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			<title>Trump says memo states clearly Iran will not have nuclear weapon</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613432/us-and-iran-sign-ceasefire-agreement-details-remain-unclear</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613432/us-and-iran-sign-ceasefire-agreement-details-remain-unclear#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 16 Jun 26 05:11:41 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2613432</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Says he likes the idea of sending Iran ​deal to Congress for review, a request by some ​Republican lawmakers]]>
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				<![CDATA[US&nbsp;President Donald ​Trump on Tuesday told reporters at the G7 &zwnj;meetings in France that the memorandum of understanding with Iran stated&nbsp;clearly that Iran would not have a nuclear weapon.

Trump said ​that he would release the text of the ​US-Iran memorandum in a formal setting.

The president also ⁠said he likes the idea of sending the Iran ​deal to Congress for review, a request by some ​Republican lawmakers.

&quot;I never thought about sending it, never even thought about it, but I will,&quot; Trump told reporters. &quot;I will send it to ​Congress. I like the idea.&quot;

The US&nbsp;deal with Iran ​is an agreement to hash out details in the coming weeks.

&quot;I think &zwnj;it&#39;s ⁠going to go pretty quickly,&quot; Trump told reporters about the next phase of negotiations with Iran, stipulated with a 60-day deadline.

&quot;Iran wants to get it done. They have to ​get back ​to business, and ⁠the relationship is now normalised, so I think it&#39;s going to go pretty quickly,&quot; ​Trump told reporters during his meeting with ​Mohamed ⁠bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates, on the sidelines of the G7.

&quot;Could go faster, ⁠could take ​longer too, but it could ​go fast.&quot;



Trump: Iran deal says &#39;loud and clear&#39; that Tehran won&#39;t have a nuclear weapon https://t.co/2gGPAOs6Q7 https://t.co/2gGPAOs6Q7
&mdash; Reuters (@Reuters) June 16, 2026



Netanyahu has to be more responsible with respect to Lebanon: Trump

US President Donald Trump stated on Tuesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu needed to be &quot;more responsible&quot; with respect to Lebanon.

His comments came during a meeting with the Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Al-Thani at the G7 Summit in France, where Trump also said he told Israel that he did not like its attack on Beirut and suggested that Syria should take care of Hezbollah instead of Israel.

He denied being frustrated with Netanyahu, stating that they &quot;have a great relationship.&quot;

He said the Iran deal was going to a second stage, and that the US would not be investing any money in Iran: &quot;We have our deal done with Iran, and it should be successful; it goes to a second stage, which I think would be actually easier,&quot; he said, speaking to reporters.

When asked whether the US-Iran deal can survive even if Israel attacks Lebanon, Trump said: &ldquo;It can&rdquo;.

Trump added that the Iran deal specifies that Iran will not have a nuclear weapon; &quot;The only thing that really matters to me is Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, and it says it loud and clear,&quot; he told reporters.

&quot;The biggest thing is that they will not have a nuclear weapon. That&#39;s the reason I got in, that&#39;s the reason I signed.&quot;

He also said that &quot;They&#39;re not gonna develop a nuclear weapon, they&#39;re not gonna buy a nuclear weapon... If they do, all hell will rain down on them.&quot;

&quot;You talk about regime change, but the first group is dead, the second group is dead, part of the third group is dead. I think we&#39;re dealing with rational people. I don&#39;t believe in regime change; I&#39;ve watched regime changes for years; they never work.&quot;

Referring to the conflict in Lebanon, he said that he &ldquo;considers that the minor war,&rdquo; as per Al Jazeera.

&quot;Iran&rsquo;s the big one, but we have that little pinprick out there that constantly rears its head, and that&rsquo;s Hezbollah&rdquo;.

Qatar&rsquo;s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani says the US-Iran agreement will result in positive outcomes throughout the Middle East.

&ldquo;I want to thank you for your leadership in this very critical time in the Middle East. This is a very important deal, there&rsquo;s still a lot of work to be done, but with this momentum &ndash; if we continue like that, Mr President &ndash; I think we can achieve and do great things in the region,&rdquo; Sheikh Tamim told Trump at the summit, according to Al Jazeera.

Qatar says Iran-US deal hopefully will get LNG flowing to world

Qatar&rsquo;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said the Gulf state hopes the US-Iran agreement will get its liquefied natural gas (LNG) flowing again to countries in need, according to Al Jazeera

&ldquo;We hope the MoU will help open the navigation in Hormuz so that Qatar can continue supplying LNG,&rdquo; he told a press conference.

Al-Ansari noted Qatar will be represented in Geneva on Friday for the formal signing of the memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States.

The spokesperson voiced optimism that the negotiations between Iran and the US will end the conflict and achieve stability, as per Al Jazeera.

Al-Ansari also expressed hope that the signing of the deal on Friday will be the beginning of fruitful negotiations.

He added that Qatar will continue working to prevent the return of escalation and to achieve stability in the region, as it was before the war on Iran.

Qatar will continue to engage in efforts to forward progress in the Iran-US negotiations, the Foreign Ministry said, according to Al Jazeera.

&ldquo;We are supporting the Pakistani-led mediation, working in support of the efforts of our brothers in Pakistan,&rdquo; the spokesperson said.

&ldquo;And we must praise here the role Pakistan has played to get us to this point and the role it will play going forward as the main mediator.&rdquo;

He added in the US-Iran talks &ldquo;in Qatar we don&rsquo;t take lightly our responsibility towards regional security and, therefore, we engaged fully as supporters of the mediation&rdquo;.

Some of the main points of contention now being discussed between the US and Iran include non-aggression pacts, non-state armed groups, and nuclear issues, Qatar said, according to Al Jazeera.

&ldquo;We are on the right track now towards regional security. Obviously, there are a lot of challenges coming ahead, but let&rsquo;s take this as a moment to enjoy some optimism,&rdquo; Al-Ansari told reporters in Doha.

&ldquo;We are talking about various issues: the Strait of Hormuz, regional security and non-aggression, and good neighbourly relations between this region and Iran,&rdquo; he added.

&ldquo;We&rsquo;re talking about, of course, the nuclear program but also other issues regarding proxies and missiles and other issues that have played prominent in the region for decades. These will not be resolved in mere days.&rdquo;

Al-Ansari added that no Qatari funds have been paid under the reported framework of $300bn allocated for the reconstruction of Iran after the war.

&ldquo;We cannot comment on the $300bn allocated for reconstruction,&rdquo; he told a reporter when asked about the figure.

&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t say that we are returning to business as usual in our region with our neighbours&hellip; There is a lot of need for dialogue and for agreement over how to guarantee the security of our region,&rdquo; al-Ansari said.

Trump says Russia &#39;should make a deal&#39; with Ukraine

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that &quot;Russia should make a deal&quot; to end its war against Ukraine, after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the G7 summit in France.

Trump said he &quot;had a meeting&quot; with Zelensky at the summit in the spa town of Evian-les-Bains and more talks were planned later in the day, as the G7 group of leading world powers seeks to increase pressure on Moscow to end more than four years of fighting.

He pointed to the high casualties on both sides in the conflict, a toll he described as &quot;ridiculous&quot;.

Trump added: &quot;Admit the whole thing is ridiculous. So, yeah, I&#39;m going to do whatever I can.&quot;

Zelenskiy said on Monday he had suggested to Trump that he could meet Putin in the United States, arguing that the Kremlin strongman could find such an offer &quot;harder to refuse&quot; than a previous offer for talks at the G7.

Iran says parliament speaker Ghalibaf to lead delegation in US deal signing

The Iranian delegation will be headed by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf during the signing of a memorandum of understanding to end the war with the US in Switzerland, according to Iranian media.

It is still unclear exactly where the signing will take place and what format it will take, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi told reporters on Tuesday, according to semi-official Mehr news agency.

&ldquo;Switzerland will be the venue for the signing, but the exact location has not yet been determined. The next round of negotiations will begin immediately after the signing,&rdquo; said Takht-Ravanchi.

Iran&#39;s Araghchi says talks with US to finalise agreement will start on Friday

Iran and the US will start a new round of negotiations on Friday in Switzerland to reach a final agreement after the official start of an interim agreement, Iran&#39;s foreign minister said on Tuesday.

Araghchi also warned that any Israeli attack on Lebanon or continued presence on Lebanese territory from now on constituted a violation of the interim agreement with the United States.

&quot;In our view, the two parties to this memorandum are the US and Israel on one side, and Iran and Hezbollah on the other,&quot; he said.

Araghchi said when it comes to negotiations, Washington and Tel Aviv are one and the same, according to Al Jazeera.

&ldquo;In our view, ⁠the two parties ⁠to this memorandum are the US and Israel on one &zwnj;side, and Iran and Hezbollah on the other,&rdquo; &zwnj;said Araghchi.

He added that the upcoming US-Iran negotiations will be broken into two stages.

The first will cover issues such as the status of the Strait of Hormuz, the US&rsquo;s naval blockade, and reconstruction after US-Israeli bombardment of Iran&rsquo;s infrastructure, Araghchi said.

A later stage of negotiations will cover nuclear issues and sanctions relief to be resolved in a final agreement, he added.

US and Iran sign ceasefire agreement, details remain unclear 

US President Donald Trump said on Monday a preliminary agreement to end the US-Israel war on Iran has been signed by the US and Iran, though details have yet to be made public, and both countries said a permanent truce is yet to be negotiated.

The agreement would extend a tenuous ceasefire announced in April by another 60 days and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively blocked since the US and Israel attacked Iran in February.

Negotiators would address difficult issues like the future of Iran&#39;s nuclear program during the next phase.

&quot;The deal&#39;s all signed,&quot; Trump said after he arrived in France for a summit of the G7 group of big economies. He said Vice President JD Vance would attend a formal signing ceremony in Geneva on Friday.

Vance also told Fox News that Trump may release details about the agreement before Friday.

Read: US, Iran reach preliminary agreement to end war, signing set for Friday

Oil prices fell to their lowest level since March 10, shortly after the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman, cut off one-fifth of the world&#39;s oil trade.

The deal is the most significant step yet to resolve the conflict, which has killed at least 7,000 people, mostly in Iran and Lebanon, and upended global energy markets.

But much about the agreement remains unknown, and whether its provisions differ from the April ceasefire was unclear.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on social media that the US-Iran memorandum of understanding was an &quot;important step&quot; toward stopping the fighting but noted a final agreement for a lasting truce &quot;has yet to take shape.&quot;

Vance told CNN that the signed memorandum was only about 1-1/2 pages &quot;and so it is a very general document.&quot; Details will be released over the next two days, US officials said. Vance said it included &quot;a very significant sanctions relief package&quot; for Iran.

US and Iranian officials say it could eventually deliver substantial economic benefits to Iran by lifting sanctions, unfreezing foreign assets and setting up a $300 billion reconstruction fund, paid for by neighbouring Gulf states, which host US military bases.

US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Iran would have to satisfy US demands never to build a nuclear weapon and cut off support for militias like Hezbollah in Lebanon to get those benefits.

Iran agreed to sharply curtail its nuclear program in a deal signed in 2015 with the US and other countries. Trump withdrew the US from that accord during his first term as president. That agreement allowed Iran to regain billions of dollars in frozen assets, which Trump has frequently derided as sending &quot;pallets of cash&quot; to Iran.

Trump appears to have achieved little of what he said he intended when he launched strikes on Iran with Israel on February 28. Iran&#39;s government remains in place, while his demands that Iran dismantle its ballistic missile program and end support for regional militias like Hezbollah remain unmet.

The new agreement also does not resolve the fate of Iran&#39;s stockpile of enriched uranium, which Trump says he wants destroyed or removed. The agreement does stipulate that the 60 days after signing is the period to negotiate details about Iran&#39;s nuclear promises.

Iranian officials, who have always denied intending to build a nuclear weapon, say they have given up little by agreeing to resume the diplomatic discussions with Trump officials over the nuclear program that were interrupted in February by Trump&#39;s decision to launch the war.

While the latest agreement lifts Iran&#39;s barring of the Strait of Hormuz, that only restores the prewar status quo, and shippers say traffic will only restart once safety is assured.

Iran has suggested it will retain control with Oman over the strait. The US said the strait will be open toll-free for 60 days, and it would expect that provision to be part of a final agreement as well.

US-Iran pact welcomed by 17 countries, all urge reopening of Strait of Hormuz

A group of 17 countries on Monday welcomed the memorandum of understanding announced between the US and Iran, describing it as an opportunity to restore regional stability and support the global economy.

&ldquo;This is a moment of opportunity to restore regional stability and stabilise the global economy,&rdquo; a joint statement by the UK, France, Germany and Italy read. The statement was later signed by 13 other countries.

They congratulated the US, Iran and mediators including Pakistan and Qatar on what they called a diplomatic breakthrough.

The leaders stressed that detailed negotiations should be concluded and the agreement implemented &ldquo;rapidly and comprehensively,&rdquo; adding that they stand ready to support the process.

They also called for the urgent reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the restoration of &ldquo;unconditional and unrestricted freedom of navigation.&rdquo;

The other signatories of the statement were Japan, Canada, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Greek Cypriot Administration, the Dominican Republic, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Latvia, Poland and Portugal.

The leaders said they were committed to contributing to that effort, including through &ldquo;a strictly defensive and independent mission&rdquo; aimed at reassuring commercial shipping and conducting mine-clearance operations, in accordance with their respective constitutional requirements.

The statement reiterated that Iran &ldquo;must never acquire a nuclear weapon&rdquo; and expressed readiness to work with the US, Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) toward that objective.

The leaders also said they were prepared to lift relevant sanctions in response to &ldquo;clear, verifiable steps&rdquo; by Iran regarding its nuclear program.

They pledged to work closely with the US, Iran and regional partners to maintain momentum and achieve a long-term diplomatic settlement.

It further reaffirmed support for the stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon and underscored the importance of a robust ceasefire.

Trump dismisses Iran payout claims as Vance points to $300B Gulf-led fund

US President Donald Trump on Monday rejected claims that Washington is providing financial payouts to Iran, labelling reports of American funding as &quot;fake news&quot; amid reports of a multi-billion dollar reconstruction package.

&ldquo;The story that the US is paying Iran 300 million dollars is fake news,&rdquo; Trump asserted on his social media platform Truth Social.

While he cited a &ldquo;300 million&rdquo; figure, it remained unclear if he was contradicting the much larger &ldquo;300 billion&rdquo; sum mentioned by other administration officials and international media.

Vance clarified that any proposed $300 billion fund would be sourced from regional allies rather than the American taxpayer.

&ldquo;Not a single dime of that money comes from the United States,&rdquo; Vance told NBC News.

He explained that Gulf Arab nations may choose to invest only if Tehran makes its economy &quot;investable&quot; and begins behaving like a &quot;normal country.&quot;

A senior US official confirmed earlier that while a multi-billion dollar fund was part of diplomatic discussions, all financial progress is strictly &ldquo;tied to performance.&rdquo;

The Financial Times indicated that the establishment of the fund is contingent on a final settlement, which includes a 60-day ceasefire extension and the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. It further noted that the capital would likely be managed through a framework for private companies interested in Iranian markets rather than direct government-to-government aid.

Netanyahu says he &#39;stood firm&#39;

The fighting between US ally Israel and the Iran-allied Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, which has uprooted 1.2 million people, remains a sticking point.

Iran has said the deal requires a full cessation of hostilities there, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel would keep its forces in southern Lebanon and would retain the right to respond to Hezbollah attacks.

&quot;Iran wanted us to withdraw from it, but I stood firm,&quot; he said at a news conference, where he acknowledged that he and Trump have had their differences over the conflict. Israel has not directly participated in the peace talks with Iran.

Read more: Iran-US deal &#39;bad for Israel,&#39; says Israeli finance minister

A US official said Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, which it invaded in March after Hezbollah joined the war, was not a condition of the deal. Disagreement over whether Lebanon was included was also a point of contention in the April ceasefire agreement.

Security sources said on Monday that fighting had tamped down in Lebanon after the agreement was announced but had not ceased entirely.

Lebanese state media reported that an Israeli drone struck a car in the southern Lebanese town of Kfar Tebnit, killing the driver. Netanyahu said Israeli forces had killed four &quot;militants.&quot;

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Israeli attacks must stop immediately.

Privately, Israeli officials&#39; views of the deal have been negative. One senior official told Reuters on condition of anonymity that the agreement was &quot;terrible for Israel,&quot; and that this assessment was shared throughout the government from Netanyahu down.]]>
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			<title>CIA director doubtful of Trump's Iran deal</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613467/cia-director-doubtful-of-trumps-iran-deal</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613467/cia-director-doubtful-of-trumps-iran-deal#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 16 Jun 26 11:47:28 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2613467</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also raise concerns about agreement with Iran]]>
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				<![CDATA[CIA Director John Ratcliffe has told US President Donald Trump that the intelligence agency has serious doubts about an agreement with Iran, particularly Tehran&#39;s willingness to make a series of nuclear concessions, according to a report.

Axios reported on Tuesday that Ratcliffe, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, expressed concerns about the agreement, while Vice President JD Vance and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner advocated for it.

The report said Trump and his advisers held a series of high-level meetings to discuss the deal.

Read: Netanyahu has to be more responsible with respect to Lebanon: Trump

During those meetings, Trump and his team reviewed intelligence that indicated Iranian officials were discussing the agreement internally in a manner &ldquo;inconsistent with what they were telling the mediators and the US,&rdquo; according to the report.

Ratcliffe and Rubio argued that the intelligence raised doubts about whether Iran would agree to take the nuclear-related steps sought by Washington.

&quot;President Trump listens to all opinions on any given issue -- but everyone understands he is the final decision-maker,&quot; a White House official said.

The agreement &ldquo;meets all of the red lines that the administration has long articulated by ensuring that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon, they cannot keep their highly enriched uranium, and they cannot hold the world&#39;s energy supply hostage,&quot; the official added.]]>
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			<title>European Parliament approves long-delayed EU-US trade agreement</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613478/european-parliament-approves-long-delayed-eu-us-trade-agreement</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613478/european-parliament-approves-long-delayed-eu-us-trade-agreement#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 16 Jun 26 13:21:58 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2613478</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Agreed rules allow European Commission to suspend tariff preferences if US continues to impose tariffs above 15%]]>
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				<![CDATA[The European Parliament on Tuesday gave its final backing to legislation implementing the European Union-United States trade agreement reached nearly a year ago, paving the way for tariff reductions while introducing safeguards aimed at protecting European industry and agriculture.

Lawmakers adopted the main regulation by 440 votes to 151, with 50 abstentions, approving tariff-free access for all US industrial goods and preferential treatment for a range of American seafood and agricultural products.

A second measure, approved by 444 votes to 152 with 54 abstentions, extends tariff-free imports of US lobster and expands the arrangement to include processed lobster products.

The legislation translates commitments made under the joint statement agreed by US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Turnberry, Scotland, in July 2025.

The European Commission unveiled the corresponding proposals a month later, but their passage required lengthy negotiations between the European Parliament and the EU Council.

European Parliament and member states strengthened the EU Commission&#39;s original text by adding several protective measures, including a sunset clause under which the tariff preferences will expire on Dec. 31, 2029, unless renewed.

The agreed rules also allow the European Commission to suspend tariff preferences if the US continues to impose tariffs above 15% on EU steel and aluminium derivative products after December&nbsp;31, 2026.

Read More: US inflation hits 3-year high as Iran war drives energy shock, rattles markets

A broader suspension mechanism was included to enable the EU to respond should Washington fail to address concerns over tariffs affecting certain European exports that had previously benefited from a 15% all-inclusive tariff ceiling.

The legislation additionally establishes a safeguard mechanism allowing Brussels to investigate and counter import surges that threaten to cause serious injury to the EU industry, including the agricultural sector.

&quot;With this milestone, we are days away from fulfilling our commitment to remove tariffs on imports of US industrial goods. With full implementation on both sides, our agreement will deliver even more benefits for citizens and businesses,&quot; von der Leyen said on&nbsp;X.



I welcome today&rsquo;s positive vote in the European Parliament on our EU-US trade agreement.

A deal is a deal - and the EU is delivering its part.

With this milestone, we are days away from fulfilling our commitment to remove tariffs on imports of US industrial goods.

With full&hellip;
&mdash; Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) June 16, 2026



The legislation now awaits formal approval by the EU Council before entering into force following publication in the EU&#39;s Official Journal.

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			<title>European lawmakers call on EU to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613481/european-lawmakers-call-on-eu-to-ban-trade-with-illegal-israeli-settlements</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613481/european-lawmakers-call-on-eu-to-ban-trade-with-illegal-israeli-settlements#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 16 Jun 26 13:55:36 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Kallas says Israel's plans to expand illegal settlements in the West Bank 'not in line with international law']]>
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				<![CDATA[Several members of the European Parliament (MEPs) called on the European Union&nbsp;on Tuesday to halt trade with illegal Israeli settlements built on occupied Palestinian territory, as pressure grows on Brussels to take concrete action against settlement activity in the occupied West Bank.

During a plenary debate with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, lawmakers urged the bloc to ban goods and services originating from Israeli settlements, arguing that continued trade undermines international law and the prospects of a two-state solution.

Kallas said a large number of EU member states had also raised the issue during Monday&#39;s Foreign Affairs Council meeting and called for concrete proposals regarding trade with illegal settlements.

She reiterated that Israel&#39;s plans to rapidly expand settlements in the occupied West Bank are &quot;not in line with international law&quot; and further undermine prospects for a two-state solution.

Read More: Israeli army kills 6 Palestinians across Gaza

Belgian MEP Hilde Vautmans from the Renew Europe group referred to newly emerged footage showing an Israeli soldier targeting a family in the occupied West Bank last week, resulting in the death of a seven-month-old baby.

&quot;He is dead, and almost no one is speaking his name,&quot; Vautmans said, arguing that a climate of impunity in Israel and the occupied territories devalues the lives of Palestinian children.

German MEP Hannah Neumann of the Greens group said there is no ceasefire in Gaza and accused violent occupiers in the West Bank of destroying the remaining prospects for a two-state solution.

&quot;This is the madness you get when no one cares about international law anymore, and civilians pay the price in Gaza, Israel, Lebanon and beyond, and Europe remains painfully divided,&quot; she said, urging the EU to completely stop trade with Israeli settlements.

Irish MEP Lynn Boylan from the Left group accused the EU of refusing to act for nearly a decade, calling for a ban on goods and services originating from illegal settlements and urging EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic to take action.

&quot;The International Court of Justice confirmed trade with the settlements is illegal. Now we need the trade commissioner to turn up, do his job and ban this illegal trade,&quot; she said.

Cautious optimism around US-Iran agreement

During the debate, Kallas also said the agreement between the US and Iran to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz could represent a breakthrough, creating room for broader talks on Iran&#39;s nuclear program and regional stability.

She said any lasting settlement must be fully consistent with international law and subject to verification, while praising mediation efforts led by Pakistan and Qatar and the constructive engagement of Oman, Saudi Arabia, T&uuml;rkiye, and Egypt.

Kallas also said the EU rejects measures that would impose additional costs on maritime shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and is coordinating with international partners to safeguard freedom of navigation.]]>
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			<title>Bangladesh protests India 'questioning' PM's adviser at Delhi airport</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613475/bangladesh-protests-india-questioning-pms-adviser-at-delhi-airport</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613475/bangladesh-protests-india-questioning-pms-adviser-at-delhi-airport#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 16 Jun 26 13:10:13 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman describes incident as 'unexpected ​and unfortunate', conveys concerns to ​India]]>
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				<![CDATA[Bangladesh has summoned a senior Indian diplomat posted in Dhaka to protest against the treatment of an adviser ​to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, who was reportedly detained &zwnj;and questioned for several hours at New Delhi airport, in the latest diplomatic row between the neighbours.

Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman described the incident as &ldquo;unexpected ​and unfortunate&rdquo;, while Dhaka formally conveyed its concerns to ​Indian Deputy High Commissioner Pawan Badhe late on Monday.

Government ⁠strategy adviser Zahedur Rahman was stopped upon arrival in ​New Delhi, where he had travelled to attend a conference, ​and was questioned for several hours before being allowed to proceed, officials said.

Read: Bangladesh, India to coordinate patrols on border, share intelligence amid migrant tensions

There was no immediate response from India&rsquo;s foreign ministry.

The incident comes at a ​sensitive time in bilateral relations. Although ties improved after Tarique ​Rahman&rsquo;s election victory earlier this year, relations have remained strained since the &zwnj;2024 ⁠uprising that ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who has since remained in India despite repeated requests from Bangladesh for her extradition.

The two countries have also been at odds over Bangladesh&rsquo;s allegations ​that Indian authorities ​have attempted ⁠to push undocumented migrants across the border without following agreed repatriation procedures. Dhaka said border guards ​have foiled several recent &ldquo;push-in&rdquo; attempts and raised the issue ​during ⁠last week&rsquo;s talks between the Border Guard Bangladesh and India&rsquo;s Border Security Force in New Delhi.

While both sides agreed during the talks to strengthen intelligence sharing and coordinate border patrols, the migrant ​issue remains a source of friction between the neighbours.]]>
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			<title>US military to build war-ready stockpile in Australia</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613440/us-military-to-build-war-ready-stockpile-in-australia</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613440/us-military-to-build-war-ready-stockpile-in-australia#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 16 Jun 26 07:29:43 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Stockpile development comes as US keen to leverage Australia's location to counter China's military build-up: analysts]]>
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				<![CDATA[The US military is planning a permanent war-ready weapons stockpile for its Marine Corps on Australia&#39;s southeast coast beyond the range of most Chinese missiles, tender documents show, and officials confirmed to AFP.

The development of the stockpile, a first for the Marine Corps in Australia, comes as the United States is keen to leverage the continent&#39;s strategic location in the South Pacific to counter China&#39;s rapid military build-up, analysts said.

The US Marine Corps began global prepositioning of military supplies during the Cold War -- using floating stores on ships and caves in Norway where weapons, ammunition and vehicles to sustain thousands of troops are kept.

The first land stockpile in the Asia-Pacific region is expected to open this year in the Philippines, close to potential flashpoints in the South China Sea.

Documents published by the US Navy this month show advanced planning for an even larger Australian stockpile, with $30 million allocated to build warehouses and offices in southeastern Victoria state for &quot;critical forward provisioning&quot;.

The Australian stockpile, expected to reach full capacity by 2028, will be kept in Melbourne before being moved to US warehouses to be constructed next year at an Australian military base at Bandiana in rural Victoria, tender documents show.

Australia does not permit foreign military bases on its soil, a sensitive issue in a country that has a security alliance with the United States and is hosting an increasing variety of US forces on rotation at Australian defence bases.

Read: Australian PM demands &#39;transparent&#39; inquiry into nine-year-old girl&#39;s killing by Punjab CCD

The US Navy is engaging a global defence contractor to employ around 110 engineers, mechanics, material and safety specialists to manage the Australian stockpile, which includes &quot;crew-served weapons&quot;, the documents show.

&quot;Marine Corps activities in Australia support integrated global sustainment by maintaining ready-for-issue equipment and supplies for operations and exercises across the Indo-Pacific,&quot; a US Marine Corps Forces Pacific spokesperson told AFP.

The spokesperson declined to comment on contract details or force planning assumptions but said Marines&#39; equipment is kept at &quot;high readiness&quot;.

Contracting arrangements and the operation of the facility would be made in close coordination with Australia&#39;s Department of Defence.

&quot;These activities improve responsiveness, strengthen interoperability with allies and partners, and support a range of missions across the Indo-Pacific,&quot; the spokesperson said, using an alternative description for the Asia-Pacific region.

US Army trucks were left at the Bandiana base in 2023 after an Australian war game involving US troops held every two years. The Marines&#39; stockpile at Bandiana, approved last July, is separate.

&quot;Marine Corps and Army equipment programmes are designed to support their respective service requirements and are managed under separate authorities and processes,&quot; the Marines spokesperson said.

Beyond China&#39;s missiles?

The Pentagon has asked Congress for $500 million next year to improve prepositioning of equipment and fuel across the Asia-Pacific to deter China.

Around 2,000 US Marines conduct exercises for six months of the year on the opposite coast of Australia in the northern city of Darwin.

A report from the Lowy Institute think tank this week warned that China can strike northern Australia with ballistic missiles deployed from its South China Sea outposts. Its director of international security, Sam Roggeveen, told AFP that was likely a &quot;relevant consideration&quot; in placing a stockpile in Australia&#39;s southeast.

&quot;Once these facilities are operational, they would be obvious targets for China,&quot; he said.

The growth of US forces and equipment in Australia is &quot;a major change to Australian policy that ties Australia much more closely to America&#39;s strategic objectives in the region&quot;, Roggeveen said.

Australian National University professor of international security John Blaxland said the country&#39;s location is being seen with &quot;a growing sense of significance&quot; given concerns over the vulnerability of the US military base on Guam.

Read more: Military action no solution, China tells US, Israel and Iran amid Mideast conflict

&quot;With competition for influence in the Indo-Pacific having reached the highest level in over a generation, it is not surprising that the US Marines might look to Australia to enable such storage,&quot; he said.

&quot;Barring a massive increase in Australian defence expenditure, for which there is little political appetite, facilitating greater US investment in Australian real estate is widely considered to be the most prudent approach to take.&quot;

Australia&#39;s Department of Defence told AFP it has a strategy to maintain &quot;southern base infrastructure focused on force generation, sustainment, health networks and logistics nodes&quot;, to enable the military to project power from Australia&#39;s north.]]>
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			<title>Israeli Security Minister Ben-Gvir cancels US trip after visa difficulties: Haaretz</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613441/israeli-security-minister-ben-gvir-cancels-us-trip-after-visa-difficulties-haaretz</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613441/israeli-security-minister-ben-gvir-cancels-us-trip-after-visa-difficulties-haaretz#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 16 Jun 26 07:29:43 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Itamar Ben-Gvir reportedly calls off family visit after being asked to appear in person for biometric fingerprinting]]>
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				<![CDATA[Israel&rsquo;s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has canceled a planned family trip to the US amid difficulties in obtaining a visa, according Israeli media on Tuesday.

The US Embassy told Ben-Gvir that he would need to appear in person to provide biometric fingerprints as part of the visa process, Haaretz daily reported.

The requirement was interpreted in Israeli media reports as a sign of reluctance to grant him a visa.

The Israeli minister was reportedly set to travel to Miami to attend the wedding of an Israeli businessman&rsquo;s daughter.

Haaretz previously reported that he initially sought for the businessman to fund the trip, before agreeing to cover the costs himself following criticism from the state comptroller.

Ben-Gvir has frequently made headlines for his provocative actions, which have drawn widespread criticism and international condemnation.

Israeli analysts say US-Iran deal &lsquo;political victory&rsquo; for Tehran 

Israeli political analysts have described a US-Iran agreement as a &ldquo;political victory&rdquo; for Tehran, accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of making Israel &ldquo;hostage&rdquo; to Trump.

Trump announced Sunday that an agreement with Iran had been finalised and said he was authorising the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the removal of a US naval blockade.

In reports released before the deal&#39;s announcement and reviewed by Anadolu, Israeli commentators said the agreement would leave key Israeli concerns unresolved, including Iran&rsquo;s ballistic missile program and Tehran&rsquo;s support for regional allies.

Writing in the Israeli daily Israel Hayom, columnist Ben-Dror Yemini said any possible agreement would effectively amount to US recognition of &quot;a stronger and more radical Iranian regime.&quot;

Yemini argued that the agreement would be seen in Iran as a &ldquo;political victory&rdquo; because it gives the regime international recognition without substantially addressing its ballistic missile program or its links with regional allies.

He said Iran would continue to pose a regional threat and that Israel would still face a ballistic missile threat, adding that the Lebanese group Hezbollah, the Yemeni Houthi group, Shia militias in Iraq, and the Palestinian group Hamas would continue to operate with Iranian funding.

&ldquo;Hamas was not defeated after a war that lasted two years, and Iran was not defeated after 40 days of bombing,&rdquo; Yemini noted.

Read: US and Iran sign ceasefire agreement, details remain unclear

On the Netanyahu-Trump relationship, Yemini said many Israelis had hoped it would produce unprecedented coordination.

While there had been tactical cooperation, including joint strikes on Iran, he said it had not translated into a strategic achievement.

&lsquo;Serious political defeat&rsquo;

In the Israeli daily Maariv, political analyst Ben Caspit said that despite Israel&rsquo;s military achievements against Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran, Netanyahu had led Israel into a &quot;serious political defeat.&quot;

Caspit wrote that Israel&rsquo;s defeat was reflected in its dependence on Trump, missed opportunities, and unresolved threats.

&ldquo;The political defeat is greater than the military victories,&rdquo; he said, arguing that Netanyahu had made himself hostage to Trump and had dragged Israel along with him.

On Iran, Caspit said Tehran had no intention of giving up its nuclear project or uranium, adding that &quot;the danger posed by the Iranian regime now is far greater than it was a year ago.&quot;

&lsquo;Iran is the biggest winner&rsquo;

Also writing in Maariv, analyst Avi Ashkenazi said Israel was not a party to the agreement but was effectively included in it because the deal determines what Israel will and will not do.

He said Israel had failed because its political leadership was unable to influence the content of the agreement, adding that Iran&rsquo;s nuclear project had not ended and that enriched uranium would remain partly or wholly in Iranian hands.

Ashkenazi also voiced concern that the Houthis, Hamas, and Hezbollah could receive what he described as &ldquo;resuscitation doses&rdquo; after large amounts of frozen Iranian funds are released.

He argued that Iran would resume large-scale oil exports, and said Israel had miscalculated badly after its war against Iran.

&ldquo;The failure is enormous, the collapse is real, and Iran is the biggest winner,&rdquo; he wrote.

&lsquo;Bad agreement&rsquo;

In Haaretz, political analyst Zvi Bar&rsquo;el wrote under the headline &ldquo;Iran is not satisfied with survival and seeks superpower status,&rdquo; warning that it would be better to have no agreement than to sign a bad one.

Bar&rsquo;el said the document under discussion was not a final deal but a working paper outlining principles and measures that would form the basis of negotiations.

He said Iran&rsquo;s ballistic missile program &mdash; a central issue in promises made by Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio &mdash; was not expected to be discussed at any stage.

The same applies to Iran&rsquo;s ties with and support for its allies in Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen, he claimed.]]>
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			<title>Eight crew believed dead in California B-52 bomber crash</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613437/eight-crew-believed-dead-in-california-b-52-bomber-crash</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613437/eight-crew-believed-dead-in-california-b-52-bomber-crash#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 16 Jun 26 06:35:25 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Flight intended to support ​a radar modernisation program, cause of crash is unknown, under investigation]]>
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				<![CDATA[Eight crew ​members are &zwnj;believed to ​have ​died in a ⁠B-52 ​bomber ​crash at California&#39;s Edwards ​Air ​Force Base on &zwnj;Monday, ⁠CNN reported, citing ​the ​base.

A US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber crashed on takeoff on Monday at Edwards Air Force Base in &zwnj;Southern California&#39;s Mojave Desert, bursting into flames and killing all eight crew members aboard, Air Force officials said.

The eight-engine, jet-powered aircraft, built to carry a wide array of nuclear and conventional bombs, was on a routine test mission when it crashed on the runway at Edwards just after leaving the ground, Air Force Colonel James Hayes said ​at a press conference hours later.

A towering pall of black smoke billowing from the crash site was visible for miles immediately ​after the accident.

He said the &quot;mixed crew&quot; aboard the aircraft consisted of government civilians, government contractors, and uniformed military personnel. ⁠Aerospace giant Boeing, which designed and built the plane, said two of its employees were among the dead.

The flight was intended to support ​a radar modernization program, Hayes told reporters. The cause of the crash was unknown and under investigation, he added.

Air Force officials did not name the ​victims, saying they were still in the process of notifying their next of kin.

Aerial video footage of the crash scene, about 100 miles (161 km) north of Los Angeles, showed a charred, smoldering patch of the desert floor larger than a football field as an emergency vehicle was seen driving along the site&#39;s perimeter. From a distance, ​there were no large pieces of debris readily visible in the footage.

Read: Two officers martyred in PAF trainer jet crash near Mardan: ISPR

Hayes said the crash was quickly &quot;deemed to be unsurvivable.&quot;

Because of damage to the ​runway, he said, &quot;we&#39;re grounding all operations at Edwards Air Force Base&quot; through at least Tuesday, adding that no operations beyond the base would be suspended.

Edwards, a sprawling &zwnj;test ⁠flight facility established in the 1930s around a dry lake bed, occupies about 481 square miles (1,245 square km) of the Mojave desert, making it the Air Force&#39;s largest airfield.

Its experimental aviation legacy includes the flight by Chuck Yeager in the Bell X-1 aircraft that broke the sound barrier in 1947, test flights of the X-15 aircraft and the first landings of NASA&#39;s space shuttles.

Backbone of bomber force

The B-52 Stratofortress, a long-range, subsonic aircraft built ​to carry up to 70,000 pounds (31,750 ​kg) of weapons and supplies, has ⁠long served as the backbone of the US crewed strategic bomber force, according to the military.

The swept-wing aircraft is capable of unleashing the widest range of weapons in the U.S. inventory, from cluster bombs and gravity ​bombs to precision-guided missiles and nuclear warheads, at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet (15,166 m), according to an ​Air Force fact ⁠sheet. Its combat range extends more than 8,000 miles without refueling.

Monday&#39;s incident marked the first crash of a B-52 Stratofortress since the same type of bomber crashed on the island of Guam in May 2016, according to the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives, a Geneva-based organization that collects global aviation accident data. ⁠All seven ​crew members aboard that aircraft survived.

Only H models of the B-52 remain in the ​Air Force inventory.

The aircraft involved in Monday&#39;s crash was assigned to the 412th Test Wing, which is based at Edwards. Most B-52s are stationed in North Dakota and Louisiana.]]>
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			<title>Trump says deal with Iran 'all signed', adding that Strait of Hormuz will be 'completely opened' on Friday</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613248/us-iran-reach-preliminary-agreement-to-end-war-signing-set-for-friday</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613248/us-iran-reach-preliminary-agreement-to-end-war-signing-set-for-friday#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 26 05:10:33 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2613248</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Says text of Iran deal to be released 'sometime after Friday']]>
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				<![CDATA[United States President Donald Trump on Monday said that the peace deal with Iran was already signed and the Strait of Hormuz would be completely opened for all sea traffic on June 19.

&quot;I&#39;m very happy to say ... the deal&#39;s all signed,&quot; he said while addressing a media talk with French President Emmanuel Macron in France ahead of the G7 summit.

He said that the text of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Iran will be released &quot;sometime after Friday&quot;.

&quot;I think pretty soon. I would say, I mean, I want it to be released, because it&#39;s a very powerful document,&quot; Trump said. &quot;It&#39;s a very powerful document, and I want it to be released. So, probably pretty soon. I would say sometime after Friday.&quot;





A US official similarly said just earlier that Washington and Tehran had signed a MoU to settle a near four-month war, adding that a signing ceremony would take place on Friday and shipping traffic in the Strait ​of Hormuz would gradually ramp up.

The MoU was signed by Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher ​Qalibaf, one US official said.

Speaking at a briefing with ​reporters, the US official added that there will also be a signing ceremony on Friday.

&quot;You will see significant increase in traffic in the ​Strait of Hormuz, actually starting already, and that will ​ramp up slowly over time,&quot; the US official, speaking on the condition &zwnj;of ⁠anonymity, said. &quot;We probably won&#39;t return to normal in two weeks, but we will see a significant increase in strait traffic,&quot; the official said.

Trump earlier said that ships carrying oil were beginning to move out of the Strait of Hormuz after the US and Iran declared that they had reached an agreement to end the war.

&quot;Ships are starting to move, many loaded up with Oil, out of the Strait of Hormuz. They are going along the Southern &#39;Highway,&#39; which is totally safe, secure, and pristine,&quot; Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

&quot;There are other areas of travel, also!!!&quot; he added.



https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/116754269577470122



Vice President JD Vance said the US held significant leverage in negotiations with Iran and expressed confidence that upcoming talks would lead to a successful agreement.

&quot;I think the best outcome is a good deal for the American people, which we have fundamentally,&quot; Vance said in an interview with CNBC.

Discussing negotiations expected later this week, Vance said: &quot;We expect to have a full spectrum of representatives at the negotiation on Friday. Again, we&#39;ve been talking to these people sometimes indirectly, but sometimes directly, and that&#39;s what&#39;s fundamentally changed under the president&#39;s leadership.&quot;

He said the Trump administration is now engaging directly with Iran, adding: &quot;We have some good relationships there.&quot;

&quot;This is going to be a successful negotiation, because you know we&#39;re not passing messages through various back channels anymore. We&#39;re actually talking to them, and when you talk to them, you figure out what&#39;s real, what&#39;s fake, what are they serious about, what are they not serious about,&quot; he said.

Highlighting Washington&#39;s position ahead of the talks, Vance said: &quot;We fundamentally have all the cards here. We don&#39;t have to give the Iranians anything if they don&#39;t make the commitments that we want long term on the nuclear program, and even if we just stopped here, what would be true? Their military is destroyed, the Straits of Hormuz are open, their nuclear program has been destroyed, and we have incredible economic leverage over them that we didn&#39;t have a year and a half ago.&quot;

Vance further noted that Washington remained open to improving relations with Tehran, saying: &quot;If you guys want to meet us, if you guys want to change your relationship with the United States, we will change our relationship with Iran. That&#39;s the offer. We&#39;re going to have to see whether they meet us there.&quot;

Addressing concerns about Israel&#39;s reaction to a potential agreement, Vance said: &quot;Well, first of all, I think there are elements within Israel that like the deal quite a bit, and I also think there&#39;s been some misreporting about the deal.&quot;

He added that the administration hoped to release the text of the agreement this week and said it would make the region safer and help create &quot;a new Middle East, not just for the next few years, but for the next generation&quot;.

Iranian president says war-ending memorandum could become source of national pride

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that the MoU could become a source of national pride if all of its provisions were fully implemented.

Speaking on the sidelines of a national governance conference in Tehran, Pezeshkian said the agreement could help address many outstanding issues and pave the way for new conditions in Iran and across the region.

&ldquo;If all provisions of this memorandum are properly implemented, it will be regarded as a source of pride for the country,&rdquo; he said.

Pezeshkian described the memorandum as an achievement not only for Iran but also for the wider region and what he called the &ldquo;resistance forces&rdquo;.

He said details of the agreement would be released at an appropriate time and noted that more than 90% of the members of Iran&#39;s Supreme National Security Council had backed it.

The president added that Iran&#39;s negotiating team would continue its work within the framework set by the country&#39;s leadership.

According to Iran&#39;s official news agency IRNA, Pezeshkian said authorities had agreed to sign the war-ending memorandum on Friday.

He also thanked Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, members of the Supreme National Security Council and other officials involved in the negotiations.

The president later said in a post on X that the deal was&nbsp;an important step towards stopping the war and beginning negotiations, adding that a final agreement had&nbsp;yet to take shape.

&quot;The Islamic Republic of Iran has prepared itself for all options, and the government&#39;s focus &mdash; with or without an agreement &mdash; is sincere service to the people. The Iranian nation has learned from its martyred imam not to submit to humiliation.&quot;



آنچه تفاهم شده، گامی مهم برای توقف جنگ و شروع مذاکره است و هنوز توافق نهایی شکل نگرفته است.
جمهوری اسلامی ایران خود را برای همه گزینه&zwnj;ها آماده کرده است و تمرکز دولت با یا بدون توافق خدمت صادقانه به مردم است. ملت ایران از امام شهیدش آموخته که زیر بار ذلت نرود.
&mdash; Masoud Pezeshkian (@drpezeshkian) June 15, 2026



In a post on X, Ghalibaf congratulated the Iranian people, saying: &quot;With your historic resistance and the valour of the armed forces against those who sought the life of this nation and the destruction and surrender of this homeland, Iran took a great step toward final victory. They wanted to, but they couldn&#39;t. We stand firm, and in the end, Iran will triumph by the grace of God.&quot;



ملت دوست&zwnj;داشتنی و سروقامت ایران!

با مقاومت تاریخی شما و رشادت نیروهای مسلح دربرابر آنان که قصد جان این ملت و نابودی و تسلیم این مملکت را کرده بودند، ایران گامی بلند به سوی پیروزی نهایی برداشت. می&zwnj;خواستند و نتوانستند.

ایستاده&zwnj;ایم و در نهایت #ایران_ما پیروز خواهد شد، به لطف خدا. pic.twitter.com/i1rCmB58y3
&mdash; محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) June 15, 2026


Iran says top Iranian, US negotiators &#39;likely&#39; to meet Friday before signing memorandum

Araghchi said that the heads of the Iranian and US negotiating delegations were likely to meet in Switzerland on Friday before signing the MoU and launching a new round of talks, according to Iran&rsquo;s Tasnim News Agency.

Speaking after a joint meeting with members of parliament&rsquo;s Economic Commission, Araghchi said a meeting between the heads of the two delegations was expected to take place in Switzerland on Friday.

&ldquo;The heads of the two delegations will likely meet in Switzerland on Friday and the MoU between Iran and the United States may be signed, after which the first round of subsequent negotiations will be held,&rdquo; he said.

Araghchi said the understanding could help create economic opportunities for Iran but stressed that the country&rsquo;s economy should not become dependent on agreements reached through negotiations with the US.

He also pointed to what he described as a history of unfulfilled commitments, failure to implement agreements and the abandonment of previous deals, saying Iran was planning both the negotiation process and implementation of any future agreement based on lessons drawn from past experiences.

He added that Iran would seek to maximise economic opportunities through any agreement but would not rely on such opportunities in shaping its foreign policy.

Those who started the war were defeated hugely: Iran&#39;s Baghaei

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei stated that those who started the war have been &quot;defeated hugely&quot;.

In a press briefing on Monday, Baghaei also stated that respecting Lebanon&#39;s sovereignty and territorial integrity was part of the interim agreement with the US.

&ldquo;Regarding the manner and mechanism of signing the memorandum of understanding, a final decision will be made today and tomorrow, and its results will be officially announced,&rdquo; he added.

He stated that &quot;regional visits&quot; were also on the agenda before the signing of the agreement with the US in Switzerland.

Baghaei said that the US will commit itself to give Iran access to its frozen funds, and that it will not give Tehran any money.

Baghaei added that Tehran will take measures to ensure safe passage in the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with Oman and other countries. This will be for a specific time and adhering to the US&#39; own commitments.

He stated that the US was obliged to deliver its commitments under the agreement, and failure to do so will lead to reciprocal measures from Iran.

The spokesman also mentioned the coup decades ago orchestrated by the West as a starting point for the source of &ldquo;deep-rooted&rdquo; distrust, as per Al Jazeera.

&ldquo;We doubt the Americans because we had previous experiences with them that go back to 1953,&rdquo; Baghaei said, highlighting the year a joint US-UK campaign to overthrow the democratically elected government was successfully carried out.

&ldquo;Since that moment trust has gone between America and Iran, and it is deep-rooted. There is a long road for the United States to go to gain our trust.&rdquo;

Iran says US &lsquo;responsible&rsquo; for implementing draft deal, calls for Israeli attacks on Lebanon to stop

Iran&rsquo;s foreign minister said Monday that the US bears the responsibility for implementing the Pakistan-mediated memorandum of understanding with Tehran, calling for the Israeli attacks on Lebanon to stop.

This came during Abbas Araghchi&#39;s separate phone calls with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, according to Iran&rsquo;s state news agency IRNA.

Araghchi and his counterparts also stressed the need to maintain diplomatic efforts to achieve stability and security in the region, the outlet added.

Hezbollah has not carried out operations since Iran-US deal, Hezbollah official tells Reuters

A Hezbollah official told Reuters on Monday that the group has not carried out any operations since the Iran-US deal was announced and that its position on the ceasefire was linked to Israel&#39;s adherence to it.

The official, who declined to be named, added that Hezbollah rejects Israeli &quot;freedom of movement&quot; in Lebanon and said Iran delayed signing the deal with the US to monitor Israel&#39;s adherence to the ceasefire in Lebanon.

Hezbollah has not officially commented on the US agreement.

US, Iran reach preliminary agreement to end war, signing set for Friday 

US and Iranian officials said they had agreed on a framework to end their war, halt the US blockade of Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a preliminary pact that sent ​oil prices falling but leaves the fate of Iran&#39;s nuclear program to further negotiations.

&quot;The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,&quot; US President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform around &zwnj;5:30pm ET local time in Washington (1:30am PKT) on Sunday. His post came shortly after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country has served as a mediator, announced a deal had been struck early on Monday local time.

The memorandum of understanding is scheduled to be officially signed on Friday in Switzerland.

The precise terms were not immediately known. Sharif said in a post on X that the pact called for &quot;the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.&quot;



Following intensive talks, we are pleased to announce that the Peace Deal between the United States of America and Islamic Republic of Iran has been REACHED. Both sides have declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in&hellip;
&mdash; Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) June 14, 2026


Read: Trump announces completion of Iran deal, removes US blockade of Strait of Hormuz

Lebanon has been a sticking point in negotiations, with Israel and Hezbollah ignoring calls from Trump and others to ​stop their attacks on each other in recent weeks.

In a statement, the secretariat of Iran&#39;s Supreme National Security Council said war and military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, would end permanently starting on Monday night.

Iran&#39;s deputy foreign ​minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, said a more expansive agreement would be negotiated during a 60-day ceasefire period, including sanctions relief for Iran.

The fate of Iran&#39;s nuclear program will also ⁠be addressed in those later talks, sources previously told Reuters.

There was no immediate reaction to the announcement from Israel, which has said it was not party to the US-Iran talks.

UAE calls for &lsquo;full-compliance&rsquo; with US-Iran deal

The United Arab Emirates on Monday welcomed a recently announced US-Iran peace agreement, calling for &quot;full compliance&quot; with the deal.

In a statement, the UAE Foreign Ministry &quot;emphasised the importance of full compliance with the provisions of the agreement, ensuring an immediate and comprehensive cessation of hostilities in the region.&quot;

It urged respect for state sovereignty and the principles of good neighbourly relations, and &ldquo;strict compliance with international law, and the protection of maritime routes and freedom of international navigation, including the uninterrupted freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.&rdquo;

The ministry expressed appreciation for efforts by US President Donald Trump and other parties involved in the mediation process to reach the agreement.

It called for continuing negotiations &quot;to build on this progress and achieve sustainable outcomes.&quot;

The ministry reiterated the UAE&rsquo;s support &ldquo;for all efforts aimed at strengthening security and stability and fostering dialogue and diplomacy as the preferred means of resolving regional and international crises.&quot;

Israel says its army to remain in areas it occupied in southern Lebanon despite US-Iran deal

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Monday that the Israeli army will remain in the areas it occupied in southern Lebanon as well as in Syria, and Gaza despite a peace agreement between the US and Iran.

Israel opposes the withdrawal of its forces from Lebanon &quot;despite all current and future pressures,&quot; he said in a statement.

He added that areas occupied by Israel in southern Lebanon would be &ldquo;cleared&rdquo; of the local population.

Katz also claimed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had made this position clear to US President Donald Trump and other senior American officials.

&quot;I also clearly conveyed this to US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth,&quot; Katz added.

The Israeli minister warned that Israel would attack Iran &ldquo;with all our might&rdquo; if Tehran launched strikes against Israel because of developments in Lebanon.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also criticised the US-Iran deal, claiming that &ldquo;Trump&rsquo;s agreement does not bind&quot; Tel Aviv.



ההסכם של טראמפ אינו מחייב אותנו. ישראל לא כפופה לארצות הברית ואנחנו מדינה עצמאית וריבונית!

חובתנו לאזרחי ישראל לחיילי צה״ל ולעם היהודי וחובתנו ההיסטורית לנרדפים ולנרצחים היהודים באלפי שנות גלות, להעניק ביטחון ליהודים בארץ ישראל.

בכל פעם שנכנענו ללחץ בינלאומי על חשבון ביטחון&hellip;
&mdash; איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) June 15, 2026


Germany calls on Iran, Israel to avert new Lebanon escalation after US deal

Germany on Monday called on Iran and Israel to prevent a fresh escalation in Lebanon and seize the momentum created by a newly announced US-Iran agreement aimed at ending the fighting.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul welcomed the deal, announced Sunday by Washington and Tehran, as &ldquo;good news,&rdquo; and said Berlin stands ready to help advance the process once full details emerge.

&ldquo;Iran must now exert influence on Hezbollah to ensure there are no further attacks on Israel,&rdquo; Wadephul told reporters ahead of a meeting with EU counterparts in Luxembourg. &ldquo;And as for Israel, there will be no reason for it to launch or carry out attacks in Lebanon. This is an opportunity for the entire region, and we should seize it together now.&rdquo;

Asked whether the EU could help facilitate moving the US-Iran deal forward, Wadephul expressed willingness but stressed the need for clarity on its terms.

&ldquo;We really need to understand the substance of the agreement in detail &mdash; something I assume will only be fully possible on Friday,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;However, the Europeans have consistently stated their readiness to play a role in restoring the navigability of the Strait of Hormuz. I believe we simply need to keep an open mind.&rdquo;

Wadephul added that Europeans could consider expanding the EU&rsquo;s Aspides mission to take a more active part in ensuring safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. &ldquo;It is in Europe&rsquo;s interest for this vital trade route to function smoothly, and if we can contribute to that, we should be prepared to do so,&rdquo; he said.

Indonesia welcomes US-Iran deal, urges restraint to &#39;sustain momentum towards de-escalation&#39;

Indonesia on Monday welcomed the initial peace deal between the US and Iran to end the war, calling on warring parties to &ldquo;continue exercising restraint.&rdquo;

&ldquo;We commend the efforts of all parties and mediators that have constructively contributed to facilitating dialogue and encouraging a peaceful resolution of differences,&rdquo; said the Indonesian Foreign Ministry on US social media company X.

Jakarta called on all parties to &ldquo;continue exercising restraint, uphold their commitments, and engage constructively in dialogue to sustain the momentum towards de-escalation.&rdquo;

The statement came after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced early Monday that the United States and Iran had reached a peace agreement and that a signing ceremony would be held in Switzerland on Friday.

Both Washington and Tehran later confirmed the announcement.

US President Donald Trump said the agreement had been finalised and announced plans to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and lift a US naval blockade.

Pakistan has been mediating between the two sides since securing a ceasefire on April 8, weeks after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28.

&ldquo;Indonesia looks forward to the implementation of this agreement and reaffirms its readiness to support efforts aimed at promoting peace, security, and stability in the region, in accordance with international law and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter,&rdquo; said the ministry statement from Jakarta.

China urges swift reopening of Strait of Hormuz after US-Iran deal

China on Monday called for the Strait of Hormuz to reopen as soon as possible after the United States and Iran reached an initial peace agreement.

&quot;The Strait of Hormuz is an important strait for international passage,&quot; Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing.

&quot;We hope the strait can resume opening as soon as possible,&quot; he said.

Lin also welcomed the agreement reached between Washington and Tehran and praised Pakistan&#39;s role in mediating the negotiations.

&quot;China welcomes US and Iran reaching the agreement on text of an initial memorandum of understanding and commends Pakistan&#39;s mediation efforts,&quot; he said in response to a question from an Anadolu correspondent.

&quot;We hope the documents will be signed as planned and all relevant parties will stay committed to peaceful solutions,&quot; he added.

Washington appreciates Turkish president&#39;s support for regional de-escalation, says US envoy

US Ambassador to T&uuml;rkiye Tom Barrack said on Monday that Washington appreciates Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan&rsquo;s support for diplomatic efforts and de-escalation in the region.

&quot;We appreciate President Erdogan&rsquo;s support for diplomacy and regional de-escalation,&rdquo; he said on US social media platform X.

&quot;Progress is possible when nations choose dialogue, partnership, and a shared commitment to peace and security,&quot; he added, quoting a post by Erdogan welcoming the recently announced US-Iran deal.

Egypt, Jordan welcome US-Iran agreement, call it &lsquo;important step&rsquo; for regional stability

Egypt and Jordan on Monday hailed a peace agreement between the United States and Iran as &ldquo;a highly important development&rdquo; for restoring security and stability in the region.

In a statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry voiced hope the agreement will mark &ldquo;a major turning point&rdquo; toward strengthening mutual trust, laying new foundations for cooperation and &ldquo;creating an environment that supports peace and diplomatic efforts to address various regional issues, in a way that reflects positively on security and stability in the Middle East.&rdquo;



pic.twitter.com/x3gAFJJeNt
&mdash; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt (@MFAEgOfficial) June 15, 2026


Cairo said that it had continued diplomatic efforts in recent months, in coordination with its regional and international partners, to end the war and open a new chapter that strengthens regional security and stability.

It renewed its support for peaceful solutions and the settlement of disputes through dialogue and negotiation as &ldquo;a basic approach for achieving peace and consolidating stability in line with international law and the UN Charter.&rdquo;

It also voiced hope that ending the war will help refocus international attention on the humanitarian and security conditions in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and speed up the start of the second phase of Trump&rsquo;s plan to end the war in Gaza.

Jordan&rsquo;s Foreign Ministry also welcomed the agreement, saying it was an important step toward restoring regional and international security and stability.



رحّب الأردن اليوم بالتوصل إلى اتفاق بين الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية والجمهورية الإسلامية الإيرانية لإنهاء العمليات العسكربة وبدء مفاوضات تفصيلية بهدف التوصل إلى اتفاق دائم، خطوة هامة لاستعادة الأمن والاستقرار الإقليميين والدوليين.

وأعربت وزارة الخارجية وشؤون المغتربين في بيانٍ عن&hellip; pic.twitter.com/itB5y5mjSg
&mdash; وزارة الخارجية وشؤون المغتربين الأردنية (@ForeignMinistry) June 15, 2026


It stressed the importance of reaching a permanent agreement &ldquo;that consolidates security and stability in the region, takes into account the security interests of countries in the region, and upholds the principles of good neighbourliness, respect for state sovereignty and noninterference in internal affairs.&rdquo;

Jordan renewed its support for settling disputes through diplomatic means in accordance with international law and the UN Charter, as well as all regional and international efforts aimed at achieving security, stability and prosperity for the peoples of the region and the world.

Key provisions in Iran-US draft memorandum of understanding according to Iranian media

Iranian media published details Monday of a 14-point draft memorandum of understanding between Iran and the US laying out a proposed framework to end the war and move toward a final agreement.

The semi-official Mehr News Agency said the draft calls for an immediate and permanent halt to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, the lifting of the US naval blockade against Iran, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a 60-day negotiation period covering nuclear issues and sanctions relief.

The reported draft comes after Iran said the memorandum of understanding had been finalised and would be formally signed Friday in Geneva.

End of war, US commitments

According to Mehr, the draft calls for an immediate and permanent end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon.

It also includes a US commitment not to interfere in Iran&rsquo;s internal affairs and to respect the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic.

The draft further requires the US to withdraw its forces from around Iran and refrain from deploying additional troops to the region or imposing new sanctions during the negotiation period.

Hormuz reopening, blockade lifting

The draft provides for the full lifting of the US naval blockade against Iran within 30 days.

It also calls for reopening the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days under Iranian arrangements.

Mehr said the draft includes a monitoring mechanism to oversee implementation of the agreement.

Sanctions relief, frozen assets

The draft provides for the suspension of sanctions on Iranian oil sales, petrochemical products and derivatives while granting Tehran full access to the financial proceeds.

It also calls for the release of $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets during the 60-day negotiations period, with half of the amount to be made available to Iran before the start of final talks.

According to the draft reported by Mehr, the final agreement would include the full lifting of US primary and secondary sanctions as well as the termination of relevant UN Security Council and International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors resolutions.

Nuclear talks, Iranian red lines

The draft sets a 60-day negotiation period to reach a final agreement focused on nuclear issues and sanctions relief.

It says Iran would reiterate its commitment under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) not to produce nuclear weapons.

Mehr said the final negotiations would focus only on the fate of enriched material and enrichment activities, sanctions relief and the reconstruction of Iran&rsquo;s economy.

The report added that Iran&rsquo;s missile program and support for resistance groups were &ldquo;definitively&rdquo; excluded from the final negotiation agenda.

Reconstruction plans, final agreement

The draft requires the US and its allies to present reconstruction plans for Iran worth at least $300 billion.

It also says the final agreement would be endorsed through a UN Security Council resolution.

Mehr reported that final negotiations would not begin before half of Iran&rsquo;s frozen assets are released, sanctions on Iranian oil are suspended and the naval blockade is lifted.

Last-minute changes

Separately, Tasnim News Agency, citing an informed source, said late changes were introduced to the draft during the final hours of negotiations, including provisions related to administration of the Strait of Hormuz.

The source added that guarantees related to Lebanon&rsquo;s sovereignty and territorial integrity were also included at the final stage and played a role in Iran not carrying out a planned response to Israeli strikes on Beirut&rsquo;s southern suburbs.

Strait to reopen

Trump said the Strait of Hormuz, a major shipping route for ​global oil and gas supplies that Iran has effectively shut down for months, would open on Friday, and that he had ordered the end of the US blockade of Iranian ports.

&quot;Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!&quot; Trump wrote, along with &quot;oil will flow on both ends again for the Region, and the World!&quot;



Oil ​prices fell on the news. Brent crude futures fell 4% in early trading on Monday, while US West Texas Intermediate slid more than 4.6%. Stock markets in Asia jumped.

Former Biden administration State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Trump had made important concessions to Iran to achieve the status quo that existed before he launched the war.

&quot;We have no assurances the nuclear program will ever be addressed, but Iran has shown the world it can take the global economy hostage and get something from the US in return,&quot; said Miller.

Thousands of people have been killed, mostly in Iran and Lebanon, ​since US and Israeli forces first attacked Iran on February 28. Iran has struck Israel and Gulf states hosting US bases and has effectively blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, pushing up global energy prices. US forces have blocked Iranian ports in response.

Read more: UN Chief condemns new Israeli strikes on Lebanon

The ​Iran war has become a political liability at home for Trump and his fellow Republicans in Congress, with public opinion polls showing Americans deeply frustrated by rising gas prices ahead of November&#39;s midterm elections. But Trump has also faced pressure from members of his own party &zwnj;who insist that ⁠Iran&#39;s nuclear program must be completely shut down.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a leading Iran hawk, praised the deal but said he would be &quot;watching closely&quot; the coming negotiations on Iran&#39;s nuclear program.

&quot;Under our law, any nuclear deal with Iran will be sent to Congress for review and a vote,&quot; he said. &quot;Congratulations to all in getting us to this point.&quot;

During his first term, Trump withdrew the US from a 2015 multilateral Iran deal, negotiated by Democratic President Barack Obama, that lifted sanctions on Tehran in exchange for limits on its nuclear program, including international inspections.

Iran responded by ramping up its enrichment of uranium, producing more than 400 kg (around 900 pounds) of material at close to bomb-grade purity. The eventual fate of that uranium is likely to be a key negotiating point during ​the upcoming talks.

&#39;A very difficult guy&#39;

The agreement was sealed despite an ​Israeli strike on Lebanon on Sunday that had blowback ⁠from both Iran and Trump.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has differed with Trump over American demands that Israel curb its military action in Lebanon to allow the United States to reach a deal with Iran.

Israel has said it will retain freedom of operations in Lebanon, while Iran has made a full ceasefire there an important component of its demands.

Trump updated Netanyahu on the progress toward ​a peace deal during a phone call on Sunday, Israel&#39;s N12 reported, citing a senior official.

In an interview with the New York Times, Trump called Netanyahu &quot;a very difficult guy&quot; and ​argued the Israeli leader should thank ⁠him for saving Israel from a nuclear-armed Iran.

Leaders outside the Middle East, who have kept a wary eye on the conflict, welcomed the announcement.

In a joint statement, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy said they were prepared to lift sanctions on Iran in response to &quot;clear, verifiable steps&quot; to limit its nuclear program.

&quot;We are clear that toll-free freedom of navigation must now be restored in the Strait of Hormuz,&quot; British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said. &quot;Iran must never have a nuclear weapon.&quot;

Before the deal was announced, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that, ⁠under the terms of ​the draft, the United States would agree to release $25 billion of frozen Iranian assets. The Trump administration has previously said any release of Iranian money ​would only take place once Iran has fulfilled certain conditions under a peace deal.

A US official, also speaking before the announcement, said the agreement would ultimately lead to the dismantling of Iran&#39;s nuclear program, with its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to be destroyed and removed. The senior Iranian official said the draft ​deal would allow Iran, which denies seeking a nuclear bomb, to dilute its enriched uranium inside the country.]]>
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			<title>UK minister praises Pakistan's role in brokering US-Iran peace deal</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613470/uk-minister-praises-pakistans-role-in-brokering-us-iran-peace-deal</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613470/uk-minister-praises-pakistans-role-in-brokering-us-iran-peace-deal#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 16 Jun 26 12:09:29 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[Web Desk]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Announces deeper migration cooperation and commits an additional £8m to tackle crime and illegal migration]]>
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				<![CDATA[British Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Hamish Falconer, praised Pakistan&rsquo;s critical role in brokering a ceasefire between the United States and Iran.

&ldquo;The news of a US-Iran deal is a hugely significant moment, and I am pleased to convey my personal thanks, and those of the UK, to Pakistan during my visit here in Islamabad. Pakistan has played a critical role in brokering this opportunity for regional stability, and we stand ready to work together to support a path to lasting peace,&rdquo; Falconer said during his two-day visit to Islamabad.

According to a statement issued by the British High Commission, Falconer personally thanked Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar for Pakistan&rsquo;s role in reaching this significant moment.

&ldquo;He reiterated the UK&rsquo;s steadfast support for stability in the Middle East and made clear that the UK would continue to do all it could to work with partners such as Pakistan to shore up this opportunity for lasting peace,&rdquo; the statement said.

&ldquo;We remain grateful for the role Pakistan has played in facilitating negotiations. The UK and our partners will continue to work together to see the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz,&rdquo; Falconer said.



Delighted to be back in Pakistan for important discussions with @MIshaqDar50 and to thank Pakistan for their role mediating the US-Iran deal.

The next stage of talks are vital for regional stability and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. https://t.co/6NSuxJEisq
&mdash; Hamish Falconer MP (@HFalconerMP) June 15, 2026


The statement added that, during his meetings with Pakistan&rsquo;s senior leadership, the minister also committed an additional &pound;8 million to support joint UK-Pakistan efforts to tackle crime and illegal migration.

&ldquo;The funding will be used to strengthen border and visa systems and bring in expertise to help Pakistani law enforcement disrupt people-smuggling and trafficking networks,&rdquo; it said.

The statement said the funding would also support the return of individuals with no right to remain in the UK and finance community-based programmes in high-risk areas to address the root causes of illegal migration.

&ldquo;This includes support for improving identity and information-sharing processes, strengthening law enforcement capability to investigate smuggling networks, and expanding community-based prevention programmes that reduce vulnerability to exploitation,&rdquo; the statement said.

&ldquo;The UK-Pakistan partnership is critical for safeguarding global, regional and UK national security &mdash; working closely together to tackle terrorist threats, visa fraud and serious organised crime,&rdquo; Falconer said.

&ldquo;We are taking this partnership and our co-operation to a new level, with additional funding to deter illegal migration and target drivers at the source,&rdquo; he added.

As part of his visit, Falconer also met Pakistan&rsquo;s special representative for Afghanistan to discuss ongoing tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, encourage a return to dialogue and offer UK support in tackling the terrorist threat from Afghanistan.

&ldquo;The UK government is steadfast in its commitment to secure borders and national security. Building and deepening international partnerships is critical to delivering this,&rdquo; the statement said.

Read More:&nbsp;UK envoy cautions Pakistani applicants against illegal agents making false promises of British asylum

The British High Commission statement said that, during his second visit to Pakistan as an FCDO minister, Hamish Falconer would witness a live demonstration of joint law-enforcement efforts to curb illegal migration.

&quot;The UK-backed initiative enables Pakistani authorities to identify and intercept travellers using non-genuine visas at airports, helping ensure that only eligible passengers and students travel to Britain,&quot; it said.

The visit was also expected to include meetings with Pakistan&rsquo;s Ministry of Interior and the Higher Education Commission to discuss closer practical cooperation aimed at preventing visa abuse.

The statement said deepening the UK-Pakistan partnership was critical to strengthening British, regional and global security.

It added that the UK was providing counter-terrorism assistance to Pakistan, including support for training civilians involved in the investigation and prosecution of terrorism-related cases.]]>
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			<title>Iran head coach says team was ordered to leave US just after World Cup opener</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613453/iran-head-coach-says-team-was-ordered-to-leave-us-just-after-world-cup-opener</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613453/iran-head-coach-says-team-was-ordered-to-leave-us-just-after-world-cup-opener#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 16 Jun 26 09:40:43 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Iranian national team head coach says his team is 'most repressed team in the whole World Cup']]>
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				<![CDATA[Iranian National Football Team manager Amir Ghalenoei called his squad the &quot;most repressed team in the whole World Cup,&quot; saying they were ordered to leave Los Angeles for their training base in Mexico, shortly after their Monday night opening match against New Zealand.

Ghalenoei said the team had expected to remain in the California metropolis overnight and carry out a recovery session the next day, but were instead told immediately after the final whistle that they must return.

&quot;We spent so much time in the air commuting, they didn&#39;t even give us time to recover,&quot; he said through an interpreter, according to US sports outlet ESPN. &quot;After the game today, they said to us: &#39;You have to leave immediately.&#39;&quot;

Read: Iran team arrive in US for World Cup opener as the two nations reach peace deal

Ghalenoei did not say who had instructed the team to leave Monday night, although Iran captain Mehdi Taremi said FIFA President Gianni Infantino had visited the team in the locker room after Monday&#39;s game.

&quot;For sure, he wants to try to help us, but it&#39;s about other things, too. Everyone knows it,&quot; Taremi stated, in an apparent reference to long-standing tensions between the US and Iran, even as the over 100-day war between the two is set to end with a peace deal this week.

&quot;I don&#39;t need to mention that because you know where we are,&quot; he added.

The Iranian national squad was initially set to be based in Tucson, in the US State of Arizona, for the duration of the World Cup, but moved their camp to Tijuana, Mexico, in late May after facing logistical and visa issues.]]>
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			<title>The Iranian leaders killed in Israeli-US war</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613327/the-iranian-leaders-killed-in-israeli-us-war</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613327/the-iranian-leaders-killed-in-israeli-us-war#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 26 18:38:53 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP .]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Iran lost its top political and military brass during the 108-day war with the US and Israel, amid world unrest]]>
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				<![CDATA[Over the course of the US-Israeli war on Iran, waves of airstrikes killed an entire echelon of the Islamic republic&#39;s political and military elite, starting with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

President Donald Trump had claimed in March that the campaign had achieved &quot;regime change&quot;, but Iran showed resilience in rapidly replacing killed leaders and keeping up the war against the US and Israel.

With Washington and Tehran agreeing on a deal announced on Monday to halt the conflict, here is a recap of some of the key figures killed in the war:

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Khamenei, Iran&#39;s number one since 1989, was killed in the first hour of the war on February 28 in a strike on a meeting of senior officials in Tehran that also left his daughter-in-law, daughter and at least one grandchild dead, according to reports.



On July 9, Khamenei will be buried in the Imam Reza Shrine in the city of Mashhad following a funeral ceremony there on July 18. PHOTO: REUTERS

His low-profile son Mojtaba survived &mdash;&nbsp;although reportedly with injuries &mdash;&nbsp;and took over as supreme leader. He has yet to make a public appearance.

Read More: Trump says deal with Iran &#39;all signed&#39;, adding that Strait of Hormuz will be &#39;completely opened&#39; on Friday

Ali Khamenei has yet to be buried, with state media reporting on Saturday that his funeral will take place on July 9 in his hometown, the northeastern city of Mashhad, following three days of funeral ceremonies in Tehran and another in the holy city of Qom.

Security chief Ali Larijani

The killing of Larijani, who, despite not being a cleric, was a pillar of the system for decades, was likely the biggest loss to the Islamic Republic after the death of Ali Khamenei.



Iran&#39;s security chief Ali Larijani attends a ceremony by the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah marking the first anniversary of Israel&#39;s assassination of their longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah, in Beirut&#39;s southern suburbs on September 27, 2025. PHOTO:AFP

Larijani was killed on March 17 in an Israeli strike, reportedly in the Tehran region and which also killed family members.

The previous week, he had defiantly walked in public in Tehran at a pro-government rally.

Revolutionary Guards chief Mohammad Pakpour

Pakpour, previously head of the Guards&#39; ground forces, took over as commander-in-chief in June 2025 after his predecessor Hossein Salami was killed in Israel&#39;s 12-day war against Iran.



Iran&rsquo;s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei swiftly appointed Mohammad Pakpour as new Revolutionary Guards who was also assassinated. PHOTO: TASNIM NEWS

He was killed on the first day of the war and has been replaced by former interior and defence minister Ahmad Vahidi.

Guards Naval Chief Alireza Tangsiri

A veteran of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, Tangsiri was one of the longest-serving senior figures in the Revolutionary Guards as the head of its navy since 2018 and one of its highest-profile faces within the Islamic republic.



Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Alireza Tangsiri was assassinated in a strike on port city of Bandar Abbas. Photograph: Tasnim

Israel&#39;s defence minister described him as the &quot;man who was directly responsible for the terrorist operation of mining and blocking the Strait of Hormuz&quot;.

Adviser Ali Shamkhani

Shamkhani, a mainstay of the Islamic Republic&#39;s armed forces since the 1980s, was killed in an airstrike on the first day of the war.

He was given a public funeral in Tehran&#39;s Tajrish Square.



Ali Shamkhani, adviser to Iran&#39;s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was also among the top military leaders of Iran. PHOTO: AFP

He had been severely wounded, and initially reported dead, in a strike during Israel&#39;s June war against Iran, but later re-emerged.

Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib

A cleric, Khatib, was killed by an Israeli strike in Tehran early on March 18.



Iran&#39;s Minister of Intelligence Esmail Khatib sits with Iran&#39;s President Masoud Pezeshkian before a speech to defend his cabinet selection to members of parliament in the capital Tehran on August 17, 2024. PHOTO FILE: AFP

As Iran&#39;s intelligence minister since 2021, he was accused by rights groups of playing a key role in the suppression of protests.

Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh

A veteran of the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, Nasirzadeh had served as defence minister since 2024.



Aziz Nasirzadeh was also a war veteran. PHOTO: REUTERS

He was also killed in a strike on the first day of the war.

Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani

Soleimani headed the Basij, a volunteer paramilitary group that is a branch of the Revolutionary Guards and notorious among rights groups for suppressing protests.



A file photo of Basij force commander Gholamreza Soleimani

He was killed in an airstrike on March 17.

Guards spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini

Naini was killed in March in what the Guards described as a &quot;cowardly&quot; attack by the United States and Israel.



IRGC Spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini. PHOTO: X

Just before his death was confirmed, the Fars news agency issued a statement quoting Naini as saying Iran&#39;s missile production deserved a &quot;perfect score&quot; and was continuing despite the war.

Head of the military office Mohammad Shirazi



Mohammad Shirazi Killed on the opening day of the war. PHOTO: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Killed on the opening day of the war, Shirazi had the crucial job of coordinating between the various branches of the Iranian security forces at the office of the Supreme Leader.

Armed forces chief Abdolrahim

&nbsp;

Iran&rsquo;s armed forces chief of staff, Abdolrahim Mousavi

Mousavi, killed on the first day of the war, had only taken up his post &mdash; a senior position that coordinates between the Guards and the regular army &mdash;&nbsp;in June 2025 following the death of his predecessor Mohammad Bagheri in the 12-day war.]]>
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			<title>Timeline: How the US-Israel war with Iran unfolded over 108 days</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613315/timeline-how-the-us-israel-war-with-iran-unfolded-over-108-days</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613315/timeline-how-the-us-israel-war-with-iran-unfolded-over-108-days#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 26 15:42:57 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2613315</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[As the more than three-month conflict nears an end, both sides are expected to sign a memorandum on Friday in Geneva]]>
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				<![CDATA[After 108 days of war, Iran and the US have announced reaching a preliminary agreement to end the conflict.

The deal, brokered by Pakistan, is expected to be formalised through a memorandum of understanding signed in Geneva, Switzerland, on Friday.

US President Donald Trump said the agreement includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz to toll-free shipping and lifting the US naval blockade of Iran, while talks continue on nuclear limits and sanctions relief. Iranian officials said the deal also provides for an immediate suspension of hostilities across multiple fronts, including Lebanon &mdash;&nbsp;though Israel says its forces will remain deployed in southern parts of the country.

Here is a timeline of the key moments in the 2026 US-Israel war with Iran, a conflict that has killed thousands and upended both regional security and global trade.

February 28-March 2

The US and Israel launched nearly 900 coordinated air strikes across Iran in under 12 hours, targeting government buildings, military sites, missile infrastructure and air defences. Iran&rsquo;s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, alongside dozens of senior military and political officials, was killed in the opening strikes. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on Israeli targets and US bases across the region.

The strikes also killed around 168 people at a girls&rsquo; primary school in the southern Iranian city of Minab, in what became one of the most contested incidents of the war.

On March 1, six American soldiers were killed in an Iranian drone strike on a US military base in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait &mdash;&nbsp;the first US military deaths of the conflict. Three US F-15 fighter jets were also lost to friendly fire from Kuwaiti air defences.

Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed to international shipping. Before the war, roughly 25% of the world&rsquo;s seaborne oil and 20% of its liquefied natural gas passed through the strait daily. The closure triggered a global energy shock, sent oil prices surging and halted flights across the Middle East.

The conflict also rapidly expanded as Hezbollah fired projectiles toward Israel from Lebanon. Israel responded with air strikes across Lebanon, including the capital, Beirut, opening a second major front in the war.

March 3

The Israeli army officially declared a ground incursion into southern Lebanon, with the aim of establishing a &ldquo;security zone&rdquo;.

March 9

Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the assassinated supreme leader, as the country&#39;s new paramount leader.

Late March

Heavy bombardment continued on Iranian energy, military and command sites, with hundreds of schools, hospitals and civilian infrastructure damaged. Iran, in retaliation, repeatedly launched barrages of missiles on Gulf countries that are home to US assets. Attacks on oil depots and infrastructure led to toxic &ldquo;black rain&rdquo; in Tehran and other areas, raising serious health and environmental concerns.

Yemen&#39;s Houthi movement formally joined the war, resuming ballistic missile attacks on Israel after a pause that had followed a ceasefire in Gaza.

April 3

Iranian forces shot down a US F-15E Strike Eagle over southwestern Iran, triggering a large-scale US combat search-and-rescue operation involving special forces and aircraft. One crew member was rescued quickly, while the second was recovered after an extended search, with additional US aircraft lost during the operation.

April 7

Hours before a self-imposed deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face strikes, Trump posted on Truth Social: &quot;A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again.&quot;

The warning, condemned by UN officials and legal experts as potential incitement to war crimes, came hours after US forces struck Kharg Island &mdash;&nbsp;Iran&#39;s main oil export terminal.



https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/116363336033995961



Shortly after, Pakistan helped broker a fragile two-week ceasefire under which Iran agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

April 8

After 40 days of continuous fighting, Pakistan brokered a fragile two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran. Israel was notably excluded from the negotiations and continued operations in Lebanon, a move Iran and Pakistan described as a violation of the agreement&#39;s spirit.



With the greatest humility, I am pleased to announce that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere including Lebanon and elsewhere, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.
I warmly welcome the&hellip;
&mdash; Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) April 7, 2026


April 11-13

High-level talks in Pakistan between US and Iranian officials broke down. US Vice President JD Vance led an American delegation to Islamabad for direct talks with Iranian counterparts &mdash; the most senior face-to-face engagement between the two governments since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. After 21 hours, the talks collapsed without a deal. The US responded by imposing a naval blockade on Iranian ports, further straining the country&#39;s economy.

April 17

A US-brokered ceasefire went into effect between Israel and Lebanon. Israeli operations in southern Lebanon continued amid accusations of violations.

Mid-late May

Trump visited Beijing seeking Chinese mediation but returned without a breakthrough.

Backchannel diplomacy intensified between the US and Iran through Pakistan and Oman, focusing on stabilising earlier ceasefire arrangements. Talks centred on nuclear restrictions, sanctions relief and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, while intermittent strikes continued.

June

On June 3, the US and Iran exchanged heavy strikes in one of the most intense rounds of fighting since April&rsquo;s fragile truce. Iranian forces targeted Kuwait with a barrage of missiles and drones, striking the international airport, killing one person and wounding more than 60 others.

On June 9, Iran downed a US Army Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz, prompting immediate US retaliatory strikes and threatening to derail ongoing negotiations. US airstrikes hit two drinking water reservoirs in Iran&#39;s southern Hormozgan province, cutting off water to over 20,000 residents.

Trump cancelled planned further strikes on Iran, stating that negotiations had reached an advanced stage.

On June 14, he announced that Washington and Tehran had reached an agreement to end the war.&nbsp;Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed both sides had&nbsp;declared &ldquo;the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon&rdquo;.



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.

We would like to thank United States of&hellip;
&mdash; Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) June 13, 2026


The agreement establishes a 60-day negotiation window to permanently settle the fate of Iran&rsquo;s nuclear stockpile, international sanctions, and frozen assets.]]>
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			<title>Gulf recalibrates as Iran emerges intact from war</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613300/gulf-recalibrates-as-iran-emerges-intact-from-war</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613300/gulf-recalibrates-as-iran-emerges-intact-from-war#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 26 13:57:58 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2613300</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Gulf states face the war's sharpest shock, left to absorb fallout; Netanyahu and Trump on collision course]]>
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				<![CDATA[The US-Iran deal may silence the guns, but it cannot alter the verdict of more than three months of war.

The region has emerged from one of its most dangerous crises in decades with the balance of power broadly unchanged, Iran politically emboldened, and ​Gulf confidence in US protection deeply shaken, Gulf sources, diplomats and analysts say.

Iran remains a formidable and undefeated force capable of threatening Gulf Arab states and global energy flows, they say, while the United States has &zwnj;again revealed the limits of military power against a resilient adversary.

For Washington, the deal offers an exit from a costly confrontation that failed to deliver its most ambitious objectives &mdash;&nbsp;from forcing Tehran&rsquo;s capitulation to dismantling its nuclear and missile capabilities, the sources add. For Iran, it amounts to something equally significant: survival.

After absorbing relentless US&nbsp;and Israeli strikes, the Islamic republic emerges battered but standing, preserving both its political establishment and much of the leverage that brought the parties to the table.

&ldquo;&lsquo;Epic Fury&rsquo; has been an epic disaster,&rdquo; said Aaron David Miller, a former US&nbsp;official and negotiator, referring to the US-Israeli campaign launched on ​Iran on February 28 that killed ex-supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and top officials.

Shock to Sunni Gulf states

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), to be signed on Friday, provides for a 60-day cessation of hostilities during which the two sides will negotiate ​a permanent settlement, including disputes over Iran&rsquo;s enriched uranium stockpile.

The sharpest shock, however, is being felt in the Sunni Arab Gulf states, where the stability behind decades of economic growth has been sharply ⁠challenged. By this measure, they are the war&#39;s main losers: spectators to decisions that reshaped their security landscape, now left to absorb the fallout.

The deal, Gulf sources say, has already begun to reshape Gulf strategic thinking, eroding confidence in US protection, entrenching Iran as ​an enduring regional force, and accelerating a shift toward accommodation rather than confrontation.

A senior Gulf government source put it bluntly: any de-escalation is positive, but the situation is unequivocally worse than before the war.

The emerging deal also appears unfavourable to Israel, according to three ​Israeli officials, as it omits its core demands, including dismantling Iran&rsquo;s enrichment capability and curbs on its missile programme.

Read More: Those who started the war were defeated hugely: Iran&#39;s Baghaei

Officials said Israel was caught off guard when US President Donald Trump signalled on Thursday that a deal was close, highlighting its limited influence over the terms. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu raised the issue directly with Trump, according to a statement from his office, which stressed that Israel was not party to the agreement and outlined its conditions for a final deal &mdash;&nbsp;ending Iran&#39;s nuclear ambitions.

Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir rejected the deal, saying Israel was not bound by it &quot;in any way&quot;.

Gulf capitals shift towards engagement with Tehran 

The agreement may end this phase of the conflict, Gulf sources say, but it does not resolve the strategic dilemma it has exposed: Iran remains a potent force, the Strait of Hormuz has emerged as a recurring pressure point, ​and the assumptions underpinning Gulf economies look more fragile than at any point in recent memory.

For Gulf states, the US-Israeli campaign has triggered precisely the consequences they had long feared: Iranian strikes on energy and civilian infrastructure and disruption to Hormuz, dealing a heavy economic blow.

Gulf capitals &zwnj;may welcome a ⁠pause in fighting, but many are drawing a sobering conclusion: neither US&nbsp;nor Israeli force has removed the Iranian challenge, while the costs of confrontation have fallen disproportionately on those caught in between.

&ldquo;More and more Gulf states are coming to realise that Iran is here to stay, that it retains the capacity to disrupt the regional order,&rdquo; said Middle East scholar Fawaz Gerges.

&ldquo;The Gulf states don&rsquo;t trust Iran. They had hoped the United States would bring about regime change. The reverse has happened,&rdquo; Gerges said. &ldquo;Now more and more Gulf rulers realise they cannot depend on the US, or Israel to deliver security or stability.&rdquo;

That reassessment marks a deeper shift. Gulf states have long distrusted Iran but relied on US power to contain it. Now, engagement with Tehran has already begun.

Gulf capitals have intensified contacts with ​Tehran lately, seeking economic and security understandings to reduce the risk ​of confrontation, regional sources say.

Before the war, the central ⁠regional question was the scope of Arab&ndash;Israeli normalisation, Gerges said. In its aftermath, the focus is shifting toward Gulf-Iran accommodation.

While Washington will remain an indispensable partner, regional analysts say the conflict is likely to accelerate a quiet but consequential realignment, with Gulf states diversifying defence ties and hedging against future shocks.

Washington&rsquo;s objectives missed 

Saudi analyst Abdulaziz Sager is more explicit. In his view, Washington has failed to deliver ​its declared objectives from regime change to curbing Iran&rsquo;s nuclear programme, while handing Tehran two new points of strategic leverage &mdash;&nbsp;the weaponisation of Hormuz and the ability to directly threaten Gulf ​states.

&quot;They (the Americans) switched from unconditional surrender ⁠to an MOU. They caved in,&quot; said Sager, Chairman of the Saudi-based Gulf Research Centre. &quot;They said they would change the Iranian regime &mdash;&nbsp;they couldn&rsquo;t. They said they would resolve the missile and nuclear file &mdash;&nbsp;that didn&rsquo;t happen.&rdquo;

What is being signed, analysts say, is less a peace accord than a mechanism to halt the fighting.

At its core, fundamental disputes remain unresolved: Iran&rsquo;s enriched uranium, enrichment levels, sanctions relief, security guarantees, and control of key waterways.

The MoU, Miller argues, is not a resolution but &ldquo;a ticket to negotiation&rdquo; &mdash;&nbsp;a first phase that buys time and space for ⁠talks whose success ​is far from guaranteed. Its structure echoes the Gaza ceasefire frameworks: a pause that defers the hardest issues, with no guarantee they will ever be resolved.

&quot;What ​is about to be signed is not peace, but recognition: that the war&rsquo;s ambitions outran its achievements; that the battlefield produced a stalemate, and that Gulf states, which bore the heaviest costs, are recalibrating their security on shakier ground than at any point in time,&quot; said Miller.

Having withstood both internal unrest and external military ​pressure, he argues that Iran now faces a different question: whether this war has reinforced, rather than weakened, its sense of resilience, with implications for deterrence in the years ahead.

Netanyahu and Trump on collision course 

Meanwhile, Netanyahu bet that his joint war alongside&nbsp;Trump would topple Iran&#39;s clerical rulers and bolster himself ahead of elections at home, as the architect of a US-Israeli alliance that would reshape the Middle East.

Instead, Israel&#39;s longest-serving prime minister is ​on a collision course with Trump as the US president seeks to extricate himself from the war, with both men&#39;s goals unmet and Israeli military operations tied down in Lebanon.

For now, Israeli officials have &zwnj;been cautious in public for fear of angering their most important ally, known for being prickly towards critics.

But in private conversations, the frustration is clear. The preliminary agreement is &quot;terrible for Israel&quot;, said one senior Israeli official, giving a frank assessment on condition of anonymity. &quot;And there is no one in the Israeli leadership who views it otherwise, from the prime minister to the chief of staff.&quot;

Washington says that over the next 60 days, when a ceasefire is in place, it will negotiate full terms that will address US and Israeli concerns, especially over Iran&#39;s nuclear programme.

But Israeli ​officials told Reuters they thought the negotiating period under the deal was likely to be extended, tying Israel&#39;s hands from taking military action, while its concerns remain unresolved.

Netanyahu and Trump have repeatedly clashed over Israel&#39;s refusal to constrain ​its pursuit of Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, where a cessation of hostilities is a key Iranian demand.

At the start of the month, Trump described Netanyahu as &quot;fucking crazy&quot; in an angry ⁠phone call, ordering him not to strike Beirut while the US was seeking a deal with Iran.

Netanyahu called off attacks that day, but struck Beirut&#39;s southern suburbs a week later, provoking Iranian missile strikes on Israel and a public rebuke ​of both sides from Trump.

Hours before the US and Iran announced their interim deal, Israel hit the Lebanese capital again on Sunday, after rockets were launched at Israel from Lebanon, fire that Trump described as &quot;small and meaningless&quot;.

Read More: Iran-US deal &#39;bad for Israel,&#39; says Israeli finance minister

Netanyahu, facing autumn elections he is projected ​to lose, may be more willing to defy Trump as he contends with an Israeli public that opinion polls show has grown sceptical of the US president&#39;s commitment to Israel&#39;s security.

&quot;This is a pretty stark moment of divergence of interests,&quot; said Dan Shapiro, a former US ambassador to Israel under the Obama administration, now with the Atlantic Council think tank.

&quot;He will try to not openly oppose [the deal], so as not to get into a brawl with Trump,&quot; said Shapiro. &quot;But he will indicate Israel is not bound by it, and Israel reserves its rights.&quot;

Israel says it&rsquo;s not bound by US-Iran pact

The MoU between the US and Iran is expected to be signed on Friday in Switzerland. While precise terms were not immediately known, mediator Pakistan said the pact called for a permanent halt to ​military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.

Netanyahu&#39;s defence minister, Israel Katz, said in a statement on Monday that troops would remain deployed in buffer zones Israel has seized in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza &quot;indefinitely&quot; to eliminate what it perceives as militant threats.

&quot;If Iran attacks &zwnj;Israel due to ⁠the events in Lebanon &mdash;&nbsp;we will attack it with all our might,&quot; Katz said.

The interim deal would reopen the Strait of Hormuz oil chokepoint while leaving the fate of Tehran&#39;s nuclear programme to be resolved during a 60-day negotiation period towards a final deal.

Two other issues that Netanyahu and Trump had both declared as justifications for the war at its outset &mdash;&nbsp;curbing Iran&#39;s missile programme and ending its support for regional armed groups &mdash;&nbsp;are not thought to be on the agenda during those talks.

Three Israeli officials said Israel sees it as very likely the 60-day pact will be extended to 90 days, with the US maintaining its deployment of military assets in the region as it negotiates a broader deal.

Two other Israeli officials said that Israel was ​caught by surprise last week when Trump first said that ​a deal with Iran was close. They acknowledged that ⁠Israel has had little success in influencing the talks.

All of the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren&#39;t authorised to speak publicly.

Netanyahu, who often clashed with Washington under the administrations of Democrats Barack Obama and Joe Biden, has long portrayed himself to the Israeli public as being uniquely adept in dealing with ​the Republican Trump.

During Trump&#39;s first term, Israel secured major policy changes from Washington, which moved its embassy to Jerusalem and backed the &quot;Abraham Accords&quot; that brought Israel formal diplomatic ties ​with the UAE and Bahrain. On ⁠Iran, Trump ditched a nuclear agreement negotiated under Obama that Israel had long complained was too soft.

During the 2019 elections, Netanyahu displayed massive campaign billboards in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem showing him and Trump smiling and shaking hands.

But now, the US-Iran pact undermines Netanyahu&#39;s case that a close relationship with Trump sets him apart from other candidates for prime minister, said Jonathan Rynhold, a political scientist at Bar-Ilan University, near Tel Aviv.

&quot;[Netanyahu]&nbsp;will be unable to sell this agreement to the Israeli public,&quot; Rynhold said. &quot;The best that ⁠he can hope ​for is that they fail to reach an agreement and the war restarts to Israel&#39;s advantage in 60 days.&quot;

According to a poll released Friday by ​the Israel Democracy Institute, just 41% of Jewish Israelis think their security is a central consideration for Trump, down from 64% in March.

Eli Cohen, Netanyahu&#39;s energy minister, said that Israel would be prepared to act alone if Iran rebuilds its nuclear and missile capabilities, though he said the chances of ​Tehran taking that step during Trump&#39;s tenure were low.

&quot;If Iran tries to renew its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes &mdash;&nbsp;we will be there and act,&quot; Cohen told Israel&#39;s public broadcaster Kan.]]>
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			<title>Leaked EU legal opinion says bloc can suspend trade deal with Israel</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613320/leaked-eu-legal-opinion-says-bloc-can-suspend-trade-deal-with-israel</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613320/leaked-eu-legal-opinion-says-bloc-can-suspend-trade-deal-with-israel#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 26 16:45:49 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[2017 memo says EU can suspend parts or all of its association agreement over international law violations]]>
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				<![CDATA[The European Union has the legal right to suspend its trade agreement with Israel in response to serious violations of international law, according to a leaked internal document obtained by news website EUobserver.

The &quot;strictly confidential&quot; document, prepared by the European Commission&#39;s legal service in 2017, concluded that a &quot;total or partial suspension&quot; of the EU-Israel Association Agreement would be consistent with customary international law.

The disclosure comes as EU member states debate taking a tougher stance toward Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&rsquo;s government amid ongoing war crimes and other violations of international law in Gaza, the West Bank, and southern Lebanon.

Spain and Ireland have led calls to suspend the association agreement, which grants Israel preferential trade access to the EU market and is viewed as a potential source of leverage over Israeli policy.

Germany, one of Israel&#39;s closest allies in Europe, has so far opposed suspending the agreement. Berlin has questioned the legal basis for such a move and argued that maintaining diplomatic engagement offers a better chance of influencing Israeli policy than punitive measures.

The 2017 legal opinion stated that the EU was entitled to suspend cooperation with Israel over breaches of international law in the West Bank.

It suggested the bloc could exclude Israel from programmes&nbsp;such as Horizon Europe research grants and the Erasmus student exchange scheme.

According to the report, the memo also noted that UN Security Council Resolution 2334, adopted in 2016, explicitly called on UN member states to take measures to prevent acts of destruction in the West Bank.

A total or partial suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement &ldquo;would comply with customary international law&rdquo;, the memo said.]]>
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			<title>Vast areas of coral reef could resist climate change: study</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613466/vast-areas-of-coral-reef-could-resist-climate-change-study</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613466/vast-areas-of-coral-reef-could-resist-climate-change-study#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 16 Jun 26 11:21:59 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2613466</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Study finds that 166,000 sq km of world's coral reefs, around a third of total, are particularly 'climate-resilient']]>
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				<![CDATA[In the crystalline waters off Kenya&#39;s coast, coral reefs are thriving, evidence of a rare good news story in the battle to protect oceans from the ravages of climate change.

A new study presented at the Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa on Tuesday finds that 166,000 square kilometres of the world&#39;s coral reefs, around a third of the total, are particularly &quot;climate-resilient&quot;, meaning they have the potential to survive through major ocean warming events.

The study by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Macquarie University in Australia challenges the findings of the IPCC, the global authority on climate change, which has stated 70 to 90 per cent of coral reefs could die with global warming of 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels, and 99 per cent at 2&deg;C.

&quot;Our models are showing a much more hopeful future for coral reefs. We predict that many climate-resilient reefs around the world will persist over time,&quot; Stacy Jupiter, executive director for marine conservation at WCS, told AFP.

Action is still needed since only 28 per cent of those resilient reefs are being actively protected.

Down the coast from Mombasa, on Kenya&#39;s paradisical Wasini-Mkwiro island, villagers are showing the way.

Read: Marine academy to get degree status, funds

As local fishermen bring in their catch from the beach, it is weighed, measured and logged by local data collectors in the village.

Other members of the &quot;beach management unit&quot; patrol the waters to make sure no one is over-fishing or using destructive equipment. Others plant seaweed and mangroves, and scoop out rubbish.

&quot;We want to keep this ecosystem as pristine as possible because we know the benefits,&quot; said Edward Karanja, Kenya Wildlife Service warden for the nearby Kisite marine park, citing the importance of tourism and fishing to locals.

Thanks to their efforts, the park became the first in Kenya to earn a Gold-Level Blue Park Award from the US-based Marine Conservation Institute in 2021.

Living seed-banks

Coral &quot;bleaching&quot; occurs when water temperatures rise by a degree or two, stressing the coral&#39;s animal tissues and making them expel algae, turning them white.

But the new study finds many reefs are resilient, either because they exist in cool spots, or because they have evolved to withstand heat, or recover more quickly than most.

&quot;The way we see coral responding to heat events is more nuanced than we previously thought,&quot; said Jupiter.

Kenya is fortunate to have a significant stretch of naturally resilient coral.

Divers off traditional wooden dhows at Wasini-Mkwiro find coral species like the boulder-like Porites and staghorn-shaped Acropora supporting a dazzling ecosystem that includes moray eels, angelfish, crabs, turtles, dolphins, and much more.

The last major bleaching event in 2024 led to coral cover in the zone falling from 44 to 27 per cent, according to WCS data. But within a year it had recovered to 40 per cent.

The new research, funded by the Bloomberg Ocean Initiative and currently under peer review, builds on a pioneering study from 2018 that identified 50 resilient reefs around the world.

New technology makes its map 10,000 times more detailed than any previous version, enabling the discovery of three times more resilient coral than previously known.

Read more: El Nino is here and could reach historic intensity

More than half are concentrated in Australia, the Bahamas, Cuba, Indonesia and the Philippines.

&quot;These reefs could act as living seed banks for wider ecosystem recovery,&quot; said lead author Kyle Zawada, of Macquarie University.

Mass bleaching events are becoming almost annual occurrences. The arrival of a potentially powerful &quot;El Nino&quot; weather system this year could be particularly devastating.

Local communities have little scope to control global warming, said Jesse Kosgei, a WCS marine researcher in Mombasa, but &quot;there are urgent and immediate things that we can control directly&quot;, such as preventing destructive fishing or water pollution.

&quot;We have good news about coral reefs, and it&#39;s for us now... to make sure that we start conserving these places that are resilient,&quot; he added.
Clint Oakley, a coral scientist at Victoria University in Wellington, said the study was &quot;heartening&quot;.

But he emphasised it still sees climate change-induced warming as the &quot;greatest threat&quot; and &quot;reducing carbon emissions is still the most important thing if we want to have coral reefs a century from now.&quot;]]>
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			<title>Iran, US agree to halt war and reopen Hormuz, sending oil prices tumbling</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613293/iran-us-agree-to-halt-war-and-reopen-hormuz-sending-oil-prices-tumbling</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613293/iran-us-agree-to-halt-war-and-reopen-hormuz-sending-oil-prices-tumbling#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 26 13:24:39 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2613293</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The deal is the biggest breakthrough in ending a conflict that killed thousands and roiled energy markets]]>
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				<![CDATA[The United States and Iran said they had agreed terms to end ​their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, news that brought relief to markets although the pact may hinge on an end to hostilities in Lebanon and defers talks on Tehran&#39;s &zwnj;nuclear programme.

While still a framework, the deal marked the biggest breakthrough towards resolving the conflict that has killed thousands and upended energy markets since it began with joint US -Israeli strikes on Iran in February.

&quot;The deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,&quot; US President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform at around 5:30pm&nbsp;in Washington (2130 GMT) on Sunday. His post came shortly after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a deal had been struck.



https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/116750587569914985



The memorandum of understanding is scheduled ​to be officially signed on Friday in Switzerland.

The precise terms were not immediately known. PM Shehbaz&nbsp;said in a post on X that the pact called for &quot;the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all ​fronts, including in Lebanon&quot;.



Following intensive talks, we are pleased to announce that the Peace Deal between the United States of America and Islamic Republic of Iran has been REACHED. Both sides have declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in&hellip;
&mdash; Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) June 14, 2026



Read More: Those who started the war were defeated hugely: Iran&#39;s Baghaei

Leaders of the Group of Seven wealthy nations are due to arrive at a French lakeside resort on Monday, where Trump will be pressed for details.

Lebanon has been a sticking point 

While the US and Iran had largely ceased hostilities as they engaged in weeks-long negotiations, Lebanon has suffered the deadliest spillover of the conflict. Some 1.2 million people have been uprooted by an Israeli ​offensive against Hezbollah, which opened fire on Israel in support of Tehran on March 2.

Lebanon has been a persistent sticking point in talks, with Israel and Hezbollah ignoring calls from Trump and others to stop ​their attacks on each other, while Iran made a full ceasefire in Lebanon one of its demands.

The secretariat of Iran&#39;s Supreme National Security Council said war and military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, would end permanently starting on Monday night.

Iran&#39;s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there must be a complete halt to Israeli attacks against Lebanon and wrote on Telegram that the US bears responsibility for implementing the framework deal.

Hezbollah has not yet publicly commented on the US-Iran deal, but Lebanese and foreign security sources told Reuters ​that the group had last fired at Israel before midnight on Sunday night and had not launched operations since then.

The pace of Israeli attacks has decreased dramatically, they added.

Also Read: Pakistan wins global praise for brokering US-Iran agreement

Before the memorandum was announced, Trump said he would ​bring peace to the region, including Lebanon, and that there should be no more Israeli attacks on Lebanon or Hezbollah attacks on Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to respond publicly to the US-Iran agreement.

But Defence Minister Israel Katz said that &zwnj;Israel would ⁠oppose any pressure to withdraw its forces from areas it is occupying in southern Lebanon.

Strait to reopen 

Trump said the Strait of Hormuz, a major shipping route for global oil and gas supplies that Iran has effectively shut down for months, would open on Friday, and that he had ordered the end of the US blockade of Iranian ports.

&quot;Ships of the world, start your engines. Let the oil flow!&quot; Trump wrote.

Oil prices fell on the news, though shippers remained cautious and ensuring the waterway is clear of mines could take weeks. Brent crude futures fell some 5% on Monday while stock markets jumped.

The war has become a political liability at home for Trump and his fellow Republicans in Congress, with Americans ​deeply frustrated by rising gas prices ahead of November&#39;s ​midterm elections. But Trump has also faced pressure ⁠from members of his own party who insist that Iran&#39;s nuclear programme must be completely shut down.

During his first term, Trump withdrew the US from a 2015 multilateral Iran deal, negotiated by Democratic President Barack Obama, that lifted sanctions on Tehran in exchange for limits on its nuclear programme and international inspections.

Iran responded by ramping up its enrichment ​of uranium, producing more than 400 kilogrammes&nbsp;of material at close to bomb-grade purity.

Release of frozen assets 

The agreement was sealed despite an Israeli strike ​on Lebanon on Sunday that drew ⁠criticism from both Iran and Trump.

Iran&#39;s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, said a more expansive agreement on the wider conflict would be negotiated during a 60-day ceasefire period, including sanctions relief for Iran.

The fate of Tehran&#39;s nuclear programme, another thorny issue, will also be addressed in those later talks, sources previously told Reuters.

Leaders outside the Middle East welcomed the announcement.

In a joint statement, Britain, Germany, France and Italy said they were prepared to lift sanctions on Iran in response to &quot;clear, verifiable steps&quot; ⁠to limit its ​nuclear programme.

China also welcomed the deal.

Before the deal was announced, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that, under the terms of the ​draft, the US would agree to release $25 billion of frozen Iranian assets.

A US official, also speaking before the announcement, said the agreement would ultimately lead to the dismantling of Iran&#39;s nuclear programme, with its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to be destroyed and removed. The senior Iranian ​official said the draft deal would allow Iran, which denies seeking a nuclear bomb, to dilute its enriched uranium inside the country.]]>
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			<title>Israeli politicians slam Netanyahu, call US-Iran deal ‘greatest strategic failure’ for Israel</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613313/israeli-politicians-slam-netanyahu-call-us-iran-deal-greatest-strategic-failure-for-israel</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613313/israeli-politicians-slam-netanyahu-call-us-iran-deal-greatest-strategic-failure-for-israel#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 26 15:09:08 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2613313</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Head of the Democratic Party, Blue and White Party, slams Netanyahu for making Iran strong and weakening Israel]]>
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				<![CDATA[Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came under fire from opposition politicians and coalition partners on Monday following a US-Iran agreement to end the war, calling the deal &ldquo;the greatest strategic failure in Israel&rsquo;s history&rdquo;.

&ldquo;Israeli citizens are waking up to an agreement between the United States and Iran made over Israel&#39;s head,&rdquo; Yair Golan, head of Israel&rsquo;s Democrats Party, said on X.



נתניהו טוב לאיראן
נתניהו טוב לחמאס
נתניהו טוב לחיזבאללה

נתניהו רע ליהודים ורע לישראל. pic.twitter.com/cTicfN3pVl
&mdash; Yair Golan - יאיר גולן (@YairGolan1) June 15, 2026


&ldquo;This is the culmination of long years of failure,&rdquo; he added, accusing Netanyahu of selling Israelis &ldquo;a false image of security&rdquo;.

&ldquo;Netanyahu is the man who, for years, sold the public a false image of &lsquo;Mr. Security&rsquo; and in reality became the father of Israel&#39;s greatest strategic failure in its history,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;The one who promised &lsquo;total victory&rsquo; ends his tenure with Israel&#39;s enemies stronger, Israel weaker&nbsp;and the deterrence built with the blood of our fighters eroding before our very eyes,&rdquo; Golan said.

&ldquo;Replacing him [Netanyahu] is not just a political necessity &mdash;&nbsp;it is an existential security imperative.&rdquo;

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced earlier today&nbsp;that the US and Iran had reached an agreement following intensive negotiations, with Washington and Tehran declaring an immediate and permanent end to military operations across all fronts, including in Lebanon.

Benny Gantz, head of the Blue and White party, described the US-Iran agreement as a &ldquo;strategic failure&rdquo; that will have long-term consequences for Israel.



בשום מצב - אסור להסכים להגבלת חופש הפעולה של ישראל בלבנון או לנסיגה שתסכן את תושבי הצפון.

ההסכם המסתמן עם איראן נראה ככישלון אסטרטגי שיצריך את ישראל לצאת למאבק מדיני, צבאי ומשפטי בשנים הבאות אותו תוכל להוביל רק ממשלה ציונית רחבה.
&mdash; בני גנץ - Benny Gantz (@gantzbe) June 15, 2026


&ldquo;The emerging agreement with Iran appears to be a strategic failure that will require Israel to engage in diplomatic, military, and legal struggles in the coming years,&rdquo; Gantz, a former defence minister, said on X.

&ldquo;Under no circumstances &mdash;&nbsp;it is forbidden to agree to restrict Israel&#39;s freedom of action in Lebanon or to a withdrawal that endangers the residents of the north,&rdquo; he added.

&lsquo;Bad for Israel&rsquo;

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said the US-Iran agreement does not bind Israel.

&ldquo;Israel is not subject to the United States, and we are an independent and sovereign nation,&rdquo; he said on X. &ldquo;We love the United States and are grateful to President Trump. And at the same time, the State of Israel is not a banana republic.&rdquo;

&ldquo;We are not partners in this agreement that does not concern us for our security, and it does not bind us in any way,&rdquo; Ben-Gvir said. &ldquo;We must not compromise on anything less than the dismantling of Hezbollah, we must not withdraw from any territory that our fighters have conquered and cleared of terrorist infrastructure.&rdquo;

Read More: Trump says oil tankers resuming movement through Strait of Hormuz

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also denounced the deal as &ldquo;bad for Israel and for the entire free world&rdquo;.

&ldquo;The joint campaign had many achievements in weakening Iran, and they will not go to waste,&rdquo; Smotrich claimed in a post on X.



ההסכם עם איראן רע לישראל ולעולם החופשי כולו. נקודה. למערכה המשותפת היו הישגים רבים בהחלשת איראן והם לא ירדו לטמיון. נצטרך להמשיך את המערכה להפלת המשטר בעצמנו ובדרכים יצירתיות ולוודא שלאיראן לעולם לא יהיה נשק גרעיני.

איש מבין המועמדים בעיני עצמם לראשות הממשלה לא היה עומד גם לא&hellip;
&mdash; בצלאל סמוטריץ&#39; (@bezalelsm) June 15, 2026


&ldquo;We will have to continue the campaign to topple the regime ourselves and in creative ways, and ensure that Iran will never have nuclear weapons,&rdquo; he said.

Regional tensions have escalated since late February after the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, killing more than 3,000 people. Tehran retaliated with strikes on Gulf countries and Israel, as well as restricting passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

Washington and Tehran reached a temporary truce on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, before the two sides announced a framework deal to end their conflict, to be signed in Switzerland on July 19.]]>
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			<title>Stepson of Norway's crown prince given four years' prison for rape</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613273/stepson-of-norways-crown-prince-given-four-years-prison-for-rape</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613273/stepson-of-norways-crown-prince-given-four-years-prison-for-rape#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 26 11:01:33 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2613273</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Oslo District Court rules 29-year-old Marius Borg Hoiby guilty of two counts of rape]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[The stepson of Norway&#39;s Crown Prince Haakon was found guilty ​on Monday of rape and domestic violence and sentenced to four years in prison after a seven-week trial that has further dented the &zwnj;royal family&#39;s once picture-perfect image.

Oslo District Court ruled that 29-year-old Marius Borg Hoiby, who joined the royal family when his mother Mette-Marit married Haakon in 2001, was guilty of two counts of rape, including one in the basement of the crown prince&#39;s home.

He was acquitted of two other rape charges.

During the trial, the court heard evidence of Hoiby&#39;s drug addiction, self-made videos of sexual ​encounters, and hundreds of incriminating electronic messages with a former partner.

Prosecutors, who had sought seven years and seven months in jail, said that the four ​women accusing him of rape, in both the proven and unproven cases, had each time been too unconscious or too incapacitated ⁠to resist him after attending parties.

&quot;The court finds it is proven she was not able to resist the action,&quot; judge Jon Sverdrup Efjestad said of the rape ​at the crown prince&#39;s home, while reading the verdict.

Read:&nbsp;Huma Tahir says society judges women for being strong, trying to lead

Hoiby had pleaded not guilty to the most serious accusations against him, including rape and domestic violence, while admitting to some lesser ​ones including the transportation and delivery of 3.5 kg (7.7 pounds) of marijuana to an unidentified person, violating restraining orders and traffic violations.

Both Hoiby&#39;s lawyer, Petar Sekulic, and the prosecution said they may appeal the verdict.

The royal household, which has in the past expressed sympathy for all those affected by the case, declined to react to Monday&#39;s verdict. &quot;The matter has been considered by the courts, ​and we have no comment on the outcome,&quot; a spokesperson for the palace said in an email.

No other members of the royal family attended the trial.

Hoiby hit and choked girlfriend

Hoiby was also found guilty of domestic violence against a then-girlfriend between mid-2022 and the autumn of 2023. He repeatedly hit her in the face with his fist, &zwnj;choked her, ⁠slammed a door in her face and threw objects at her, the court heard during the trial.

Hoiby watched the verdict via video link from prison but could not be seen or heard in the courtroom.

Only one of the women accusing him of rape was in court for the verdict. She cried after the judge upheld her case, dabbing her eyes with a tissue her lawyer gave her.

Hoiby has no royal title, performs no official duties and is not in the line of succession. But his ​case has transfixed Norway due to his ​ties to the heir to the ⁠throne.

Like other low-key Scandinavian monarchies, the Norwegian royals have had an image of a loving and relatively low-profile family, sending their children to state schools and enjoying skiing and surfing alongside members of the public.

But Hoiby&#39;s trial, coinciding with Crown Princess Mette-Marit&#39;s apology for ​contacts with late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has hurt their popularity.

A Norstat survey on February 21 during the ​trial showed a fall ⁠in the number of Norwegians favouring keeping the monarchy to a record low of 60%, from 70% in January, and a rise to 27% from 19% in those wanting a different system of governance.

Their numbers, though, were better in May, with 64% of those polled by Norstat supporting the monarchy and 23% wanting a different system of governance.

Monday&#39;s verdict ⁠was delivered amid ​difficult personal circumstances for Mette-Marit, who needs a lung transplant for pulmonary fibrosis.

John Christian Elden, a lawyer ​for one of the victims told Reuters that Hoiby&#39;s sentence was in line with new sentencing rules that makes a distinction between rape involving intercourse and rape not involving intercourse. The two counts of rape ​Hoiby was convicted of did not involve intercourse.]]>
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			<title>Women detained in Afghanistan's Herat in clothing crackdown</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612084/women-detained-in-afghanistans-herat-in-clothing-crackdown</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612084/women-detained-in-afghanistans-herat-in-clothing-crackdown#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 08 Jun 26 15:08:45 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2612084</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Women nationwide must be fully covered when outside, often wearing an abaya, headscarf and face veil]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Afghan residents in the western city of Herat have told AFP of witnessing multiple women detained by the Taliban government&#39;s morality police, in a crackdown over clothing which has drawn criticism from the United Nations.

The UN mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said Sunday it was &quot;concerned over multiple arrests and detentions of women in Herat, Afghanistan, for alleged non-compliance with dress requirements&quot;.

Taliban authorities rule according to a strict interpretation of Islamic law, and have gradually tightened restrictions on women since returning to power in August 2021.

Women nationwide must be completely covered when they leave home, with many wearing a flowing abaya robe along with a headscarf and a face covering.



UNAMA is concerned over multiple arrests and detentions of women in Herat #Afghanistan for alleged non-compliance with dress requirements, which raises serious human rights concerns.
&mdash; UNAMA News (@UNAMAnews) June 7, 2026


In Herat, residents witnessed women being detained on Saturday for not wearing the body-cloaking chador or burqa. They spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

&quot;I saw two employees of the ministry, one of whom was carrying a whip, putting two women who were not wearing chadors into a vehicle,&quot; said a 23-year-old woman, referring to officials from the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (PVPV).

She said those detained were fully covered, including wearing Muslim headscarves.

&quot;Everyone is frightened,&quot; she told AFP.

Another woman said she saw PVPV officials stopping vehicles and checking passengers&#39; clothing, and saw multiple women being detained and put into vans.

&quot;The majority of those arrested were women who were not wearing chadors,&quot; the 27-year-old said.

The PVPV ministry did not comment on women being detained when contacted by AFP.

&quot;There is nothing unusual in Herat,&quot; the ministry&#39;s information department said.

The dress code &quot;is a divine command and an enforced law, and we are obligated to implement it&quot;, the ministry said.

Since the crackdown was launched, an AFP journalist and multiple residents in Herat said the number of women leaving home had dropped sharply.

A 20-year-old taxi driver said, &quot;They&#39;re not seen in the city at all&quot;.

&quot;We&#39;ve been told not to transport women without a chador,&quot; he said.

One woman described the situation as &quot;unbearable&quot;.

&quot;I am genuinely saddened that we don&#39;t even have the right to breathe freely,&quot; the 33-year-old said.

&quot;Life has become very difficult for us.&quot;]]>
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			<title>Israeli attacks kill Palestinian baby and seven others in Gaza and West Bank</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2611780/israeli-attacks-kill-palestinian-baby-and-seven-others-in-gaza-and-west-bank</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2611780/israeli-attacks-kill-palestinian-baby-and-seven-others-in-gaza-and-west-bank#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 06 Jun 26 16:45:59 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2611780</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Israeli jets hit Gaza tent camp also wounded 15 including children, medics say]]>
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				<![CDATA[Israeli forces killed a seven-month-old Palestinian baby and wounded his parents in the Tel Rumeida area south of the West ​Bank city of Hebron on Friday evening, the Palestinian &zwnj;health ministry said.

The ministry identified the infant as Sam Fahd Abu Haikal and said he died at the scene, while his parents sustained gunshot wounds and ​were in moderate condition.

The baby&#39;s grandmother said the family was ​driving near Checkpoint 17 when they saw Israeli military ⁠vehicles and soldiers in the distance and stopped the car. She ​said shots were then fired toward them, which they initially believed were ​warning shots.

&quot;One bullet struck my grandson, traversed his face and crossed his head, striking his mother&#39;s cheek where it lodged,&quot; she said, adding that the bullet ​had also grazed the father&#39;s finger, and that the mother was ​in hospital.

The Israeli military said that during operational activity in the Hebron area &zwnj;on ⁠Friday, soldiers perceived a vehicle accelerating towards them and one soldier fired single shots at the vehicle. It said three Palestinians were wounded and evacuated for medical treatment.

An initial military inquiry found that those ​injured were &quot;uninvolved civilians&quot;, ​the military said, ⁠adding that the incident was under review and that the findings would be submitted to the relevant ​authorities.

Tel Rumeida, an area of Hebron where Israeli settlers ​live ⁠under heavy military protection among Palestinian residents, has long been a flashpoint for violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Also Read: Hamas says Cairo talks begin on Gaza ceasefire implementation

Israeli strike killed at least seven Palestinians 

An Israeli strike killed at ​least seven Palestinians, including two women, in Gaza on Saturday, health officials said, &zwnj;as mediators restarted talks in Cairo with Hamas and other factions over safeguarding a strained ceasefire agreement.

Medics said seven people were killed and 15 others, including children, were wounded when an Israeli airstrike targeted a large ​tent encampment in the heart of Gaza City.

An Israeli military spokesperson told Reuters the military ​had carried out a strike targeting &ldquo;terrorists&rdquo;, but provided no further details.

A ceasefire ⁠brokered by US President Donald Trump has failed to halt Israeli attacks and left Israel in ​control of more than half the enclave after the war began with Palestinian group Hamas&#39; attacks on ​southern Israel in October 2023.

Indirect talks on a second phase of the deal, including Hamas disarmament and Israeli troop withdrawals,&nbsp;have stalled.

On Saturday, Egypt began hosting a new round of truce talks with leaders from Hamas and ​other Palestinian factions expected to last for a few days, Hamas and other sources close ​to the negotiation said.

Read More: Pentagon raises Israel spy threat to highest level: NBC report

Hazem Qassem, a Hamas spokesperson in Gaza, said the talks would focus on Israel&#39;s implementation of &zwnj;the ⁠first phase and reaching common ground on proceeding toward the second phase.

Hamas told mediators, Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye and envoys of Trump&#39;s Board of Peace that ending Israeli attacks in Gaza was essential for any progress, sources from the group and officials close to the talks said.

Hamas wants Israel to ​end attacks, allow more ​aid into Gaza and ⁠withdraw to the ceasefire lines.

Some 950 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since the truce began, according to figures from Gaza health officials. Hamas rarely ​provides details on deaths among its fighters.

Four Israeli soldiers have been killed&nbsp;⁠over the same period, Israel&#39;s military has said.

Israel says its strikes aim to thwart imminent attacks and that it allows aid and goods into Gaza.

Nearly 73,000 people in Gaza have been killed since ⁠the fighting started, most of them civilians, according to Gaza health ​authorities.

Hamas killed 1,200 people and took 251 Israeli and foreign hostages in its October 7, 2023, attacks, Israel has said.]]>
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			<title>Critic of Israel's Gaza genocide wins US Democratic Party primary in New Jersey</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2611265/critic-of-israels-gaza-genocide-wins-us-democratic-party-primary-in-new-jersey</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2611265/critic-of-israels-gaza-genocide-wins-us-democratic-party-primary-in-new-jersey#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 03 Jun 26 14:19:46 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2611265</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[US doctor says Gaza conditions amount to 'genocide', adding he does not want his tax dollars funding it]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A United States Army veteran and outspoken critic of Israel&rsquo;s genocide in Gaza won a Democratic Party primary on Tuesday in New Jersey&rsquo;s heavily Democratic 12th Congressional District, putting him on a near-certain path to Congress.

Adam Hamawy&rsquo;s victory makes him the clear favourite to succeed Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman, who is retiring after a decade in Congress.

Hamawy, a plastic surgeon and former army combat doctor during the Iraq War, defeated his nearest rival, Brad Cohen. With about 93% of ballots counted, Hamawy got a plurality of the vote,&nbsp;28.1%,&nbsp;compared with Cohen&rsquo;s 14.9%, according to The Associated Press.



New Jersey -- we made history tonight.

Healthcare not bombs.

Abolish ICE.

Unrig the economy. pic.twitter.com/QkykECUEAi
&mdash; Dr. Adam Hamawy (@HamawyForNJ) June 3, 2026


In November, Hamawy is expected to face Republican Gregg Mele, a perennial candidate in a district where Democrats significantly outnumber Republicans.

&ldquo;You&rsquo;ve heard throughout this race that I said over and over again: health care, not bombs; to abolish ICE; and to unrig this economy,&rdquo; Hamawy told supporters in Princeton, according to The New York Times, referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), whose aggressive goals and tactics under President Donald Trump&rsquo;s second term have drawn widespread opposition.

&ldquo;They are solutions to a crisis that was born out of a broken and rigged political and economic system &mdash; a system that floods money overseas to bomb children&rsquo;s schools, while at the same time says that child care here in America is pie in the sky,&rdquo; he added, alluding to a US attack on an Iranian girls&rsquo; school this February, which killed some 160 girls.

Hamawy, 56, a first-time candidate, runs a cosmetic surgery practice in Princeton. He said he entered the race after feeling ignored by Washington lawmakers when he tried to raise concerns about the devastation he witnessed during a 2024 humanitarian mission to a hospital in southern Gaza, amid an Israeli genocide.

&ldquo;I could only define it as a genocide, because I saw the bodies of the people that came in,&rdquo; he said after the visit.

&ldquo;And it wasn&rsquo;t an accident. You can&rsquo;t have an accident, every single day for three years,&quot; The Guardian quoted him as saying.

&ldquo;When the hospital shakes, and I see the bodies come in, I&rsquo;m paying for it with my tax dollars,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want my tax dollars doing that.&rdquo;

Last March, he attended President Donald Trump&rsquo;s joint address to Congress as Watson Coleman&rsquo;s guest. Although Watson Coleman did not endorse anyone in the 12-person primary, she praised Hamawy, an Egyptian-born father of four, for his &ldquo;selflessness and bravery&rdquo; and his ability to &ldquo;speak with unimpeachable authority on the suffering of the Palestinian people&rdquo;.

Hamawy also supports universal Medicare coverage, abolishing ICE, ending US military aid to Israel, and has described Israel&rsquo;s military offensive in Gaza as a genocide.]]>
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			<title>Bangladeshi FM elected president of UN General Assembly</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2611110/bangladeshi-fm-elected-president-of-un-general-assembly</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2611110/bangladeshi-fm-elected-president-of-un-general-assembly#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 26 18:23:47 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Wins UNGA presidency with 99 votes in rare contested election; DPM Dar felicitates Rahman]]>
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				<![CDATA[Bangladesh&#39;s top diplomat was elected president of the 81st United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday in a vote that, unusually, featured more than one candidate.

Khalilur Rahman won 99 votes in the secret ballot compared to 91 for Cypriot diplomat Andreas Kakouris.

He will succeed the outgoing president,&nbsp;Germany&#39;s former foreign minister Annalena Baerbock,&nbsp;in September.

&ldquo;This landmark victory is a strong testament to the confidence and trust that the international community places in Bangladesh, as well as to the country&rsquo;s growing diplomatic stature and constructive engagement within the multilateral system,&rdquo; said Bangladesh&rsquo;s Foreign Ministry in a statement.

Calling it a &ldquo;historic achievement&rdquo;, the ministry said it also constituted&nbsp;a &ldquo;significant international recognition of Bangladesh&rsquo;s longstanding commitment to multilateral diplomacy, international peace and security, sustainable development, and global cooperation&rdquo;.

Rahman became foreign minister in February, following Bangladesh&#39;s first elections since the 2024 ouster of longtime premier Sheikh Hasina.

During the interim government of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, Rahman served as national security adviser and point person on the country&#39;s huge population of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar.

Rahman holds degrees in law and economics from US universities and has participated in trade talks with Washington.

The president of the UN General Assembly is elected annually for a one-year term based on a geographical rotation, but there is rarely more than one candidate, who is usually accepted by unanimous consent.

This year, the position was allocated to the Asia-Pacific region, which includes Cyprus.

A third diplomat who had declared his candidacy,&nbsp;Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour,&nbsp;withdrew after it was strongly criticised by Israel.

Deputy Prime Minister and FM Ishaq Dar&nbsp;felicitated Dr Rahman on his election as president.

&ldquo;Heartiest felicitations to my dear brother, Dr Khalilur Rahman, foreign minister of Bangladesh, on his election as president of the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly,&rdquo; Dar said, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office.



Heartiest felicitations to my dear brother, H.E. Dr. Khalilur Rahman, Foreign Minister of Bangladesh on his election as President of the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly.

Having had closely engaged with him, I am confident that his vast diplomatic experience and steadfast&hellip;
&mdash; Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) June 2, 2026


He said he was confident that Dr Rahman&rsquo;s diplomatic experience and commitment to multilateralism would guide the General Assembly with distinction.

&ldquo;I look forward to continuing our engagement at the United Nations and working together to strengthen multilateral cooperation, advance shared global priorities and promote dialogue, peace and sustainable development,&rdquo; the deputy prime minister added while wishing him success in his new responsibility.

Who is Khalilur Rahman?

Rahman, 72, represents the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led government in Bangladesh, which assumed office in less than three months after this February&rsquo;s election, the first since the country&rsquo;s student-led uprising in 2024.

After the uprising, he served as national security adviser and high representative for the Rohingya issue in the interim government led by then-chief advisor Muhammad Yunus.

Rahman joined Bangladesh&rsquo;s diplomatic service in 1979.

In the US, he studied at Tufts University&rsquo;s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and Harvard University&rsquo;s Kennedy School of Government and earned a master&rsquo;s degree in law and diplomacy and a PhD in economics.

He served the UN for 25 years, including in various UN offices in both New York and Geneva.

Speaking to the UN General Assembly after his win, Rahman said that under his presidency, the General Assembly will address UN reforms, preparations for the next generation of the global development agenda, and urgent global challenges, including climate change, geopolitical tensions, energy insecurity, and widening development divides.]]>
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