The US and Israel on Feb 28 launched what they described as a “pre-emptive” joint strike against Iranian targets, with Trump announcing start of “major combat operations”
Pakistan hosted the first round of face-to-face talks between the US and Iran in 47 years in April; the talks ended without a breakthrough, but also without a breakdown
US, Iran reached a preliminary agreement to end the war; hold high-level talks in Switzerland
Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has denounced the US-brokered agreement with Lebanon, saying the Lebanese government cannot be trusted to disarm Hezbollah, AFP reports.
“The agreement with Lebanon is a big mistake … Indeed, we are staying in most of the territory for now, but the state of Lebanon will not disarm Hezbollah,” he says on his Telegram channel.
“Members of the Lebanese government are Hezbollah ministers, and Lebanon cannot be trusted to take Hezbollah’s weapons … Only IDF soldiers will destroy Hezbollah, no other party will do it for us.”
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hailed the US-brokered agreement with Lebanon, calling it a historic achievement that dealt a blow to Iran and Hezbollah, AFP reports.
“Yesterday … we achieved a historic deal for the state of Israel after direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon,” Netanyahu says in a televised briefing. “This is a blow to Iran and Hezbollah.”
France says it is “ready to contribute” to the framework agreement signed the day before by Lebanon and Israel, adding it should pave the way for the full restoration of Lebanese sovereignty, AFP reports.
“Committed to the security of Israel as well as that of Lebanon and engaged in maintaining peace in South Lebanon, France stands ready to contribute to the implementation of this framework agreement, and to the achievement of all these objectives,” the French foreign ministry says in a statement.
It adds that the agreement must pave the way for the full restoration of Lebanese sovereignty and backs the Lebanese government’s “full monopoly on weapons”, as well as the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Lebanese territory.
The Lebanese military has vowed to maintain public order after Hezbollah supporters staged street protests against the government’s signing of an agreement with Israel, AFP reports.
“The army command will not allow any breach of security or threat to civil peace through actions with unpredictable consequences, road blockages, or attacks on public or private property,” the army says.
Israeli warplanes carried out an air strike on the town of Nabatieh al-Fawqa in southern Lebanon at about 1530GMT, according to Al Jazeera correspondents on the ground.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) has also reported the attack, which follows an earlier Israeli strike near the town.
Israel’s defence minister vows to respond with “great force” if Iran attacks the country in an attempt to prevent the implementation of an agreement with Lebanon aimed at securing peace, AFP reports.
“If Iran tries to attack Israel to prevent the implementation of the agreement, we will act against it with great force,” Israel Katz says in a video statement, adding that the agreement with Lebanon has dealt a “strategic blow to the Iranian axis”.
Israel’s defence minister says his forces have been ordered to prepare for an extended stay in the so-called security zone in southern Lebanon, after Israel and Lebanon agreed on a framework to end hostilities, AFP reports.
“The prime minister and I have instructed the IDF to prepare for an extended stay in the security zone,” Israel Katz says in a video statement, referring to an area up to 10 kilometres inside Lebanese territory.
“The important principle established in the agreement is that there will be no redeployment by Israel in southern Lebanon, no withdrawal, as long as the terrorist organisation Hezbollah is not disarmed throughout Lebanon,” he adds.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has chaired a meeting of senior Foreign Office (FO) officials, where “matters relating to upcoming visits, as well as developments in the region and foreign policy priorities were discussed”.
“DPM/FM instructed the team to develop strategies to cope with emerging challenges and ensure protection and preservation of national interest, and continued contribution to regional and global peace and security,” the FO writes on X.
Saudi Arabia has condemned and denounced in the “strongest terms the Iranian attacks on Bahraini territories with several drones” early this morning, its foreign ministry says.
It affirmed its “categorical rejection of these attacks as a violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations” and reiterated that such “violations undermine international efforts to restore security and stability in the region”.
It also reiterated its solidarity with Bahrain and its “full support for all measures it takes to safeguard its sovereignty, security, and stability”.
Inflation in Iran rose sharply in June, driven by the Middle East war, reaching a peak of 88.6 per cent year-on-year, according to official figures released today, AFP reports.
According to the Statistical Centre of Iran, during the Persian month of Khordad (May 22-June 21), food prices more than doubled year-on-year, in a country already long plagued by hyperinflation due to sanctions.
Bread and grain prices rose by 138.8pc, milk, cheese and eggs by 151.9pc, while the prices of red meat and poultry skyrocketed by 178.2pc.
By comparison, year-on-year inflation stood at 68pc in February, prior to the outbreak of the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran.
Iranian statistics are reported monthly based on the Persian calendar, with each year beginning in March.
People walk in a local market in Tehran, Iran on June 11, 2026. — WANA via Reuters/
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has had a telephone conversation with his British counterpart, Yvette Cooper, in which he has reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to “promoting dialogue, diplomacy, and constructive engagement” between the US and Iran.
“Foreign Secretary Cooper reiterated [the] UK’s appreciation for Pakistan’s sustained efforts for peace and stability in the region, leading to [the] signing of [the] Islamabad MoU by USA and Iran, mediated by Pakistan,” the Foreign Office says in a post on X.
Both sides have also agreed to remain in close contact.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has welcomed the US-Israel-Lebanon framework agreement as a “critical step” away from conflict in the Middle East, AFP reports.
“I welcome the agreement between Israel and Lebanon. This is a critical step away from escalation. Because there can be no peace in the Middle East with Lebanon in flames,” she says in a statement posted on X, thanking Washington for its mediation role.
“Key next steps are the disarmament of non-state groups and preserving Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity,” she stresses.
Von der Leyen adds that “the EU stands ready to support this path to lasting regional stability, also with the continued delivery of much-needed humanitarian aidm with €100 million mobilised for the displaced.”
Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi has said he received a call from his Jordanian counterpart, Ayman Safadi, who congratulated him on Lebanon’s signing of the US-mediated framework agreement with Israel, Al Jazeera reports.
Safadi “expressed his hope that the agreement would advance the interests of Lebanon”, including reasserting its sovereignty and restore stability,” Raggi said on X.
“In turn, I thanked him for Jordan’s steadfast support for Lebanon and reaffirmed that this agreement marks a victory for diplomacy and for the authority of the State and its institutions above all else.”
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has warned the nation against falling into “fitna” following the framework agreement signed with Israel under US mediation, IRNA reports.
Berri warned of the consequences of a framework agreement, urging Lebanese citizens to avoid being drawn into what he called a “fitna”, which IRNA described as meaning “sedition”.
The statement, reported by the Al-Ahed news website, was issued shortly after the deal’s signing.
In the brief statement addressed to the Lebanese people, Berri said: “O people of Lebanon, all of Lebanon; this is sedition.”
Berri warned about the situation ahead and the potential consequences of the agreement.
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem, in his statement, has also praised Iran’s role in securing the ceasefire in Lebanon, calling it “a gift of honour, dignity and strength”, Al Jazeera reports.
Qassem says the Iran-US memorandum of understanding had given Lebanon “a powerful card” by guaranteeing “the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon”.
The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a statement, saying it has “condemned in the strongest terms” the attacks against Bahrain, after reports that drones were launched from Iran, according to Al Jazeera.
In a statement, the ministry said the attacks constitute a “flagrant violation” of Bahrain’s sovereignty and “a threat to its security and stability”.
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem condemned the US-Israel-Lebanon framework agreement, saying it a major mistake by Beirut and that his group deemed it null and void, AFP reports.
“The framework agreement in Washington is humiliating, shameful, and a surrender of sovereignty. This agreement is null and void, and the provisions of the Iranian-American memorandum of understanding must be implemented,” Qassem said in a statement, accusing Lebanese authorities of “legitimising” Israeli occupation through this “grave blunder”.
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi says he “condemns in the strongest terms the treacherous Iranian attacks” on Bahrain, after reports that drones had targeted its territory, Al Jazeera reports.
Albudaiwi has condemned the attacks in a statement on X, saying the Iranians targeted “civilian infrastructure and properties”.
Italy is ready to provide diplomatic support for the newly signed Israel-Lebanon agreement and could contribute to a future international mission following the mandate of the UN peacekeeping force, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani says, according to Anadolu.
Speaking at a news conference in Dubrovnik, Croatia, where he is attending an international forum and the MED-9 summit, Tajani describes the agreement as “certainly a step forward,” while cautioning that it will take time for the situation to stabilise.
“It is important that the goal of signing has already been achieved,” he said, adding that Italy is prepared to “provide diplomatic support” and “play a role with our armed forces, with an international mission after Unifil.”
Tajani adds he has spoken with Italy’s embassy in Beirut and the initial signals following the agreement are positive.
“Now we need to translate the agreement into practical action,” he states.
According to Reuters, Iranian state television reports that the Revolutionary Guard has fired “warning shots” towards unspecified ships attempting to pass through channels not approved by Iran, and that this is now prompting other ships to seek Iranian permits before attempting to cross the strait.
The Qatari foreign ministry says it “strongly condemns” Iranian attacks on Bahrain, and “emphasises the necessity of sparing the region the consequences of these unjustified attacks”, according to Al Jazeera.
It calls for “continuing on the path of dialogue and diplomacy, de-escalation, and building on the gains achieved within the framework of the memorandum of understanding, in a manner that contributes to consolidating security and stability at both the regional and international levels”.
The Israeli military claims it targeted suspected Hezbollah members in the Nabatieh area of southern Lebanon, marking the first such attack since Washington announced a framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon, AFP reports.
An Israeli military spokeswoman told AFP that the strike targeted “suspected terrorists who posted a threat to IDF soldiers” in the Nabatieh area.
Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry has issued a statement condemning an alleged Iranian attack on Bahrain, after Manama said Iranian drones targeted its territory this morning.
“The continuation of these aggressions, amid regional and international efforts aimed at de-escalation and reducing tensions, represents a dangerous undermining of efforts for peace and stability and a threat to the security and stability of the region,” the statement posted on X said.
Kuwait expressed its “full solidarity” with Bahrain and its support for “all measures it takes to protect its sovereignty, security, and the safety of its territories,” it said.
Upcoming elections in Israel will likely decide the legacy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces mounting pressure over his handling of wars in the region and corruption charges, notes Al Jazeera.
“Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, is regarded as the ultimate survivor in Israeli politics. But with the upcoming general election, slated for October, he is now confronted with his biggest challenge yet that could see his nearly four-decade political career come to an acrimonious end,” the piece notes.
“It looks like [Netanyahu] might be in real trouble,” political analyst Nimrod Flaschenberg tells Al Jazeera. “The US agreement with Iran hasn’t been well received, and to the public, it’s really not clear what’s happening in Lebanon.”
Al Jazeera notes that Netanyahu is being “blamed by both doves and hawks in Israel for the military campaign in Lebanon, with right-wingers urging him to continue the war and defeat Hezbollah”.
