Figures lay bare impact of Iran-US war on shipping
The number of tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz collapsed dramatically the moment the blockade was imposed in March, from a five-day moving average of around 60 per day down to less than one.
Amy-Clare Martin28 June 2026 21:00
Summary: Gulf allies condemn Iranian strikes on Bahrain and KuwaitThe United Arab Emirates has condemned Iran’s fresh drone and missile strikes on US bases in Bahrain and Kuwait as a “flagrant violation” of the nations’ sovereignty.Qatar called the strikes a “flagrant breach” of international law and called for efforts to return to diplomacy to “reduce escalation” in the region.The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) condemned “treacherous” attacks, adding that they “actively undermine” peace efforts.
Amy-Clare Martin28 June 2026 20:30
Photos show Ashoura commemorations shaped by war and loss in Lebanon and Iran
War, loss and remembrance shaped the observances this year in Lebanon and Iran of Ashoura, one of Shiite Islam’s most important religious days.
Amy-Clare Martin28 June 2026 20:00
Watch: US Navy carry out strikes on ten Iranian military targetsWatch: US Navy carry out strikes on ten Iranian military targets
Amy-Clare Martin28 June 2026 19:30
Israel damaged heritage sites across south Lebanon, minister fears
Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah has damaged or destroyed revered heritage sites across southern Lebanon, a minister has said.
Despite an interim ceasefire that took hold a week ago, authorities have yet to build a full picture of the damage as Israeli troops still occupy a zone about 10 km (6.2 miles) deep into Lebanon, according to Lebanese Culture Minister Ghassan Salame.
That occupation zone includes the medieval Beaufort Castle as well as centuries-old villages that were home to Christians, Shi’ite Muslims and Sunni Muslims and their places of worship.
“There are villages that have been completely bulldozed,” Salame said, adding that ancient towns outside the zone including Tyre and Nabatieh were damaged by air strikes. Heavy bombing hit the town of Tebnin, prompting fears that its Crusader fortress was also damaged, the minister added.
Israel’s military told Reuters it does not aim to “cause excessive damage to civilian infrastructure and strikes only out of military necessity”. It said it took into account the existence of “sensitive sites”.
Crusader-era Beaufort (Belfort) Castle, known locally as Qalat al-Shaqif or Shaqif Arnun, is pictured from the town of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon (AFP/Getty)
Amy-Clare Martin28 June 2026 19:00
Iran and US step up attacks and threaten to escalate
Iran launched missiles and drones at US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain early on Sunday, shortly after Donald Trump threatened to wipe out the Iranian leadership if they did not stick to the interim agreement to end their war.
Israel said on Sunday it had struck Iran-backed armed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon on Saturday, just a day after it agreed the latest ceasefire deal with Lebanon to calm fighting that Iran says must end if the wider agreement is to stick.
The US military said earlier it had struck Iran again, hours after a tanker was hit in the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important energy shipping route, which Tehran has largely closed for most of the conflict.
“There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started,” Trump said on social media.
“If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!” he added.
The 14-point interim peace accord was meant to halt the fighting.
Dan Haygarth28 June 2026 19:00
Recap: IRGC warns US strikes will result in ‘complete halt’ of all diplomatic processes
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed on Sunday that its navy and air forces had launched missile and drone operations at military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain in response to the recent US strikes against Iran.
The Guards said in a statement the US. strikes had violated the ceasefire and “will result in the complete halt of all diplomatic processes”, according to state-run Press TV.
The IRGC navy command said American bases in the region “will experience hell in the coming days”.
Amy-Clare Martin28 June 2026 18:30
‘Trump wasn’t victorious – it was a major defeat’: protestors inside Iran speak out
Protestors in Iran have revealed they feel betrayed by Donald Trump’s promises of regime change.
Amy-Clare Martin28 June 2026 18:00
ICYMI: What has Donald Trump said?
Iran and the US continued to trade attacks as each accused the other of violating an interim deal signed less than two weeks ago to end their four month war.
In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, President Donald Trump confirmed the US had struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations. This was followed by further strikes on Iranian military sites on Sunday.
“There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started,” Trump wrote. “If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!”
Amy-Clare Martin28 June 2026 17:30
RECAP: Interim ceasefire under strain as US and Iran exchange fire over Strait of Hormuz
The interim peace deal between the US and Iran is under strain after both sides traded blows as tensions escalate over shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz.
The US bombarded Iranian military sites for the second day in row in response to drone attacks on cargo ships in the region.
26 June: Singapore-flagged Ever Lovely cargo ship was hit by a drone in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump called the incident a “foolish violation” of the ceasefire agreement before the US hit back, striking targets in Iran’s Sirik region. 27 June: A Panama-flagged MT Kiku cargo ship was also struck in the Strait. Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Saturday evening to warn that Iran would “no longer exist” if Tehran kept breaking the ceasefire. US Central Command confirmed it had launched fresh strikes on Iranian military sites “in direct response to continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping”. 28 June: Iran on Sunday said its naval and aerospace forces carried out a joint missile and drone operation targeting US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain, and warned further violations would receive a “crushing response”. Gulf allies condemned the attacks in the region, but Iran’s foreign minister warned that any challenge to Iranian oversight of the strait will “increase tensions”.
Amy-Clare Martin28 June 2026 17:00