Rubio and Vance told Aoun that studies are currently under way for the formation of such a body, the Lebanese president\u2019s office said.<\/p>\n
The phone call came after Israeli soldiers shot and killed two in southern Lebanon \u2013 an attack that Hezbollah said violated the ceasefire agreement. On Telegram, Israel Defense Forces said its soldiers had struck \u201carmed terrorists\u201d that posed an immediate threat to Israeli soldiers but Hezbollah said that the soldiers had fired upon civilians.<\/p>\n
Israel and Lebanon began a fifth round of talks on Tuesday in Washington, with Lebanese officials \u200binsisting that face-to-face negotiations with Israel<\/a> are the only way to secure an end to the war that began 02 March, when the Iran-backed Hezbollah fired at Israel in support of Iran and triggered Israeli air and ground attacks that have killed more \u2060than 4,000 people and displaced at least 1.2m, Reuters reports.<\/p>\n Four rounds of Lebanese-Israeli talks since April have failed to produce a durable ceasefire, though the longest lull in fighting came after Iran<\/a> and the US agreed to a memorandum of understanding that halted fighting on all fronts.<\/p>\n Earlier, Aoun had warned that Lebanon would \u201caccept nothing less than an end to the Israeli occupation\u201d in southern Lebanon.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Summary<\/p>\n Israeli soldiers shot and killed two people in southern \u2060Lebanon, the first reported fatalities resulting from Israeli \u2060fire in Lebanon<\/a> \u2060in \u200bthree days. Israel Defense Forces said its soldiers had struck \u201carmed terrorists\u201d that posed an immediate threat to Israeli soldiers but Hezbollah said that the soldiers had fired upon civilians.<\/p>\n The Iranian ambassador to the UN in Geneva warned that Tehran\u2019s red line in negotiations with Washington is that Israel will cease attacks on Lebanon, including the capital of Beirut. The ambassador added that Iran \u201cwill respond\u201d if Israel violates the memorandum of understanding established on Thursday in any way.<\/p>\n US secretary of state Marco Rubio and US vice president JD Vance spoke with Lebanese president Joseph Aoun on the phone today, discussing, among other things, the implementation of a ceasefire monitoring body. Rubio and Vance told Aoun that studies are currently under way for the formation of such a body, the Lebanese president\u2019s office said.<\/p>\n Israel and Lebanon began a fifth round of talks on Tuesday in Washington, with the Lebanese president warning that Lebanon would \u201caccept nothing less than an end to the Israeli occupation\u201d in southern Lebanon. Aoun said he was hopeful that this new round of talks would \u201cdecisive along the path of achieving what we seek for the good of our nation and people\u201d \u2013 specifically, \u201cthe full restoration of Lebanon\u2019s sovereignty over every grain of its soil\u201d.<\/p>\n Donald Trump posted on social media on Tuesday that Iran has \u201cfully and completely\u201d agreed to the \u201chighest level nuclear inspections long into the future (Infinity!!!)\u201d. Iran said on Tuesday that the UN\u2019s nuclear watchdog will not be able to inspect key nuclear sites bombed by the US and Israel last year, AFP reports. \u201cWe have not had a meeting with the director general of the IAEA, nor do we have any plans for the agency to inspect Iran\u2019s nuclear facilities damaged by the US and Zionist military aggression,\u201d foreign ministry spokesperson \u200cEsmaeil Baghaei said at a press briefing.<\/p>\n Iran and Oman has formed a working group to study possible service costs for strait of Hormuz, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran\u2019s chief negotiator, said on Telegram on Tuesday. Ghalibaf has long maintained that the \u201cstrait of Hormuz will not return to pre-war conditions\u201d and Tehran would begin charging ships to uses the strait after the 60-day period. Meanwhile, Trump posted on social media that \u201c19 Millions Barrels of Oil flowed out of the Hormuz Strait yesterday, an all time RECORD\u201d. \u201cOil prices are tumbling down, and the World is a much safer place!!!\u201d the US president wrote.<\/p>\n Rubio is scheduled to begin a tour of the Gulf on Tuesday to meet with leaders and discuss the memorandum of understanding with Iran and the strait of Hormuz, among other things. For the next two days, he will be traveling to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain, the state department said.<\/p>\n There will be three days of public holidays in Tehran for the funeral ceremonies of the late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, AFP reports. \u201cThe farewell ceremony and prayers for the martyred leader\u2019s body will be held on Saturday and Sunday, 4 and 5 July, in Tehran\u2019s Grand Mosalla, and the funeral will be held on Monday, 6 July, and Tehran province will be off for these three days,\u201d IRGC commander Hassan Hassanzadeh, who is in charge of the funeral ceremonies, was quoted as saying on Iranian state TV.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Rubio, Vance discuss ceasefire monitoring body with Lebanon’s president<\/p>\n US secretary of state Marco Rubio and US vice president JD Vance spoke with Lebanese president Joseph Aoun on the phone today, discussing, among other things, the implementation of a ceasefire monitoring body, the Lebanese president\u2019s office posted on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n Rubio and Vance told Aoun that studies are currently under way for the formation of such a body, the Lebanese president\u2019s office said.<\/p>\n The phone call came after Israeli soldiers shot and killed two in southern Lebanon \u2013 an attack that Hezbollah said violated the ceasefire agreement. On Telegram, Israel Defense Forces said its soldiers had struck \u201carmed terrorists\u201d that posed an immediate threat to Israeli soldiers but Hezbollah said that the soldiers had fired upon civilians.<\/p>\n Israel and Lebanon began a fifth round of talks on Tuesday in Washington, with Lebanese officials \u200binsisting that face-to-face negotiations with Israel<\/a> are the only way to secure an end to the war that began 02 March, when the Iran-backed Hezbollah fired at Israel in support of Iran and triggered Israeli air and ground attacks that have killed more \u2060than 4,000 people and displaced at least 1.2m, Reuters reports.<\/p>\n Four rounds of Lebanese-Israeli talks since April have failed to produce a durable ceasefire, though the longest lull in fighting came after Iran<\/a> and the US agreed to a memorandum of understanding that halted fighting on all fronts.<\/p>\n Earlier, Aoun had warned that Lebanon would \u201caccept nothing less than an end to the Israeli occupation\u201d in southern Lebanon.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Here are some images of the Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, arriving in Pakistan today:<\/p>\n In this photo released by the Pakistan prime minister\u2019s office, Masoud Pezeshkian, centre, reviews an honour guard during a welcome ceremony in Islamabad. Photograph: Pakistan Prime Minister Office\/APPezeshkian, left, shakes hands with the Pakistani prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif. Photograph: Pakistan Prime Minister Office\/APPezeshkian (left) and Sharif (right) at a ceremonial reception at the prime minister\u2019s house in Islamabad. Photograph: Pakistan\u2019s Prime Minister Office\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.44 EDT<\/p>\n The Lebanese president, Joseph Aoun, has said he will \u201caccept nothing less\u201d than the end of Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon<\/a>. He added that a new round of US-backed talks with Israel, beginning today in Washington DC, could be decisive for the conflict between Israel and Lebanon.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.10 EDT<\/p>\n Iranian state TV has said there will be three days of public holidays in Tehran for the funeral ceremonies of the late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, AFP reports.<\/p>\n \u201cThe farewell ceremony and prayers for the martyred leader\u2019s body will be held on Saturday and Sunday, 4 and 5 July, in Tehran\u2019s Grand Mosalla, and the funeral will be held on Monday, 6 July, and Tehran province will be off for these three days,\u201d IRGC commander Hassan Hassanzadeh, who is in charge of the funeral ceremonies, was quoted as saying.<\/p>\n Earlier, state media said Tehran would be on holiday on 4 and 5 July, while the whole country will follow suit on 6 July.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Iran and Oman form working group to study possible service costs for strait of Hormuz<\/p>\n Iran and Oman have issued a joint statement on the strait of Hormuz, saying that they will study the costs to be charged for services provided in administering the waterway.<\/p>\n Iran and Oman emphasised their \u201csovereign rights over their territorial waters\u201d in the statement on Tuesday. However, the Omani foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi, said on X that both sides were committed to \u201ctoll-free safe passage\u201d.<\/p>\n The Iran-Oman statement said that their foreign ministries would form a joint working group on the strait, to reach \u201cagreement on the future administration of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the services that will be provided in this regard and the costs associated with them in accordance with international standards\u201d. The statement also said the two countries would hold talks with other states in the region of the strait and other interested parties.<\/p>\n Last week, Iran\u2019s foreign ministry said the country would impose what it called maritime service fees<\/a> for crossing the strait, to come into effect at the end of the 60-day period without charges that is stipulated in the memorandum of understanding signed by Iran and the US.<\/p>\n The MOU also states that Iran and Oman, which border the strait, will discuss its \u201cfuture administration and maritime services\u201d with other Gulf countries.<\/p>\n The statement followed a visit to Oman by Iran\u2019s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, and its chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who met met Oman\u2019s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq and held talks with Albusaidi.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Pentagon seeking $80bn from US Congress to cover cost of war on Iran \u2013 reports<\/p>\n According to the Associated Press, the Pentagon has told senators it needs roughly $80bn, mostly to cover the cost of the US-Israel war on Iran<\/a>.<\/p>\n The White House Office of Management and Budget has yet to make a formal request to Congress. But AP, following on from a story by the Wall Street Journal, reports that the US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, has been making the rounds on Capitol Hill, including on Monday evening<\/p>\n The White House has already requested a remarkable $1.5tn boost in military spending<\/a> for the Pentagon in 2027 \u2013 an increase of almost 50% on the funding levels for the current fiscal year.<\/p>\n The Republic Senate majority leader, John Thune, has said he\u2019s expecting a supplemental spending request from the administration for the war, and when it arrives, \u201cwe\u2019ll work through it and see where the votes are\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>UN secretary-general warns that war in Middle East has triggered ‘mother of all energy shocks’<\/p>\n Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary-general, warned on Tuesday that impacts from the war in the Middle East are \u201clikely to be long-lasting\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cConflict in the Middle East has unleashed the mother of all energy shocks,\u201d Guterres posted on X<\/a>. \u201cFor many developing countries, this is not just an energy crisis. It\u2019s a debt, food & development shock. Any peace agreement would bring much needed relief, but the impacts are likely to be long-lasting.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>\u2018Compound shock effect\u2019: why the Middle East crisis and El Ni\u00f1o could spell disaster in south-east Asia When the US and Israel launched the war on Iran, south-east Asian nations were amongst the first and hardest hit<\/a>, as the closure of the strait of Hormuz<\/a> cut off supplies of energy and fertiliser.<\/p>\n Governments across the region, heavily reliant on the waterway, raced to find ways to reduce their fuel use: in the Philippines<\/a>, many government workers were put on a four-day week. In Vietnam, employers were urged to allow staff to work from home. In Thailand, offices were urged to set air-conditioning units to 27C.<\/p>\n South-east Asian governments last week expressed hope<\/a> that the Iran peace deal would bring freedom of navigation through the strait and economic stability.<\/p>\n However, that optimism looks fragile as on Saturday Iran indicated it would close the strait<\/a> after Israeli strikes in Lebanon, and planned to introduce a system of maritime fees.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Oman and Iran to form team on ‘administration of navigation’ in Hormuz<\/p>\n Oman and Iran said in a statement that the two countries will \u2060form \u2060a \u200bteam to reach an \u2060agreement on \u201cadministration of navigation \u2060in \u200bthe Strait \u200cof Hormuz\u201d \u200cand associated \u200ccosts and services, Reuters reports.<\/p>\n The two states will hold \u2060talks with \u200bcoastal countries \u200band other \u200bconcerned parties, \u200bthe \u200cstatement \u200bsaid.<\/p>\n The UN convention on the law of the sea (Unclos) allows for the freedom of navigation. But though Iran became a signatory to Unclo in 1982, very soon after the 1979 revolution, but it never ratified the treaty. From Iran\u2019s perspective, it is not bound by the treaty\u2019s transit passage rules.<\/p>\n Under the memorandum of understanding, Iran is required to ensure toll-free passage for commercial vessels for at least 60 days, with full restoration of traffic within 30 days.<\/p>\n However, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran\u2019s chief negotiator, has long maintained that the \u201cstrait of Hormuz will not return to pre-war conditions\u201d and Tehran would begin charging ships to uses the strait after the 60-day period. \u201cIran has the right to sovereignty over the strait of Hormuz and of course we will receive a fee for services,\u201d Ghalibaf said in an interview on state television.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Trump says ’19 Millions Barrels’ of oil flowed out of Hormuz on Monday<\/p>\n Donald Trump again took to social media to post on Tuesday that \u201c19 Millions Barrels of Oil flowed out of the Hormuz Strait yesterday, an all time RECORD\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cOil prices are tumbling down, and the World is a much safer place!!!\u201d the US president wrote.<\/p>\n The Guardian has not been able to verify this statement.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Trump: Iran has ‘fully and completely’ agreed to highest level nuclear inspections<\/p>\n Donald Trump posted on social media on Tuesday that Iran<\/a> has \u201cfully and completely\u201d agreed to the \u201chighest level nuclear inspections long into the future (Infinity!!!)\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThis will insure \u2018Nuclear Honesty\u2019,\u201d Trump added. Had Iran not agreed to this, he wrote, \u201cthere would be no further negotiations!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBased on this and other major concessions being made by Iran, I have agreed to allow the Hormuz Strait to remain OPEN, with no further Naval Blockade,\u201d Trump said. \u201cHowever, all ships are remaining in place should it be necessary to reinstitute the Blockade, which seems, at this point, highly unlikely.\u201d<\/p>\n Iran said on Tuesday that the UN\u2019s nuclear watchdog will not be able to inspect key nuclear sites bombed by the US and Israel<\/a> last year, AFP reports. \u201cWe have not had a meeting with the director general of the IAEA, nor do we have any plans for the agency to inspect Iran\u2019s nuclear facilities damaged by the US and Zionist military aggression,\u201d foreign ministry spokesperson \u200cEsmaeil Baghaei said at a press briefing.<\/p>\n Baghaei had told \u200cthe official IRNA news agency on Monday that Iran\u2019s interaction with the International \u200cAtomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will continue in \u200baccordance with current procedures, subject to the approval \u2060of Iran\u2019s parliament \u200band the decisions \u200bof \u200bthe Supreme National \u200bSecurity \u200cCouncil.<\/p>\n Trump added in his latest social media post that the \u201cMoney and\/or Sanctions that the U.S. Treasury is releasing goes into escrow, controlled by the U.S.A., and will be used for the purchase of food and medical supplies, exclusively from the United States, including Corn, Wheat, and Soybeans from our great American Farmers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThese are things that are desperately needed by Iran. This is a humanitarian crisis, and I feel it is necessary to help, NOW, before it is too late. Talks are going well! Thank you for your attention to this matter,\u201d Trump wrote.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.51 EDT<\/p>\n US secretary of state begins Gulf tour to discuss MOU, Hormuz<\/p>\n Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, is scheduled to begin a tour of the Gulf on Tuesday to meet with leaders and discuss the memorandum of understanding with Iran and the strait of Hormuz, among other things.<\/p>\n For the next two days, he will be traveling to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain, the state department said.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Iranian president, foreign minister arrive in Islamabad<\/p>\n Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian and Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi have arrived in Islamabad, AFP reports.<\/p>\n Pakistan has been acting as a mediator in peace talks between Tehran and Washington.<\/p>\n The pair were greeted by Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to state news agency IRNA.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Iran and Oman has formed a joint committee to discuss the strait of Hormuz<\/p>\n Iran and Oman has formed a joint committee to discuss the strait of Hormuz, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran\u2019s chief negotiator, said on Telegram on Tuesday.<\/p>\n Under the memorandum of understanding, Iran is required to ensure toll-free passage for commercial vessels for at least 60 days, with full restoration of traffic within 30 days.<\/p>\n However, Ghalibaf has long maintained that the \u201cstrait of Hormuz will not return to pre-war conditions\u201d and Tehran would begin charging ships to uses the strait after the 60-day period. \u201cIran has the right to sovereignty over the strait of Hormuz and of course we will receive a fee for services,\u201d Ghalibaf said in an interview on state television.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Hezbollah said Tuesday that Israeli soldiers had fired upon a group of civilians in the attack in southern Lebanon that killed two, Reuters reports.<\/p>\n On Telegram, Israel Defense Forces said its soldiers had struck \u201carmed terrorists\u201d that posed an immediate threat to Israeli soldiers.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Hezbollah says fatal Israeli attack violates ceasefire agreement<\/p>\n Hezbollah has issued a statement that the Israeli attack in southern Lebanon that kiled two is a violation of the ceasefire agreement with Israel, Reuters reports.<\/p>\n More to come.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Here\u2019s some more on the two people killed by Israeli gunfire in southern Lebanon:<\/p>\n Israeli soldiers had opened fire at a group of people \u200bnear a bulldozer clearing a \u200croad in the al-Deir \u200cneighbourhood of Nabatieh al-Fawqa, according to Reuters, citing Lebanon\u2019s state news agency NNA.<\/p>\n The Israeli military told Reuters that it had struck \u201carmed terrorists\u201d who posed an immediate threat to Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon.<\/p>\n Since Hezbollah opened fire on Israel in support of Iran<\/a> on March 2, bringing Lebanon into the conflict, Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed more than 4,100 people, including 773 women, \u2060children and healthcare workers, according to the Lebanese health ministry. \u200bThe toll \u200bdoes not say how many combatants \u200bare among the dead.<\/p>\n Israeli attacks have also forced \u200bsome 1.2m people from their \u200bhomes in \u200bLebanon.<\/p>\n On the Israeli side, at least 32 soldiers and four civilians have been killed in rounds of hostilities with Hezbollah.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.48 EDT<\/p>\n Iranian ambassador warns any attacks on Lebanon will jeopardise talks<\/p>\n Hello and welcome to our live blog of the Middle East.<\/p>\n The Iranian ambassador to the UN in Geneva has just warned that Tehran\u2019s red line in negotiations with Washington is that Israel will cease attacks on Lebanon, including the capital of Beirut. <\/p>\n The ambassador added that Iran \u201cwill respond\u201d if Israel violates the memorandum of understanding established on Thursday in any way, including with attacks on Lebanon<\/a> and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.<\/p>\n On Tuesday, Israeli gunfire killed two people in southern \u2060Lebanon, according to Reuters \u2013 the first reported fatalities resulting from Israeli \u2060fire in Lebanon \u2060in \u200bthree days. Responding to the attack, the Iranian envoy said any violation of the memorandum of understanding will create challanges to the peace talks.<\/p>\n Strikes between Hezbollah and Israel have been a key point of contention during the talks between the US and Iran<\/a> to reach a peace deal. Israel is now occupying part of southern Lebanon in a so-called \u201csecurity zone.\u201d Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed the zone is necessary to protect northern Israel from Hezbollah.<\/p>\n Here are some other key developments:<\/p>\n JD Vance said the talks with Iran<\/a> created a \u201cgood foundation for a successful final deal\u201d to end the war. \u201cThe final deal is the house,\u201d the US vice-president told reporters. \u201cWe set the foundation. We haven\u2019t built the house, but we\u2019ve laid a successful foundation to get to a good place for the American people.\u201d<\/p>\n When asked how soon IAEA inspectors could come to Iran<\/a>, JD Vance said nuclear inspectors were called at 2am last night \u2013 but no one picked up the call. \u201cAs you can expect, not many people are answering their phone at two in the morning,\u201d the vice president said.<\/p>\n![\"Natasha](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Natasha_May.png\")
Natasha May<\/p>\n