War returns to Iran with Israel, US strikes

One US service member is missing and three others wounded but in stable condition after an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter made an emergency landing in the Arabian Sea, the U.S. military says, adding there is no indication the crash was caused by hostile action, Reuters reports.

“US Navy assets in the region are currently searching for other aircrewman still missing. The cause of incident is under investigation,” the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet says in a statement, adding that the helicopter was deployed to the region on the USS George HW Bush aircraft carrier.

Helicopter water landings can be dangerous, even for experienced pilots, given the propensity of top-heavy aircraft to flip upside-down during submersion. US forces in the region are also on high alert amid periodic flare-ups in violence during the ceasefire between the US and Iran.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has brushed aside criticisms about state oil reportedly allocated to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Aerospace Force, Al Jazeera reports.

“Defending the country’s armed forces is my duty, and I am proud of it,” Pezeshkian says in comments reported by the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

The president said last week that Iran had allocated 20 million barrels of oil to the force.

Responding to critics, he pledges that if “such a situation arises again, I will provide them with not just 20 million barrels, but 100 million barrels”.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has defended Tehran’s negotiations with the US amid criticism that supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei did not sign off on the memorandum of understanding, according to Al Jazeera.

In remarks reported by the state news agency IRNA, Pezeshkian says that if Khamenei “had ordered not to negotiate, we would have definitely obeyed”.

The supreme leader’s view on the US-Iran MoU has been a topic of much domestic debate in Iran after he said he “held a different view” on the agreement.

French shipping company CMA CGM hopes the shipping situation in the Strait of Hormuz will improve in the coming days but expects a return to normal to take several months, its chairman and CEO Rodolphe Saade tells the French business daily Les Echos, according to Al Jazeera.

The group has had several vessels stuck inside the Gulf since the US-Israel war on Iran began at the end of February, Saade says during the interview.

US Central Command (Centcom) has led a “security dialogue” alongside Bahrain’s defence forces with military officials from across the Middle East, according to Al Jazeera.

Representatives from Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen discussed “enhancing defence collaboration across the region”, Centcom says in a post on X.

Centcom Commander Admiral Brad Cooper says the discussions “underscored our shared commitment to regional security and stability”.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi says that talks in Doha have concluded, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.

According to the outlet, the Iranian delegation met with the Qatari prime minister and had two meetings with Qatari and Pakistani delegations.

“The first meeting of the monitoring group on the implementation of the memorandum of understanding was also held with the presence of senior negotiators from the three countries, and the violation of US commitments under Article 1 of the Memorandum of Understanding regarding the end of the war in Lebanon, the news published regarding US actions regarding the reinforcement of equipment and forces in the region, and some threatening and interventionist statements by the country’s officials were raised and examined by the Iranian delegation,” Gharibabadi says.

“The Iranian delegation noted that the commitments of the memorandum of understanding are an integrated set and cannot be seen in isolation.”

He adds that the monitoring group will form an immediate communication channel by tomorrow, and the shortcomings of the memorandum of understanding will be officially documented, reviewed and decided upon.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) says its peacekeepers will remain at their posts to support efforts at maintaining stability in the country’s south, Al Jazeera reports.

“Unifil peacekeepers remain on the ground, monitoring the situation and reporting observed violations in line with our mandate under Security Council resolution 1701,” the mission says in a message on Telegram.

The resolution demands a full cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, establishes a demilitarised buffer zone between the Israel-Lebanon border and the Litani River, and requires the disarmament of all armed groups operating in Lebanon.

The peacekeepers’ mission has been impeded by “restrictions to their freedom of movement, including blocked routes due to barriers, debris, and other obstacles temporarily [halting] essential patrols and safety operations”, the statement continues.

“Despite these challenges, our peacekeepers stay in position and remain committed to supporting stability in southern Lebanon,” the message concludes.

Iran’s acting defence minister has reaffirmed that the country’s missile and drone capabilities are non-negotiable, stressing that efforts to strengthen and expand them will continue, according to state broadcaster Press TV.

Brigadier General Majid Ibn Reza says the country’s missile and drone capabilities constitute a national security red line and will not be subject to negotiations.

In a post on X, Ibn Reza says he made the remarks during a meeting with members of the Iranian Parliament’s Economic Committee, where he outlined various aspects, achievements, and characteristics of the Ramadan War.

“Strengthening Iran’s defensive capabilities remains a strategic priority, and the country’s missile and drone programs will continue to advance,” he emphasises.

He adds that the development of these capabilities will rely on domestic expertise and indigenous capacities.

US Vice President JD Vance says that negotiations with Iran “have gone extremely well” and that Washington is “working to ensure that the progress we have made continues”, Al Jazeera reports.

He says that President Donald Trump’s “instructions are clear: to press ahead to reach an agreement and to negotiate in good faith”, adding, “we see significant momentum amongst those within the Iranian regime who are seeking to turn a new page.”

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi is quoted by semi-official Mehr news agency as saying that no meeting took place between the Iranian and American delegations in Doha, Al Jazeera reports.

He says the Iranian delegation’s meetings in Doha were held only in a trilateral format with the Qatari and Pakistani delegations.

Gharibabadi adds that the meetings of the Iranian delegation with the Qatari and Pakistani delegations were to follow up on the implementation of the provisions of the memorandum of understanding with the US, especially regarding Lebanon and the release of Iran’s frozen assets.

Crude oil held in the US’s strategic petroleum reserves has dipped to its lowest level in more than four decades, Al Jazeera reports.

Energy firms pulled 5.5 million ⁠barrels of crude from the reserve in the week ‌ending June 26, reducing the total amount of oil to 325.7 million ⁠barrels — the lowest since May 1983, ⁠according to a report from the Energy ⁠Information ⁠Administration.

The US created its own strategic petroleum reserve in 1975 after the Arab oil embargo exposed Washington’s energy security vulnerabilities. It has the world’s largest reserve among countries that publicly report them, with a maximum capacity of about 720 million barrels.

Israel’s defence minister says Israeli forces will remain in so-called security zones established in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza “until further notice”, AFP reports.

“The IDF will remain in the security zones in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza until further notice, in order to protect Israel’s residents and communities from jihadist terrorists,” Israel Katz says, according to the defence ministry.

Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun has pushed back against critics of the Lebanon-Israel framework signed last week in Washington, emphasising the text is “not an agreement”, Al Jazeera reports.

“Lebanon’s problem is with Israel, and it is a sovereign state that decided to negotiate on its own behalf,” Lebanon’s National News Agency quotes the president as saying. “It has not relinquished its legal, political, or field principles in the framework agreement, as some are claiming.”

Speaking to delegations from the Lebanese bar association and economic bodies, the president warns that “discord is forbidden” and discourages people from “[taking] to the streets”.

Lebanon’s health ministry says that at least 4,297 people have been killed and 12,196 others wounded in Israeli attacks across Lebanon since March 2, Al Jazeera reports.

Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon and the capital, Beirut, have persisted despite a ceasefire in place since April 16.

Wall Street’s ⁠main ⁠indexes have slipped amid tensions between Tehran and Washington, Al Jazeera reports.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 88 points at market open, or 0.17 per cent, to ⁠52,231.18. The S&P 500, meanwhile, fell 20.5 points, or ⁠0.27pc, to 7,478.84.

The Nasdaq Composite saw the biggest decrease of 0.66pc, losing 174.2 points to 26,039.507.

Vessels are continuing to pass through the Strait of Hormuz using a route designated by Oman, despite Iran’s rejection of the lane and warnings to ships crossing outside routes approved by Tehran.

Maritime data reviewed by Al Jazeera shows 21 ships, including oil tankers, have used the Omani route since the first meeting of the joint Iranian-Omani Hormuz committee on June 29. The committee is set up to continue talks on managing navigation in the strait and related services.

Oman announced the shipping transit route last week, saying it coordinated it with the International Maritime Organisation to help ensure freedom of navigation through the strait. It runs near Oman’s Musandam Peninsula and offers ships a shorter, no-fee passage during rising tensions in the Gulf.

OPEC+ oil-producing countries will likely agree on a further hike in their output targets from August when they meet on Sunday, three sources tell Reuters, adding to supply at a time of falling prices as the Strait of Hormuz gradually reopens.

The target will increase by about 188,000 barrels per day for August, the same as for June and July, the sources say.

OPEC has not immediately responded to a request for comment. All sources have spoken on condition of anonymity and say no final decision has been made.

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Oil prices have fallen as optimism over US-Iran talks eases supply concerns after US President Donald Trump said meetings in Qatar had gone well, Reuters reports.

Brent futures are down 95 cents, or 1.30 per cent, to $72.00 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude is down 54 cents, or 0.78pc, at $68.96 a barrel; its lowest since February 27.

Qatari Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has met with US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, according to Al Jazeera.

The trio discussed the “progress of the negotiations” between the US and Iran, according to a statement from the emir’s office, as well as the situation in Lebanon and the “importance of consolidating the ceasefire” there.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says Ankara has discussed with allies at every opportunity possible measures to stop Israel from its military push throughout the region, Al Jazeera reports.

“[Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s expansionist policy is one that supports chaos, instability, war, tears, destruction, and genocide in the region,” Fidan warns.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says some financial and currency restrictions on the country have been eased, Al Jazeera reports citing the semi-official Fars news agency.

Pezeshkian says the continued export of oil, the easing of some financial and foreign-exchange restrictions and new opportunities for economic cooperation are among the results of Iran’s recent agreements.

President Donald Trump says the United States is getting along very well with Iran and that recent meetings in Qatar have gone positively.

“The denuclearisation of Iran is moving along well,” Trump tells reporters before leaving for a trip. “They’ve had very good meetings, and we’ll see.”