June 26: Israeli envoy says IDF withdrawal not based on fixed timetable, but Hezbollah disarmament

Iranian media report sound of explosion in southern Iran’s Sirik

Iranian media reports that a sound of an explosion was heard in Sirik in southern Iran, adding the source of the sound was not immediately clear.

The reports come right after President Donald Trump hinted at a US response to an Iranian attack on a cargo ship, saying “you’ll find out” when asked if there would be consequences for Tehran.

Israeli envoy: IDF withdrawal not based on fixed timetable, but on Hezbollah disarmament

Speaking to reporters outside the State Department, Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leither says Israel will maintain its buffer zone in southern Lebanon until the Lebanese Armed Forces demonstrate that they can dismantle Hezbollah and assume responsibility for security.

Leiter stresses that the deal will not be based on a fixed timetable, but on measurable progress by the Lebanese army in disarming Hezbollah.

Additional “pilot” handovers from the IDF to the LAF will take place as benchmarks are met.

Asked whether Gulf states, France, Italy or other international partners will be used to help secure southern Lebanon, Leiter says it’s too early to discuss that idea.

He says other countries can take part in Lebanon’s reconstruction but only after Hezbollah has been disarmed.

Leiter expresses optimism that today’s agreement will lead to Israel and Lebanon normalizing relations.

Trump indicates US response coming after Iran’s purported targeting of ships in Hormuz

Asked how he’ll respond to Iran’s purported targeting of ships in the Strait of Hormuz with drones, US President Donald Trump tells reporters, “You’ll find out when I respond.”

Lebanon president says Israel deal first step to restoring sovereignty

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun says the deal signed with Israel on Friday is a first step toward fully restoring his country’s sovereignty after the latest war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah.

“The framework agreement signed today is a first step” that will enable Lebanese “to return to their fully liberated lands, and to their certainly rebuilt homes… under the sovereignty of the Lebanese state that has no partner in its sovereignty over its land and people,” Aoun says according to a statement released by his office.

“We swear to continue to work until this is fully achieved. There will be no more occupation, prisoners, subordination or tutelage,” he adds.

Rubio says Israel-Lebanon deal will ‘enable Israel to return to its borders’

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issues a statement offering some details on the yet-to-be-publicized terms of the framework agreement signed earlier today by Israel and Lebanon.

“This agreement establishes a clear and structured process to restore Lebanon’s sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah and dismantle its terrorist infrastructure and enable Israel to return to its borders once that threat to its citizens is removed,” Rubio says.

“It also creates a trilateral Military Coordination Group for Lebanon (MCG4L), facilitated by the United States, allowing the two sides to implement this framework,” he continues. “For Lebanon, this framework provides a genuine pathway out of a long crisis. For Israel, it creates a verifiable path to removing the persistent threat on its northern border.”

Rubio announces an “immediate” $100 million donation by the US toward humanitarian assistance in coordination with the UN.

He says the Defense Department is also “prepared to reimburse the Lebanese Armed Forces with more than $30 million under existing authorities and appropriations to support the president’s vision for an enduring peace in Lebanon.”

The Trump administration’s latest budget proposal to Congress earmarks some $36 million for the Lebanese Armed Forces — a significant decrease from previous years when the sum ranged between $100 and $200 million. The administration has been seeking to cut costs, but it’s unclear how this particular slash aligns with its efforts to bolster the Lebanese army so that it can disarm Hezbollah.

Trump says Iran still has ‘some’ military capability, but ‘not much’

US President Donald Trump admits in a speech in Washington that Iran still retains “some” military capability following the US-Israeli war against Tehran, but he insists that it is “not much.”

Switzerland’s Beznau nuclear plant halts operations due to heatwave

The nuclear reactors at Europe’s oldest nuclear plant were shut down Friday, its Swiss operator says, after the heatwave roasting Europe sent temperatures soaring in a nearby river used for cooling.

“The temperature of the Aare River reached 25C again yesterday and today. Sufficient cooling is not in sight,” energy company Axpo says on its website, adding that as a consequence, the Beznau nuclear plant “has temporarily shut down both reactors.”

EU to respond ‘decisively’ if Trump pursues tariff threats, spokesperson says

The European Union vows a swift response if US President Donald Trump carries out his threat to impose a 100-percent tariff on EU countries over a digital services tax.

“If pursued, the EU will respond swiftly and decisively to defend its rights and regulatory autonomy,” a European Commission spokesman says.

Hezbollah MP warns Lebanese authorities against enforcing US-mediated deal with Israel

Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah says Lebanese authorities would not be able to enforce a framework agreement signed with Israel in Washington on Friday unless, with US support, “they go to civil war,” Al Mayadeen reports, after talks aimed at ending fighting between Israel and his Iran-backed terror group.

Fadlallah says Hezbollah will confront any measure taken by Lebanese authorities and will hold on to its weapons even more, adding that the group’s opposition is “serious” and will not allow authorities to implement their commitments on the ground.

Iraq seeks quota review as OPEC restores output allocations

Iraq’s Oil Ministry says that OPEC has begun gradually restoring Iraq’s pre-war production allocations, a move it said would strengthen Iraq’s output capacity and support the recovery of its oil sector.

In a statement carried by the state news agency, the ministry says Baghdad supports a reassessment of OPEC production quotas to better reflect member states’ conditions, including Iraq’s economic and security circumstances.

Iraq’s Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi had not discussed the possibility of Iraq leaving OPEC, the statement added.

On Thursday, sources with knowledge told Reuters that Iraq, OPEC’s second-largest producer after Saudi Arabia and one of its five founding members, has considered leaving the group if the oil producer group does not allow Baghdad to significantly increase oil production.

Such a prospect would be a serious blow to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, which saw the United Arab Emirates walk away less than two months ago.

The country relies on oil for the bulk of its income, which has been slashed since the Iran war effectively blocked exports via the Strait of Hormuz.

Later on Thursday, Iraq’s oil ministry said that reports suggesting Baghdad was considering ending its membership in OPEC did not reflect the Iraqi government’s official position.

Iraq’s quota for July is 4.378 million barrels per day, though, current output is significantly below this because of the Hormuz disruption.

UN agency working to restart Hormuz evacuations after ship attack

The United Nations is working with countries to resume the evacuation of hundreds of ships and thousands of stranded seafarers from the Strait of Hormuz after the effort was halted earlier this week, a top UN agency official says.

The UN’s International Maritime Organization says it has “temporarily paused” its evacuation initiative after a container ship operated by Taiwan’s Evergreen was attacked.

Some 115 vessels and around 2,500 seafarers were able to sail through the strait before evacuations were paused, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez tells a virtual news conference.

Dominguez says he is working “vigilantly” with several parties and was having conversations with countries — particularly Oman, the United States, and Iran — “in order to find these guarantees that were provided at the beginning, that vessels will not be targeted”.

“As soon as I get further confirmations of that, we’re ready to re-initiate the process of evacuation,” he says, though he adds that he cannot provide a timeframe for a resumption.

Touting Lebanon deal, PM says it allows Israel to maintain buffer zone and bars Lebanese from returning to it

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issues a video statement touting the framework deal reached in Washington between Israel and Lebanon.

He stresses that the deal will allow Israel to remain in the buffer zone it created in south Lebanon.

“We will maintain (the buffer zone) until Hezbollah disarms and as long as there is a threat to the State of Israel,” Netanyahu says.

“This is also a major blow to Iran. Iran is trying to coax us to withdraw from southern Lebanon by force. And in essence, Israel, Lebanon and the United States are telling Iran – it is none of your business. You have no role in Lebanon. Neither you, nor Hezbollah nor any terrorist organization,” the Israeli premier says.

“We are also allowing the Lebanese army to start preparing to seize territory. We are creating two pilot zones — both recommended by the IDF.”

“One is south of the Litani River and outside the (original) security zone altogether and and the other is north of the Litani — a small area in the expanded security zone that we conquered in the last two weeks, and which the IDF says it does not need,” Netanyahu claims.

“We are maintaining the original security zone, which covers the range of (Hezbollah) anti-tank missiles. We are not allowing Hezbollah, nor the Lebanese population to enter that area. The most important thing is that Israel says: ‘Our security comes first,'” the prime minister says.

His office issues a separate statement of the framework signed, explaining that it paves the way for future agreements between Israel and Lebanon.

“The IDF’s freedom of military action will be maintained throughout the security zone to eliminate threats of any kind,” Netanyahu’s office says.

‘The beginning of the beginning’: Israel, Lebanon sign deal for IDF to start partially withdrawing from Lebanon

Representatives from Israel, Lebanon and the United States hold a signing ceremony at the State Department for what they are calling a trilateral agreement between their countries that will see the IDF begin to withdraw from small parts of southern Lebanon.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio appears to acknowledge the limited scope of the agreement in his opening remarks, calling it, “The beginning of the beginning… This first step sometimes is the hardest one, but it’s an important one, and the one we’ve taken together.”

“There’s a lot of work ahead. We don’t in any way underestimate the difficulty of the task ahead, but we understand the importance of it, how vital it is, and we are honored to have played a part in bringing this together,” Rubio says before going on to tout the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the US, who headed their countries respective negotiating teams in the five rounds of talks that began in April.

Rubio doesn’t get into the details of the deal, which hasn’t been publicized.

Speaking briefly after him, Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh says, “The trilateral framework we’re signing today is the first step on the road to restoring Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity, securing a permanent and final cessation of hostilities, enabling our people to go back to their land and allowing all Lebanese to live in peace, security and prosperity.”

“This was a long and difficult meeting. We are grateful to the host and to the two delegations for their cooperation during these talks,” she says, in an apparent nod to Israel.

“This milestone was made possible through the leadership of [Lebanese] President [Joseph] Aoun, the tenacity of Prime Minister [Nawaf] Salam, the resilience of Ambassador [Simon] Karam, and the patriotism of Lebanese Armed Forces,” Hamadeh adds.

Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter gives longer remarks, but makes a point of thanking Hamadeh by name “for being a very tough negotiator.”

“You and your team set an example for patriotism to your country. You fight like a lioness, madame ambassador,” Leiter says to Hamadeh.

Leiter recalls how he began this round of talks on Tuesday by warning of an impending “train wreck,” after the US decided to include a ceasefire in Lebanon as part of the memorandum of understanding it reached last week with Iran.

The decision appeared to undercut Washington’s own efforts to prevent Iran from maintaining an influence over developments in Lebanon. The US had established the direct talks between Israel and Lebanon in April, specifically in order to ensure that Iran would not be involved in future discussions about Israel’s continued presence in Lebanon.

But either because of Iran’s significant leverage in the Strait of Hormuz or because Washington believed that Iran was needed to rein in Hezbollah, the US agreed to Tehran’s demands that the memorandum of understanding inked last week include a ceasefire in Lebanon and then agreed to allow Iran to be part of the deconfliction mechanism that was established to ensure that ceasefire — both moves infuriating Jerusalem and Beirut.

“Iran and its proxies wanted a train wreck,” Leiter says at the signing ceremony before arguing that such a result was prevented thanks to Rubio’s leadership.

Rubio has not been a part of the talks with Iran, which have been led by US Vice President JD Vance.

“We’ve put the train back on the tracks, and it’s running in the right direction. Final destination: peace between our two countries,” Leiter says. “In this performance-based, trilateral framework agreement, Iran is out, Hezbollah is out, and the road to peace between Israel and Lebanon is in.”

He goes on to maintain that today’s agreement would not have been possible without the resilience of Israel’s northern residents, the IDF and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

Israeli official: IDF withdrawal will only be from 2 areas beyond original borders of south Lebanon buffer zone

Explaining just how minor the planned IDF withdrawal from south Lebanon will be, an Israeli official says that troops will only be pulling back from two areas that are located beyond the original borders of the buffer zone that was established in April.

In the two-plus months that followed, the IDF pushed further north, adding additional territory to the buffer zone. It is from two of those areas that Israel has agreed to withdraw in today’s agreement with Lebanon, and they do not include the Beaufort Castle, which Israel recaptured in May.

That lookout point was seen as a symbol of Israel’s previous south Lebanon occupation, which lasted for 18 years until the government decided to withdraw its troops in 2000, determining that they weren’t actually providing significant security to residents of the north, even while suffering regular casualties.

Israel, in this week’s talks, insisted on maintaining the original borders of the buffer zone, arguing that that amount of territory is needed inside Lebanon in order to ensure that northern border towns aren’t within the range of Hezbollah missiles.

It appears unlikely, though, that such a limited withdrawal will satisfy Iran or its Hezbollah proxy, who argue that Israel is violating the memorandum of understanding signed last week, which required a permanent end to military operations in Lebanon.

Israel maintains that it is not a party to that agreement and is refusing to dismantle its south Lebanon buffer zone. Consequently, Iran has apparently refrained from reining in Hezbollah, which has continued to target troops in southern Lebanon, harming what has been an extremely porous ceasefire that has also risked collapsing the MOU between the US and Iran, which Washington has been working to maintain.

Trump’s former national security adviser Bolton pleads guilty in suspected Iran hacking case

Former US national security adviser John Bolton, who is hawkish and pro-Israel, pleads guilty in federal US court to violating the espionage act.

Bolton, while serving as US President Donald Trump’s national security adviser in 2018 and 2019, included highly sensitive, top secret information in personal “diary” entries about his daily activities, the Department of Justice says.

The classified information, which Bolton learned through his official government role, included military plans for foreign governments, covert US actions in other countries and intelligence about foreign leaders.

Bolton forwarded the information to two family members, who were not cleared for the top secret information, via non-governmental email and messaging platforms, and retained copies at his home, which was not permitted.

After Bolton left office, a cyber actor that investigators believe is connected to Iran hacked Bolton’s personal email, the statement says.

Bolton reported the hack, but did not divulge that the accounts included sensitive material.

Bolton is facing a maximum sentence of five years in prison and agreed to pay a $2.25 million fine.

Bolton is one of several prominent critics whom the administration has sought to prosecute.

Israel, Lebanon reach framework deal for slight IDF withdrawal; signing to begin shortly

Israel and Lebanon have reached a framework agreement for the IDF to begin partially withdrawing from southern Lebanon, a source familiar with the matter tells The Times of Israel.

Israeli forces will pull out of two areas located inside the six-mile-long buffer zone the IDF has established in southern Lebanon. The Israeli troops will be replaced by members of the Lebanese forces, the source says.

The areas have already been cleared by the IDF of Hezbollah infrastructure. In some cases, this has included Israel razing entire Lebanese villages to the ground on the border, with the IDF arguing that Hezbollah was using much of them to plan and carry out attacks against Israel.

The framework deal was reached in the fourth day of the fifth round of talks that the US has mediated between Israel and Lebanon in Washington. A small signing ceremony is set to begin momentarily at the State Department.

The US had been pushing the sides to reach an agreement on what was supposed to be the last day of this round on Thursday, but additional time was needed to close gaps between the sides.

Both Israel and Lebanon came into what was the fifth round of negotiations furious at the US for the latter’s decision to sign a deal with Iran last week that included a ceasefire in Lebanon.

Jerusalem and Beirut argued that the memorandum of understanding undercut a key element of their direct talks, which the US specifically established to try and prevent Iran from having a say on affairs in Lebanon.

The US conduct led Israel to initially harden its position in talks with Lebanon this week, significantly limiting the areas from southern Lebanon from which it said it was prepared to withdraw, the source said.

Lebanon, meanwhile, felt that it had to take a harder line in negotiations with Israel to counter the notion that Iran wields greater influence over affairs in Lebanese territory than it does, the sources said.

Accordingly, Lebanese negotiators presented maps for a proposed IDF withdrawal that were more expansive than what Israel was willing to accept at this stage, which was already very little due to the political pressures Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is facing, the source claimed.

Vance: ‘Crazy’ that Watergate brought down Nixon; it would be ’12-hour news story’ today

US Vice President JD Vance said it is “crazy” that the Watergate scandal brought down Richard Nixon’s presidency, arguing that the political spying affair would dominate headlines for no more than a few hours.

“I think that his historical legacy is enjoying a bit of a renaissance, but I think deservedly so,” Vance said on Thursday during an appearance at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in California.

“If Watergate happened tomorrow, it would be like a 12-hour news story. The idea that it would have taken down a presidency is crazy,” added Vance, a possible 2028 presidential contender.

Democratic commentator David Axelrod responded on X that Vance’s view “speaks volumes about the moral and ethical degradation of the Trump era.”

JD Vance: "I think Nixon's historical legacy is enjoying a bit of a renaissance, and deservedly so. I joked that if Watergate happened tomorrow, it would be like a 12 hours news story. The idea that it took down a presidency is crazy." pic.twitter.com/osy0V3QLyN

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 25, 2026

The Watergate scandal began in 1972 with the arrest of five men caught breaking into Democratic Party headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington.

Nixon, then seeking a second term, was comfortably reelected that November.

Reporting by The Washington Post later uncovered a broad political spying operation and an attempted cover-up orchestrated at the highest levels of the White House.

After a long legal battle and with impeachment proceedings looming in Congress, Nixon resigned in 1974, becoming the only US president to step down from office.

Trump accuses Iran of ‘foolishly violating’ ceasefire by firing 4 drones at ships in Hormuz

US President Donald Trump accuses Iran of violating the ceasefire memorandum of understanding that the sides signed last week, saying Tehran shot at least four “attack drones” at ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

One of the drones solidly hit the upper deck of a large and very expensive cargo carrying Ship. Damage was done, but the ship was able to proceed on its way,” Trump writes on Truth Social.”We knocked down three other drones.”

“Obviously, this is a foolish violation of our ceasefire agreement,” Trump says, without specifying whether there would be any consequences.

Ships crossing Hormuz use Oman passage despite Iran warnings

Traffic levels in the Strait of Hormuz fell back from Wednesday’s high, but vessels continued to use a non-Iranian-approved passage, despite a ship being struck by a projectile, tracking platforms show.

At least 42 commodity vessels — including tankers carrying oil, gas, and dry bulk such as fertilizers — crossed on Thursday, Kpler’s tracking platform showed, down from a high of 57 on Wednesday.

Ten of those vessels entered the Gulf, while 32 exited. Half of the 42 vessels used a southern passageway hugging the coast of Oman.

Another 29 commodity vessels had already crossed the strait by Friday afternoon, 10 coming into the Gulf and 19 leaving, according to Kpler.

Seventeen of those vessels used the Omani route, despite a Singapore-flagged container ship reporting that it had been struck while using the passageway on Thursday, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center.

Tracking platform Marine Traffic recorded around 15 tankers and cargo vessels crossing the strait between 1410 GMT, when the attack happened, and midnight Thursday.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Thursday that Oman and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) announced the new corridor without consulting Tehran, and warned vessels against using it.

“The only authorized transit routes through the Strait of Hormuz are those designated by the Islamic Republic of Iran,” it said.

Armed Hamas operatives seen deployed in Gaza streets to crack down on protests against group

Footage circulating on social media appears to shows armed Hamas operatives deployed in the streets across the Gaza Strip to prevent demonstrations as part of the day of protest.

The footage is difficult to verify and has not been published by the major media outlets in Gaza where Hamas has been threatening civilians against taking part in the protests

HORRIFIC: Hamas militias are deploying their armed, masked men into the streets across the Gaza Strip to crush the protests. pic.twitter.com/PbtAmnJ1jO

— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) June 26, 2026

However, a resident of central Gaza, who asked not to be named due to concerns for his safety, confirmed to The Times of Israel that masked men affiliated with Hamas have been present in the last couple of hours in the streets of Deir al-Balah to prevent protesters from gathering.

The resident also says a small number of people took part in anti-Hamas demonstrations in Gaza City and other parts of northern Gaza, while people stayed home in central Gaza amid Hamas warnings on social media against participating in the rallies.

Media outlets affiliated with Hamas have published footage showing empty intersections where protests had been planned, declaring the “Failure of the June 26 Revolution.”

To suppress mass demonstrations against its rule by Palestinians in Gaza, Hamas terrorists split up in multiple teams including 2 examples in these photos: ISIS-like strike forces to shoot & kill; & fake "journalists" pretending to cover the protests to arrest any demonstrators. pic.twitter.com/vxXpul9sYu

— Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib (@afalkhatib) June 26, 2026

Emirati FM phones Iranian counterpart, stresses need for free navigation through Hormuz

UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed stressed the need for adherence to the terms of a US-Iran agreement and protection of maritime corridors, including freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, in a call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, the UAE state news agency WAM reports.

UAE says false public warning caused by technical malfunction

The United Arab Emirates says a technical malfunction in its early warning system had led to incorrect messages being sent to residents about a possible missile threat.

The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority says the issue on Friday evening had been addressed and that specialized teams had begun corrective procedures to ensure service continuity and minimize any impact.

The alert recalled warnings issued during the height of the US-Israeli war on Iran, when Iranian attacks on targets in the Gulf region, where US military bases are located, prompted UAE authorities to send public safety messages.

GCC welcomes Oman announcement on evacuating sailors stranded in Hormuz

Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi welcomes an announcement by Oman that it will provide a temporary maritime corridor in the Strait of Hormuz, in coordination with the International Maritime Organization, to help evacuate over 11,000 stranded sailors.

He also condemns in a statement what he called Iranian threats to freedom of navigation in the strait.

Fertilizer shipments begin exiting through Strait of Hormuz

Fertilizer shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have begun picking up following an interim deal to end the Iran war, data shows, though analysts say it will take time before they return to pre-conflict levels and provide relief to the market.

Before the US and Israel launched the war on February 28, about a third of globally traded urea — the world’s most widely used fertilizer — and nearly half of seaborne sulphur, a key input, typically flowed through the strait.

The near closure of the critical waterway for most of the conflict, however, sharply reduced those shipments.

Since the deal between Washington and Tehran was announced on June 15, around 640,000 metric tons of sulphur — critical for making fertilizers like diammonium phosphate, or DAP — have left the strait for destinations including Indonesia, Morocco, Tanzania and China, according to the latest analysis of flows by price reporting agency Argus. That compares to a total of just 80,000 tons over the course of the 3-1/2 month war.

Some 427,000 tons of urea, meanwhile, have also transited the strait in the wake of the interim deal, versus 275,000 tons during the war, the latest data from consultants CRU showed.

Shipments of other key fertilizers like phosphates and the fertilizer input ammonia have also edged up post-deal.

Bucking threats from Hamas, hundreds in Gaza seen protesting terror group for 1st time in a year

Footage circulating on social media shows what appears to be hundreds of Palestinians taking part in protests against against Hamas in multiple locations throughout the Gaza Strip.

Today’s demonstrations were planned several weeks in advance, with anti-Hamas activists pledging a major turnout on today’s date of July 26.

But as the date approached, Hamas operatives began issuing threats against Gazans considering taking part in the protests, which may well have impacted turnout.

The protesters are carrying signs reading, “God willing, Hamas out,” “We are not pawns,” and “We want to live.” In one video, chants of “Enough with the destruction” (of Gaza) can be heard.

It’s unclear where exactly the protests are taking place in Gaza.

Earlier today, the Facebook page “June 26 Revolution” called for demonstrations at 18 different locations across the Strip.

https://x.com/IhabHassane/status/2070487117461864686?s=20

It marks the first organized anti-Hamas protest in Gaza since the wave of demonstrations in the spring and summer of 2025.

Footage of the protests has not been aired by Gaza’s major media outlets, which are affiliated with Hamas.

Instead, it is circulating on social media, mainly by journalists and activists based outside the Gaza Strip.

Earlier this week, several Gaza residents told The Times of Israel that Hamas had warned journalists in Gaza not to cover the protests.

غزة الصوت النابض pic.twitter.com/egqcX2wMAt

— الناشط حمزة المصري (@hamza198708) June 26, 2026

Staff from Russia’s state nuclear corporation to return to Iran’s Bushehr plant if situation remains stable — CEO

Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom plans to send staff back to Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant in the coming weeks if the situation there remains stable, its CEO Alexei Likhachev says.

Rosatom, which is building two new units at Bushehr, evacuated hundreds of staff after the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28.

German court tries two men over alleged Iran-backed anti-Jewish plots

Two men went on trial in Germany today, accused of planning attacks on prominent pro-Israel public figures and spying on Jews on behalf of the Iranian secret services.

Danish national Ali S. is charged with espionage, attempted murder, attempted arson and sabotage, while his alleged Afghan accomplice, Tawab M., is accused of attempted murder.

Ali S. allegedly spied on the head of the German-Israeli Society, the former Greens MP Volker Beck, as part of plans to assassinate him, according to prosecutors.

He is also accused of spying on the president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, as well as two Jewish grocers in Berlin, as part of plans to carry out arson attacks.

Prosecutors say Ali S. in early 2025 took orders from the Quds Force, the foreign operations branch of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The two men were remanded in custody in Germany following their arrest last year in Denmark and subsequent extradition.

Both defendants exercised their right to remain silent after the indictment was read out, Marayke Frantzen, a spokeswoman for the court in Hamburg, tells AFP.

IDF says it killed 7 Hezbollah operatives transporting weapons near its south Lebanon buffer zone

The Israeli Air Force struck and killed seven Hezbollah operatives in southern Lebanon this morning, after they were identified transporting weapons near Israel’s buffer zone, the military says.

The IDF says the operatives were spotted by troops of the Egoz Commando Unit near the village of Manzleh moving weapons into a structure “used as a combat and observation post” and to prepare to carry out attacks on troops.

“The terrorists’ actions at the post alongside the presence of the weapons within it constituted a threat to the soldiers,” the military says.

شاهدوا التوثيق: قضى جيش الدفاع على سبعة مخربين من منظمة حزب الله الإرهابية لإزالة تهديد، بعد أن نقلوا وسائل قتالية بالقرب من قوات جيش الدفاع في جنوب لبنان

🔸هاجم سلاح الجو، بتوجيه من قوات وحدة "إيغوز"، في وقت سابق من اليوم (الجمعة)، وقضى على سبعة مخربين من منظمة حزب الله… pic.twitter.com/4n7aXDY1qq

— Lieutenant Colonel Ella Waweya | إيلا واوية (@CaptainElla1) June 26, 2026

Venezuela earthquakes toll more than doubles to 589

The official death toll from twin earthquakes in Venezuela has more than doubled to 589, interim president Delcy Rodriguez says, as rescuers raced to find survivors beneath collapsed buildings.

“Regrettably, we now have 589 people who died,” Rodriguez tells a televised meeting with military and civilian officials. The previous official toll had been 235.

Katz issues another threat against Iran — this time in Persian

Defense Minister Israel Katz tweets in Persian that any Iranian attack on Israel would be Tehran’s “biggest mistake.”

Katz calls out Iran Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani after the latter said on Thursday that if Israel did not withdraw voluntarily from south Lebanon, it would eventually be forced to leave in defeat.

فرمانده نیروی قدس، قاآنی، این روزها مدام اسرائیل را تهدید می‌کند.

به نظر می‌رسد نقش یک جاسوس و خائن خیلی بیشتر از این ژست‌های مضحکِ تهدید به او می‌آید.

در هر صورت اگر جمهوری اسلامی به اسرائیل حمله کند، بزرگ‌ترین اشتباه خود را مرتکب خواهد شد.

نه هرمز به آن‌ها کمک خواهد کرد و نه…

— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) June 26, 2026

Hundreds attend Pride parade in flashpoint southern town of Mitzpe Ramon: ‘Here to stay’

Hundreds of people attend the sixth annual Pride parade in the small southern town of Mitzpe Ramon, where a conservative religious group with ties to the local leadership posted anti-LGBTQ propaganda ahead of the march.

Footage from the parade, which takes place under heavy security, shows dozens of marchers clad in pink chanting, “here to stay.”

The parade draws several opposition lawmakers and primary candidates from the left-leaning Democrats party.

“We won’t leave any city or child behind,” writes Democrats MK Naama Lazimi on X. “We’ll keep fighting for real education and equality all over the country.”

טוב בן קוויר מבן גביר (הכלב) !
דש ממצעד הגאווה המרגש במצפה רמון. @itamarbengvir יא כלום ושום דבר. תענוג איך השוטרים שלך פה שומרים עלינו וזורמים יפה עם חולצות פאק בן גביר ומלא שלטים שמזכירים לכל העיירה איזה אפס אתה. #מצעד_הגאווה_מצפה_רמון pic.twitter.com/w4fyIMpvQw

— Avi Blecherman 🇺🇦 (@AviBlecherman) June 26, 2026

Michal Romi, one of the organizers of the Mitzpe Ramon parade, said in a column on the Mako news site yesterday that, despite hostility from the local government, “we’re still here, trying to live our life, and reminding that if freedom disappears in Mitzpe Ramon, then Tel Aviv is also in danger.”

She tells the Ynet news site today that the local religious community launched a campaign this morning “to intimidate the LGBTQ community” this morning with anti-LGBTQ messages posted across the town.

Photos from the town of about 5,800 show banners and flyers extolling traditional families, and reading “family wins” and “there is no pride without family” against a silhouette of a traditional family and an Israeli flag.

The material is promoted by and bears the insignia of Bocharim BaMishpacha (Choosing Family), a conservative Zionist religious group supported by prominent arch-conservative rabbi Zvi Tau, the spiritual leader of the anti-LGBTQ Noam party.

מצפה רמון.
גאווה. יהודית. pic.twitter.com/NW4akbetCD

— בוחרים במשפחה (@mishpach) June 26, 2026

Tau’s disciple Rabbi Zvi Kostiner, another prominent backer of the party, heads Mitzpe Ramon’s Midbara K’Eden yeshiva, among the largest yeshivas in Israel that are aligned with Tau.

The yeshiva, founded in 1999, is at the locus of the town’s religious community. A graduate, Eliya Winter, became local council head in 2024.

Without mentioning the anti-Pride fliers and banners, Winter writes on Facebook today that, “for the entire past month, there have been efforts by irresponsible parties to cause tension. The media, thirsty for a juicy story about communities fighting in Mitzpe Ramon, was listening constantly, but to its dismay it did not get what it wanted.”

Kostiner, the rosh yeshiva, sparked controversy when, amid his community’s efforts to scrap the parade’s 2022 edition, he told students, “don’t be shy, be brave, wherever you work, say: ‘Go home LGBTQ, go home gays’.”

Police at the time planned to move the parade to the outskirts of Mitzpe Ramon, citing security concerns, but the High Court, responding to petitions by the LGBTQ community, ordered the parade to be held on its original path.

IDF reportedly drops flyers in southern Lebanese village warning residents to stay away

Lebanese media reports that flyers were dropped by an IDF drone over the southern Lebanon town of Mansouri, close to Tyre.

“Danger Zone! Stay Away! Any approach toward Israeli army forces puts you in danger,” reads the flyers.

There is no immediate confirmation from the IDF.

صورة للمناشير التي القاها العـ دو في المنصوري pic.twitter.com/Hh72S04xBj

— مصدر مسؤول (@fouadkhreiss) June 26, 2026

Dozens of demonstrators call for Haredi draft in Bnei Brak in response to chaotic anti-draft protests

Dozens of protesters are rallying in the ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak, calling for Haredi men to be drafted into the military, in response to anti-draft protests earlier this week.

Footage shows protesters calling for “equal responsibilities,” and a scuffle with a Haredi pedestrian on the road at the Coca-Cola Junction.

Footage also shows protesters blocking traffic.

IDF soldiers, including those in reservist and mandatory service, and mothers of soldiers, are participating in the rally.

המפגינים בבני ברק חסמו את רחוב כהנמן המרכזי למעבר כלי רכב. במקום החלו עימותים עם תובעם שניסו לעבור. בחלוף כמה דקות הגיעה המשטרה, כעת התנועה פתוחה לסירוגין pic.twitter.com/oK23q4Upqu

— Yair Foldes (@Yair_Foldes) June 26, 2026

"שוויון חובות": חילונים חוסמים את הכניסה לבני ברק בתגובה להפגנות נגד הגיוס pic.twitter.com/Qi0Xr5MLIR

— יואלי ברים yoeli brim (@yoeli_brim) June 26, 2026

6 teens indicted on terror charges for allegedly burning West Bank mosque with people inside

Six teenagers accused of participating in a settler attack on a West Bank Palestinian village are indicted on terror charges today, after allegedly setting fire to a mosque while worshipers were inside.

The defendants, five minors and an 18-year-old, are accused of joining up with other extremists on June 14 to commit a “string of violent acts, arson and harm to property and human life out of a nationalist motive,” police say.

According to the prosecutors, the group descended on the village of Deir Dibwan, east of Ramallah, while wearing face coverings and armed with knives, tear gas, gloves, and combustible material.

There, the defendants allegedly set a fire at the entrance to the village’s local mosque during prayer, using a flammable substance that injured one worshiper’s eye when an assailant sprayed it at him.

The assailants targeted private homes, setting a family’s porch ablaze while they were inside, and torched five vehicles in the town, police say. They also allegedly set fire to agricultural land surrounding the community.

The defendants are charged in the Jerusalem District Court on a string of violent offenses, including rioting, arson under terrorist circumstances, racially-motivated property damage, and racially-motivated assault.

Iran says Hormuz passage cannot be assured without coordination with Tehran

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran’s ⁠deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi says safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz cannot be guaranteed without coordination with Iran, and that failure to coordinate may result in the suspension of any designated route.

The comments posted on social media platform X on Friday come after Oman, in coordination with the International Maritime Organization, designated temporary routes for passage through the strait.

Lebanon’s Aoun backs French-Italian initiative for multinational force to succeed UNIFIL

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Lebanese President Joseph Aoun welcomes France and Italy’s efforts to set up a multinational coalition to succeed the UN peacekeeping force in his country, whose mandate expires at the end of the year.

In a statement, Aoun calls the initiative “a sincere expression of the international commitment to supporting Lebanon’s sovereignty and stability.”

On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that France and Italy “want to launch a coalition for the post-UNIFIL arrangement, obviously in coordination with the European Union and the United Nations, to strengthen Lebanon’s sovereignty and that of its armed forces” and prevent its territory from being “a foothold for regional escalation.”

Hezbollah’s Qassem says Israel must leave Lebanon ‘unconditionally,’ terror group will not accept ‘normalization’

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem says Israel has “no option” but to unconditionally withdraw from Lebanese areas it occupies, and he rejected any normalization in ties between the countries.

“Israel has no option but to withdraw completely from every inch of our Lebanese land… Israel must leave unconditionally,” he says in a televised address to tens of thousands of supporters marking Ashura.

As Lebanese and Israeli officials hold direct talks in Washington, Qassem says his terror group would accept “no normalization, no cancellation of the state of hostility, no gains for Israel, and no partial presence on Lebanese soil… Israel must leave humiliated and defeated, and that is what will happen.”

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Iran says US military presence in Gulf source of regional insecurity, Hormuz must be run by it and Oman

Iran says that a joint statement by the US and the Gulf Cooperation Council contained “interventionist, irresponsible and provocative positions,” and says the US military presence in the Gulf was a source of insecurity and division in the region.

In the statement by Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Tehran also reiterates its position that the Strait of Hormuz should be governed with Oman in line with the terms of MOU with the United States.

Hezbollah chief says Iran deal marks a declaration of defeat for Israel and US

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem says that the US-Iran deal signed last week was a declaration of defeat for Israel and America, after the agreement also reduced fighting between his terror group and Israel.

“They wanted a major war… to eliminate our existence,” Qassem says in a televised address to mark Ashura, a day of mourning for the death of a key figure in Shia Islam.

“We were able to stop this aggression and achieve a great victory… We have shattered the Israeli-American project and entered a new phase,” he adds. Iran “was able to reach the memorandum of understanding, which is an official declaration of the defeat of America and Israel.”

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Montenegrin police nab Iranian suspected of severe hacking attacks on US

BELGRADE, Serbia — Montenegrin police and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested an Iranian national suspected of hacking attacks that damaged US infrastructure to the tune of $3.4 billion, Montenegrin police say.

The 39-year-old man, with dual Iranian and Turkish citizenship, is sought by the Southern District Court in New York on charges including conspiracy to commit computer fraud, hacking, and identity theft.

He was arrested in the Adriatic coastal resort of Kotor, Montenegro’s police directorate says.

“From 2013 onward, … he carried out massive hacking attacks … targeting more than 150 universities in the United States, causing damage estimated at over $3.4 billion,” it adds in a statement.

The case will now go to a High Court judge in Montenegro’s capital of Podgorica for extradition proceedings, the police adds.

The acquired data, as well as access to compromised university accounts, were used for the benefit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other Iranian entities, including universities, it says.

The FBI is not immediately available for comment.

Belgian police say it identified suspects behind March attack on Liege synagogue

BRUSSELS, Belgium — Belgian police say it has identified the suspects behind an attack against a synagogue in Liege in March, which was considered an antisemitic act.

They give no details about the suspects, and a spokesperson declines to make any further comment.

An explosion hit the synagogue at around 4 a.m. on March 9, blowing out its windows, as well as those of a building on the opposite side of the road, but left no injuries.

IDF: 4 soldiers hurt in clash with Hezbollah operative in southern Lebanon

Four IDF soldiers, including two officers, were injured in a clash with a Hezbollah gunman in southern Lebanon last night, the military says.

A combat officer was moderately hurt in the incident, and another officer and the two soldiers were lightly hurt, the IDF says.

They were taken to the hospital for treatment, and their families were notified.

According to an IDF probe of the incident, at around 10 p.m. last night in the Beit Yahoun area, a Hezbollah operative who was hiding in a building threw a grenade at Israeli troops, causing the injuries.

Within a few minutes, the forces returned fire, killing the operative, the probe finds.

The IDF also struck several Hezbollah sites in the area with artillery and airstrikes following the attack.

US-Iran MOU gives nuclear inspectors access to sites, UN watchdog chief insists

TOKYO, Japan — The US-Iran memorandum of understanding gives inspectors from the UN nuclear watchdog access to Iran, the agency’s chief says, after Tehran indicated that key sites would remain off-limits until a final deal with Washington is reached and sanctions are lifted.

“There is an agreement, and to comply with that agreement, the IAEA will have to have access and inspect,” International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi says at a news conference in Japan. “We hope to be there soon.”

IAEA chief says ‘very strong’ verification system needed for Iran nuclear program

TOKYO, Japan — A “very strong” verification system is needed in Iran following the Middle East conflict to ensure that the country does not develop nuclear weapons, the UN atomic watchdog chief says.

“I think the objective of this (recent US-Iran) agreement is to ensure that there is no development of nuclear weapons in Iran. The government of Iran has declared quite clearly that this is not their intention,” Rafael Grossi tells reporters in Japan.

“But of course intentions are not enough. We have to have a very strong verification system in place… as soon as is practicable,” Grossi says.

South Korea says three more of its stranded vessels are set to leave Hormuz

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung says that three additional vessels are set to depart the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend.

He adds that this will leave five South Korean cargo ships trapped in the key waterway since the beginning of the US-Israel war with Iran, when the latter imposed a closure on the strait.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

US considering relocating some Gulf bases damaged by Iran to Israel — WSJ

The United States is reassessing its military posture in the Middle East, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal that cited satellite imagery revealing far more extensive damage at a key naval base in Bahrain than the US has publicly acknowledged.

The report says the US is considering refurnishing the base in Bahrain while shrinking its military footprint in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, instead moving bases and operations westward where they would be further away from Iran’s missiles and drones.

One location where some bases could relocate to is Israel, two of the officials cited in the report tell the Journal.

Saudi Aramco resumes oil loading at Ras Tanura after 4-month halt, shipping data shows

Saudi Aramco has resumed oil loading at its Ras Tanura terminal after a near four-month halt, shipping data shows.

Two very large crude carriers were seen loading crude at the Gulf terminal, while another waits nearby, the data shows.

Israel-Lebanon talks extended an extra day as deal on IDF withdrawal remains elusive

Israel and Lebanon will wrap up their third day of US-mediated talks in Washington without an agreement on a partial Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, but the sides have agreed to extend negotiations for a fourth day that will take place Friday at the State Department, an Israeli embassy spokesperson tells The Times of Israel.

The fifth round was supposed to wrap up Thursday at the State Department, with the US hoping it would culminate with the signing of a framework agreement that would include Israel partially withdrawing from small areas of its large buffer zone in southern Lebanon. Israeli troops would then be replaced by members of the Lebanese Armed Forces.

The areas were this changing of the guard are planned for have been dubbed “pilot zones.” An Israeli source argued that it could barely be called a withdrawal because the IDF would still be maintaining its six mile-deep buffer zone in southern Lebanon and only pulling back from areas that it already cleared of Hezbollah infrastructure.

In some cases, the IDF has gone about clearing that infrastructure by razing entire Lebanese villages along the Israeli border to the ground, arguing that Hezbollah was using much of them to plan and carry out attacks against Israel.

Despite the lack of an agreement between Israel and Lebanon, a source familiar with the talks tells The Times of Israel that the sides made progress on Thursday after a rocky first two days.

Both Israel and Lebanon came into what was the fifth round of negotiations furious at the US for the latter’s decision to sign a deal with Iran last week that included a ceasefire in Lebanon.

Israel and Lebanon argued that that memorandum of understanding undercut a key element of their direct talks, which the US specifically established to try and prevent Iran from having a say on affairs in Lebanon.

The US conduct led Israel to initially harden its position in talks with Lebanon this week, significantly limiting the areas from southern Lebanon from which it said it was prepared to withdraw, the source says.

Lebanon, meanwhile, felt that it had to take a harder line in negotiations with Israel to counter the notion that Iran wields greater influence over affairs in Lebanese territory than it does, the sources says.

Accordingly, Lebanese negotiators presented maps for a proposed withdrawal that were more expansive than what Israel was willing to accept at this stage — which was already very little due to the political pressures Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is facing, the source adds.

The past 24 hours saw gaps between the sides on a potential Israeli withdrawal shrink, though still not enough for a deal to be reached, the source says.

However, due to significant US pressure on the parties to leave this week’s negotiations with some sort of deal, they have agreed to return to the State Department on Friday to see if a consensus can be reached, the source says.

Reward for info on murder of NYC Jewish man raised to $20,000

The NYPD and the family of Albert Itzkowitz, a Jewish man shot to death in Queens last month, increase the reward for information about his killing to $20,000.

The reward for information had been $10,000.

Itzkowitz, 75, was found shot in the neck and back on the shore of Kissena Lake on May 18.

More than a month after his murder in Kissena Park, I joined the family of Albert Itzkowitz to announce they’re doubling the $10K reward offered by Crimestoppers to $20K for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrator. If you saw something, please call (800) 577-8477. pic.twitter.com/4WQYW2w6V8

— Sandra Ung 黄敏仪 (@CMSandraUng) June 25, 2026

Investigators have ruled his death a homicide.

There is still no information about a motive or suspect.

Itzkowitz’s family have said they suspect the killing was a hate crime, although the NYPD has not confirmed a bias motive.

Itzkowitz had owned a bakery in Queens and volunteered as an EMT.

Nily Rozic, an Israeli-American New York State Assemblymember from Queens, said, “Someone knows what happened in Kissena Park, and we urge anyone with information—no matter how insignificant it may seem—to come forward.”

“The Itzkowitz family deserves justice, and our community deserves accountability,” she said.

Trump says US to soon buy farm goods with unfrozen Iranian funds

US President Donald Trump says the United States will soon buy wheat, soybeans and corn from American farmers using Iranian assets that have been frozen under US sanctions.

Iran has denied that its funds will be used for such purposes or that the US will be able to dictate where they are spent.

Despite objections, Trump notifies US Congress of $700M jet engine sale to Turkey

US President Donald Trump’s administration has formally notified Congress of its intention to sell more than $700 million of jet engines to Turkey, according to two sources and a copy of the formal notification seen by Reuters.

Reuters was first to report on Wednesday that the Trump administration planned to press ahead with the sale despite objections from some lawmakers over Turkey’s continued possession of Russian defense systems it acquired in 2019.

The move is an important gesture to Ankara ahead of a pivotal NATO summit there next month and to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, whom Trump considers a key ally.

The State Department doesn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

UN says Hormuz evacuation paused after attack on ship in Gulf of Oman

The evacuation of around 11,000 mariners stranded by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has been suspended after an attack on a vessel in the Gulf of Oman, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) says.

The UN’s maritime agency said earlier this week it would begin evacuating 600 ships and their crews that were trapped by the US-Iran war, after Washington and Tehran agreed a preliminary deal to end the conflict.

But a cargo ship was damaged by an unknown projectile off the Omani coast in the strategic strait on Thursday, prompting the IMO to halt the operation.

“I have decided to temporarily pause (the evacuation plan’s) implementation in order to reconfirm that the necessary safety guarantees continue to be in place for the ships on our evacuation list and all those in the region,” IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez says in a statement.

The vessel that was hit on Thursday was not traveling under the IMO’s evacuation framework, which began on Tuesday evening, Dominguez says.

Hezbollah claims civilians killed in earlier Israeli strike targeting its operatives

Iran-backed Hezbollah accuses Israel of a “flagrant” ceasefire breach, saying it launched a drone and killed three civilians in southern Lebanon.

The terrorist group says the strike was a “direct attack” on “civilians,” after Lebanon’s health ministry reported three people were killed in a strike on a car in Mayfadoun — without identifying them. The Israel Defense Forces earlier said five Hezbollah operatives were killed in the strike. The reason for the discrepancy between the figures isn’t immediately clear.

Hezbollah says it was the third “flagrant violation” by Israel “of the ceasefire to which it has committed itself so far.”