US sources have reportedly confirmed that US and Iranian negotiators have agreed on a framework for a 60-day ceasefire extension deal, but it still needs President Donald Trump’s approval.
American media outlet Axios says the agreement would see the Strait of Hormuz reopen with Iran clearing all mines in the waterway within 30 days. It reports Iran would pledge not to build a nuclear weapon and the US will discuss sanctions relief as well as the unfreezing of Iranian assets.
The news comes as UK petrol prices hit their highest level since 2022 because of the Middle East conflict.
Meanwhile, the US carried out fresh strikes against Iran overnight on Wednesday – blowing up a military site and drones . The site was said to have posed a threat to US forces and commercial traffic in the Strait.
Iran’s armed forces responded by targeting a US airbase, the Tasnim news agency reported.
New UpdatesView PostView PostView PostView PostView PostView PostView PostView PostView PostView PostView PostView PostView PostView PostView PostView PostView PostView PostView PostView PostView PostView PostView PostView PostView PostView PostView PostView PostView PostToday21:55 BST
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent spoke to reporters during a press briefing at the White House earlier today.
He did not directly answer a question about the status of negotiations between the US and Iran, but said the two countries “have been going back and forth”.
Referring to Trump, Bessent said: “He’s not going to take a bad deal.”
US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
Donald Trump has expressed his appreciated for Qatar’s role in supporting Pakistani mediation efforts between the US and Iran.
The president spoke with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani over the phone today, the Qatari leader’s office said.
Sheikh Tamim stressed the importance of pushing for diplomatic solutions in hopes of preventing further tensions.
Trump responded by “praising Qatari efforts to bridge differences and promote de-escalation in the region”, the statement said.
Zahra KhaliqToday20:35 BST
US sources have reportedly confirmed that US and Iranian negotiators have agreed on a framework for a 60-day ceasefire extension deal, but it still needs President Donald Trump’s approval.
American media outlet Axios says the agreement would see the Strait of Hormuz reopen with Iran clearing all mines in the waterway within 30 days. It reports Iran would pledge not to build a nuclear weapon and the US will discuss sanctions relief as well as the unfreezing of Iranian assets.
Donald Trump will have the final word on any ceasefire extension(Image: Getty Images)
The US military on Thursday slammed Iran for violating a fragile ceasefire after Kuwait reported coming under attack in the latest flare-up that threatened ongoing negotiations to end the war.
US Central Command said that Kuwait had intercepted missiles launched by Iran late Wednesday night, calling the Iranian attack on one of America’s top allies in the Persian Gulf an “egregious ceasefire violation.”
Kuwait had earlier announced an attack on its territory, and Iran said had retaliated after strikes earlier in the week by firing on a US base in an Gulf state it did not name.
Donald Trump
The Iranian government has demanded the full release of around $300 billion in frozen overseas assests as a precursor to any peace deal with the US and Israel.
“We are seeking the release of all Iranian assets blocked by the United States, and this is the legal right of the Iranian nation,” said Ali Baqeri Kani, deputy secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, on Thursday.
Tom SandersToday08:03 BST
A deal to end the war with Iran has “got to be perfect”, Donald Trump has said, arguing he did not go through the three month-long conflict to “get a crummy agreement”.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting, the US president claimed Tehran was “negotiating on fumes” and wanted to reach a settlement, but pointed out issues remained as he again raised the threat of renewed attacks to “finish the job”.
He also warned Oman would have to “behave just like everybody else or we’ll have to blow them up”, following reports the Gulf state had been in talks with Iran over setting up a toll system in the Strait of Hormuz.
The president made his comments after earlier mixing up Venezuela with Iran as he referred to the Middle East conflict.
Ethan BlackshawToday06:56 BST
Iran’s armed forces targeted a US airbase after an American attack near Bandar Abbas airport, the Tasnim news agency reported. The IRGC also warned of a “more decisive” response. “The enemy knows that aggression will not go unanswered,” it said.
It comes after the US said it had launched “self-defence strikes” targeting boats that were allegedly laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
Ethan BlackshawToday03:37 BST
Several news outlets have reported that the US shot down four Iranian attack drones around the Strait of Hormuz.
Citing unnamed US officials, it has been reported that the US also hit a ground control station in Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a fifth drone.
Tannur AndersToday01:59 BST
The Strait of Hormuz covered by international law that guarantees foreign vessels the right to pass through.
Tannur AndersToday00:36 BST
Reuters news agency has reported that the US has carried out fresh strikes on an Iranian military site, citing an unnamed US official.
The site reportedly posed a threat to US forces and commercial traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Fars news agency reported three explosions heard east of of Bandar Abbas at around 1.30 am local time.
Tannur Anders27th May22:42 BST
Iran has said Donald Trump’s “rhetoric” will not push it back from “red lines” that must not be crossed, including the right to enrich and possess uranium.
Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security Committee, made the defiant remarks just hours after the US President said the Iranians want to make a peace deal but “haven’t gotten there”.
In a post on X, Azizi said Iran’s red lines include “the right to enrich uranium, possession of enriched uranium, authority over the Strait of Hormuz and the removal of sanctions”.
You can read the full story here
(Image: Getty)
Iranian authorities have announced that Isfahan International Airport has reopened.
Operations at the airport were disrupted for more than 80 days as a result of the US-Israeli war on Iran, the ISNA news agency reported.
Eliana Nunes27th May21:36 BST
The Israel Defence Forces have ordered people in Lebanon living south of the Zahrani River to evacuate – marking a significant expansion of Israel’s offensive in the country.
This means people in around 14 per cent of Lebanon’s territory, spread across roughly 300 towns and villages, have been told to leave their homes, Sky News reports.
Israeli attacks have killed at least 3,269 people in Lebanon since March 2, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health said. It added that at least 9,840 others have been injured.
People sit at the beach as smoke rises from the site of an Israeli strike near the southern Lebanese city of Tyre on May 27(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
During a cabinet meeting earlier today, Donald Trump reiterated his demand that Iran’s Arab neighbours join the Abraham Accords.
The Abraham Accords are a series of US-brokered diplomatic and commercial agreements signed between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco in 2020 during Trump’s first term.
Trump said it would be “historic” if the countries that have not signed were to join, adding: “They owe that to us.” He continued: “I’m not sure we should make the deal, if they don’t sign.”
He refused to confirm whether the Iran deal would be contingent on other countries joining the Abraham Accords.
Eliana Nunes27th May20:26 BST
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has spoken with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to mark Eid al-Adha celebrations.
Sharif said in a post on X that he reiterated “Pakistan’s unwavering solidarity with the brotherly people of Iran over the tragic loss of precious lives during the current crisis and emphasized that Pakistan will always stand by Iran as a sincere friend and neighbour”.
“I expressed hope that the ongoing peace efforts would soon lead to an enduring agreement, paving the way for regional stability, prosperity and cooperation,” he said.
Sharif also said Pezeshkian expressed gratitude for Pakistan’s “sincere efforts for peace in the region”.
Eliana Nunes27th May19:32 BST
Donald Trump threatened to attack Oman if the Gulf country partners with Iran to control the Strait of Hormuz.
“Nobody’s going to control it. We’re going to watch over it. We’ll watch over it, but nobody’s going to control it. That’s part of the negotiation that we have,” Trump said at the cabinet meeting earlier today.
“Nobody’s going to control [the strait]. 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.”
Read more on this story here.
Eliana Nunes27th May18:35 BST
While introducing members of his cabinet during a meeting at the White House, President Donald Trump joked that Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth “loves war.”
“We have great people, and the secretary of war, Pete Hegseth – central casting – he loves war … he’s a good man,” Trump said while introducing his cabinet.
Trump joked that Hegseth ‘loved war'(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
As a reminder, the White House earlier said Iranian state media reports of a draft of an unofficial framework for a memorandum of understanding between Tehran and the United States was not true and that the cited memorandum is “a complete fabrication”.
The report said the draft agreement allowed for the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened and commercial vessel numbers restored to pre-war levels within a month, and the US military to lift their naval blockade on Iranian ports.
Iran and Oman would handle the management and routes of shipping through the Straight of Hormuz, Iranian state TV said.
Christopher Mallett27th May18:16 BST
Donald Trump has been speaking about rising petrol prices following the blockade of oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz.
“The primary urgency is that we can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon,” the US president says.
“We have tremendous amounts of energy. We’re blessed with something very special. Those prices are going to come down. They’re going to come down fast.”
Eliana Nunes27th May17:42 BST
Marco Rubio has said the US and Iran have made “some progress” towards a peace deal.
“We’ll see over the next few hours and days where the progress could be made,” the US secretary of state said, adding that Donald Trump has other options if “the negotiated, diplomatic route” does not work.
“The bottom line is that Iran is never going to have a nuclear weapon,” he said during the ongoing cabinet meeting.
Eliana Nunes27th May17:11 BST
Donald Trump has been speaking about the war with Iran during a cabinet meeting at the White House.
The US president reiterated claims about the dire state of Iran’s economy, political leadership and military.
He claimed that Tehran “thought they’d outwait me” in efforts to reach a deal. “They want very much to make a deal,” he added.
“So far, they haven’t gotten there. We’re not satisfied with it, but we will be. Either that, or we’ll have to just finish the job.”
President Donald Trump sits next to Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a cabinet meeting at the White House(Image: AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
White House assistant press secretary Olivia Wales has said talks between Washington and Tehran “are proceeding nicely”.
“As President Trump has said, negotiations are proceeding nicely and he has made his red lines clear,” Wales told Fox News in an email.
“President Trump will only make a good deal for the American people, which must ensure that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.”
Earlier, the White House rejected Iranian state media reports of a draft interim peace deal between Washington and Tehran, calling the purported memorandum of understanding “a complete fabrication”.
Eliana Nunes27th May16:45 BST
As we wait for Donald Trump to begin his cabinet meeting at the White House, reports are emerging from Iran.
A fire has broken out in an administrative building at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Airport this afternoon, according to the semi-official Mehr News Agency. The cause of the fire is under investigation, the semi-official Tasnim News Agency reports.
Shortly afterwards, state media reported that at least one person was killed and two others were injured in an incident at Iran’s largest petrochemical complex in the city of Asaluyeh. The nature of the incident is not yet clear.
Eliana Nunes27th May15:55 BST
The US has rejected Iranian state media reports of an interim peace deal draft between Washington and Tehran, calling the purported memorandum of understanding “a complete fabrication”.
Iranian state TV claimed that it had obtained a draft of an unofficial framework, which would see the US withdraw its military forces and lift its blockade in exchange for Iran restoring commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz to pre-war levels within a month.
The White House Rapid Response team wrote on X: “This report from Iranian controlled media is not true and the MOU they ‘released’ is a complete fabrication. Nobody should believe what Iranian state media is putting out. FACTS MATTER.”
Eliana Nunes27th May15:00 BST
President Donald Trump will meet with his Cabinet on Wednesday after Iran’s Mizan news agency reported the framework of a deal is in place.
As he prepares to talk with his top aides, Trump has been projecting confidence that he’s closing in on a deal that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and provide him a credible argument that Iran’s nuclear capability has been diminished enough to declare victory, winding down a conflict that’s been politically unpopular for Republicans.
Details over a nuclear agreement though remain unclear.
“United States has committed to withdrawing its military forces from Iran’s surrounding environment, whether this includes forces deployed to the region or forces stationed at bases requires negotiation,” said the Mizan news agency.
“If a final agreement is reached within a 60-day period, this agreement will be approved in the form of a binding UN Security Council resolution.”
Iran is understood to be ready to allow commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz but will do nothing until it sees “tangible verification” that the US is following the agreement.
Tim Hanlon27th May13:54 BST
There is an “initial unofficial framework for a memorandum of understanding” with the US, says Iranian state media media.It would mean the US military forces withdraws from Iranian proximity and lifts the naval blockade on its ports.At the same time, Iran would not stop commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Tim Hanlon27th May12:54 BST
Iran’s president claims that economic, rather than military warfare, is the key battleground in its conflict with the United States, and will be the deciding factor in who ultimately claims victory in the war.
Speaking at the Tehran Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, President Masoud Pezeshkian told those in attendance: “The main battleground today is the economic war.
“We believe the more capable, agile, and active the private sector is, the stronger the country’s economic foundation will become, and the greater our national power will be in the face of external pressures and threats.”
Pezeshkian said that after failing to defeat Iran militarily, the US and Israel are now attempting to cripple the country’s economy.
“After failing to achieve its objectives on the military front, the enemy has focused on damaging the country’s economic resilience and disrupting the livelihoods of the people,” he added.
Tom Sanders27th May11:39 BST
Donald Trump’s unpredictable trade policies and reckless war with Iran could spark a global financial meltdown, the European central Bank warned this morning.
Writing in a biannual Financial Stability Report, ECB Vice President Luis De Guindos said the conflict with Iran is stretching the resiliance of the world’s financial system to its limits, and could have long-term effects on global stability even after the immediate conflict ends.
“While the full impact of the war is unclear at this stage, the repercussions for the global economy and financial stability are becoming graver the longer it lasts,” he wrote.
“Uncertainty surrounding the commitment of the US administration to multilateral co-operation is also increasing the risk that policy shocks will disrupt the international order and spur geoeconomic and regulatory fragmentation around the globe.”
Trump’s recklessness could spark a global financial crisis(Image: Getty Images)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan referred to Netanyahu as a “tyrant” on Wednesday, who will “learn the necessary lesson at the hands of the world’s Muslims” during a speech commemorating the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.
Speaking to reporters following prayers at the Camilla Mosque, Erdogan said the situation in the Gaza Strip cast a long shadow over Eid celebrations for Muslims both in Turkley and around the world.
“Above all, holidays are days of love, respect, unity, togetherness, and solidarity,” he said.
“I also believe that the tyrant known as Netanyahu will learn the necessary lesson at the hands of the world’s Muslims,”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan rebuked the Israeli president and said he would ‘learn the necessary lesson at the hands of the world’s Muslims.'(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
British households will face higher energy bills averaging £1,862 a year from July after regulator Ofgem hiked its price cap by 13% on soaring wholesale gas prices caused by the conflict in the Middle East.
The increase, up around £221 from the previous cap of £1,641 for April to June, will hit millions of households on variable tariffs, with analysts warning bills could climb further if disruption to shipments through the Strait of Hormuz persists.