US-Israel attack on Iran: Tehran launches retaliatory strikes as Trump says ‘major combat operation’ under way – live
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/ ... ve-updates
Only two vessels not linked to Iran or Russia have made the “chicken run” through the strait of Hormuz since Donald Trump said he would “ensure the free flow of energy to the world”, according to maritime records.
One of those that braved the journey since the US president’s announcement of emergency measures on Friday went “dark” by switching off its transponder and a second signalled it was Chinese owned and crewed.
The Hormuz sea passage, one of the world’s most strategically important choke points, would normally have about 100 vessels a day either exiting or entering the Gulf. In response to the US and Israeli attacks, Iran has effectively shut the strait, attacking at least 10 ships which were seeking to traverse it in the early days of the crisis.
On Friday, Trump announced a $20bn (£14.85bn) reinsurance scheme to revive shipping through the strait, which he said would come into effect immediately. He followed up by saying that shipowners should “show some guts” by sailing through the war zone.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/ ... ait-hormuz
1. "The immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon"
2. US and Iran to "respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and to refrain from interfering in each other’s internal affairs"
3. They "commit to negotiating and achieving the final deal in maximum 60 days, extendable with mutual consent"
4. Immediately, the US "will begin the removal of its naval blockade... and will fully end the naval blockade within 30 days"
5. In the Strait of Hormuz, Iran "will make arrangements using its best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge, for 60 days"
6. The US undertakes "with regional partners to develop a definitive, mutually agreed plan with at least USD $300 billion for the reconstruction and economic development of" Iran
7. US to "terminate all types of sanctions against" Iran
8. Iran "reaffirms that it shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons", but other parts of the programme are still to be negotiated. The two parties "agreed to discuss the issue of enrichment and other mutually agreed matters related to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear needs"
9. Pending the final deal, the US and Iran "agree to maintain the status quo"
10. Upon signing, and until the termination of sanctions, US Treasury will "issue waivers for the export of Iranian crude oil, petroleum products, and derivatives, and all associated services"
11. US undertakes "to make fully available for use the frozen or restricted funds and assets" of Iran
12. "An executive mechanism will be established to monitor the successful implementation" of this memorandum
13. After signing - subject to implementation of points 1, 4, 5, 10 and 11 - the US and Iran "will start negotiations regarding the final deal exclusively on the other paragraphs"
14. "The final deal will be endorsed by a binding UNSC (United Nations Security Council) resolution"
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c9wq95g0lx2t
A US official said yesterday that Israel and Hezbollah had agreed a ceasefire, following concerns that continued clashes would undermine the deal to end the war between the US and Iran.
The Israeli military confirmed that a ceasefire was in effect, but later a spokesman said its forces would "continue to remove immediate threats".
A Hezbollah official told the BBC it does not recognise the ceasefire that was announced by US officials on Friday afternoon, and it rejects the Israeli objective to operate freely inside Lebanon.
Earlier today, local officials said 16 people have been killed in the Nabatieh district and seven in neighbouring Saida, in Lebanon.
The Israeli military said it had struck "dozens" of Hezbollah targets after the group fired more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in the region.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Hezbollah have both accused each other today of repeated ceasefire violations.
Iran has said it is closing the strait of Hormuz after waves of Israeli strikes in Lebanon in a move that threatens to derail the fragile interim peace deal with the US, signed just days ago.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned ships not to approach the strategic waterway, which before the war carried a fifth of global oil and liquid gas supplies, citing what it called Israeli crimes in Lebanon and a US violation of commitments to establish a ceasefire there.
It was unclear if the threat had been carried out, or if it would jeopardise talks in Switzerland scheduled for Sunday that were supposed to start the process of turning the current interim agreement between the US and Iran signed this week into a more detailed deal covering Iran’s nuclear programme.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/ ... -ceasefire
High-stakes talks between the US and Iran are expected to continue for the rest of the week in Switzerland, after a tense start that saw Iranian negotiators walk out in protest at a stream of threats issued by Donald Trump on social media.
The US president had threatened to bomb Iran and even to kidnap the Iranian negotiating team unless the strait of Hormuz was reopened, forcing mediators Qatar and Pakistan to continue negotiations in the background.
[...] In a 20-minute phone call with Fox News, which revealed his sensitivity to the criticism being directed at him by Republicans and Democrats alike, he said: “We may take over the strait, if we have to. If they don’t make a deal, we’ll collect tolls.”
Referring to the strait, he appeared to threaten to kidnap the Iranian negotiators, saying: “You close it and you won’t have a country. You won’t even make it back to your fucking country.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/ ... uz-lebanon
“Screaming can be cathartic in the moment, helping to express and release emotions,” says Rebecca. “This can especially be the case if those emotions have been repressed. Primal therapy, which is the first recorded context of using screaming as therapy, was used to help people who have experienced childhood trauma.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articl ... aming-more