Donald Trump walked back his threat to strike Iran “hard” tonight, citing progress being made in peace negotiations.
The US president said he “cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening”.
He added that “discussions and final points” have been “approved by all parties involved”. He later told reporters that a deal could be signed as soon as this weekend.
Iran’s foreign ministry has reportedly said, “nothing has been finalised”.
Just hours earlier, Trump had issued a bombastic warning, threatening to seize Kharg Island, a strategic hub for oil exports, after striking the country “VERY HARD”.
The missive came after Iran declared the ceasefire with Washington “practically meaningless” after US forces fired 49 Tomahawk missiles on Wednesday. On Thursday, both sides traded strikes for the second day in a row, leaving a fragile ceasefire in jeopardy.
Tehran condemned the “illegal and criminal attacks” by the US and warned American leaders would be held responsible.
Iran condemns deaths of 3 Indian sailors in US strikes
The Iranian foreign ministry has condemned the US strike on a commercial vessel that killed at least three Indian sailors.
Iran’s Esmail Baghaei said: “The brutal US attacks… stand as clear evidence of America’s ongoing policy of armed robbery and State piracy.
“We extend our sympathies to the families and friends of the slain Indian sailors and offer our sincere condolences to the Indian people and government.”
India’s foreign ministry earlier criticised the attack, saying: “We reiterate our call for immediate de-escalation of tensions, and the conclusion of ongoing negotiations for a diplomatic solution so that peace and stability can return to the region.”
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi is yet to issue a statement.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar12 June 2026 05:50
Israeli and Palestinian civil society meet in France as two-state solution dims
Israeli and Palestinian civil society groups will meet in France today to urge the international community not to abandon a two-state solution, as Paris seeks to keep the issue alive amid the Middle East war.
The meeting, attended by foreign ministers and senior officials from dozens of countries, marks one year since the UN-backed New York Declaration, which set out a roadmap toward Palestinian statehood and prompted around a dozen countries, including France, Britain and Canada, to recognise a Palestinian state.
“Given the current situation in the region, marked by seemingly endless conflicts, too many civilian casualties and a cycle of violence, and in light of the stalled implementation of the Gaza ceasefire … we believe this conference is now more essential and urgent than ever,” a French foreign ministry spokesperson said.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar12 June 2026 05:35
Qatar, UAE and Pakistan convinced Trump to stop striking Iran
Leaders from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan called Donald Trump after the US president threatened to hit Iran “very hard tonight” and urged him to hold off strikes, Politico reported.
Trump said he “cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening”, adding that “discussions and final points” have been “approved by all parties involved” regarding the peace deal.
He later told reporters that a deal could be signed as soon as this weekend.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar12 June 2026 05:20
Iran prevents tanker from entering Strait of Hormuz
Iranian forces prevented a tanker from transiting the Strait of Hormuz without coordination with the Iranian authorities, state media reported this morning.
Iranian media earlier reported sounds of explosions near Bandar Abbas, but state news agency IRNA later said no explosions had been reported in the port city and that any sounds could have been related to military activity in maritime areas.
Iran’s top joint military command announced yesterday the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, including oil tankers and commercial ships, saying any vessel that will attempt passage will be shot at.
Iranian media also reported explosion sounds off the coast of Sirik.
A military source told state media that the sounds heard near Sirik were linked to Iranian forces confronting an oil tanker attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
The tanker later complied with the ban on transit after receiving warnings from the IRGC Navy, the source said.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar12 June 2026 05:00
Israel continues to bomb Lebanon
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar12 June 2026 04:50
Fifa dragged to court for banning Iran’s pre-revolutionary flag
A lawsuit has been filed against Fifa over its ban on supporters bringing the Lion and the Sun pre-revolutionary Iranian flag into the World Cup games.
The Institute for Voices of Liberty submitted a lawsuit to the Los Angeles County Superior Court, which claimed that those who wished to fly the flag possess “protected symbolic and political speech” which requires “immediate judicial intervention”, according to The New York Times.
The California-based non-profit is calling for a declaration that a ban is unlawful in California and that supporters should be allowed to carry the old flag, and demanded Fifa pay compensatory damages for any individual banned for possession of the flag.
The pre-revolutionary Iran flag is associated with the country’s previous Shah-led regime.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar12 June 2026 04:35
Oil prices fall below $90 a barrel
Oil prices slumped to two-month lows on the news of an agreement before trimming some of the losses.Brent dropped 1.1 per cent at $89.40 per barrel, having fallen nearly 3 per cent overnight.
US West Texas Intermediate crude futures were last down 1.2 per cent to $86.69 a barrel, on top of a 2.6 per cent drop overnight.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar12 June 2026 04:20
Trump claims Iran agreed to not buy nuclear weapons
Donald Trump has claimed an initial agreement aimed at ending the war with Iran is close and claimed that Iran has agreed not to buy nuclear weapons.
Speaking during a call with supporters, the US president said: “The big thing is there will be no nuclear weapons in Iran. That means not developed and not purchased.”
“They had a clause they won’t develop. I said, ‘What about purchasing?’ They said, ‘Well, we didn’t cover that.’ So, two days later, they agreed to that. We got everything we wanted,” he said.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar12 June 2026 04:10
US shoots down two Iranian attack drones
US forces shot down two Iranian one-way attack drones as Tehran appeared to attempt to strike commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a US official told Reuters.
“Traffic flow through the strait continues,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar12 June 2026 04:05
Trump says peace deal could be signed this weekend — but traders aren’t convinced
US President Donald Trump said Thursday that a finalised peace deal with Iran could be signed as soon as this weekend in Europe, but traders aren’t convinced an agreement, at least a permanent one, will be reached so soon.
As of early Friday morning, traders on the prediction market Polymarket believe there’s just a 16 percent chance that the US and Iran will reach a permanent peace deal by Monday.
Rachel Dobkin12 June 2026 04:00NewerOlder