President Donald Trump has threatened to “take over” Iran after Tehran vowed to close the Strait of Hormuz following alleged US and Israeli ceasefire breaches.
Speaking to Fox News, Trump said he had told Iranian officials: “You close the strait and you won't have a country. You won’t even make it back to your f****** country, we’ll take over the rest of the country.”
Iran said it would close the crucial waterway to tankers, but the US military had said that traffic continued to flow through the Strait and the US is monitoring the situation to ensure that continues.
The US president also warned in a post on Truth Social that the US will strike “very hard again” if it does not prevent Lebanese militants Hezbollah from “causing trouble”.
The threats come as vice president JD Vance formally launches negotiations in Switzerland between the US and Iran over curbing Tehran’s nuclear program and establishing long-term peace.
Tehran’s negotiators, including parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, along with central bank and oil officials, are already in the Swiss city of Zurich.
Key Points
- Trump threatens to occupy Iran over Tehran's Strait of Hormuz threats
- US president threatens to strike Iran if it does not curb Hezbollah
- Vance says Trump asked him to turn over 'new leaf' with Iran - before the President's latest threats
- Vance lands in Switzerland to launch talks with Iran
- Iran says it will close Strait of Hormuz after alleged ceasefire breaches
- US military denies that Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz
Analysis: The Trump administration is angry with Netanyahu - but it won’t break with Israel’s far right
15:50 , Maira Butt
Donald Trump and his deputy JD Vance have been stamping their feet over Israel’s continued war in Lebanon, which could stymie the US president’s only hope of extracting himself from a war with Iran he started alongside Benjamin Netanyahu.
But Vance’s slap at far-right members of the Israeli cabinet - that “You’re a country of nine million people. You can’t just kill your way out of solving every single national security problem that you have” - does not mean that Israel is likely to remain the dominant partner.
Clues to how powerful Israel’s religious right has been in driving American policy lie not in conspiracies, but in two widely circulated documents that have led the US to war in the Middle East twice.
One, “A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm”, was produced, officially, as a policy paper for Netanyahu in his first term as prime minister.
Read the full analysis by The Independent’s world affairs editor Sam Kiley:
Why the Trump administration won’t break with Israel’s far right
Watch: Vance claims Trump has done more to stop Lebanon conflict ‘than any government in the world’
15:38 , Maira Butt
In pictures: Switzerland prepares for technical US-Iran technical talks
15:20 , Maira Butt
Vance says Trump asked him to turn over 'new leaf' with Iran - before the President's latest threats
15:10 , Alex Croft
Just minutes before Donald Trump launched several bombastic threats on Iran, JD Vance gave an update on peace talks with a high-level Tehran delegation in Switzerland.
The vice president touched down to launch the first negotiations - beginning with technical talks - on curbing Tehran’s nuclear program and establishing long-term peace.
Vance said Trump had asked to turn over "a new leaf" to transform the US-Iranian relationship, adding that the talks would allow for both sides to sit together and work to resolve issues.
But the US president’s latest threats to “take over” Iran if it closes the Strait of Hormuz, and warning that the US will strike “very hard” if it does not curb Hezbollah’s actions, may have called such intentions into question.
Watch: Trump tells Iran 'we'll take over the rest of the country'
15:02 , Alex Croft
Trump threatens to occupy Iran: "President Trump tells Fox News he spoke with Iranian officials overnight and said, 'You close the strait and you won't have a country.' He went on to tell these officials, 'You won't even make it back to your f**king country ... we'll take over… pic.twitter.com/H28P8AIpsG
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 21, 2026
Netanyahu will try and undermine Trump’s Iran peace plan despite president’s warnings: report
14:50 , Maira Butt
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will likely try to undermine Donald Trump’s deal with Iran, U.S. intelligence officials have reportedly warned the administration.
Current and former U.S. officials told The Washington Post Netanyahu is intent on continuing operations in Lebanon despite an agreement signed by President Trump earlier this week.
The Israeli leader is facing intense political pressure to continue the conflict, that has run in parallel to the joint attacks on Iran he launched alongside the United States in February.
Israel’s Netanyahu will try and undermine Trump’s fragile Iran peace plan: report
Trump threatens to occupy Iran over Tehran's Strait of Hormuz threats
14:43 , Alex Croft
We’re getting more in from the US president, with reports now saying he has threatened to occupy Iran.
Trump told Fox News he spoke to Iranian officials about the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran said it will close.
“’You close the strait and you won't have a country,’” the US president claims to have told Iran.
“You won’t even make it back to your f****** country, we’ll take over the rest of the country,” he said.
Breaking: Trump threatens to strike Iran if it does not curb Hezbollah
14:39 , Alex Croft
Donald Trump has just issued yet another threat against Iran, warning that the US will strike “very hard again” if it does not prevent Hezbollah
“Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble,” he wrote on Truth Social.
Israel has continued launching attacks on southern Lebanon, which it says are a response to Hezbollah attacks on targets in the region.
“If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!” the president added.
Israeli soldiers in Lebanon are free to take action if under threat, Israel's Katz says
14:20 , Maira Butt
Israeli soldiers are free to act without restriction to eliminate threats in Lebanon, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday, adding troops remained in position in what Israel refers to as a security zone.
A ceasefire with Iran-backed Hezbollah took effect on Friday after months of escalating violence, but on Saturday Israeli strikes killed at least 20 people in Lebanon, Lebanon's state news agency NNA reported.
Israel said the strikes were a response to projectiles fired by the Iran-backed group at its troops in southern Lebanon, prompting attacks on what an Israeli official described as "Hezbollah targets".
Iranian officials have said Lebanon is the focal point for Sunday's peace talks with the United States in Switzerland after Washington and Tehran signed a fra.mework to halt the war between them that began at the end of February, escalating tension across the region.
The Israeli military invaded parts of southern Lebanon. Hezbollah maintains it has the right to fight Israeli forces in Lebanon, but would halt attacks on northern Israel.
Witkoff and Kushner in Switzerland as talks get underway
13:49 , Maira Butt
New poll reveals 92 per cent of Israelis believe Iran has won the war
13:30 , Maira Butt
A new poll says 92 per cent of the Israeli public believe Iran has emerged the winner in the conflict with the US and Israel.
According to the survey conducted by the Hebrew University and Agam Labs, the vast majority of the Israel population have a negative view of Donald Trump’s deal agreed this week between the US and Iran, which includes a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The poll suggests that 82.9 per cent of Israelis believe the military campaign against Iran has weakened Israel’s long-term security and 86 per cent have a negative attitude towards the outcome of the conflict.
New poll reveals 92 per cent of Israelis believe Iran has won the war
Trump threatens 'Guardian Angel' toll amid reported Hormuz closure
13:00 , Maira Butt
President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a Guardian Angel toll amid reports that the Strait of Hormuz is now closed.
He did not address the reports directly but said that he would impose a US toll if Iran did not stick to the agreement signed earlier this week but Tehran has accused the US and Israel of violating the ceasefire.
“And there will be no tolls after the 60 day period has expired, unless they are imposed by and for the United States of America, should the deal not be completed, for services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East for purposes of both past, present, and future reimbursement of costs,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Saturday.
Read Trump’s 14 point Iran peace deal in full
12:23 , Maira Butt
Nearly four months after the U.S. started its war with Iran, Donald Trump has signed a long-awaited deal to end the war, restore global shipping and resolve an abiding dispute over Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Details of a 14 point plan were previously released by US officials, with an official signing ceremony expected to take place in Switzerland on Friday. However, it emerged on Wednesday evening that it had already been signed by the US president and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson said any further Israeli attacks on Lebanon would be considered a breach of the terms of the deal. With Israel having continued its strikes on the country’s south, there remain concerns the deal could still fall apart.
Read Trump’s 14 point Iran peace deal in full after US announces signing of agreement
From Meloni to Macron: How Trump’s relationships with Europe’s leaders fell apart one by one
11:30 , Maira Butt
Donald Trump has sparked an international spat with Italy, after he was accused of “serious and offensive” remarks about prime minister Giorgia Meloni.
Deputy prime minister Antonio Tajani cancelled a scheduled trip to the US over the comments claiming that they “offend all of Italy”.
The bizarre dispute appears to have started with claims Meloni wanted to take a picture with the US leader, before spiralling into personal attacks shared on social media.
But this is far from the first time that Trump has rubbed world leaders the wrong way.
From Meloni to Macron: How Trump’s relationships with Europe’s leaders fell apart
Meeting with Iran, US and intermediaries planned on Sunday, says Iranian foreign ministry
11:00 , Maira Butt
A quadrilateral meeting between Iran, the United States, Qatar and Pakistan will be held at the Buergenstock mountaintop resort in Switzerland on Sunday afternoon, Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson to Iranian state media.
Esmaeil Baghaei said that Iran would hold meetings with intermediaries Qatar and Pakistan earlier in the day, adding that the gathering in Switzerland is a follow up on the implementation of a memorandum of understanding signed with the US this week.
JD Vance and Iran's Araghchi and Ghalibaf touch down in Switzerland
10:36 , Maira Butt
US vice president JD Vance, Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and speaker of Iran’s parliament, Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf have touched down in Switzerland for high-stakes technical talks.
The discussion will centre on the details of a US-Iran memorandum of understanding signed by Donald Trump this week.
Strait of Hormuz remains closed, military source tells Iran's Fars news
10:29 , Maira Butt
Iran's Fars news agency cited a military source as saying on Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and the Revolutionary Guards Navy has not issued permission for any vessels to transit until further notice.
The United States and Iran had agreed to a 60-day ceasefire for peace deal negotiations, but Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Saturday declared the Strait of Hormuz shut in response to Israeli strikes in Lebanon, though the US military said commercial vessels were still operating.
Vance has denied that the waterway is shut.
Watch: JD Vance departs for Switzerland as Lebanon fighting threatens to hinder Iran talks
09:59 , Maira Butt
Pakistan PM and army chief to participate in technical-level talks in Switzerland today
08:00 , Arpan Rai
Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir will participate in the technical-level talks being held in Burgenstock, Switzerland on 21 June, the PM's office announced yesterday.
The country's foreign ministry said US and Iranian representatives would participate in the meeting, along with mediators from Pakistan and Qatar.
It added that Sharif will also meet separately with each delegation from Iran, Switzerland and the United States “to reaffirm Pakistan’s enduring commitment to dialogue and durable peace in the region”.
Democrats says US-Iran MoU 'already falling apart'
07:45 , Arpan Rai
The Democrats are condemning the visible breaking points of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding.
Johnny Olszewski, a Democratic congressman from Maryland, said Trump’s “war of choice” was a “disaster”.
“The dressed up ceasefire masquerading as a ‘deal’ is already falling apart,” he wrote in a post on X. “Americans deserve better.”
Pramila Jayapal, another Democratic member of Congress, underlined the cost of the war on Iran and said Republicans had cut Medicare, a US health programme, to fund this conflict.
“They are not confused about what we want. They just work for someone else,” Jayapal said.
Watch: Trump boasts about $400m Air Force One plane gifted from Qatar
07:30 , Arpan Rai
Key agreements between US-Iran to end the war
07:16 , Arpan Rai
- The agreement signed by Donald Trump and Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian immediately allows Tehran to sell its oil more freely and includes sanctions-relief measures.
- The deal paves the way for Iran to tap into billions of dollars in assets that are currently frozen.
- It also calls for Iran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, believed to be buried under nuclear sites that were targeted in US strikes last summer.
- The agreement says commercial vessels can pass through the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days without a charge, but does not preclude future fees imposed by Iran.
- Trump made his own threat on Saturday to levy US tolls on the strait if there is no deal with Iran in 60 days, insisting in a social media post that the money would be for “services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East”.
In photos: Vance's convoy reaches the Swiss venue for peace talks with Tehran
07:05 , Arpan Rai
Why Fifa has banned Iran’s pre-revolutionary flag at World Cup
06:44 , Arpan Rai
Iranian Americans initiated protests at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles before Iran’s World Cup 2026 opener against New Zealand and others displayed the banned pre-revolutionary flag despite Fifa’s ban being upheld.
Some had called on Iranians to unite and forget politics but others displayed symbols of protest against the government.
The World Cup 2026 has left fans split, with some excited to see their team play football on the biggest stage of the sport, though others remain overwhelmingly angry at Tehran's crackdown on protesters, with concern over Washington's bombing campaign.
Some Iranians have stayed away from the match with the belief that attending the Group G match would serve as support for Iran's government.
Read more here:
Why Fifa has banned Iran’s pre-revolutionary flag at World Cup
Fighting persists in Lebanon threatening progress in US-Iran peace talks
06:40 , Arpan Rai
Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday killed at least seven people, including two children, hours after reports emerged of a ceasefire agreement. The persistent fighting threatened an interim agreement between the United States and Iran to end the war in the Middle East.
Lebanon’s National News Agency said the strikes hit the southern town of Nabatiyeh and nearby villages. At least seven people remained trapped under the rubble, it said.
Mediators were scrambling to halt the fighting between Israel and the militant Lebanese Hezbollah group, after a heavy exchange on Friday killed at least 47 people in Lebanon and four Israeli soldiers.
An Israeli military official said Hezbollah had fired more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon overnight, prompting the military to start targeting the militant group there. The official spoke anonymously in line with regulations.
Netanyahu will try and undermine Trump’s Iran peace plan: report
06:29 , Arpan Rai
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will likely try to undermine Donald Trump’s deal with Iran, US intelligence officials have reportedly warned the administration.
Current and former US officials told The Washington Post Netanyahu is intent on continuing operations in Lebanon despite an agreement signed by president Trump earlier this week.
The Israeli leader is facing intense political pressure to continue the conflict, that has run in parallel to the joint attacks on Iran he launched alongside the United States in February.
But continued strikes in Lebanon - the latest of which left 16 dead on Saturday - risk deepening the growing and increasingly public cracks in Netanyahu’s relationship with the Trump administration.
Israel’s Netanyahu will try and undermine Trump’s fragile Iran peace plan: report
Iran proposes highest-stake position for oil industry in deal
06:23 , Arpan Rai
Iran’s oil minister Mohsen Paknejad has sought the biggest role for the country’s oil industry in the post-war scenario.
The war-hit nation’s oil industry will be “the largest platform for providing investment opportunities, technical and financial partnerships for the global economy,” he said, reported Shana news agency.
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner join Zurich talks
06:20 , Alex Woodward
Vice President JD Vance told Fox News on Saturday that President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner were already in Switzerland to deal “with some of the technical elements of this negotiation” with Iran.
The talks were initially scheduled for Friday.
Kushner and Witkoff told Vance that “things are going well.”
But Vance’s comments may have been premature; Iran claimed Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz was closed to maritime traffic, which the US denied.
Trump also said that the US could impose tolls if a deal doesn’t go though.
He wrote Saturday on Truth Social: “There will be NO TOLLS in the Hormuz Strait for 60 days during the Cease Fire Period, and there will be NO TOLLS after the 60 day period has expired, unless they are imposed by and for the United States of America, should the deal not be completed, for services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East for purposes of both past, present, and future reimbursement of costs.”
All we know about Trump's 'Guardian Angel' tax
06:19 , Arpan Rai
Donald Trump has introduced a new likely tax for ships crossing the Strait of Hormux if the ceasefire with Iran fails.
Trump said no toll will be charged for passage through the Strait of Hormuz during or after the 60-day interim ceasefire with Iran unless the US imposes one should peace talks fail.
This toll, Trump said, would cover the costs of America’s military and security role in the region, describing the US as a “Guardian Angel” for Middle Eastern countries.
“There will be NO TOLLS in the Hormuz Strait for 60 days during the Cease Fire Period, and there will be NO TOLLS after the 60 day period has expired, unless they are imposed by and for the United States of America, should the deal not be completed, for services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East for purposes of both past, present, and future reimbursement of costs," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
Watch: Iran closes Strait of Hormuz over ‘ceasefire violations’ days after Trump deal
05:59 , Arpan Rai
Children and Al Jazeera cameraman among six killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza
05:28 , Arpan Rai
Israeli strikes in Gaza on Saturday killed at least six people, including two children and a cameraman with broadcaster Al Jazeera, according to Palestinian health officials.
The first strike on Saturday hit an apartment in Gaza City around 2am, according to the ministry.
At the site, an Associated Press reporter saw rubble and chunks of concrete stained with blood.
The bodies of two sisters, four-year-old Zina and 14-year-old Lana, were sent to Shifa Hospital's morgue, where they lay in white hospital bags, surrounded by family members.
The Israeli military said it was looking into the incident.
On Saturday evening, three Israeli strikes killed four people and wounded at least a dozen others.
The first hit a house in central Gaza’s Bureij refugee camp without warning, killing three people, including Al Jazeera cameraman Ahmed Wishah, according to Al-Aqsa hospital. Al Jazeera confirmed Wishah's death.
Wishah’s brother Mohamed, who was a correspondent for Al Jazeera, was killed in an Israeli strike in April.
Vance lands in Switzerland to launch talks with Iran
05:20 , Arpan Rai
US vice president JD Vance has arrived in Switzerland to help formally launch negotiations with Iranian leaders over curbing Tehran’s nuclear program and building out the fragile interim deal to end the war in Iran.
He departed the US just after Iranian state TV said Iran’s negotiators had arrived in Switzerland.
Tehran’s negotiators include parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, along with central bank and oil officials.
Vance will be joining special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, president Donald Trump's son-in-law, who have already been on the ground to begin sifting through the technical details of the nuclear talks.
Democrats says US-Iran MoU 'already falling apart'
05:10 , Arpan Rai
The Democrats are condemning the visible breaking points of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding.
Johnny Olszewski, a Democratic congressman from Maryland, said Trump’s “war of choice” was a “disaster”.
“The dressed up ceasefire masquerading as a ‘deal’ is already falling apart,” he wrote in a post on X. “Americans deserve better.”
Pramila Jayapal, another Democratic member of Congress, underlined the cost of the war on Iran and said Republicans had cut Medicare, a US health programme, to fund this conflict.
“They are not confused about what we want. They just work for someone else,” Jayapal said.
JD Vance anticipates being in Switzerland 'only for a day or two'
05:05 , Alex Woodward
A high-stakes meeting in Zurich may be brief.
Before leaving for Switzerland on Saturday, US Vice President JD Vance say he expects to spend “a day or two.”
“I can only be there for a day or two,” he told reporters before boarding a small jet bound for Switzerland
“I think we’re going to hopefully make progress on the nuclear issue, make progress on the Lebanon ceasefire issue,” he said.
Vice President JD Vance is wheels up from Washington, D.C., en route to Switzerland 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/uEeFTnx5Dn
— Luke Schroeder (@VPPressSec) June 20, 2026
US forces monitoring Strait of Hormuz to ensure it stays open
04:44 , Arpan Rai
The US military has denied Iran's claims that it had closed the Strait of Hormuz, saying the critical waterway remained open and that US forces were monitoring the situation to ensure that continued.
"Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz," US Central Command spokesperson Navy Captain Tim Hawkins told Reuters.
"Traffic continues to flow, and US forces are monitoring the situation to ensure this remains the case."
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared the Strait of Hormuz shut earlier on Saturday and warned ships not to approach the waterway, casting new doubt on the future of a ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran meant to pave the way for in-depth peace talks.
Pakistan PM and army chief to participate in technical-level talks in Switzerland today
04:40 , Arpan Rai
Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir will participate in the technical-level talks being held in Burgenstock, Switzerland on 21 June, the PM's office announced yesterday.
The country's foreign ministry said US and Iranian representatives would participate in the meeting, along with mediators from Pakistan and Qatar.
Trump says Meloni did not allow US to use landing strips in Iran
04:29 , Arpan Rai
In his post, Donald Trump has complained that Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni would not allow the US to use Italy’s landing strips or runways during the Iran war even though the US is a leader in defence spending among Nato allies.
“She wouldn’t even let us use Italy’s landing strips or runways, a great logistical inconvenience, and this despite the fact the U.S. contributes hundreds of Billions of Dollars a year to protect Italy, and other “so-called” NATO Allies. Now, after the United States defeated Iran militarily, she wants to be friends again in order to get her “numbers up.” No thanks!!! President DJT,” Trump said in a post on TruthSocial.
This has been a long-standing complaint about the military alliance and one that Trump is raising again before his White House meeting Wednesday with Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte and the Nato summit in Ankara, Turkey.
Vance confident that Iran ceasefire would hold
04:17 , Arpan Rai
US vice president JD Vance said he was confident the ceasefire would hold and that he had seen no evidence that the Strait of Hormuz was closed.
"We're going to go after that enriched stockpile of uranium," Vance told Fox News in an interview.
"We're going to try to reset the situation that we have, so that the Iranians don't just have a destroyed nuclear program now, but so that we can say with some confidence, through a combination of inspections and verification, that they're never going to be able to rebuild that program,” he said.
The US vice president left for Switzerland shortly after 4pm ET (2100 GMT) on Saturday.
“Negotiators would likely have a couple days of talks", he told reporters before boarding a plane at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
"I think we're going to hopefully make progress on the nuclear issue, make progress on the Lebanon ceasefire issue," he said.
The six reasons why Trump's deal is already falling apart
04:15 , Mary Dejevsky
An agreement to end the war in Iran has many points of vulnerability. Mary Dejevsky breaks them all down:
The six reasons Donald Trump’s terrible Iran deal will quickly fall apart
US disputes Iranian claims about closing Strait of Hormuz
03:53 , Arpan Rai
US officials have disputed Iranian claims about closing the key Strait of Hormuz after the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared the critical waterway shut.
The IRGC claimed despite the US and Iran agreeing to a 60-day ceasefire while negotiations take place.
The US military said commercial vessels had continued operating in the waterway.
Those developments could complicate talks in which both sides seek to advance an interim deal brokered by Pakistan and signed on Wednesday by presidents Donald Trump and Masoud Pezeshkian to end their almost four-month war.
Iran believes it has the ‘upper hand,’ former Pentagon official says
03:00 , Alex Woodward
As diplomats gather in Switzerland in the midst of uncertainty and heightened tensions over an agreement to end the war, Iranian officials are willing to continue risking rupturing the talks because the regime believes it has the “upper hand,” a former Pentagon official told ABC News.
The chaos continued Saturday as Iran announced it was closing the Strait of Hormuz, after Israel continued to bombard Lebanon in a “blatant breach” of a memorandum of understanding to end the war on all fronts.
US military officials however continue to insist that Iran does not control the waterway.
Iran believes it is negotiating from a position of strength by exerting control over a passage that is critical to global oil supplies, according to Mick Mulroy, who oversaw Middle East defense policy during the first Trump administration.
“They’re getting most of the benefits that we never thought that we would concede to — by any administration — before we even get into the nuclear discussions,” he told ABC.
Lebanese advocate for endangered sea turtles killed by Israeli strike
02:00 , Alex Woodward
Mona Khalil, a Lebanese conservationist and advocate for endangered sea turtles, has died from injuries after she was wounded in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon.
Khalil, 76, was injured by an Israeli strike near her house in Mansouri beach, near the southern city of Tyre, two weeks ago. She died Friday after spending several days in hospital.
“For decades, Mona dedicated her life to protecting endangered sea turtles and their nesting habitats,” Lebanese conservation group Green Southerners said in a statement.
“Through the Orange House, she inspired generations of Lebanese to value and protect their natural heritage and coastal ecosystems. Her work made her one of Lebanon’s most respected voices for marine conservation and biodiversity protection,” the group added.
“Green Southerners strongly condemns the attack that claimed Mona Khalil’s life and injured her assistant,” Green Southerners said. “The strike targeted a site that had long been known for environmental conservation, biodiversity protection, and public awareness. Her death stands as a stark reminder that the ongoing violence in southern Lebanon is exacting a devastating toll on civilians, environmental defenders, and the natural heritage they sought to protect.”
Pentagon used Elon Musk’s Grok AI to fire 2,000 missiles at Iran, official says
01:00 , Alex Woodward
Donald Trump’s administration turned to Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot to launch thousands of missiles in Iran, according to a top defense official.
In court filings this week, the Pentagon’s artificial intelligence chief said the chatbot’s continued operation is “a matter of paramount national security” — and was used to fire more than “2,000 munitions at 2,000 distinct targets within 96 hours.”
Grok, a generative artificial intelligence chatbot developed by xAI, is among four AI models “currently capable of supporting national security applications,” according to Cameron Stanley, the Pentagon’s chief digital and artificial intelligence officer.
Pentagon used Elon Musk’s Grok AI to fire missiles at Iran, official says
Iran negotiating team arrives in Zurich
Sunday 21 June 2026 00:31 , Alex Woodward
An Iranian negotiating team has arrived in Zurich, according to state media IRIB.
The delegation is led by Iranian parliament speaher Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, along with foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, national security council deputy scretary Ali Bagheri, and foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei.
Vice President JD Vance is on his way, and talks are expected to begin Sunday.
Recap: Iran closes Strait of Hormuz after accusing US and Israel of breaching ceasefire
Sunday 21 June 2026 00:00 , Maira Butt
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared the Strait of Hormuz closed again on Saturday after accusing the US and Israel of violating the newly-signed peace deal.
The top joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said that the closure was the "first step" in response to what it described as breaches of commitments to the Memorandum of Understanding signed by Donald Trump on Wednesday.
Iran closes Strait of Hormuz after accusing US and Israel of breaching ceasefire
55 merchant ships transit through Strait of Hormuz, US says
Saturday 20 June 2026 23:30 , Alex Woodward
US officials have denied that Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz, which Iranian military insists the passage will be closed in response to Israeli strikes in Lebanon.
US Central Command said 55 merchant ships passed through the waterway on Saturday.
“Safe passage through the international waterway remained intact today as 55 merchant ships transited, moving large amounts of cargo and more than 17 million barrels of oil to global markets,” according to a statement.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) June 20, 2026
Italy’s Meloni delivers savage blow to Trump and questions his popularity in latest attack
Saturday 20 June 2026 23:00 , Brendan Rascius
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni delivered a sharp rebuke to President Donald Trump and attacked his popularity on Saturday, intensifying an ongoing feud that erupted during the G7 Summit.
Italy’s Giorgia Meloni delivers savage blow to Trump in latest message
JD Vance departs for Switzerland
Saturday 20 June 2026 22:20 , Alex Woodward
US Vice President JD Vance is on his way to Switzerland where he expects to spend “a day or two.”
“I think we’re going to hopefully make progress on the nuclear issue, make progress on the Lebanon ceasefire issue,” he told reporters before boarding a small jet bound for Switzerland
“Those are the two big things that I think we’re to be focused on. I’m sure the Iranians are going to have issues they’d like to discuss as well,” he added.
He claimed “things are actually getting better” and “slowing down” when it comes to Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon. “The big problem is that you have somebody will shoot and then somebody will respond, and you kind of have a chicken and egg problem where you’ve just got to stop the shooting for long enough to get the ceasefire to keep hold, that’s what we’re going to try to do,” he said.
