Trump to speak with Macron imminently
Donald Trump says on Truth Social he will be holding a final press conference with Emmanuel Macron from 15:45 UK time today.
He then expects to head to Versailles for dinner with European leaders before heading home.
“The trip was a Great Success but, mostly what people wanted to talk about, is the fact that Iran will not have a Nuclear Weapon, and that the Strait of Hormuz will immediately be opened!” he says.
James Reynolds17 June 2026 15:32
G7 leaders demand ceasefire in Lebanon, welcome Iran deal
Leaders of the G7 countries demanded a ceasefire in Lebanon on Wednesday and said they will diversify energy supply routes to reduce dependence on the Strait of Hormuz in response to the war in Iran, as they welcomed an interim deal to end the conflict.
The leaders met for a summit in the French town of Evian-les-Bains on Lake Geneva, while details of the US-Iran ceasefire agreement trickled out of Washington and Tehran ahead of its formal unveiling, expected on Friday across the nearby Swiss border.
“We underline the need for the negotiation … to address the threats posed by Iran in the region and beyond and ensure that they never obtain a nuclear weapon,” the leaders said in a statement.
Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron attend a working session with G7 leaders (Reuters)
They also called for an “immediate robust ceasefire” in Lebanon and the disarmament of Hezbollah.
The summit gave U.S. President Donald Trump a chance to present his deal with Iran to major allies Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.
They mostly share Washington’s concerns about Iran’s nuclear programme and other issues, but never endorsed his decision to go to war and worry that Tehran gained leverage by withstanding the onslaught and asserting control over the strait.
James Reynolds17 June 2026 15:30
Trump says he’s ready to go again if Iran doesn’t sign a deal
Trump is asked whether he expects Iran to sign the memorandum of understanding to end the war.
“I would think they would do it. If they don’t, that’s okay. Then we have to start the process again,” Trump says.
He again insists the US military has thoroughly defeated Iran’s military and leadership.
Iran is “so ready to make a deal”, he adds.
James Reynolds17 June 2026 15:22
Trump says his Iran deal is a ‘wall’ to a nuclear weapon
“For 47 years Iran took advantage of the world,” Donald Trump said.
Reiterating an earlier point, he criticises former president Obama’s nuclear deal as “stupid” and presents his own materialising agreement as a “wall”.
The Iran deal is “a wall to a nuclear weapon”, he says.
James Reynolds17 June 2026 15:17
Trump reassures Modi that Indian mariners will be protected
President Donald Trump is speaking with India’s Narendra Modi right now.
He has reassured Modi that mariner safety is of the utmost priority as the US moves towards a deal with Iran.
Trump called Modi a “very tough negotiator” and said that the US and India are close to a trade deal.
(Getty)
Maira Butt17 June 2026 15:13
UK inflation unexpectedly sticks at 13-month low despite Iran war
British inflation held at 2.8% in May, unchanged from April’s 13-month low and below forecasts from both economists and the Bank of England, official figures showed on Wednesday, a day before the central bank’s next interest rate decision.
Sterling weakened a little against the U.S. dollar GBP= after the data, British government bond yields fell to a new two-month low and investors slightly trimmed their expectations for a rate increase later this year.
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast a rise to 3.0% for May, and the BoE in April predicted an increase to 3.3% as the US-Israeli war on Iran kept British inflation almost a percentage point higher than the central bank had forecast in February.
Lower prices than in April for meat, vegetables, dairy products and domestic heating oil helped offset a jump in airfares and petrol prices, the Office for National Statistics said on Wednesday.
Financial markets this week have drawn comfort from an interim agreement between the US and Iran which promises to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and is due to be signed in Switzerland on Friday.
James Reynolds17 June 2026 15:00
James Reynolds17 June 2026 14:30
Recap: Shipping in the Strait of Hormuz could take weeks to resume, say operators
Commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz could take weeks to resume, the world’s largest tanker operator has said, despite Donald Trump’s insistence the vital waterway is already “partially opened” to traffic.
Jotaro Tamura, CEO of Japan’s Mitsui OSK Lines, told the FT that it was not enough for shipping companies to see a “simple agreement between the relevant companies” to resume shipping and assuage down global energy prices.
“Given the experiences in the last couple of months, I think it’s reasonable to assume that it may take at least a couple of weeks or if not a month,” Tamura said, before Trump announced a preliminary arrangement with Iran.
The framework deal between the US and Iran was already under pressure on Monday as Israel suggested it would stay in Lebanon despite the reported agreement stipulating the conflict would be ended on all fronts.
Trump was in France on Tuesday for the second day of the G7 summit with the leaders of France, Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy and Japan. Meetings will focus on ending the Middle East crisis, and security for Europe.
James Reynolds17 June 2026 14:00
Trump’s Iran deal sets tone for talks
G7 chiefs on Wednesday welcomed the preliminary agreement between the United States and Iran and said they were ready to help implement it.
They said they would make efforts to diversify energy supply routes to reduce dependence on the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has blocked for most of the duration of its war with the US.
Trump cautioned today that the memorandum of understanding with Iran was not final, and that he could resume a bombing campaign if it was not honoured.
“If I don’t like it, if they don’t behave, we’ll go right back to dropping bombs right smack in the middle of their head, OK?” he said.
Although European allies appeared supportive of the preliminary memorandum in public, diplomats cautioned that getting a lasting deal on Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programme as well as its support for proxy forces in the Middle East is no small challenge.
Donald Trump on Wednesday (Reuters)
James Reynolds17 June 2026 13:57
Recap: Oil prices stabilise below $80 a barrel
Oil prices edged higher in early trade this morning, clawing back some of the previous session’s losses, as investors assessed whether the Iran war will truly end and the Strait of Hormuz reopen.
Brent crude futures gained 47 cents, or 0.6 per cent, to $79.43 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate rose to $76.53 a barrel, up 48 cents, or 0.6 per cent.
Both benchmarks fell about 5 per cent for a second straight session yesterday to three-month lows on hopes a U.S.-Iran deal would allow oil flows through the Strait.
James Reynolds17 June 2026 13:30