trigger a 60-day period for "technical" negotiations, according to the Trump administration.
“The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding has never been closer. Pending its finalization, the media should refrain from entering speculation about its content,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote in a social media post.
US President Donald Trump shared Aragchi's remarks.
Araghchi’s comments came after Iran’s Mehr news agency said the deal would secure the release of $24bn in frozen Iranian assets and cement Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz.
"The terms that Iran leaked out to the Fake News have NOTHING to do with the terms that were agreed to, in writing," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social network.
"Very dishonorable people to deal with," he added. "They better get their act together, and FAST!”
Competing narratives
A senior Iranian source reiterated Mehr’s report to Reuters, saying the draft would waive sanctions on Iran's oil, unfreeze billions of dollars of its funds, and require a cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, a senior Trump administration official told the press that Iran had agreed to five key points, including the destruction of its nuclear material inside the country and subsequent removal.
The official said Iran's frozen funds will not be released until the deal’s conditions are met, and that the Strait of Hormuz will be reopened. They added that Iran will not fund allies in the Middle East, such as Hezbollah.
"This is what they have agreed to. This is a performance-based deal," the official told the press.
US Vice President JD Vance also waded into the narrative war.
“I'm seeing a lot of fake information about a potential deal to reopen the Strait and end Iran's nuclear weapons program," Vance wrote in an X post.
"First, the Iranians are not receiving any cash, and no funds are being released for simply signing a deal or attending a meeting."
One common denominator from both US and Iranian statements is that the ceasefire will include Lebanon, which Israel has pummelled with strikes and sent its soldiers deeper into. Iran has long insisted that Lebanon be included in any ceasefire.
'Peace has never been this close'
While the deal’s terms are disputed by both sides, Pakistan, a key mediator, confirmed that both sides were on the cusp of an agreement.
“We can confirm that a final, agreed upon text of the peace deal has been reached,” Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote
“Pakistan is now working closely with both sides to finalize the next steps,” Sharif added. “Peace has never been this close as it is now.”
Oil prices sank, and stocks surged on the hopes that Iran and the US would enter into wider negotiations to settle differences, including over Tehran’s nuclear programme and the fate of the Strait of Hormuz - through which a quarter of the world’s energy flows.
Trump said on Thursday that the two sides had almost reached a deal and that a signing ceremony could take place in Europe. The US president has made dozens of similar comments in the past only for hopes of a deal to fizzle.
But in a further sign that the talks had progressed, Switzerland’s foreign ministry said on Friday it was in contact with both the US and Iran, and had "proposed Switzerland as the venue for a possible signing, should the parties agree to it”.
A senior US official told reporters that they were close to "signing this agreement over the next few days".
"If I were to give you a confidence that we were going to be signing this agreement, I maybe would have said 75 percent this morning. It's probably more like 80-85 percent now, but it's not 100 percent," the official told reporters in a call.
Diplomats
prepare for possible Geneva signing while implementation questions remain
- Iran says MoU will end war on all fronts, including Lebanon
- Iranian commander says victory over Israel will soon be evident
- Israel bombs emergency response facility in Lebanon, paramedics wounded
2 minutes ago
A senior US official said they believe Washington has a "strong deal" with Iran, Reuters reported.
The official added that the US would participate in the de-mining of the Strait of Hormuz once the accord is sealed.
Death toll in Lebanon rises to 3,756, health ministry says
9 minutes ago
Israel has killed over 3,756 people and wounded 11,632 others in Lebanon since early March, according to the latest statistics published by the health ministry.
Nearly 100 UK MPs and peers urge cancellation of Israeli settlement event
1 hour ago
Nearly 100 British MPs and peers have signed a letter calling for an upcoming London event advertising the sale of land in illegal Israeli settlements to be cancelled, warning that it could implicate the UK in international war crimes.
The Great Israeli Real Estate Event is scheduled to be held in London this Sunday, but its location is being kept secret.
Andy McDonald, an MP for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East, published the statement on X on Friday, urging the UK government to prevent the Great Israeli Real Estate Event from taking place.
"The govt has an opportunity to uphold obligations under international law and take action against Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine," McDonald wrote.
The letter, sent to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, described the event as "firmly embedded in Israel's project of colonial expansion" as it facilitates the sale of land seized from displaced Palestinians.
All Israeli settlements, properties and projects in occupied Palestinian territories are illegal under international law.
Palestinian killed by Israeli drone strike in central Gaza
1 hour ago
An Israeli drone strike on a landfill reportedly killed a Palestinian municipal worker nearby the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza.
The man was identified by local media as Muawiya al-Aidi.
Iran says signing of memorandum with US will not be on Sunday
2 hours ago
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that the exact timing of the Islamabad memorandum will not take place on Sunday.
He added that while there was a possibility of signing the memorandum in the coming days, he said that caution was needed regarding any comment on the signing date due to the reluctance of the other side.
Israel launches attacks on southern Lebanon
2 hours ago
The Israeli army targeted several towns in southern Lebanon, including the towns of Siddiqin and Burj Qalawiya.
Israeli army says at least 70 attacks in Lebanon over past day, as death toll reaches 3,711
2 hours ago
The Israeli army announced that it struck over 70 "Hezbollah infrastructures" in southern Lebanon in the past 24 hours.
Israeli attacks since early March have killed over 3,711 people in the country, with at least 1,417 of them killed after a ceasefire was announced in April.
The ongoing bombardment of southern Lebanon has displaced over 1.2 million citizens, with many residential areas and infrastructure left destroyed or damaged.
Death toll in Gaza nears 73,000
3 hours ago
The death toll during Israel's over two-year genocidal campaign has reached 72,993, according to Palestinian Ministry of Health in the besieged enclave.
Over 173,230 have been wounded during the same period. Thousands more are missing and presumed dead under the rubble.
Funeral preparations for Iran's former Supreme Leader set for 4 to 9 July
3 hours ago
Iranian state media is reporting that funeral procedures for slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei are set to take place between 4 to 9 July.
His body is set to be buried in the Imam Reza Shrine, located in the city of Mashhad.
Maritime body says tanker struck off the coast of Oman
3 hours ago
A tanker was struck by an unknown projectile 6 nautical miles off the coast of Oman, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported.
The incident occured on Friday, where the vessel's port bow off was hit. No environmental impact was reported, with crew noted to be safe.
Pakistan says US-Iran peace deal likely finalised within 24 hours
3 hours ago
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose government has mediated between Iran and the United States to end their war, said a peace deal would "likely" be finalised within 24 hours.
"We are closer to a peace deal than ever before. With finalisation likely expected in the next 24 hours, Pakistan is preparing for the electronic signing of the peace deal immediately after, followed by technical level talks next week," he said in a post on social media platform X.
Iran's slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei to be buried 9 July
4 hours ago
Iran's former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who ruled Iran for nearly 37 years before being killed by Israeli and US air strikes on 28 February, will be buried on 9 July, state television reported.
The burial in his hometown, the northeastern holy city of Mashhad, initially scheduled for March but postponed due to the war, will follow three days of funeral ceremonies in capital Tehran beginning 4 July and another in the holy city of Qom on 7 July, it said.
UAE denies reports of it releasing frozen funds to Iran: Report
4 hours ago
The UAE on Saturday denied media reports that it agreed to release billions of dollars of frozen funds to Iran, according to CNBC.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed that these allegations are entirely false and unfounded, stressing that no frozen Iranian funds have been released, transferred, or facilitated through the UAE," the government told CNBC.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister hopes US-Iran truce leads to 'peace and stability'
5 hours ago
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, in a call with his Swiss counterpart expressed hope that ongoing efforts to reach an understanding between the US and Iran will contribute to regional "peace and stability".
June 12, 2026
Sean MathewsPakistan says 'peace never this close' as Switzerland offers to host signing agreement
Iran offered its most definitive assessment on Friday that it was close to signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the US, as both countries jostled to frame the deal as a victory.
The signing of the MOU would trigger a 60-day period for "technical" negotiations, according to the Trump administration.
“The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding has never been closer. Pending its finalization, the media should refrain from entering speculation about its content,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote in a social media post.
US President Donald Trump shared Aragchi's remarks.
Araghchi’s comments came after Iran’s Mehr news agency said the deal would secure the release of $24bn in frozen Iranian assets and cement Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz.
"The terms that Iran leaked out to the Fake News have NOTHING to do with the terms that were agreed to, in writing," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social network.
"Very dishonorable people to deal with," he added. "They better get their act together, and FAST!”
Competing narratives
A senior Iranian source reiterated Mehr’s report to Reuters, saying the draft would waive sanctions on Iran's oil, unfreeze billions of dollars of its funds, and require a cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, a senior Trump administration official told the press that Iran had agreed to five key points, including the destruction of its nuclear material inside the country and subsequent removal.
The official said Iran's frozen funds will not be released until the deal’s conditions are met, and that the Strait of Hormuz will be reopened. They added that Iran will not fund allies in the Middle East, such as Hezbollah.
"This is what they have agreed to. This is a performance-based deal," the official told the press.
US Vice President JD Vance also waded into the narrative war.
“I'm seeing a lot of fake information about a potential deal to reopen the Strait and end Iran's nuclear weapons program," Vance wrote in an X post.
"First, the Iranians are not receiving any cash, and no funds are being released for simply signing a deal or attending a meeting."
One common denominator from both US and Iranian statements is that the ceasefire will include Lebanon, which Israel has pummelled with strikes and sent its soldiers deeper into. Iran has long insisted that Lebanon be included in any ceasefire.
'Peace has never been this close'
While the deal’s terms are disputed by both sides, Pakistan, a key mediator, confirmed that both sides were on the cusp of an agreement.
“We can confirm that a final, agreed upon text of the peace deal has been reached,” Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote
“Pakistan is now working closely with both sides to finalize the next steps,” Sharif added. “Peace has never been this close as it is now.”
Oil prices sank, and stocks surged on the hopes that Iran and the US would enter into wider negotiations to settle differences, including over Tehran’s nuclear programme and the fate of the Strait of Hormuz - through which a quarter of the world’s energy flows.
Trump said on Thursday that the two sides had almost reached a deal and that a signing ceremony could take place in Europe. The US president has made dozens of similar comments in the past only for hopes of a deal to fizzle.
But in a further sign that the talks had progressed, Switzerland’s foreign ministry said on Friday it was in contact with both the US and Iran, and had "proposed Switzerland as the venue for a possible signing, should the parties agree to it”.
A senior US official told reporters that they were close to "signing this agreement over the next few days".
"If I were to give you a confidence that we were going to be signing this agreement, I maybe would have said 75 percent this morning. It's probably more like 80-85 percent now, but it's not 100 percent," the official told reporters in a call.
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