The United States and Iran have confirmed a peace deal to end months of hostilities, with an official signing ceremony scheduled for June 19. President Trump ordered an end to the US naval blockade and reopened the Strait of Hormuz. Global stock markets surged on the news, while oil prices fell sharply. The deal's details remain under negotiation, including the future of Iran's nuclear program and Israel's position on the agreement.
Ukraine's sustained drone campaign has triggered the worst fuel shortage on the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula since its 2014 annexation. Long queues snake outside gas stations in Sevastopol as authorities ration Ai-95 gasoline. Ukrainian attacks on the key Novorossiya highway and bridges linking Crimea to mainland Russia have disrupted supply lines, dealing a blow to Moscow's narrative that it is winning the four-year war.
President Trump announced that a deal to end the ongoing US-Iran war will be signed on Sunday, but Iranian officials immediately questioned the timing and feasibility of the agreement. The announcement comes amid escalating military operations, with US launching new strikes on Iran and Iran firing back at Gulf states and Jordan. The Strait of Hormuz blockade has loosened as Gulf Arab oil reaches market, while the World Bank warns the conflict could pull the global economy to post-COVID lows with growth forecast cut to 2.5 percent.
President Donald Trump claims the US and Iran are on the verge of signing a peace agreement to end three months of war, but Tehran says no final decision has been made. The contradictory statements come after weeks of back-and-forth conflict that included US airstrikes on Iranian radar sites and Iranian retaliatory fire at Gulf states. A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon also hangs in balance as Hezbollah reportedly rejects key terms of the agreement.
President Donald Trump called off planned military strikes against Iran on Thursday evening, citing progress in negotiations. The decision came after two days of tit-for-tat attacks across the Middle East, with Iran retaliating against US strikes by targeting American assets in Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain. The cancellation marks a sharp reversal after Trump had threatened to hit Iran 'very hard,' though Iran's top military command warned the US would receive a 'more severe response' if it attacks again. The developments unfolded alongside renewed ceasefire efforts in Gaza and a G7 summit in France where Iran and Ukraine dominated discussions.
President Trump threatened additional military strikes against Iran on Wednesday, saying Tehran has taken too long to negotiate a deal and will now 'have to pay the price.' The warning came as Iran launched attacks on US bases in Jordan and the Gulf, and after Trump ordered strikes near the Strait of Hormuz. The escalating conflict, now in its fourth month, has driven gasoline prices up 40.5% year-over-year and pushed US consumer inflation above 4%. Meanwhile, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in the Philippines killed at least 35 people and collapsed buildings, while the Iran war's economic shockwaves threaten farms as far away as England.
President Donald Trump said Iran shot down a US Army Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz, calling it an act of aggression that demands a response. The two crew members were rescued in the first-ever sea drone rescue operation. The incident threatens to unravel a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran that had held for two months, as Israeli air strikes also hit the Lebanese city of Tyre despite Iranian warnings.
Iran launched missiles at Israel on Sunday in the first such bombardment since a fragile April ceasefire. Israel intercepted the missiles and warned of retaliation, while President Trump reportedly convinced Israeli PM Netanyahu to hold off on immediate response. The exchange threatens to drag the region back into full-scale war.
Israel carried out airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut on Sunday, marking the most serious escalation in its conflict with Hezbollah since a ceasefire was established in mid-April. The strikes targeted two apartments and killed at least two people. Hezbollah had rejected a ceasefire proposal agreed by the Lebanese government.
Ukraine launched over 140 drones at St Petersburg and the Leningrad region in what Russia described as an unprecedented attack. The drones flew 1,000 km to hit naval arsenals in Kronstadt and oil storage facilities, forcing the city governor to urge residents indoors for the first time since the war began. The strikes coincided with the final day of Russia's annual economic forum.