June 12: Hezbollah drone strikes military zone in northern Israel; no injuries reported

Tehran mayor says state funeral for Khamenei to be delayed several weeks

A demonstrator holds a poster of the slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and an Iranian flag during a pro-government gathering at a square in downtown Tehran, Iran, May 19, 2026. (AP/Vahid Salemi)

The mayor of Tehran says that the state funeral of late supreme leader Ali Khamenei, killed by US-Israeli strikes on the first day of the Middle East war, will be postponed until the end of June or early July.

Iran had earlier said it planned to hold the three-day event in early Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, which would have put in early June.

But Mayor Alireza Zakani, in a statement carried by the Fars news agency, says the ceremony has been postponed until after the first 10 days of Muharram to allow the faithful to complete their annual mourning of the Imam Hussein, the revered early Shia leader who was slain at the battle of Karbala in 680 CE.

This would mean Khamenei’s funeral would take place in the second 10 days of Muharram, between June 26 and July 5. Tehran officials have previously said they expect 20 million people to attend.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry says large part of deal with US finalized, but no decision made yet

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei holds a weekly press conference in Tehran on October 28, 2024. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)

Iran has not yet made a final decision on a possible agreement with the US and will not compromise on its “red lines” in negotiations, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei says, according to Iran’s IRNA ​news agency.

Baghaei says reports regarding a time and place of signing the agreement remain speculative, and that nothing had been finalized. He adds that a large part of the negotiating text has been finalized, but the US repeatedly changed its positions during the talks.

Netanyahu reportedly not given heads-up about Trump’s announcement, was caught off guard

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to US President Donald Trump on February 28, 2026 (GPO/ Avi Ohayon)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not given a heads-up before US President Donald Trump called off further strikes against Iran and said a deal could soon be signed, with the announcement catching him off guard, the Axios news site reports, citing a source with knowledge of the matter.

Iran reports blocking tanker from entering Hormuz, after explosions heard near Bandar Abbas

Iranian forces didn’t allow a tanker to enter the Strait of Hormuz without coordination to pass, Iranian state media reports early Friday, shortly after sounds of explosions were heard near the port city of Bandar Abbas.

Activists hand out Israeli snacks outside NYC food co-op that boycotted Israel

Pro-Israel activists outside the Park Slope Food Coop in New York City, June 11, 2026. (Courtesy)

Pro-Israel activists hold a rally outside Brooklyn’s Park Slope Food Coop, which voted to boycott Israeli products late last month.

The activists pass out free Israeli foods that are now off-limits at the co-op, such as peanut-flavored Bamba snacks.

The rally, led by the EndJewHatred activist group, argues that the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement is racist.

A truck drives around the area of the co-op bearing a sign with a message saying that BDS “is the anti-Jewish movement that has overtaken the Park Slope Food Co-op.”

Demonstrators hold signs that say, “BDS is racism,” and, “If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention.”

The Jewish protesters are joined by interfaith allies from Muslim and Hindu groups.

The protesters are separate from a group of co-op members who organized against the boycott.

Sirens activated in Metula amid suspected Hezbollah drone attack

Warning sirens are activated in the Lebanon border town of Metula due to a suspected Hezbollah drone attack.

IDF says it intercepted drone spotted near troops in southern Lebanon

The IDF says it downed a drone in an area where Israeli troops are operating in southern Lebanon, with the interception attempts setting off sirens in the northern town of Metula.

US forces downed two Iranian attack drones targeting ships in Hormuz — official

US forces shot down two Iranian one-way attack drones as Tehran appears to attempt to strike commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a US official tells Reuters, in the latest clashes between the two nations.

“Traffic flow through the strait continues,” the official says, speaking on condition of anonymity.

In first, polls show Eisenkot’s Yashar polling even with Bennett-led Together alliance

Gadi Eisenkot, head of the Yashar party, speaks during a conference at Tel Aviv University, May 12, 2026. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party would win as many seats as ex-premier Naftali Bennett’s Together alliance with Yesh Atid if elections were held today, the first time the two opposition factions have polled evenly, according to a pair of new opinion surveys.

According to the survey published by Zman Yisrael, The Times of Israel’s sister site, both Yashar and Together would pick up 21 Knesset seats, trailing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud, which was the largest party in the poll with 24 seats.

The next largest faction is former senior minister Avigdor Liberman’s secularist Yisrael Beytenu party with 10 seats, same as the Netanyahu-aligned ultra-Orthodox Shas party. Three parties have 8 seats: The Democrats led by Yair Golan, Ashkenazi Haredi United Torah Judaism and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s ultranationalist Otzma Yehudit.

The Islamist Ra’am party and Hadash-Ta’al are the remaining parties that cleared the electoral threshold in the poll, with 5 seats apiece.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s far-right Religious Zionism, Benny Gantz’s Blue and White, the Reservists and Balad would all fail to enter the Knesset, though the latter is expected to run on a joint Arab slate with Hadash-Ta’al that doesn’t include Ra’am.

Combined, factions opposed to Netanyahu would have 60 seats without Ra’am or Hadash-Ta’al, one short of a majority.

The survey also asked respondents how they would vote if Hadash-Ta’al and Balad run as the Joint List, Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionism again team up for elections and Gantz adds former senior general Dedi Semhi to Blue and White.

The seat tally is as follows: Likud 23, Together 19, Yashar 19, Joint List 9, Otzma Yehudit-Religious Zionism 9, Yisrael Beytenu 9, Shas 9, UTJ 9, The Democrats 7, Ra’am 4 and Blue and White with Demi Semhi 4.

That outcome would bring Zionist opposition parties opposed to Netanyahu down to 54 seats, not including Gantz and Semhi, while Arab majority factions would together have 13 seats and the Netanyahu-led bloc 49.

The Zman Yisrael survey was conducted by Tatika Research and Media in collaboration with the Adgenda panel and made up of 500 Jewish and Arab respondents, with a 4.4% margin of error.

A separate poll aired by Channel 12 news had Yashar and Together at 20 seats, trailing Likud at 22, followed by The Democrats at 11, Otzma Yehudit at 9, Shas at 9, Yisrael Beytenu at 8, UTJ at 7, Hadash-Ta’al at 5, Ra’am at 5 and Religious Zionism at 4.

With those seat totals, parties opposed to Netanyahu would have 59 seats without Hadash-Ta’al and Ra’am, short of a majority, and would fall to 58 seats if Hadash-Ta’al reunite with Balad and Semhi joins Blue and White.

The Channel 12 survey was performed by Manu Geva’s Midgam firm, together with iPanel. The poll included 501 participants and has a 4.4% margin of error.

US planning to significantly cut fighter jets, warships for NATO operations in Europe — report

The United States plans to significantly reduce the aircraft and warships that it makes available for NATO operations in Europe, the New York Times reports, citing two senior European officials.

The plan will see the US reduce the number of fighter jets and maritime reconnaissance aircraft, and reallocate a missile-launching submarine and aircraft carrier, among other items, the Times reports.

These reductions will limit NATO’s surveillance capabilities and its ability to launch long-range strikes, the report says.

Reuters cannot immediately verify the report.

Report: US military was 3 hours away from launching strikes on Iran when Trump called them off

The US military was some three hours away from launching strikes on Iran yesterday when US President Donald Trump called them off, claiming an agreement to end the war had been reached and would soon be signed, NBC News reports.

At the time of Trump’s announcement, the US military had already selected its targets, and the US Navy had already adjusted its operational plans and readied munitions for the strikes, NBC says.

Had they gone ahead, the strikes would have been similar to those carried out by the US the two previous nights, the report says, adding that despite Trump’s claim that the US would soon be “taking” Iran’s Kharg Island, it was not on the list of targets.

It adds that the president’s about-face and abrupt decision to call off the strikes left the military “confused.”

Report: Israel would be required to withdraw completely from Lebanon under US-Iran deal

The terms of the ostensibly all-but-finalized deal between the US and Iran to end the fighting in the region stipulate that Israel must completely halt its offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon, the pro-Hezbollah Al-Akhbar newspaper reports.

In addition to halting all strikes across Lebanon, the deal requires Israel to give up any territory it has captured in the country’s south, and includes a plan for the “rapid withdrawal” of IDF troops, the report says.

Last month, when it seemed that a deal between the US and Iran was imminent, Hebrew media reported that the IDF had been preparing for the possibility that it would be forced to rein in its war against Hezbollah.

Tehran has long insisted that the fighting in Lebanon be included in any deal with the US, despite attempts by Israel to keep the two matters separate, and ongoing talks in Washington between Israeli and Lebanese diplomatic delegations.

Trump claims US has ‘ended the war’ with Iran, even as Tehran says no decision reached

US President Donald Trump tells his supporters that the US has “ended the war” with Iran, even as Tehran says it has not yet reached a final decision on the deal with Washington currently on the table.

“I don’t know if you heard, but we ended the war with Iran today,” Trump tells his supporters at a virtual rally for a Georgia gubernatorial candidate, in remarks recorded by CNN.

He claims Iran has “agreed never to have a nuclear weapon, something that we insisted on.”

Iran has always denied that it is seeking to obtain nuclear weapons, but has stockpiles of uranium enriched to a degree that has no peaceful application.

Iran has disputed Trump’s claim, with foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei saying that the Islamic Republic “has not reached a final conclusion on the agreement.”

Report: US Air Force planes dispatched to Europe to prepare for possible Iran deal signing ceremony

Four US Air Force planes have been dispatched to Europe to prepare for a possible signing ceremony between the US and Iran on a deal to end the war, Axios reports.

The planes are carrying equipment for US Vice President JD Vance, who will sign the deal on behalf of Washington, the report says.

US President Donald Trump said yesterday that a deal could be signed in Europe as soon as this weekend, although Iran has not yet made a final decision on the offer currently on the table.

Regional country blocked Israel from using its airspace during recent Iran strikes, despite past cooperation — report

A country in the region barred Israel from using its airspace during its strikes on Iran earlier this week, despite having granted it access during previous rounds of fighting, the Kan public broadcaster reports.

The decision caught Israel off guard, the report says, as Jerusalem had expected cooperation between the two countries, as had been the case in the past.

According to the report, Israel believes the decision to close the airspace was intended to serve as a diplomatic message.

Government approves additional NIS 4 billion investment in war-battered northern cities

Civilians and security forces at the scene where a missile fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon struck a parking area in Safed, causing heavy damage, April 10, 2026. (David Cohen/Flash90)

Israel’s government approved a regional development plan worth approximately NIS 4 billion ($1.1 billion) for the country’s north yesterday, aiming to strengthen communities in the Galilee through investments in housing, employment, infrastructure, health care and education.

The plan, covering 2026 to 2030, follows a separate government decision approved last week allocating about NIS 18 billion ($6.1 billion) to frontline communities in northern Israel, bringing total commitments to the war-battered region to roughly NIS 22 billion ($7.5 billion), the government said.

“We are not just rehabilitating the North; we are building a new and promising future for it,” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said.

Northern mayors have long fumed at what they view as insufficient government attention and help for communities that have been continuously hit by Hezbollah attacks for several years, with many residents having left and businesses closed.

The initiative focuses on the cities of Safed, Acre, Nof Hagalil, Nazareth, Afula, Tiberias and Karmiel, and aims to attract new residents and strengthen local economies.

Key measures include financial incentives for families relocating to the region, support for high-tech and advanced manufacturing industries, transportation upgrades, tourism development and expanded health services. The plan also calls for investments in scientific and technological education, urban renewal projects and enhanced public security through increased municipal enforcement and emergency preparedness programs.

Separately, the government also approved a NIS 24.5 million ($7 million) package of incentives to encourage immigration to the country’s northern region and recruit immigrant physicians to strengthen the local health system.

Under the plan, new immigrants arriving after the government’s decision to settle in designated northern communities will receive an additional NIS 500 monthly housing subsidy. The payment will supplement existing rental assistance packages of up to NIS 2,000 available in some peripheral areas.

New immigrant doctors in the north will be eligible for additional financial incentives.

Rocket sirens sound in Gaza border communities

Sirens warning of rocket fire sound in the Gaza border communities of Nahal Oz and Alumim.

The IDF says the details are under review.

Rocket sirens on Gaza border were false alarms, IDF says

The military says the sirens that sounded in the Gaza border communities of Nahal Oz and Alumim a short while ago were false alarms.

The alert was triggered by a “false identification,” according to the IDF.

Global oil prices drop amid optimism over potential US-Iran deal

Global oil prices slid five percent this morning on optimism over negotiations aimed at reopening the key Strait of Hormuz and ending the war in the Middle East.

International benchmark Brent Crude has shed 5% to $85.86 a barrel, on hopes of unblocking the waterway through which large amounts of the world’s oil and gas are shipped.

The main US contract, West Texas Intermediate, has lost 5% to $83.32 a barrel.

Iranian report: US will lift sanctions, release frozen funds in deal; missile program, proxy groups not up for discussion

Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency reports that the proposed deal with the US includes commitments by Washington to withdraw its forces from around Iran and lift the naval blockade on its ports, while pushing off negotiations on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program to a later date and ignoring its ballistic missile program.

Iran will reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days under the Memorandum of Understanding, the report says, citing sources familiar with the matter, while the US will be expected to lift its naval blockade within the same period.

The US will also be required to release frozen Iranian funds and lift oil sanctions on the country, the report says, and must commit to “non-interference in Iran’s internal affairs.”

The report says additional negotiations will be held at a later date on nuclear and economic issues, but that the matter of Iran’s ballistic missile program and its support for armed groups across the region will not be on the agenda.

It reiterates that the draft has yet to be approved by Iran’s senior leadership.

IDF says troops raided Hezbollah sites in Dibbine several weeks ago

Troops of the 769th "Hiram" Regional Brigade operate in the southern Lebanon village of Dibbine, in a handout photo issued on June 12, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

Israeli troops conducted a raid in the southern Lebanon village of Dibbine, located some 12 kilometers north of Israel’s border, several weeks ago, the IDF announces.

Dibbine is also north of the IDF’s “forward defense line,” demarcating Israel’s security zone in southern Lebanon.

The military says troops of the 769th “Hiram” Regional Brigade located “significant” weapon depots during the raid. The Israeli Air Force also struck some 50 targets amid the operation, destroying dozens of Hezbollah sites and killing operatives, according to the IDF.

The IDF says the village was used by Hezbollah to advance attacks, including anti-tank missile fire, on troops and Israel.

The brigade previously raided Dibbine in April, before the ceasefire in Lebanon took effect.

India summons top US diplomat for second time over deadly strike on vessels off Oman

India has summoned the US deputy chief of mission in Delhi to protest against US military strikes on commercial vessels off the coast of Oman, an Indian source says, the second time in three days New Delhi has expressed its displeasure.

Three Indian seafarers were killed in a US strike on the Settebello tanker off Oman on Tuesday, while 20 crew members were rescued after a strike on another vessel, Jalveer, on Thursday.

Man arrested on suspicion of planning to harm LGBTQ community at Pride Month events

Thousands take part in the annual LGBTQ Pride March in Jerusalem, on June 4, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Police arrest a man on incitement suspicions, fearing he sought to attack members of the LGBTQ community, as thousands travel to Tel Aviv for the city’s annual Pride parade.

The 37-year-old Haifa resident was nabbed “amid concern of intentions to harm the participants in Pride Month events across the country,” police say, after he posted what appeared to be incitement.

“They were annihilated once; it seems like the time has come to annihilate [them] again. Sick people, disgusting,” the suspect’s Instagram post reads.

Police will request to extend the man’s detention in the Haifa Magistrate’s Court, law enforcement says.

Thousands gather as LGBTQ Pride Parade kicks off in Tel Aviv for first time in two years

People draped in the Trans Pride flag stand on the road near Tel Aviv's Gordon Beach during the LGBTQ Pride Parade in Tel Aviv on June 12, 2026. (Noam Lehmann/The Times of Israel)

Thousands of people gather on the boardwalk along the Tel Aviv coast to kick off the city’s first full-fledged LGBTQ Pride Parade in two years.

A procession of floats heads out from Gordon Beach, each featuring a display organized by one of the city’s popular Pride party lines.

From there, they will soon start driving south along the beach to Charles Clore Park, where the march will end with a party featuring performances from Israeli pop stars.

People fend off the heat with Pride-themed handheld fans, while many wave or drape themselves in rainbow flags bearing a white Star of David.

People dance on a truck that leads the first Tel Aviv Pride parade in two years pic.twitter.com/DJLrLn0gpP

— Noam Lehmann (@noamlehmann) June 12, 2026

The newer so-called Progress Pride flag, which includes different shapes and colors to represent additional identities, including transgender and intersex people, is largely absent here, despite having become popular at Pride marches around the world.

Near the floats, a DJ plays hypnotic dance music while attendees dance, pose for photos and browse souvenirs.

Many flock to trees and other stands where online Israeli sex shop FetishDeal has supplied the public with stickers to celebrate a plethora of sexual identities and practices.

The parade is being held this year under the slogan, “Vote with your feet” — likening the march to a show of political strength for the LGBTQ community.

But the march appears largely divorced from party politics. The one party with an organized presence here appears to be the left-leaning Democrats, whose members huddle by Frishman Street, hand out fliers and wave rainbow flags with the party’s logo in the middle.

At one point, police on the boardwalk confiscate a Christian anti-LGBTQ sign that declares “Jesus saved me from homosexuality,” and officers escort the man away.

The parade was cancelled last year just hours before it was due to begin after Israel launched its shock bombing campaign on Iran. The previous year, the city’s central Pride event took the form of a somber beachside gathering, some eight months after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack.

Iran-linked group claims to have hacked FBI drones, threatens to target World Cup

An Iran-linked hacker group claims to have breached FBI drones and has threatened to target the World Cup that kicked off this week, a monitoring group says.

The SITE Intelligence Group, an organization that monitors jihadist groups, publishes a statement from Handala, saying they have had access “for months” to “every image and every suspect” captured by first-person view (FPV) drones used by the FBI.

The hackers say the drones featured facial recognition and license plate screening deployed for counterterrorism.

“Better tighten your World Cup security, we don’t like some of those teams at all. Don’t forget: FPVs are everywhere; you never know when one might end up right in your team’s bus,” Handala says in the statement quoted by SITE.

The FBI is deploying drones around World Cup stadiums to protect against unauthorized aircraft.

Drone flights will be banned over US stadiums hosting matches, as well as over fan events related to the tournament that kicked off yesterday.

The Justice Department has previously warned of the potential for cyberattacks by Iranian actors following the US-Israeli war with the Islamic Republic.

Handala publishes photos and footage that it says were taken from the hacked drones, but SITE disputes that claim.

One video of the supposed hack was in fact produced by a software platform in December 2024 to promote a US police department’s use of its technology for surveying tornado damage, SITE says.

Handala claimed in March to have hacked the email account of FBI Director Kash Patel and published personal photos and other material online.

The US State Department has offered a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification of members of the group.

IDF, police say weapons smuggling attempt thwarted on Jordanian border

Weapons seized by the IDF and police during an attempted cross-border smuggling from Jordan, on June 12, 2026. (Israel Police)

The IDF and police say they foiled an attempt to smuggle dozens of firearms from Jordan into the West Bank, arresting a suspect in the process.

During operations on the border, forces located 23 handguns and four assault rifles. Also during the operation, a 20-year-old Palestinian from Bethlehem was detained on suspicion of involvement in the smuggling.

Tehran will insist on right to enrich uranium in nuclear talks with US, Iranian media reports

Iran’s semi-official IRNA news agency says that Tehran will not give up its right to enrich uranium under any deal it makes with the United States.

Negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program are expected to begin after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, which US President Donald Trump has claimed could be signed as early as this weekend.

IRNA reports that Iran will “negotiate only the nuclear program solely within the framework of the Islamic Republic’s fundamental principles.”

“Issues such as Iran’s right to enrich uranium and the retention of enriched material by the Islamic Republic of Iran will be emphasized with a view to their inclusion in the final agreement,” it says.

Woman barred from entering Tel Aviv Pride Parade over anti-Ben Gvir slogan on her shirt

Police deny a woman entry to Tel Aviv’s LGBTQ Pride Parade because the shirt she is wearing expresses aversion to National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, in an apparent attempt to suppress political speech at Pride events.

Emblazoned on the woman’s tank top is a rainbow over the words “FCK BNGVR,” a slogan commonly used by opponents of the far-right politician, who oversees law enforcement in his ministerial role.

After she is refused entry, the woman takes off her shirt in front of the officers, puts it in her bag and tries to pass through. According to Haaretz, police nevertheless refuse to let her enter.

למי שמחפש את משטרת בן גביר: היא נמצאת עכשיו בפינת הרחובות הירקון ופרישמן בתל אביב, בודקת שלטים וחולצות של הנכנסים למצעד הגאווה ומצנזרת מה שלא נראה לה. וכמובן מצלמת את מי שמעז למחות.
אגב בניגוד לפסיקת בג"ץ,
בניגוד להבטחות המפכ"ל בעצמו. pic.twitter.com/cGM3zL1sFv

— Josh Breiner (@JoshBreiner) June 12, 2026

The outlet reports that officers stationed at checkpoints along the march route’s perimeter have been checking the belongings of participants, confiscating signs with political messages.

The officers’ behavior seems to be at odds with a High Court ruling from last year, in which a judge unequivocally shot down “illegal” police directives barring political expression during Pride festivities in Haifa.

At last year’s Pride March in Jerusalem, a progressive group handing out merchandise ahead of the parade was ordered by police to remove anti-war messaging from their stand.

Woman questioned, then released, on suspicion of ramming elderly man during Haredi protest

Police say they questioned a young woman on suspicion of ramming into an elderly man during massive Haredi anti-draft protests yesterday.

The driver, a 22-year-old from the Arab town of Qalansawe, immediately turned herself in to law enforcement after the incident, which occurred at Geha Junction near Bnei Brak.

She was released on restrictive conditions and taken for medical treatment following the interrogation, police say.

According to a Channel 12 News report yesterday, the woman claimed to have accelerated her car in a panic after Haredi protesters mobbed and threw stones at her car while cursing her.

She is suspected of assault causing injury, violating a number of traffic regulations and causing a public disturbance, police say.

Yesterday afternoon, thousands of Haredi protesters brought traffic in central Israel to a standstill for over two hours.

The demonstrations, which shut down Routes 1, 4 and 6, were organized in opposition to police’s transfer of more than a dozen draft evaders to IDF custody amid intensifying protest against ultra-Orthodox conscription.

Netanyahu: Trump and I agree completely that Iran cannot have nukes; as long as I’m PM, it won’t

As US President Donald Trump expresses optimism about an impending US-Iran deal, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues his attempts to portray a potential agreement as an achievement for Israel, or at least limit the political damage of an agreement that doesn’t address most Israeli concerns.

“As long as I am prime minister of Israel, Iran will not have nuclear weapons,” he pledges in a statement released by his office.

“There is complete agreement between President Trump and me on this issue,” Netanyahu continues.

Netanyahu says that he has led the international fight against Iran’s nuclear programs for over three decades.

“Without this struggle, Iran would have long ago obtained nuclear bombs to destroy Israel,” he continues.

“Iran is working to destroy the Jewish state, and I have dedicated my life to preventing them from doing so,” Netanyahu concludes. “As long as I am Israel’s prime minister, that will not happen.”

IDF says it struck 3 Hamas weapon depots in central Gaza overnight

The IDF says it struck three Hamas weapon depots in the central Gaza Strip overnight.

The sites were used to store rocket launchers, mortars, RPGs, explosive devices, firearms and other military gear, according to the IDF.

The military says it struck the sites to “remove a threat” to troops operating in Gaza and Israeli civilians.

צה"ל תקף והשמיד שלושה מחסני אמצעי לחימה של ארגון הטרור חמאס

צה"ל תקף במהלך הלילה במרכז רצועת עזה, והשמיד שלושה מחסני אמצעי לחימה של ארגון הטרור חמאס, בהם אוחסנו משגרים, פצצות מרגמה, RPG, מטעני נפץ, כלי נשק וציוד לחימה נוסף.

אמצעי הלחימה נועדו לפגוע בכוחות צה"ל הפועלים במרחב הקו… pic.twitter.com/7rtqDPrGpS

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) June 12, 2026

Hezbollah confident any US-Iran deal will include Lebanon, MP says

Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah speaks during an interview with an AFP journalist at the Lebanese Parliament in Beirut on April 20, 2026. (Anwar AMRO / AFP)

Hezbollah is confident that Iran will insist on Lebanon being included in a deal with the United States, a leading Hezbollah politician said on Friday, as hopes grew for an agreement between Tehran and Washington.

Hezbollah, founded by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in 1982, entered the regional conflict in support of Tehran on March 2, opening fire at Israel and prompting an Israeli offensive that has killed thousands of people in Lebanon.

Iranian officials have repeatedly insisted on an end to fighting in Lebanon as part of any wider agreement.

“If the agreement happens, we have complete confidence in the Islamic Republic … We have confidence that it will insist on any agreement, including the file of Lebanon,” Hassan Fadlallah, a Hezbollah politician, said in an excerpt of a speech broadcast by the group’s al-Manar TV.

Israeli forces have occupied swathes of southern Lebanon, where Lebanon’s National News Agency reported new Israeli airstrikes in several towns and villages on Friday.

A Western source says a memorandum between the United States and Iran to halt the war in the Gulf could be signed as soon as Sunday. The source says that language in the memorandum was still being finalized and Iran is sticking to its position that the deal must also end fighting in Lebanon.

Last week, Mohsen Rezaei, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, said Hezbollah had “made great sacrifices” in the war and that Lebanon “will be an inseparable part of any agreement and any ceasefire,” in comments reported by the semi-official Mehr news agency.

The war in Lebanon has continued despite several ceasefires announced by the United States, which has been mediating talks between the Lebanese and Israeli governments.

Hezbollah is not a party to the talks and has demanded that the Lebanese government quit the process.

Hezbollah rejected a US-backed plan declared last week that would be contingent on the group ceasing fire and withdrawing its fighters from southern Lebanon.

Iran state media claims Tehran won’t cede control of Hormuz under MOU with US

Iran’s state media claims that under a draft agreement with the United States, Tehran would not give up control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

“Iran makes no commitment in this text to cede the management of the strait or the restoration of conditions that existed prior to the American and Israeli military aggression,” according to the official IRNA news agency, which referred to “the broad outlines of the current text” being finalized.

Traffic through Hormuz, a vital global shipping route, has come under Iranian control since the outbreak of war with the United States and Israel on February 28.

Iran, which has only allowed a trickle of ships to pass through the strait, has insisted that vessels obtain permission from its armed forces before transiting.

US President Donald Trump, in announcing a near-final deal with Iran yesterday, said the memorandum of understanding would immediately and fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, though he didn’t touch on who would be controlling the channel

Iran’s Mehr news agency says the draft underscores the necessity for the US and its allies to pay Iran reparations for damage caused by the war and “to present reconstruction plans for Iran amounting to at least $300 billion”.

“Final negotiations will not begin before the release of half of Iran’s blocked funds, suspension of Iran’s oil sanctions, and lifting of the naval blockade,” it adds.

Iran’s nuclear program has been a contentious issue for Washington, which has long insisted Tehran should give up its enrichment capabilities and transfer its stockpile of highly enriched uranium abroad.

The official IRNA news agency, in a separate report, said Iran would “negotiate only the nuclear program solely within the framework of the Islamic Republic’s fundamental principles.”

“Issues such as Iran’s right to enrich uranium and the retention of enriched material by the Islamic Republic of Iran will be emphasised with a view to their inclusion in the final agreement,” it said.

Iran media says draft US deal sees release of $24b frozen assets

Iran’s Mehr news agency publishes a draft deal with the United States which would, if adopted, secure the release of $24 billion in frozen assets within a 60-day period.

The agency, citing a source close to Iran’s negotiating team, said an accord would allow for the “release of $24 billion of Iran’s blocked funds during the 60-day final negotiation period.”

It adds that half of that sum would be “made available to Iran before the start of negotiations.”

The US has said that release of any Iranian funds will be contingent on Iran adhering to the deal and making concessions of its own.

Ebola spreading into new areas in northeast DR Congo — WHO

The Ebola outbreak in the northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo is spreading into new areas, the World Health Organization warns.

Much more needs to be done to get on top of the virus, the WHO says, with isolation bed capacity far below the anticipated need, based on how it is spreading.

Since the outbreak was declared on May 15, there have been 676 confirmed Ebola cases, including 136 deaths in the DRC, according to the latest figures from the WHO.

There are a further 119 suspected cases, while 32 patients have recovered.

No approved vaccines or treatments exist for the rare Bundibugyo species of the virus responsible for the current outbreak, which is centred on Ituri province, with cases also detected in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.

“The outbreak continues to expand both in terms of case numbers but also in terms of geographic spread,” says Olivier le Polain, the WHO’s head of epidemiology and analytics for response.

Speaking from Beni in North Kivu, he says that cases were being identified in new health zones within the three affected provinces on an almost daily basis.

“That reflects really the scale of this outbreak: a scale that is much bigger than what is being detected, and the high mobility of the population,” he tells reporters in Geneva.

Le Polain says that while in recent weeks, cases in new areas could be traced back to travel from hotspots, now “we also see local community spread in new areas.”

“There are still many blind spots in some areas that are high risk,” he adds.

“The full scale of the outbreak is not yet clear, and we’ll get more clarity as surveillance improves.”

Iran state media says reports of Sunday signing ceremony in Vienna are false

Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency cites a source close to Tehran’s negotiating team who tells the network that reports claiming that the US and Iran will hold a signing agreement in Geneva on Sunday are false.

No date for the signing has been announced, though US President Donald Trump has said it took place over the weekend in Europe.

The deal has not yet been finalized, though, and Trump has repeatedly jumped the gun throughout the war by suggesting that a deal has effectively been reached.

Iran, for its part, takes a longer time to decide and has said it has not given its final approval.

IDF says it struck 5 Hezbollah rocket launchers used to target troops in south Lebanon

The Israeli Air Force recently struck and destroyed five Hezbollah launchers used to fire rockets at troops in southern Lebanon, the military says.

The IAF also hit a Hezbollah command center and operatives identified near Israeli forces, the IDF adds, publishing footage of the strikes.

חיסול מחבלים מארגון הטרור חיזבאללה והשמדת משגרים:

חיל-האוויר בהכוונת חטיבת האש 7338, תקפו והשמידו חמישה משגרים מהם ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה שיגר רקטות לעבר כוחותינו בדרום לבנון ובהם משגר על גבי רכב, מפקדה של הארגון, ומחבלים שפעלו בסמוך לכוחות צה"ל. pic.twitter.com/oBDH4nBN9F

— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) June 12, 2026

Trump says terms of deal leaked by ‘dishonorable’ Iranians are ‘fake news,’ warns ‘they better get their act together’

US President Donald Trump listens during an event to sign a proclamation about the fishing industry, in the Oval Office of the White House, June 11, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

US President Donald Trump lashes out at Iran, saying that purported terms of a pending agreement being reported by Iranian state media are “Fake News have NOTHING to do with the terms that were agreed to, in writing.”

“What they said, including their weak and pathetic statement on having a deal, bears no relation to the truth,” Trump writes in a post on his Truth Social platform. “Very dishonorable people to deal with. With them, there is no such thing as dealing in good faith. AMAZING!”

He also says the Iranians “totally rebuffed Drone attack last night against Indian Ships leaving the Hormuz Strait is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.”

“They better get their act together, and FAST!” Trump adds.

Trump appears to be referring to reports on Iran state media that revealed terms of the deal, including Iran maintaining the right to enrich along with control over the Strait of Hormuz.

IDF claims it killed 3 Palestinians planning attacks on troops in Gaza on Thursday

Three Palestinian terror operatives who were planning attacks on troops were killed in strikes in the Gaza Strip yesterday, the military says.

The IDF says the strikes on Thursday killed Qasslam Saleh and Sami Abu Dalal, two platoon commanders in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, along with Ubay Farwana, a deputy company commander in Hamas.

“The terrorists had been planning to carry out imminent attacks against IDF troops, posed an immediate threat to them, and were eliminated in precise strikes,” the military says.

צה"ל חיסל שלושה מחבלים שתכננו להוציא לפועל מתווי טרור בטווח הזמן המיידי ברצועת עזה

צה"ל תקף ברצועת עזה אתמול, וחיסל את צאסלאם חסן צאלח וסאמי גמיל אבו דלאל, שני מפקדי מחלקה מארגון הטרור הג'יהאד האיסלאמי, ואת אובי מאמון צאלח פרואנה, סגן מפקד פלוגה מארגון הטרור חמאס.

המחבלים תכננו… pic.twitter.com/HcCzJ80D48

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) June 12, 2026

In attempt at damage control, US says sanctions relief for Iran is ‘performance based’

US President Donald Trump’s administration rushes to perform damage control after Iranian officials leak what they claim are details of the memorandum of understanding that the two countries are on the verge of signing.

“⁠Nuclear material will be destroyed and removed and⁠ ⁠(Iran’s) nuclear program will be dismantled,” a senior administration official says in a statement sent to querying reporters.

But those would only appear to be concessions that the US is seeking to secure from Iran during subsequent nuclear talks that the sides will hold during the 60-day truce extension inked as a result of the MOU slated to be signed in the coming days.

The MOU doesn’t actually see Iran make any major nuclear concessions, beyond pledging to never obtain a nuclear weapon — something Tehran has long claimed it wasn’t pursuing, even though the US and Israel argued otherwise

The senior administration official adds that the agreement will see to it that the Strait of Hormuz is open and that Iran will not provide any funding to terror groups.

The latter clause is not believed to be in the MOU and is more likely to be something that the US will try to raise during the subsequent negotiations during the 60-day ceasefire extension, though Iran is unlikely to embrace the idea.

Nonetheless, the senior administration official says in a statement, “This is what they have agreed to. This is a performance-based deal.”

The dynamic appears similar to what played out after the Gaza ceasefire agreement brokered by the US, which effectively divided the accord into two phases, with the first still being difficult, but thornier issues were left for later that have yet to be resolved.

In the weeks and months following the Gaza ceasefire deal, US officials insisted that Hamas had agreed to give up its weapons, something that is expected of the terror group in the second phase of the deal, and something that Hamas has shown little indication that it is prepared to do. Accordingly, Trump’s Gaza plan has stalled.

In the case of Iran, the US is again claiming that the Islamic Republic made all sorts of major concessions up front about its nuclear program, including that the US will be allowed to extract all of Tehran’s stockpiles of highly-enriched uranium, even though Tehran has made no such concession.

That issue, along with the dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear facilities, will surely be at the top of the agenda during subsequent nuclear talks, but the US appears determined to frame these issues as already settled as it seeks to sell a deal that critics say falls well below what was promised when the war was launched.

Israeli firm BlackCore suspected of meddling in New York and Scotland votes, France says

Israeli firm BlackCore, suspected of interfering in France’s local elections in March, is also suspected of meddling in elections in New York City and Scotland, and operating in Angola and Togo, France’s disinformation detection service, Viginum, says.

Last month, Reuters revealed that French authorities suspected BlackCore was behind an online smear campaign targeting three mayoral candidates from the hard-left, pro-Palestine France Unbowed party (LFI) in the local elections.

At a press conference on Thursday alongside French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, Viginum chief Marc-Antoine Brillant said technical work had led them to BlackCore. Viginum subsequently presented a detailed report on BlackCore’s alleged actions around the world.

“This modus operandi was not limited to municipal elections in France,” he says. “It also appears to have been used to carry out foreign digital interference operations in other countries or regions, such as Angola, Togo, the elections in Scotland, and the 2025 municipal election in New York.”

However, Brillant said it was still unclear who had commissioned BlackCore to meddle in France.

“Our investigations did not make it possible to identify the sponsor or sponsors, if indeed they exist, behind this foreign digital interference,” he says.

Lecornu says the French government had asked Israel for explanations of BlackCore’s actions, but also for help in trying to find out who may have been behind the smear campaign.

“I do not doubt for a single instant that if a French private group, from French soil moreover, had engaged in foreign digital interference in Israel, they would have done the same to its ambassador on site,” Lecornu said.

Israel’s embassy in Paris confirms that France had reached out, saying it is waiting to receive details from the French probe to conduct its own.

“Israel has, of course, no intention to interfere in the French political process, be it at the national or municipal level,” it says in a statement.

Indians grieve and call for action after US strike kills sailors

Sushila Devi sat sobbing on the floor of her house in Deoria, northern India after authorities told her that her husband was one of three sailors killed in a US attack on a ship off Oman.

“If he had told us about the dangers, I would have called him back,” she cries out as women from the family gathered round to console her. “The government should not allow people to go there.”

India on Friday took the rare step of lodging a second protest with the US over the strike that took place more than three months into the Iran war. Sushila Devi’s words echoed calls also building up among Indians for their own government to do more to protect its sailors stuck in the Gulf.

Her husband Shivanand Chaurasia, the sole earner in the family with two young children, was among 24 Indian mariners aboard the Palau-flagged tanker Settebello when it was hit on Wednesday.

The US military’s Central Command said an aircraft fired precision munitions into the vessel’s engine room after the crew “repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces.”

It said the strike was part of an ongoing blockade targeting oil shipments from Iran launched after Tehran sharply curtailed shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which carried a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas before the conflict.

India’s foreign ministry said it had summoned the US chargé d’affaires to convey “its deep concern over the use of lethal and deadly force against civilian shipping.”

“Such actions are unacceptable and undermine the safety, security and stability of international maritime commerce in a sensitive region at a difficult time.”

The deaths have prompted calls on India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to go beyond registering protests.

India – the world’s second-largest supplier of seafarers behind the Philippines according to government figures – has had to pay a huge cost for the conflict it played no part in starting, say opposition and other critics.

On Thursday, another ship with 20 Indian crew was attacked, with no deaths or injuries reported.

“India has responded … with a routine diplomatic protest and apparent efforts to downplay the significance of the attacks,” said Brahma Chellaney, a strategic affairs analyst in New Delhi.

US-Iran MOU to include Lebanon in 60-day ceasefire, Netanyahu kept in dark during talks — report

The US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding that is to be signed in the coming days — at least according to US President Donald Trump — will extend the ceasefire for 60 days, and will include Lebanon, according to Axios.

The Strait of Hormuz would be fully reopened immediately, reports the US outlet, and sanctions on Iran will begin to be lifted if it complies with the terms of the MOU.

Pre-war shipping volumes would be reached within 30 days, under the deal.

Nuclear talks will be held during the two-month ceasefire, including on Iran’s 440 kilograms of highly enriched uranium. Iran will make a commitment never to acquire a nuclear weapon and to come to an agreement on its enriched uranium stores.

According to a senior US official, Trump accepted an Iranian demand that the uranium would not leave the country, but would instead be blended down inside Iran under UN supervision. But that would only happen in practice if a more comprehensive deal is reached.

The MOU “goes into details on all the nuclear issues,” says the US official, and “satisfies all US requirements.”

Diplomats from mediating countries and from the US say that the agreement — to be called the Islamabad Agreement — was reached on Wednesday night in talks between Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Qatar’s Ali Al-Thawawdi, who spoke by phone several times with Trump’s top envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

A source with direct knowledge tells Axios that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not updated, and had to call contacts in the Trump administration to learn details of the emerging deal.

A diplomat from one of the mediating countries tells Axios that both the US and Iran have agreed on the text of the MOU, but two sources caution that Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has likely not approved it yet.

The MOU does not deal with the fate of Iran’s billions of dollars of frozen assets around the world, according to the report.

Israel must retain freedom to strike Iran to stop nuclear program, says Katz amid talk of imminent US-Iran deal

As US President Donald Trump predicts that a Memorandum of Understanding will be signed with Iran in the coming days, Defense Minister Israel Katz hints that Jerusalem will have to use military force in the future to stop Iran from attaining nuclear weapons.

“Israel must ensure that, in the future as well, we retain the ability to act independently to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons,” he says in a statement. “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have instructed the IDF to prepare accordingly.”

He says that Trump is “leading efforts toward an agreement with Iran based on American interests, including the shared interest with Israel of preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.”

“We expect him to uphold this principle, as well as additional principles concerning missiles and terrorist proxies,” he continues. Trump has stopped talking about confronting Iran’s ballistic missile program and proxy network as goals of a deal with Iran.

Katz stresses that Israel will remain in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza, and in the northern West Bank.

“Our security doctrine is sharp and clear. We act against both nearby and distant threats, and we strive for decisive outcomes rather than compromises and concessions,” says Katz in what could be interpreted as a criticism of Trump’s policy of pursuing negotiated ceasefires with Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran while pushing Israel to dial back military action.

“A great deal is at stake during this period, and we are determined to continue leading a firm security policy that will prevent harm to our security achievements and will not endanger our ability to fight against the Shiite axis of evil led by Iran and the Sunni axis of evil led by the Muslim Brotherhood,” Katz pledges.

Iran FM: MOU with US ‘has never been closer,’ media should refrain from speculating on its content

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi tweets that an MOU between the US and Iran to extend the fragile ceasefire by 60 days in order to launch additional nuclear talks is on the verge of being signed.

“The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding has never been closer. Pending its finalization, the media should refrain from entering speculation about its content,” Araghchi tweets.

“In line with our responsible and transparent approach, all details will be shared with the public in due course,” he adds.

Trump has fumed at what he has claimed were false details of the MOU that were leaked by the Iranians to media sites tied to the regime.

Qatar flatly denies report claiming it cut deal with Iran to avoid coming under attack during war

Qatar forcefully denies a Washington Post report claiming that it had cut a “secret deal” with Iran under which the latter would refrain from targeting the Ras Laffan gas in exchange for Doha halting gas production in a move that raised global energy prices and urgency to end the Iran war.

“Any suggestion that operational decisions relating to energy production were – or have ever been – made in coordination with Iran, for Iran’s benefit, or to influence the course of the conflict is entirely unfounded,” Qatar’s International Media Office says in a statement.

“These allegations are particularly implausible given that Qatar was actively defending its territory against Iranian missile attacks at the time,” it adds.

“The allegations rely on false and unreliable material originating from actors whose objective is to sabotage ongoing efforts to mediate an end to the conflict, damage Qatar’s reputation, and undermine the strategic partnership between Qatar and the United States.”

“The basis of the allegations advanced by The Washington Post shifted over time, yet the underlying narrative in its reporting remained unchanged despite the facts and information presented to it,” the statement continues.

Statement by the International Media Office of the State of Qatar regarding allegations published by The Washington Posthttps://t.co/xjFnfLnEbp pic.twitter.com/mzMp0QyP8l

— Qatar's International Media Office (@IMO_Qatar) June 12, 2026

IDF says it killed 10 Hezbollah field commanders who managed fighting against army in south Lebanon

The military says it recently killed more than 10 Hezbollah field commanders who were managing the fighting against IDF troops in southern Lebanon.

In March, the IDF killed Hassan Salameh, the commander of Hezbollah’s Nasr Unit, one of three regional divisions in southern Lebanon. Since then, the military says it killed two of his successors, Mahdi Bazi and Ashraf Salloum, one after the other.

Separately, within a 12-hour period recently, the IDF says it killed the commander of Hezbollah’s forces in the Beaufort Castle area, Nasser Shakir, and his replacement, Ahmad Sablini, who previously served as deputy.

In addition, the IDF says it has killed Ali Abbas, the commander of Hezbollah’s forces in Bint Jbeil; Kamil Younes, commander of the Tyre sector; Fouad Moussa, commander of the Hajir sector; Hussein Salami, commander of the Jibshit sector; Ali Haik, commander of the Khiam sector; and Muslim Harb, commander of the Qana sector.

Trump reposts Iran foreign minister’s post declaring that MOU ‘never been closer’

US President Donald Trump has reposted a social media post by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, in which the latter said a memorandum of understanding to end the Iran war had never been closer.

US Vice President Vance says Iran will only get funds if it complies with the deal

Vice President JD Vance says on Friday that funds wiill not be released to Iran for signing a deal with the US or attending a meeting, adding that the potential deal is structured to ensure that economic benefits would flow to Tehran if it meets its obligations.

“First, the Iranians are not receiving any cash, and no funds are being released for simply signing a deal or attending a meeting,” the vice president wrote on X.

Iran is slated to receive up to $24 billion in sanctions relief if it complies with the deal.

“The deal is structured to ensure that the US and its allies’ concerns are prioritized, and that if the Islamic Republic of Iran meets its obligations, then economic benefits will flow to them and to the entire region,” Vance adds.

I'm seeing a lot of fake information about a potential deal to reopen the Strait and end Iran's nuclear weapons program. First, the Iranians are not receiving any cash, and no funds are being released for simply signing a deal or attending a meeting. The deal is structured to…

— JD Vance (@JDVance) June 12, 2026

Elon Musk world’s first trillionaire after SpaceX debut

Elon Musk looks on as US President Donald Trump meets South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office of the White House, May 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Elon Musk became the world’s first trillionaire on Friday following a surge in SpaceX shares in its Wall Street trading debut, according to US media.

Shares of the tech and artificial intelligence enterprise vaulted more than 21 percent in early trading, lifting Musk’s estimated wealth to above $1 trillion, according to Bloomberg and CNBC.

Musk’s fortune is heavily composed of equity or “paper” holdings, rather than cash.

Troops dodge injury after pair of Hezbollah drones detonate near them in south Lebanon

Two suspected Hezbollah drones struck near Israeli forces operating in southern Lebanon a short while ago, the IDF says.

The military says no injuries or damage were caused in the attack.

The “suspicious aerial targets” had triggered drone sirens in several communities in the Western Galilee.

Pakistani mediator: Final, agreed upon text of US-Iran peace deal has been reached; we’re working to finalize it

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif tweets, “We can confirm that a final, agreed-upon text of the peace deal has been reached, and Pakistan is now working closely with both sides to finalize the next steps. Peace has never been this close as it is now.”

“Amid ongoing intense mediation efforts by Pakistan, we are fully aware of an incessant misinformation campaign being waged by those who want to sabotage the peace deal,” tweets the prime minister, who has been one of the mediators in talks between the US and Iran.

Senior US official says ’80-85%’ confident of signing Iran deal

The United States is “80 to 85 percent” confident of signing a peace deal with Iran in the coming days, a senior official in President Donald Trump’s administration says.

“We do expect us to be signing this agreement over the next few days. I can’t give you an exact date,” the senior official tells reporters in a call, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“If I were to give you a confidence that we were going to be signing this agreement, I maybe would have said 75% this morning, it’s probably more like 80-85% now, but it’s not 100 percent.”

“We’re not quite at the finish line yet, but we are very close,” he says.

Ireland-Israel soccer match to be played at neutral venue

The Republic of Ireland’s Nations League exhibition with Israel on October 4 will be held behind closed doors at a neutral venue overseas, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) announces.

The FAI says that European soccer governing body UEFA had approved its request to hold the fixture abroad.

Several pro-Palestinian Irish politicians and soccer figures have urged the federation to withdraw from the ties — there is also an away game in September — over Israel’s conduct during the Hamas-sparked war in Gaza.

Last month, home fans disrupted Ireland’s friendly with World Cup participants Qatar in Dublin by throwing tennis balls onto the pitch in protest against the games with Israel.

That demonstration led to renewed concerns about whether a game against Israel at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium could go ahead safely.

“Following consultation with various stakeholders, the Association is of the view that operational challenges could impact on the delivery of the game on home soil, so the fixture will be played away from the Aviva Stadium,” the FAI says.

The FAI statement also says that it is “deeply conscious of the suffering and devastation being endured by civilians in Gaza.”

The FAI passed a motion in November requesting that UEFA immediately suspend Israel from international competition, but received no support from European soccer chiefs.

Irish soccer bosses have since maintained that they have little choice but to play the games or risk forfeiting them and incurring other disciplinary measures “including potential disqualification from the competition.”

The FAI says that forfeiting six points from their two matches against Israel could lead to relegation to League C in the Nations League and so weaken the national side’s ability to qualify for Euro 2028.

Turning to other potential impacts of a boycott, the FAI said: “Beyond the sporting implications, there would be broader consequences for Irish soccer, such as reduced capacity to support clubs and leagues through critical services such as safeguarding, educational programmes, and player development opportunities.”

Israel played their World Cup qualifiers in Hungary and are set to use a neutral venue for their Nations League match against Ireland on September 27.

Iran-born engineer wins bail ahead of US tech export trial

A US judge on Thursday allowed an Iranian-born engineer to be released on bail just days before his trial on charges that he conspired to illegally export technology to Iran that had potential application in military drones.

US District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston had previously declined to release Mahdi Sadeghi, a dual US-Iranian citizen, from custody, citing the risk he might flee to avoid trial.

But Talwani says the situation had changed since Sadeghi, a former Analog Devices employee, was arrested in December 2024, pointing to the war in Iran, which began in February when the US and Israel launched strikes.

She says the conflict made the prospect of Sadeghi and his family returning to Iran “less attractive” and that it would be difficult for him to do so.

“It is just a different political world,” she says.

She notes that Sadeghi’s wife had made clear that she wanted their family to remain in the US, where they reside in Natick, Massachusetts, something Sadeghi would risk losing if he fled rather than contest the charges.

She orders him released on Friday on a secured $500,000 bond subject to strict home detention with a GPS ankle monitor. His lawyer did not respond to a request for comment.

Sadeghi has pleaded not guilty to participating in a scheme to violate US export control and ​sanctions laws by illegally procuring technology for Iranian businessman ​Mohammad Abedini.

Prosecutors say Abedini founded a company that counts Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a client and made a navigation system used in Iran’s Shahed drones.

Prosecutors say that navigation system was used in ​a drone ⁠that struck a US outpost in Jordan called Tower 22, near the Syrian border, in a January 2024 attack by Iran-backed militants that killed three Army Reserve soldiers and injured 47 others.

Sadeghi’s lawyers say no evidence exists that any of the technology he is accused of exporting was found in any drone, and the judge in February barred prosecutors from introducing evidence about the Jordan drone attack at his upcoming June 22 trial to avoid “unfair prejudice.”

Sadeghi is slated to face trial alone after Italian officials last year ⁠released Abedini, who had been awaiting extradition to the United States, following the detention by Iran of ​an Italian journalist it also released.

Deal with Iran ‘includes Lebanon,’ but Israel has right to self-defense — US official

Smoke rises from the site of a string of Israeli airstrikes that targeted the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh on June 11, 2026. (Abbas Fakih / AFP)

After a senior US official briefing says the emerging deal with Iran includes a clause regarding broader regional peace, a reporter asks the top Trump aide to respond to Defense Minister Israel Katz’s assertion that Israel retains the right to strike in both Iran and Lebanon.

“The broad regional peace agreement is broad,” the US official says. “It includes Lebanon, it includes Iran, it includes the Gulf countries, and it includes Israel.”

“We feel quite confident that all of our allies — the Israelis and the Gulf (countries) — will get on board,” the US official says.

“That doesn’t mean they give up the right to self-defense, and if the Iranians don’t honor their end of the obligation, I wouldn’t expect the Israelis to not respond,” the US official clarifies.

Pressed further on Israeli concerns about the emerging deal, the senior US official says President Donald Trump and his top aides have been in touch with the Israelis throughout. “We feel that when they see the full terms of the deal and when they appreciate that fundamentally there has to be delivery from the Iranians before we deliver any of the benefits that they’re comfortable with (that they will be supportive).”

“They certainly have expressed some skepticism of the misreported details that we’ve seen out there,” he clarifies.

Asked more pointedly whether the US will allow Israel to continue striking in Lebanon as it has, the senior US official avoids a direct answer.

“I would put it back on Hezbollah, and on the Iranians. If Hezbollah is firing rockets at Israel, and Iran is paying for missiles that are getting launched into Israel, then obviously they haven’t kept there into the bargain,” he says.

“We expect the Iranians to be a real actor for peace, and if they are, then they’re going to get a lot of benefit out of the bargain, and if they don’t, then they don’t get any of the benefits of the bargain.”

“I understand the Israeli skepticism. They’ve lived with Hezbollah for a long time. Hezbollah has killed a lot of innocent Israelis, especially Israeli civilians. We don’t expect any country, whether the Gulf coast or Israel, to give up their right of self-defense,” he continues. “What we do expect is that if we’re able to have everyone participate in the peace process, that everyone else will do the same.”

Switzerland offers to host signing of US-Iran peace deal

Switzerland has offered to host the possible signing of a peace agreement between the United States and Iran, the Swiss foreign ministry tells AFP.

“Switzerland is fully engaged. We are in close contact with the United States and Iran,” the ministry says in a brief message sent to AFP.

The Swiss foreign ministry says it is playing an active role “to support efforts toward a Memorandum of Understanding intended to consolidate the truce and pave the way for de-escalation in the context of the conflict between Iran and the USA.”

In addition, the ministry says it “has proposed Switzerland as the venue for a possible signing, should the parties agree to it.”

Senior US official: MOU ‘leads to’ US getting Iran’s enriched nuclear material

In this photo released by the Iranian Presidency Office, President Masoud Pezeshkian, second right, listens to the head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Eslami as he visits an exhibition of Iran's nuclear achievements, in Tehran, Iran, on April 9, 2025. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP)

As reports swirl about the contents of the Memorandum of Understanding that the US and Iran are on the verge of signing, a senior official from US President Donald Trump’s administration holds a phone briefing with reporters to make the case for the deal and answer questions.

The senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, says the agreement accomplishes five things for the US.

“First, it reopens the straits and lifts the (US) blockade (of Iranian ports),” the official says.

“Number two, it leads to the dismantling of the Iranian nuclear program,” the US official continues, hinting that the MOU itself does not force Iran to dismantle the program; rather it potentially “leads” to that result. This is because the deal merely extends the ceasefire between the sides by 60 days during which they will hold technical discussions regarding Iran’s nuclear program.

“Number three, it leads to the United States getting the enriched material. We provide in the agreement that this material would be destroyed on site, and then taken out of the country,” he says, appearing to stop short of saying that the MOU requires Iran to give up its stockpiles of highly-enriched uranium up front. This issue, too, is expected to be subject to the subsequent nuclear talks during the ceasefire extension.

“Number four, it guarantees a long-term peace in the region, and that would mean that the Iranians are no longer funding violence in the region, but it also means that everyone is respecting the territorial sovereignty of Iran,” the US official says. This issue also is reportedly more vague in the MOU itself and would likely be up for discussion during the subsequent negotiations with the US, but Iran has shown no indication that it will be ceasing support for proxies.

“Finally, [this deal] has an inspection regime that makes sure that this is a long-term commitment and that it’s a long-term enforceable,” the US official says, again appearing to refer to a concession that the US is only hoping to secure as part of a subsequent agreement with Iran. The MOU itself is not expected to immediately establish an inspection system of Iran’s activity.

“What Iran gets out of the agreement is that if they comply, they’re going to be relieved of a lot of the economic pressures that they’ve been under for many, many years,” the senior US official says. “They do get reintegrated into the world economy, they’re going to be rewarded for acting like a normal country, rather than the largest state sponsor of terrorism.”

“The Iranians don’t get anything upon the signing of the MOU or upon the negotiation itself… If they turn over the nuclear material as promised, they’ll get something. If they dismantle their nuclear programs or their nuclear facilities, they’ll get something else. If they really commit to regional peace and stability, they’ll get additional things on top of that.

He goes on to caution reporters against taking descriptions of the deal’s terms from Iranian state media, arguing that they are trying to sell the deal to their respective public and not necessarily doing so in a manner that is truthful, while insisting that his presentation of the agreement is different.

US official: Iran control of Hormuz slipped, robbing it of leverage in negotiations

Vessels are seen anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, off the port city of Khasab on Oman's northern Musandam Peninsula on May 17, 2026. (AFP)

During the question-and-answer portion of a briefing that a senior US official is conducting with reporters on the emerging Iran deal, the top Trump aide is asked what changed in recent weeks that allowed Washington to now feel good about the MOU on the table.

The senior US official says two things have moved substantially in recent weeks: Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz weakened, in that the US managed to quietly get a lot more oil out of the channel than it did earlier in the conflict. Accordingly, Iran’s leverage took a hit and the US negotiating position improved, the official says.

Accordingly, the US managed to secure stronger wording regarding the disposal of Iran’s highly enriched uranium, the official says, without getting specific. The MOU is not understood as requiring Iran to immediately hand over its material, rather to hold subsequent discussions on the matter.

“It’s something we were proposing a couple of weeks ago… [and] the Iranians have gotten consensus on their system over the last couple of days,” the senior US official says, regarding the MOU’s language on Iran’s nuclear material.

He claims that some hardliners in Iran oppose the deal but that internal dissent in Tehran to the MOU is “quite minimal.”

The senior US official clarifies that there is still a great deal of mistrust between the sides, but he says that the deal is structured in a way that doesn’t rely on trust, rather performance.

The US official confirms that the subsequent nuclear talks that will kick off after the MOU is signed will last for 60 days.

Asked whether Iran Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei supports the emerging deal, the senior US official says those in touch with him have attested that he is “comfortable with where we are in the negotiation.”

“In their system, they can’t do anything without the sign off of the supreme leader,” he adds.

US official: Subsequent technical talks needed in order to implement Iran nuclear commitments

US Vice President JD Vance (L) shaking hands with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during their meeting before US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad, on April 11, 2026. (Pakistan's Prime Minister Office / AFP)

Reporters press the briefing US official on the fact that the MOU being finalized doesn’t appear to actually require Iran to make up-front concessions regarding its nuclear program.

Asked whether the agreement is just creating more talks or if it actually dismantles Iran’s nuclear program, the US official responds, “It’s a direct line to those things.”

“The Iranians commit to destroying and removing the enriched material, but how do you do that? It’s going to take a little bit of time to figure it out,” the US official admits. “The technical details need to be figured out, but I think there’s a commitment to do that. There’s also a commitment to dismantling the nuclear weapons program. There’s a commitment to decommissioning the nuclear sites.”

“We’re going to figure out how to do that in the technical negotiations that will follow, but we think that this is the first and most important step to ensuring that the Iranians do not build a nuclear weapon,” the US official says.

Asked whether Iran has committed to a specific timeline for not developing a nuclear weapon, the senior US official responds, “They are committing indefinitely to never procure or develop nuclear weapons.”

This is a stance Iran has long taken, though, while the US and Israel have doubted Tehran’s sincerity.

“We’re happy with the commitment to not build a nuclear weapon, but we have to verify that, and that’s why the deal is structured in the way that it is to ensure that there’s a verification and inspections regime, and that they don’t receive the benefits of the negotiation until we see that they’re actually taking the affirmative steps in order to dismantle that nuclear program,” he says.

Recalling his snap-trip to Islamabad in April for negotiations with Iran, the senior US official pushes back on the notion that the trip had been fruitless, arguing that it was helpful to be in the room with the Iranians and to start to build trust.

The official claims that through the war, the US succeeded in destroying Iran’s conventional military and robbed Iran of the ability to project power in the Middle East and threaten its neighbors.

Asked whether the US would allow Iran to have a civilian nuclear program, the official says Washington is not principally opposed to the idea but that the infrastructure Iran has built went well beyond civilian purposes.

“We’re not bothered at all by the idea of civilian power plants in Iran. What we’re bothered by is the type of infrastructure that would allow them to jump from civilian power generation to nuclear weapons development,” he says.

If Iran complies with the agreement, US President Donald Trump “has instructed us to construct the kind of sanctions relief that would really integrate Iran into the 21st century economy.”

Four UK pro-Palestinian activists jailed for Elbit raid in which one hit a policewoman with sledgehammer; judge highlights ‘terrorist connection’

Samuel Corner (far right) and other Palestine Action activists Jordan Devlin, Leona Kamio, Charlotte Head, Fatema Rajwani and Zoe Rogers. (Used under clause 27a of the Israeli copyright law; taken from social media)

Four British pro-Palestinian activists were sentenced to a total of more than 20 years over a 2024 raid on a factory operated by Israeli defense firm Elbit that caused more than £1 million of damage, with the judge giving longer terms after determining there was a “terrorism connection.”

Charlotte Head, 30, Samuel Corner, 23, Leona Kamio, 30, and Fatema Zainab Rajwani, 21, were members of the banned group Palestine Action, which organized the assault on the Elbit Systems UK facility in Bristol, southwest England, two years ago.

They were convicted of criminal damage at Woolwich Crown Court in May, while Corner, who prosecutors said hit a police officer with a sledgehammer, was found guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm. Corner was given the lengthiest jail term of the four.

They had previously been acquitted of aggravated burglary.

Prosecutors said the incident should be treated as having a terrorism connection and the four should be sentenced accordingly with harsher punishments, drawing condemnation from human rights groups and high-profile supporters.

Judge Jeremy Johnson said it was an “aggravating factor that the offending had a terrorist connection,” but adds that their previous good character was a substantial mitigating factor.

He sentences Corner to seven years and eight months in total for the two convictions, after finding he used “extreme and gratuitous” force and that his autism didn’t explain why he swung the sledgehammer.

Kamio and Head are sentenced to five years while Rajwani was sentenced to four years and eight months for the criminal damage. They will all spend another year on license after release.

UAE to reportedly unlock billions of dollars for Iran, in major shift

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, left, is welcomed by his Emirati counterpart Sheik Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, May 12, 2025. (Iranian Foreign Ministry via AP)

The United Arab Emirates has agreed to unlock billions of dollars for Iran, four sources says, in a tactical shift after weeks of Iranian attacks on the wealthy Gulf Arab state during the US-Israeli war with the Islamic Republic.

Word of the move, which has not been previously reported, coincides with the final stages of broader negotiations between Tehran and Washington on ending the war, talks that diplomats say could involve the release of tens of billions of dollars in Iranian oil revenues frozen in foreign banks under US sanctions.

Two regional sources tell Reuters the UAE has agreed to release a total of $10 billion, more than $3 billion of which had already been delivered.

Two other sources with knowledge of the arrangement put the total funds involved at $20 billion, adding that the move had been agreed in return for a halt to Iranian attacks on the UAE. One of the sources with knowledge of the arrangement also said a first tranche of $3 billion had already been made available.

Reuters cannot establish whether the funds earmarked for the transfers belong to the UAE or originate in long-blocked Iranian accounts in the UAE banking system, or elsewhere.

But a UAE official, asked to comment on the transfer, says the country is trying to ease tension and foster peace.

“The UAE’s foreign policy is guided by promoting de-escalation and reducing tensions across the region, while advancing lasting peace and stability,” the official says. “The UAE supports efforts, including those undertaken by the United States, to protect the peoples of the region from the repercussions of conflict.”

Iran team chief slams FIFA’s ‘lack of coordination’ on visa issues

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has failed to deliver on promises to secure full access for the Iranian soccer federation to attend the team’s three games in the United States, Iran’s World Cup team supervisor tells Reuters.

Mahdi Mohammad Nabi, who also served as Iran’s supervisor in charge of squad operations at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in Russia and Qatar, is among 15 Iranian soccer federation members denied a visa to travel to the US for the World Cup games.

He speaks to Reuters on Thursday evening, a day after Infantino gave a free-wheeling press conference in Mexico City in which he celebrated Iran’s participation in the tournament as proof of his organization’s success in navigating complex political issues.

“We hope Mr. Infantino will indeed implement the words and promises he made to the Iran national team,” Nabi tells Reuters on Thursday.

“The FIFA regulations and protocols must be properly followed by both member federations and hosts.”

FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The US State Department says the visas had been rejected because it “will not allow the Iranian team to abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the US under false pretenses.”

Judge rejects bid to halt removal of Trump name from Kennedy Center

Workers stand on scaffolding near the signage for the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, on June 12, 2026. (Alex WROBLEWSKI / AFP)

A US federal judge has rejected a bid by the board of the Kennedy Center and the Justice Department to halt the removal of US President Donald Trump’s name from the performing arts venue.

US District Judge Christopher Cooper, in a ruling last month, ordered Trump’s name taken off the iconic building in the nation’s capital by today.

The board of trustees, which consists of Trump allies, and the Justice Department filed an appeal on Thursday asking Cooper to stay his ruling.

The judge turned down the request, saying the public interest “is rarely served by the ‘perpetuation’ of ‘unlawful’ governmental action.”

In his May 29 ruling, Cooper said the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts had been illegally renamed after Trump and only Congress has the right to change its name.

He gave the administration 14 days to remove Trump’s name from the facade and any materials linked to the venue.

Earlier this week, the Kennedy Center dropped Trump’s name from the website of the institution.

His name remains for the time being, however, on the building’s white marble facade.

Cooper also issued a temporary block on Trump’s demand to close the Kennedy Center for two years of renovations, which was due to start in July.

A furious Trump reacted by saying he was giving up control of the venue, which he seized at the start of his second term last year by naming himself chairman.

In December, the center’s governing board, which Trump stacked with loyalists, voted to rename the venue the “Trump Kennedy Center” and the Republican president’s name was added to the facade in large letters above that of Kennedy.

A number of artists canceled scheduled performances following the move.

Report: Trump fury over false Iran state media reporting led Araghchi to issue clarification

US President Donald Trump fumed at Iran state media reports claiming that Tehran would immediately receive billions of dollars in sanctions relief upon the signing of the MOU.

In reality, the deal only offers Iran sanctions relief if it implements commitments regarding its nuclear program.

Trump tells Channel 12 that he had demanded that the Iranians apologize for publicizing false information.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi subsequently issued a tweet in which he said that a deal has never been closer, while cautioning the media against speculative reporting on the MOUs contents — a post that Trump viewed positively, according to Channel 12.

The network also reports on a phone call that took place on Thursday between Trump and Netanyahu shortly after the US president announced that a deal had all but been reached, catching Israel off guard.

A senior US official tells Channel 12 that Trump told Netanyahu, ‘This is the deal. It’s an excellent deal. It’s time to end this war.'”

“Bibi didn’t say much during the call. Apparently, he understand that there’s going to be a deal and that he doesn’t have the ability to stop it,” the senior US official tells Channel 12.

6 wounded in clashes after settlers rebuild illegal outpost on Palestinian village’s land

Violent clashes between settlers and Palestinians northwest of Ramallah in the West Bank have reportedly left two settlers and four Palestinians wounded.

The clashes began when residents of Deir Abu Mashaal marched on an illegal outpost that settlers re-erected on village land this morning, hours after the outpost was dismantled by the IDF, according to WAFA, the Palestinian Authority’s official news agency.

According to the outlet, the military had informed villagers it would dismantle the outpost again, and it also entered the village earlier Friday to deter residents from marching on the outpost.

Settler ambulance service Hatzalah Without Borders says two settlers were attacked when dozens of Palestinians “set fires and attacked” the “new settlement point south of Deir Abu Mashaal.”

WAFA reports that dozens of Deir Abu Mashaal residents who marched on the settler outpost were met with tear gas fired by IDF troops.

Settlers then attacked Palestinians in the village with knives, wounding four people, one of them seriously, according to WAFA.

A man speaking to Arabic media from a Palestinian hospital bed, where he lies with a swollen black eye and bandaged head, says he was sitting with his family when over two dozen settlers charged at them, beat them and fired guns. They also stole his phone, he says.

#فيديو| "هجموا علينا 30 مستوطن وضربونا بالهروات وأطلقوا الرصاص" .. الشاب سند زهران يروي تفاصيل اعتداء المستوطنين عليهم عصر اليوم في دير أبو مشعل شمال رام الله pic.twitter.com/Nttxu150WZ

— شبكة فلسطين للحوار (@paldf) June 12, 2026

Hezbollah drone strikes military zone in northern Israel; no injuries reported

A suspected Hezbollah drone struck a military zone in northern Israel, close to the border with Lebanon, a short while ago, the IDF says.

No injuries were caused in the incident, which the military says is under further investigation.

Sirens had sounded in several towns in the Western Galilee due to the drone and attempts to shoot it down.

Another suspected Hezbollah drone, which triggered sirens in the Galilee Panhandle, was intercepted over an area of southern Lebanon where Israeli troops are operating, the military adds.

Iran’s Araghchi says no nuclear talks unless interim deal is implemented

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi gestures as he arrives for a group photograph during the BRICS foreign ministers meeting at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on May 14, 2026. (Arun SANKAR / AFP)

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says management of the Strait of Hormuz will not return to the pre-war era, that sovereignty over the strait belonged to Iran and Oman, and that Iran would secure safe passage for ships through it.

“Iran has made a firm decision that the administration of Strait of Hormuz will no longer be the same as before,” he says in a state TV interview, adding that discussions were ongoing with Oman on the matter.

“The naval blockade must be completely lifted. That is the first point mentioned in the agreement,” Araghchi says, regarding the emerging MOU with the US.

The foreign minister clarifies that nuclear talks with the United States will only take place after the MOU is signed.

He says the interim deal will include reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending conflicts on multiple fronts, adding that the memorandum of understanding has not yet been signed and could still change.

“I must frankly say that this agreement has enemies, the foremost of which is the Zionist regime, who are looking for pretexts to derail it,” says Araghchi.

He says the deal, if reached, would be signed “remotely” and could happen “in the coming days.”

“As soon as the final stages of our negotiations are completed, this agreement will be signed and announced. The signing will initially take place digitally. Each side will sign remotely. After that, it will be announced that this memorandum of understanding has been signed by both parties,” says Araghchi. “This could happen in the coming days. I am very hopeful.”

Araghchi says Tehran believes the only way to deal with its stockpile of highly enriched uranium is dilution inside the country.

“Our position has always been that the only way to deal with the stockpile of enriched material is to dilute it inside Iran,” says Araghchi, in what could be a non-starter for the US.

UAE denies reports of transfer of frozen Iranian funds

The United Arab Emirates says it “categorically” denies claims it has “released, transferred, or moved” frozen funds to Iran.

Its foreign ministry says such reports ” are untrue and not based on any facts or reliable information.”

US Justice Department clears Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros

The US Justice Department’s Antitrust Division says it has cleared Paramount Skydance Corp’s planned $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, saying it is unlikely to harm competition or consumers.

DOJ says it spent eight months evaluating how the transaction would affect streaming video services, traditional television and the film industry, weighing input from across the entertainment industry.

“The extensive investigatory record reviewed by the Division suggests that the impact of the transaction will be to increase competition across the media and entertainment ecosystem, with benefits for American consumers and workers,” the Justice Department writes in a statement.

Paramount CEO David Ellison’s father, billionaire Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, has cultivated ties with US President Donald Trump, and the company has hired former Trump officials.

Assistant Attorney General Omeed Assefi had said that politics would “absolutely not” drive the DOJ’s review of the transaction.