US president Donald Trump has sent his envoy Steve Witkoff to join Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi for peace talks in Switzerland today as ceasefire looks threatened once again with five killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon.
The shuttling of Trump’s envoys signals that both sides intend to begin technical negotiations, after being initially cancelled, aimed at securing a permanent truce but the White House did not respond to questions about Witkoff's travel.
Donald Trump reportedly told Israel to agree to a ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon, as reports suggest US intelligence is concerned about prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu undermining his deal with Iran.
The US president instructed Israel to accept the ceasefire on Friday, he told NBC News in a call with a reporter, adding: "You just gotta calm down sometimes and use your head”.
It comes as Washington Post reports suggest US intelligence officials are concerned Netanyahu will try to undermine the US peace deal with Iran in a bid to continue its own conflict in Lebanon.
The officials, who spoke anonymously, said Netanyahu’s political survival is linked to showing his domestic audience that he will not withdraw troops from Lebanon.
Read MoreDay of chaos in Middle East as Iran peace talks are abandoned and Israel fights Hezbollah
‘I’m the president and you’re not’: Trump’s blunt message to those offering advice revealed
Key Points
- Trump issues warning to Iran if it doesn't sign permanent peace deal
- US envoy heads to Switzerland: reports
- Trump asked Israel to agree to Hezbollah ceasefire, reports say
- At least 47 killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon: reports
- Iran threatened to close Hormuz over Lebanon clashes: report
Fighting persists in Lebanon despite a ceasefire as the US-Iran deal is under threat
10:22 , Maira ButtIsraeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday killed at least seven people, including two children, hours after reports emerged of a ceasefire agreement. The persistent fighting threatened an interim agreement between the United States and Iran to end the war in the Middle East.
Lebanon’s National News Agency said the strikes hit the southern town of Nabatiyeh and nearby villages. At least seven people remained trapped under the rubble, it said.
Mediators were scrambling to halt the fighting between Israel and the militant Lebanese Hezbollah group, after a heavy exchange on Friday killed at least 47 people in Lebanon and four Israeli soldiers.
Fighting persists in Lebanon despite a ceasefire as the US-Iran deal is under threat
Hezbollah warns it will not allow Israel 'freedom of movement' in occupied Lebananese territory
09:48 , Maroosha MuzaffarHezbollah has warned that it will not allow Israel “freedom of movement” in what it calls occupied Lebanese territory, according to a senior official speaking to Reuters.
The comments come after an Israeli military official said Hezbollah fired more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon overnight, prompting Israeli strikes on what it described as Hezbollah targets.
Israel said stability for both countries could be achieved if Hezbollah stops violating ceasefire agreements.
Pentagon tells US lawmakers it needs $80bn for Iran war and other bills – report
09:30 , Arpan RaiThe US department of defence needs $80bn to cover costs from the Iran war as well as other non-war-related bills, deputy defence secretary Stephen Feinberg told lawmakers in phone calls this week, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.
A full US supplemental request, which will include money for the Pentagon as well as non-defence priorities such as farm and disaster relief, could be sent to lawmakers in the coming days, the newspaper added.
The Iran war has cost around $25bn, a Pentagon official told Reuters in April providing the first official estimate of war costs.
However, the full cost of the conflict, which Trump began alongside Israel on 28 February, has remained an open question on Capitol Hill and an initial $200 billion request for additional funding met stiff opposition from lawmakers.
White House budget director Russell Vought told a hearing in April of the House of Representatives Budget Committee that he had no estimate for the cost of the war, as he defended Trump's request for a $1.5 trillion annual military budget.
The proposed budget reflects Republican priorities ahead of November’s midterm elections, where the party is trying to keep control of Congress but is facing growing voter anxiety over rising living costs, high energy prices and the financial burden of the Iran war.
Trump heads to Camp David
09:10 , Arpan RaiPresident Donald Trump will make a rare trip to Camp David this weekend, returning to the presidential retreat for only the second time since retaking office last year.
Trump will hold policy and political meetings during his visit, a White House official said. His family will travel with him for the weekend, which includes Father's Day on Sunday.
The trip comes as Trump works to secure a final agreement to end the war with Iran and faces scrutiny over a provisional peace deal that critics say grants Tehran too many concessions.
On Friday, Trump continued to defend the deal with Iran, saying Tehran had come to the negotiating table from a position of weakness.
Vance pulls out of peace talks in Switzerland
08:50 , Arpan RaiVice president JD Vance will not be joining the senior officials from the US and Iran gathering in Switzerland today to hammer out the final points on peace deal.
The announcement came after Wednesday's signing of the memorandum of understanding, when preparations for technical talks at the Swiss mountaintop resort of Buergenstock were well advanced.
The broad interim deal requires the United States, Iran and their allies to declare an immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon. Israel, left out of the talks, says it is not party to the deal.
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi in a telephone call with his Pakistani counterpart on Friday, said the United States would be responsible for any violation of its commitments under the deal, including ending the fighting in Lebanon, his ministry said.
Trump's envoy Witkoff and Iranian minister head to Switzerland for talks
08:47 , Arpan RaiUS envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi were both headed to Switzerland for talks, Axios reported, as a ceasefire in Lebanon appeared to revive efforts to turn an interim Iran war pact into a lasting regional deal.
US vice president JD Vance canceled plans on Thursday to travel to Switzerland for the talks, however, amid rising tension in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, a militant group backed by Iran.
With the ceasefire in place, Witkoff is heading to Switzerland to join Jared Kushner, president Donald Trump’s son-in-law, who is already there, Axios said. Araqchi plans to travel there on Saturday, it added.
The development may signal that both sides intend to begin technical negotiations aimed at securing a permanent truce. The White House did not respond to questions about Witkoff's travel.
Israeli envoy and UN official clash at hearing on children in conflict
08:41 , Arpan RaiDiplomatic niceties broke down at the United Nations on Friday when Israel's ambassador and the UN secretary-general's special representative for children and armed conflict became embroiled in a furious shouting match at a public hearing.
At a meeting in New York to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, the Israeli envoy, Danny Danon, demanded the resignation of Pramila Patten, who produced a report that blacklisted Israel for such alleged abuses for the first time, accusing her of bias.
"You caved to the secretary-general's obsession with targeting Israel," Danon said, referring to UN chief Antonio Guterres.
Another UN official, Vanessa Frazier, Guterres' representative for children and armed conflict and compiler of a separate report that also blacklists Israel, interjected by shouting a point of order.
She demanded that Danon refrain from "personal attacks" and added that she had "verified evidence."
Danon said Frazier should be quiet. "We are a member state, and you work for the UN, and you will be quiet now. You will be quiet... you and your shameful report," he said.
Frazier, Malta's former UN ambassador, issued her report this week on behalf of Guterres warning that Israeli settler groups could be added to a global blacklist for violations against children as the UN chief voiced alarm at what he called a "staggering" rise in violations against Palestinian children.
Israel itself already features in that report's so-called list of shame annexes for alleged violations. When Patten's report was issued last month, Danon called it "a new low" and Israel's foreign ministry vowed to sever all ties with Guterres, who leaves office after 10 years at the year-end.
Pakistan's interior minister heads to Tehran for meetings on Iran-US talks, Iranian state media says
08:08 , Arpan RaiPakistan's interior minister Mohsin Naqvi has departed for Tehran today for meetings with senior Iranian officials, Iran's state news agency IRNA reported.
IRNA said Naqvi would discuss the progress of negotiations between Iran and the United States during his visit, without providing further details.
Interview: I was trapped in the Gulf when Trump attacked Iran. This deal is too little, too late for sailors like me
08:00 , James ReynoldsWorking at sea was a dream for 28-year-old Rex Pereira. But after witnessing the outbreak of the US-Iran war from the deck of his stranded ship in southern Iraq, he tells Maroosha Muzaffar he is a changed man:
I was trapped in the Gulf when Trump attacked Iran. This deal is too little, too late
At least five killed in Israeli strikes on south Lebanon despite ceasefire
07:57 , Arpan RaiAt least five people were killed in Israeli air strikes and drone attacks in southern Lebanon today, Lebanese state media reported, just hours after a ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group took effect.
A senior Israeli official and two Hezbollah sources confirmed the agreement to Reuters. The US official said the truce was to begin at 4pm yesterday.
State news agency NNA said Israeli warplanes and drones carried out a series of strikes across the Nabatieh area overnight and into Saturday morning, destroying residential buildings and homes, while Israeli artillery shelled Nabatieh and its outskirts before dawn.
Israel and Hezbollah agreed to the ceasefire on Friday following an escalation in hostilities in Lebanon, according to a US official.
Watch: Trump jokes about 'blaming JD' if Iran deal doesn’t work out
07:30 , Rachel DobkinTrump brags about his color scheme for Air Force One as he unveils $400M plane from Qatar
07:00 , Brendan RasciusUS President Donald Trump couldn’t help but boast about his hand-picked color scheme of the $400 million jet gifted by Qatar as he unveiled America’s new Air Force One.
On Friday, the president traveled to Joint Base Andrews and delivered remarks to service members while standing in a hangar in front of the massive jet. The red, white and blue paint scheme is similar to Trump’s private plane and a departure from the light blue of the old Air Force One that was recently retired.
Trump’s acquisition of the jet - which he will keep after his term - was met with outrage over security concerns and conflict of interest claims.
Read on...
Trump brags about his color scheme for Air Force One as he unveils Qatari plane
Trump praises 'natural born warrior' Pete Hegseth
06:30 , Rachel DobkinUS President Donald Trump has praised Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, calling him a “natural born warrior”.
“I also want to thank, I think a natural born warrior, his name is Pete Hegseth”, Trump said at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Friday. “So far, we’ve been winning all the time.”.
Trump insists Iran deal is 'very popular,' despite pushback from his own party
06:00 , Rachel DobkinUS President Donald Trump has insisted the interim peace deal signed by the US and Iran is “very popular,” despite pushback from his own party.
“Very popular agreement, except for the Fake News and their partner, the Dumocrats!” Trump wrote on Truth Social Friday.
But some Republicans have spoken out against the deal, with one calling it the “worst foreign policy blunder in decades”. Read more from James C. Reynolds:
‘Worst foreign policy blunder in decades’: Republicans turn on Trump over Iran deal
Pentagon tells US lawmakers it needs $80bn for Iran war and other bills – report
05:53 , Arpan RaiThe US department of defence needs $80bn to cover costs from the Iran war as well as other non-war-related bills, deputy defence secretary Stephen Feinberg told lawmakers in phone calls this week, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.
A full US supplemental request, which will include money for the Pentagon as well as non-defence priorities such as farm and disaster relief, could be sent to lawmakers in the coming days, the newspaper added.
The Iran war has cost around $25bn, a Pentagon official told Reuters in April providing the first official estimate of war costs.
However, the full cost of the conflict, which Trump began alongside Israel on 28 February, has remained an open question on Capitol Hill and an initial $200 billion request for additional funding met stiff opposition from lawmakers.
White House budget director Russell Vought told a hearing in April of the House of Representatives Budget Committee that he had no estimate for the cost of the war, as he defended Trump's request for a $1.5 trillion annual military budget.
The proposed budget reflects Republican priorities ahead of November’s midterm elections, where the party is trying to keep control of Congress but is facing growing voter anxiety over rising living costs, high energy prices and the financial burden of the Iran war.
Obama says Trump’s Iran agreement may leave the US in worse situation than before
05:46 , Arpan RaiFormer president Barack Obama warned that the agreement between the Trump administration and Iran that will bring the war to an end might leave the United States “worse off” than before.
The former president spoke to NBC’s Today Show co-host Craig Melvin at the opening of the Barack Obama Presidential Center and Library. Part of the center is dedicated to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the nuclear agreement brokered by his administration to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Trump’s first administration withdrew from that deal. But some conservatives have said that the current agreement resembles the 2015 Obama deal, also known as the JCPOA.
“This administration, or a prior version of this administration, pulled out of it, which then caused Iran to develop more nuclear capacity,” Obama said.
But Obama told Melvin that while he is relieved that the fighting would cease, he worried about the future.
Obama says Trump’s Iran agreement may leave the US in worse situation than before
Trump says he will prevent Israel from attacking Lebanon: 'They do as I say'
05:30 , Rachel DobkinDonald Trump has said he will prevent Israel from attacking Lebanon.
“They have a lot of respect for me, and they do as I say”, the US president told Axios in a pre-taped interview released Friday.
Trump also told NBC News Friday that he spoke with Israel and asked them to agree to a ceasefire with Hezbollah.
Israeli envoy and UN official clash at hearing on children in conflict
05:28 , Arpan RaiDiplomatic niceties broke down at the United Nations on Friday when Israel's ambassador and the UN secretary-general's special representative for children and armed conflict became embroiled in a furious shouting match at a public hearing.
At a meeting in New York to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, the Israeli envoy, Danny Danon, demanded the resignation of Pramila Patten, who produced a report that blacklisted Israel for such alleged abuses for the first time, accusing her of bias.
"You caved to the secretary-general's obsession with targeting Israel," Danon said, referring to UN chief Antonio Guterres.
Another UN official, Vanessa Frazier, Guterres' representative for children and armed conflict and compiler of a separate report that also blacklists Israel, interjected by shouting a point of order.
She demanded that Danon refrain from "personal attacks" and added that she had "verified evidence."
Danon said Frazier should be quiet. "We are a member state, and you work for the UN, and you will be quiet now. You will be quiet... you and your shameful report," he said.
Frazier, Malta's former UN ambassador, issued her report this week on behalf of Guterres warning that Israeli settler groups could be added to a global blacklist for violations against children as the UN chief voiced alarm at what he called a "staggering" rise in violations against Palestinian children.
Israel itself already features in that report's so-called list of shame annexes for alleged violations. When Patten's report was issued last month, Danon called it "a new low" and Israel's foreign ministry vowed to sever all ties with Guterres, who leaves office after 10 years at the year-end.
Israeli hostilities and attacks continue despite ceasefire with Hezbollah
05:09 , Arpan RaiTwo Lebanese security sources said Israel carried out a dozen airstrikes in the first hour after the ceasefire came into effect, but none were recorded after 5 pm yesterday.
Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire on Friday, a US official said, after an escalation in hostilities in Lebanon sorely tested the US-Iranian interim deal to end the wider Middle East conflict.
A senior Israeli official and two Hezbollah sources confirmed the ceasefire to Reuters, which the US official said was due to begin at 4pm.
“If Hezbollah does not attack us, then for us it is not a time of war,” the Israeli official said. Israeli forces would remain in southern Lebanon, the official added.
An Israeli military official confirmed that there had been no strikes since 5pm but denied that Israel had carried out a dozen strikes after 4pm.
A Reuters journalist in northern Israel saw airstrikes ongoing inside Lebanon at around 4.50pm.
At around 8pm, Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) said a drone strike killed two people on a motorbike on a southern Lebanese highway.
US intelligence officials believe fighting in Lebanon will likely continue: reports
05:00 , Rachel DobkinUS intelligence officials believe Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will likely continue fighting the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to reports.
Hostilities will likely continue, despite the potential to impede negotiations between the US and Iran, US officials told The New York Times.
The Washington Post previously reported on the intelligence assessment.
Day of chaos in Middle East as Iran peace talks are abandoned and Israel fights Hezbollah
04:44 , Arpan RaiTalks between the US and Iran in Switzerland were abruptly called off on Friday, clouding prospects for a lasting truce as a major escalation in Lebanon sparked chaos in the Strait of Hormuz and threatened the tenuous agreement to end the war.
Switzerland’s foreign ministry told The Independent that talks at the mountaintop resort of Bürgenstock had been postponed, without further explanation. Insiders said Iran had refused to attend after Israel ramped up airstrikes in Lebanon, killing at least 47 people, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
As renewed fighting in the region threatened to derail the peace process, Israel and Hezbollah suddenly agreed to a renewed ceasefire late on Friday afternoon. But on a chaotic day in the Middle East, Israeli airstrikes could still be seen across the border more than an hour after the truce was meant to take effect.
However, in late night developments, Axios reported that the US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi were both headed to Switzerland for talks.
Day of chaos in Middle East as Iran peace talks abandoned and Israel fights Hezbollah
Trump praises Netanyahu and speaks of 'great relationship' with Israel
04:30 , Rachel DobkinDonald Trump has praised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and spoken of America’s “great relationship” with Israel.
“We fought very well with Israel. And we’ve had a great relationship with Israel. We were very formidable, and Bibi Netanyahu is a warrior prime minister, and he should be acknowledged as that”, Trump said at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Friday.
Trump’s comments come as tensions reportedly rise between his administration and Israeli officials over the impact that attacks in Lebanon have had on the US-Iran interim peace deal.
The deal includes the end of military operations, including in Lebanon.
Vance pulls out of peace talks in Switzerland
04:23 , Arpan RaiVice president JD Vance will not be joining the senior officials from the US and Iran gathering in Switzerland today to hammer out the final points on peace deal.
The announcement came after Wednesday's signing of the memorandum of understanding, when preparations for technical talks at the Swiss mountaintop resort of Buergenstock were well advanced.
The broad interim deal requires the United States, Iran and their allies to declare an immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon. Israel, left out of the talks, says it is not party to the deal.
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi in a telephone call with his Pakistani counterpart on Friday, said the United States would be responsible for any violation of its commitments under the deal, including ending the fighting in Lebanon, his ministry said.
Trump heads to Camp David
04:05 , Arpan RaiPresident Donald Trump will make a rare trip to Camp David this weekend, returning to the presidential retreat for only the second time since retaking office last year.
Trump will hold policy and political meetings during his visit, a White House official said. His family will travel with him for the weekend, which includes Father's Day on Sunday.
The trip comes as Trump works to secure a final agreement to end the war with Iran and faces scrutiny over a provisional peace deal that critics say grants Tehran too many concessions.
On Friday, Trump continued to defend the deal with Iran, saying Tehran had come to the negotiating table from a position of weakness.
Trump lashed out at Vance telling him, ‘Everyone just needs to copy what I say’ on Iran, book reveals
04:00 , Josh MarcusUS President Donald Trump reportedly raged against Vice President JD Vance last year for not using the boss’s chosen line that American planes had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear programme.
“Trump vented to others that Vance hadn’t repeated his own new phrase that Iran’s nuclear program had been ‘totally obliterated’”, according to an excerpt obtained by Politico of the forthcoming Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump, from New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan.
After the June attack on Iran, Vance had mildly undercut Trump in an interview with ABC News.
“Well, Jon, severely damaged versus obliterated, I’m not exactly sure what the difference is”, Vance said. “What we know is we set their nuclear program back substantially”.
(Intelligence on the strikes at the time reportedly suggested they did not in fact destroy the nuclear program.)
Read on...
‘Copy what I say’: Trump slammed Vance over Iran, book claims
US says Israel-Lebanon talks to be held in Washington next week
03:50 , Arpan RaiThe next round of Lebanese-Israeli talks will be held on 23 June to 25 June in Washington, the US State Department said on Friday following a call between US secretary of state Marco Rubio and Lebanese president Joseph Aoun.
Rubio also "reiterated the need to disarm" Hezbollah and reaffirmed US "support for the Government of Lebanon’s efforts to create a fully sovereign Lebanese state that is at peace with all its neighbors," State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement.
Trump's envoy Witkoff and Iranian minister head to Switzerland for talks
03:41 , Arpan RaiUS envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi were both headed to Switzerland for talks, Axios reported, as a ceasefire in Lebanon appeared to revive efforts to turn an interim Iran war pact into a lasting regional deal.
US vice president JD Vance canceled plans on Thursday to travel to Switzerland for the talks, however, amid rising tension in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, a militant group backed by Iran.
With the ceasefire in place, Witkoff is heading to Switzerland to join Jared Kushner, president Donald Trump’s son-in-law, who is already there, Axios said. Araqchi plans to travel there on Saturday, it added.
The development may signal that both sides intend to begin technical negotiations aimed at securing a permanent truce. The White House did not respond to questions about Witkoff's travel.
Iranian official says country will 'move forward' if the US is serious
03:30 , Rachel DobkinIran’s deputy foreign minister Saeed Khatibzadeh has said his country will “move forward” if the US is serious about respecting the interim peace deal.
“We are ready to move forward step by step, if the other party demonstrates the same seriousness,” Khatibzadeh told Al Jazeera Arabic on Friday.
Watch: JD Vance jokes that he can handle negotiations with Iran after appearing on The View
03:00 , Rachel DobkinPakistan's foreign ministry says leaders will meet to discuss regional security
02:30 , Rachel DobkinPakistan's foreign ministry has said that several leaders will meet in Cairo on Sunday to discuss regional security, according to a statement shared by The New York Times.
The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt will be in attendance.
Iran's foreign minister expected to travel to Switzerland
02:00 , Rachel DobkinIran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to travel to Switzerland on Saturday, Axios’ Barak Ravid wrote on X, citing a source familiar with the matter.
The source cautioned that plans could change.
US envoy heads to Switzerland: reports
01:40 , Rachel DobkinUS envoy Steve Witkoff is headed to Switzerland, according to multiple reports.
President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is already in Switzerland, a US official told Axios.
Vice President JD Vance was supposed to travel to Switzerland on Friday for talks with Iran, but the trip was cancelled.
“The plans for the upcoming technical talks have not been finalized, and the U.S. delegation has been prepared to depart at the first available opportunity.
“But the logistics of these negotiations have never been simple or predictable”, a White House spokesperson previously said.
White House claims Iran peace deal puts 'America First'
Saturday 20 June 2026 00:30 , Rachel DobkinThe White House has framed the interim peace deal it has reached with Iran as a success for the American people.
“Forged through decisive American strength, this agreement ensures Iran will never obtain a nuclear weapon, reopens the Strait of Hormuz to free navigation, and puts America First — rejecting the failed policies of appeasement, cash payoffs, and endless wars that have weakened the United States for decades”, the Trump administration wrote in a statement Friday.
The deal also offers Iran a $300 billion reconstruction fund and sanctions relief.
Comment: Donald Trump’s terrible Iran deal is already falling apart – and these are the six reasons why
Saturday 20 June 2026 00:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneA Versailles backdrop may have delivered political theatre, but with the president’s ‘breakthrough’ deal already in trouble, we are left with more questions than answers, says Mary Dejevsky.
The six reasons Donald Trump’s terrible Iran deal will quickly fall apart
Watch: Meloni says Trump 'totally invented' story of her begging him for photo
Friday 19 June 2026 23:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneIsraeli ambassador says country is 'firmly committed' to ceasefire
Friday 19 June 2026 23:00 , Rachel DobkinYechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, has said his country is “firmly committed” to a ceasefire with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
“Israel remains firmly committed to an immediate ceasefire”, Leiter wrote on X Friday. “At 11:30 this morning, Israel halted all offensive operations; Hezbollah and Iranian claims to the contrary are bold lies”.
“If Hezbollah honors the agreement and ceases its hostilities, they will be met with quiet”, the ambassador said. “The people of Lebanon deserve a future free from Hezbollah's grip, and a real, genuine peace between our two countries remains possible”.
Trump unveils new Air Force One gifted by Qatar: 'A normal president wouldn’t do this'
Friday 19 June 2026 22:30 , Rachel DobkinUS President Donald Trump has unveiled the Boeing 747-8, gifted by Qatar, that will serve as the new Air Force One.
“I asked the emir if we could use the brand new 747 that he got”, Trump said of the $400 million plane on Friday at Joint Base Andrews. “A normal president wouldn’t do this...but our country has to be represented properly”.
Trump heads to Camp David for the weekend
Friday 19 June 2026 22:00 , Rachel DobkinUS President Donald Trump is heading to Camp David for the weekend.
Camp David, located in Catoctin Mountain Park in Maryland, is a country residence for presidents to unwind and host foreign leaders.
Trump issues warning to Iran if they don't sign permanent peace deal
Friday 19 June 2026 21:30 , Rachel DobkinDonald Trump has issued a warning to Iran if they don't sign a permanent peace deal.
Speaking to US Air Force service members ahead of his trip to Camp David, Trump said Iran has 60 days to make a lasting deal, “otherwise, we will do things that won't make them happy.
“But I don't think it's going to get to that. I think it’s gonna be very good”, Trump said.
Israeli and Lebanese officials to meet in Washington next week: State Department
Friday 19 June 2026 21:02 , Rachel DobkinIsraeli and Lebanese officials will meet in Washington next week, according to the US State Department.
The next round of peace negotiations will take place from Tuesday to Thursday, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said Friday.
The statement came after Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
During the conversation, Rubio emphasized that negotiations with Israel are the only “feasible path to reconstruction, economic recovery, and ending recurrent cycles of violence”, Pigott said.
At least 47 killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon: reports
Friday 19 June 2026 20:30 , Rachel DobkinAt least 47 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon Friday, according to multiple reports that cited the Lebanese Health Ministry.
Israel vows to 'respond to Hezbollah's violations' after 4 soldiers killed
Friday 19 June 2026 20:00 , Rachel DobkinThe Israeli military has vowed to “respond to Hezbollah's violations” after four of its soldiers were killed.
“Overnight, Hezbollah once again attacked IDF soldiers operating in Southern Lebanon to protect Israeli civilians. We lost four of our soldiers”, IDF Spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin said in a message shared online Friday.
“Over the course of weeks, and including last night, Hezbollah has launched hundreds of explosive drones and rockets at Israeli civilians and soldiers,” Defrin said. “These attacks by Hezbollah are violations of the ceasefire”.
“We will continue to remove immediate threats, respond to Hezbollah’s violations, and do whatever is necessary to protect our civilians”, the IDF spokesperson added.
Later Friday, US President Donald Trump told NBC News that he spoke with Israel and asked them to agree to a ceasefire with the Lebanese militant group.
US military commander praises service members who supported naval blockade
Friday 19 June 2026 19:30 , Rachel DobkinAdmiral Brad Cooper, the leader of US Central Command, has praised the thousands of service members who supported its naval blockade of Iranian ports.
“I could not be prouder of our 15,000 men and women in uniform who supported the blockade over the past two months”, Cooper said in a statement Friday.
The blockade was lifted Thursday as part of the interim peace deal signed by the US and Iran.
Statement from Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander: pic.twitter.com/q1ewdfu7fO
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) June 19, 2026
What next for Iran as Trump signs ‘disastrous’ deal to end the war
Friday 19 June 2026 19:00 , James ReynoldsThe United States and Iran have signed an interim deal to end their war, setting the table for two months of talks aimed at resolving long-standing disputes.
President Donald Trump presented the agreement on Wednesday as a “major win” for the US, extending the ceasefire agreement in place since April so the two sides can address the ongoing issue of Iran’s nuclear programme.
US hawks and supporters of Israel have variously called the agreement “a catastrophic capitulation” to Iran and a “disaster” that achieves none of Trump’s original goals.
We look at the main obstacles to a more long-term peace and what happens now the documents have been signed.
What next for Iran after Trump signs ‘disastrous’ deal to end war with $300bn boost
Full report: Day of chaos in Middle East as Iran peace talks abandoned and Israel fought Hezbollah
Friday 19 June 2026 18:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneIt has been a day of chaos in the Middle East after talks between the US and Iran in Switzerland were abruptly called off, clouding prospects for a lasting truce as a major escalation in Lebanon sparked chaos in the Strait of Hormuz and threatened the tenuous agreement to end the war.
Switzerland’s foreign ministry told The Independent that talks at the mountaintop resort of Bürgenstock had been postponed, without further explanation. Insiders said Iran had refused to attend after Israel ramped up airstrikes in Lebanon, killing at least 47 people, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
As renewed fighting in the region threatened to derail the peace process, Israel and Hezbollah suddenly agreed to a renewed ceasefire late on Friday afternoon. But Israeli airstrikes could still be seen across the border more than an hour after the truce was meant to take effect.
James C. Reynolds has this report below:
Day of chaos in Middle East as Iran peace talks abandoned and Israel fought Hezbollah
Trump asked Israel to agree to Hezbollah ceasefire, reports say
Friday 19 June 2026 18:18 , Nicole Wootton-CaneUS President Donald Trump asked Israel to agree to a ceasefire with Iran-backed Hezbollah on Friday, it has been reported.
The pair reached an agreement earlier in the day.
According to NBC News, President Trump confirmed he told Israel to make the agreement in a phone call with a reporter.
"You just gotta calm down sometimes and use your head," President Trump was quoted as saying on X by an NBC reporter, who added thatMr Trump declined to specify whether he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directly.
IRGC 'set up cells in Iraq to conduct drone attacks' on Iran's neighbours: report
Friday 19 June 2026 18:00 , James ReynoldsIran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) set up secretive cells in Iraq to conduct drone attacks on Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, according to a report.
Eight Iraqi sources told Reuters that three or four cells, each comprising around 10 elite fighters, launched at least 7 drone attacks from desert locations near Basra and Samawa against sites in nearby countries.
A number of their members were drawn from Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of hardline Shi'ite factions with thousands of fighters. But the new groups operate outside its command structure, reporting directly to the IRGC, according to the sources.
The establishment of the new Iraqi cells, which has not previously been reported, reflects a shift in IRGC tactics aimed at preserving Iran's ability to project force across the region at a time when its armed proxy groups are greatly diminished and its own military and economic resources are depleted, the five militia commanders said.
Iran lays responsibility for ending war at US feet
Friday 19 June 2026 17:55 , Nicole Wootton-CaneIran’s foreign minister has laid the responsibility for ensuring its conflict with the US is ended with the US.
In a call with his Pakistani counterpart, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said any violations of the MoU would be directed at the US, and “warned of the consequences and repercussions of such an action”, according to Al Jazeera.
Will Netanyahu survive his perfect storm?
Friday 19 June 2026 17:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneIt has been a momentous week for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Not only has a preliminary peace deal been agreed between the US and Iran, but the cross-examination in his trial has ended after over a year of questioning, drawing one of the most politically consequential trials in Israeli history into the final stretch.
With Netanyahu’s corruption trial in the spotlight, along with criticism of the peace deal from Israeli politicians, and anger from a large majority of the population who say the US-Israeli war on Iran has not left them any safer, his chances in the upcoming elections look shaky.
Will Bibi – who has clung to power for a total of 18 years – survive?
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Trump’s Iran deal, a trial and elections: Will Netanyahu survive perfect storm?
