Israel and Lebanon have agreed on a ceasefire after participating in talks led by the United States.
The ceasefire was announced in a joint statement after representatives from all three countries met on Tuesday and Wednesday.
A pause in fighting “is contingent on a complete cessation of Hizbollah fire and the evacuation of all Hizbollah operatives from the South Litani Sector”, the statement read.
The ceasefire comes amid an escalation of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Israeli strikes killed nine people in Lebanon on Wednesday as Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel, according to reports.
Israel and Lebanon also agreed to quickly advance the creation of “pilot zones”, according to the joint statement. In these zones, the Lebanese Armed Forces will “take exclusive control of the territory to the exclusion of all non-state actors”.
“All parties condemned Iran’s attacks on countries in the region, and ongoing activities that undermine stability throughout the Middle East, whether through support for proxies and all other acts of aggression”, the statement read.
Representatives from Israel and Lebanon will reconvene in the week of June 22, “with a view toward reaching a comprehensive agreement”, the statement continued.
Key Points
- Israel and Lebanon agree to ceasefire amid escalation in fighting
- Trump confirms he called Netanyahu crazy
- Trump describes Iran ceasefire as ‘shooting in a moderate manner’
- Iran's foreign minister responds to attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain
- Iran strikes Kuwait's main airport
Trump confirms he called Netanyahu crazy
04:45 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
US president Donald Trump has acknowledged calling Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu "crazy" in an expletive-filled phone exchange over fighting in Lebanon, while the US was trying to negotiate an end to hostilities with Iran.
In an interview broadcast yesterday, Trump was asked whether he had called the longtime Israeli leader "effing crazy" and accused him of ingratitude, paraphrasing a report by Axios.
"I did," Trump told the "Pod Force One" podcast. "I wouldn't say angry. I was a little bit perturbed at his constantly fighting with Lebanon, you know."Trump went on to say he and Netanyahu get along very well.
According to the Axios report, which cited an unidentified US official, Trump said to Netanyahu in a call on Monday: "You're f****** crazy. You'd be in prison if it weren't for me. I'm saving your ass. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this."
Trump said in the interview: "At some point, I said, Bibi, we got to stop this. We got to stop it."
Trump says ‘there would be no Israel’ if not for him after clash with Netanyahu
04:30 , Maira Butt
Donald Trump has claimed that “there would be no Israel” if not for him, as he denied he had been “tricked” into the ongoing conflict with Iran.
The US president and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently had a furious call over the war, according to an Axios report, with Trump said to have called his counterpart “crazy”.
In a wide-ranging interview with the conservative podcast Pod Force One released on Wednesday, Trump pushed back at suggestions he had been manoeuvred into starting the war three months ago.
“I’m the one that started it”, the president insisted. “I started it because we can’t let them [Iran] have a nuclear weapon. If there wasn’t me there would be no Israel right now”.
Read on...
Trump says ‘there would be no Israel’ if not for him after clash with Netanyahu
Indian national killed in Kuwait airport strike
04:27 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
An Indian national was killed after Kuwait's main airport was struck with drones yesterday, which wounded dozens of others and forced the closure of the airfield.
Kuwait's defence ministry said it destroyed over a dozen missiles and a similar number of drones from Iran. Authorities said 63 were wounded, including passengers and workers, and some suffered serious injuries.
India's embassy in Kuwait later confirmed that the person killed was an Indian national.
What did Israel and Lebanon discuss during US-led talks?
04:00 , Rachel Dobkin
Representatives from Israel, Lebanon and the United States met Tuesday and Wednesday for talks, which resulted in a ceasefire agreement.
During the talks, Israel reaffirmed that its security could only be achieved through the disarmament of Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group that has been trading attacks with Israel.
“It emphasized the importance of direct negotiations under the leadership of the United States to resolve all outstanding issues and achieve durable peace and security”, according to a joint statement from Israel, Lebanon and the US issued Wednesday.
Lebanon maintained that there was an “urgent need” to end hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah during the talks.
It “reaffirmed the necessity for mutual respect of internationally recognized borders, the urgent need for full implementation of the cessation of hostilities, underscoring the principles of territorial integrity and full state sovereignty”, according to the statement.
Watch: Trump claims US military wants to 'wipe out' all of Iran and is 'ready to do it'
03:00 , Rachel Dobkin
Israel and Lebanon agree to ceasefire amid escalation in fighting
02:07 , Rachel Dobkin
Israel and Lebanon have agreed on a ceasefire as fighting has escalated with Hezbollah.
The ceasefire was announced in a joint statement after representatives from Israel, Lebanon and the US met on Tuesday and Wednesday.
A pause in fighting “is contingent on a complete cessation of Hizbollah fire and the evacuation of all Hizbollah operatives from the South Litani Sector”, the statement read.
Hizbollah is another spelling of the Iran-backed Lebanese militia, Hezbollah.
Watch: Video released by Iranian military shows missiles and drones launched in new exchange of fire
Thursday 4 June 2026 00:00 , Rebecca Whittaker
Trump says he 'will get' Iran's enriched uranium
Wednesday 3 June 2026 23:00 , Rebecca Whittaker
Donald Trump has repeated his desire to obtain Iran's enriched uranium.
The US president said that under a deal being discussed with Iran, "we will get" Tehran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which has been a major sticking point in negotiations.
"As it stands now, we will go in at some time in the not too distant future," he said.
Trump describes Iran ceasefire as ‘shooting in a moderate manner’ in bizarre press conference
Wednesday 3 June 2026 22:30 , Rebecca Whittaker
President Donald Trump on Wednesday dismissed questions on whether the shaky ceasefire with Iran is holding by suggesting that the definition of a ceasefire is different in the Middle East region.
Asked whether the ceasefire is still in place after Iran fired missiles against targets in Kuwait, Trump replied that there was “a reason” for the exchange of fire.
Read more here:
Trump describes Iran ceasefire as ‘shooting in a moderate manner’
Watch: Trump describes ceasefire as 'shooting in a moderate manner' as both sides trade strikes
Wednesday 3 June 2026 22:00 , Rebecca Whittaker
Trump describes Iran ceasefire as 'shooting in a moderate manner' in bizarre press conference
Wednesday 3 June 2026 21:36 , Rebecca Whittaker
Donald Trump described the Iran ceasefire as “shooting in a more moderate manner,” after being asked if the ceasefire with Iran was still on.
Speaking in the Oval Office he said: “Well, you know, there's a reason for everything, and we hit them pretty hard the night before, and actually this last night.
“And when it was explained to me, I said, all right, we've been hitting them pretty hard, a little bit, so there is a reason for certain things, and there's usually a reason that sometimes makes sense.
“Some, but they did something for not a big deal. We got it, we nipped it in the bud very quickly, as we do with the greatest military in the world, but some people would say they were slightly provoked because we took a strong action for a different reason, so they were reciprocating.
“It's a different part of the world, you know. I'd say in that part ceasefire is when you're shooting in a more moderate manner.”
Qeshm: Iran’s fortress island with an underground ‘missile city’ threatening US troops in Hormuz
Wednesday 3 June 2026 21:15 , Rebecca Whittaker
The US military launched fresh strikes on a fortified Iranian island near the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday as diplomacy slowed and Iran restarted attacks on its neighbours.
US Central Command said the military attacked a ground control tower on Qeshm Island in “self-defence”, claiming Iran had tried and failed to attack Kuwait and Bahrain with missiles.
Read more here:
Inside Qeshm: How Iran’s fortress island holds the key to the Strait of Hormuz
Claims a US missile interceptor had damaged Kuwait International Airport are false, US says
Wednesday 3 June 2026 20:59 , Rebecca Whittaker
The US military on Wednesday said Iranian claims that a US missile interceptor had damaged Kuwait International Airport were false, adding that Iran struck the civilian airport with drones in a "deliberate, calculated, and unjustified attack."
Watch: US releases footage of missile strike that disabled tanker bound for Iranian port
Wednesday 3 June 2026 20:45 , Rebecca Whittaker
Trump calls Netanyahu 'crazy' and says Israel is complicating peace talks with Iran
Wednesday 3 June 2026 20:15 , Rebecca Whittaker
President Donald Trump, confirmed an earlier report that he criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “crazy," and says he's “a little bit perturbed” that Israel’s fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon is holding back peace talks with Iran.
In an interview with US media site CNBC Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to these reports and admitted to “tactical disagreements” with the US president.
Is it safe to travel to Jordan? Update as UK government lifts ‘non-essential’ travel advisory
Wednesday 3 June 2026 19:45 , Rebecca Whittaker
After months of uncertainty amid the Middle East conflict, the UK government’s advice for Jordan has now been updated, no longer advising visitors against all but essential travel.
Following the US and Israeli strikes against Iran that started on February 28, the UK’s Foreign Office (FCDO) advised against non-essential travel to the majority of Jordan, but on Wednesday, June 3 the advice was lifted.
Read more here:
Is it safe to travel to Jordan? Latest advice amid Iran war
Iran's foreign minister says attack on Kuwait and Bahrain were 'self-defence'
Wednesday 3 June 2026 19:15 , Rebecca Whittaker
Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has defended the country’s attack on Kuwait and Bahrain as “self-defence strikes”.
Araghchi wrote on X that Iranian forces targeted sites that US forces “use to attack civilian shipping and violate the ceasefire”.
“What sanctions and war failed to achieve won’t be won with more war,” he said.
Watch: Republican candidate for Colorado governor refuses to say how many people he's killed
Wednesday 3 June 2026 19:15 , Rebecca Whittaker
Iran strikes Kuwait's main airport
Wednesday 3 June 2026 18:45 , Rebecca Whittaker
Kuwait briefly shut its main airport Wednesday after Iranian drones heavily damaged a passenger terminal, killed one person and wounded dozens.
The strike reinforced the risks to residents and travelers in Gulf countries that had considered themselves relative havens before the war.
A spokesperson for Kuwait's Defense Ministry, Brig. Gen. Saud Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi, said “a number of hostile drones” targeted a passenger building at Kuwait International Airport. It had opened only Monday after a months-long closure because of the war.
Pictured: Funeral of a man who was killed along with his son and daughter in Israeli strike
Wednesday 3 June 2026 18:15 , Rebecca Whittaker
Netanyahu admits to 'tactical disagreements' with Trump
Wednesday 3 June 2026 17:55 , Rebecca Whittaker
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has admitted to “tactical disagreements” with Donald Trump.
In an interview with US media site CNBC, he responded to reports about a recent phone call with Donald Trump where he called Netanyahu "crazy".
He said while they sometimes have “tactical disagreements,” they “agree on the main things.”
Those include preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon and threatening Israel with it, he said.
“Sometimes we have, as in the best of families, you have these tactical disagreements,” he said. But “we always find a way to work them out, and we do so as great friends.”“We can disagree in the morning” and find common ground by the afternoon, he said.
Strikes on US bases were 'self-defence' says Iran's foreign minister
Wednesday 3 June 2026 17:45 , Rebecca Whittaker
Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has said the country's strikes on US bases were "self-defence”.
He said in a post on social media: "Our armed forces are conducting self-defence strikes on sites the US is permitted to use to attack civilian shipping and violate the ceasefire. Any hostile act will be met with an immediate, decisive response."
Foreign Secretary 'condemns the shocking attack' on airport
Wednesday 3 June 2026 17:15 , Rebecca Whittaker
The Foreign Secretary has condemnd the Iranian attacks on Kuwait today.
Kuwait’s health ministry has said that 63 people have been killed in Iranian attacks on Kuwait International Airport and one person was killed.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: "The UK condemns the shocking attack on civilians in the international airport in Kuwait in the strongest terms. My thoughts are with all those affected.
“Our total solidarity is with the people of Kuwait and our partners in the Gulf who deserve security. It is vital the ceasefire is sustained and we urge Iran to engage fully in dialogue to achieve peace."
Congress could take major step to limit Trump’s Iran war powers as ‘missing’ Democrats return for key vote
Wednesday 3 June 2026 16:45 , Maira Butt
The House of Representatives is set to hold another vote on whether to rein in President Donald Trump’s war powers over his military action in Iran after Republicans pulled the vote two weeks ago.
The House will vote on a War Powers Act resolution on Tuesday. Under the law, troops must withdraw within 60 days unless Congress declares war or authorizes the use of military force. The president must also inform Congress within 48 of committing armed forces into action.
Eric Garcia reports:
Congress could take major step to limit Trump’s Iran war powers as House returns
Full story: Trump says ‘there would be no Israel’ if not for him after clash with Netanyahu
Wednesday 3 June 2026 16:15 , Maira Butt
Donald Trump has claimed that “there would be no Israel” if not for him, as he denied he had been “tricked” into the ongoing conflict with Iran.
The US president and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently had a furious call over the war, according to an Axios report, with Trump said to have called his counterpart “crazy”.
In a wide-ranging interview with the conservative podcast Pod Force One released on Wednesday, Trump pushed back at suggestions he had been manoeuvred into starting the war three months ago.
Trump says ‘there would be no Israel’ if not for him after clash with Netanyahu
EU diplomatic arm proposes naval mission take 'primary role' in clearing Strait of Hormuz mines
Wednesday 3 June 2026 15:45 , Maira Butt
The European Union has proposed that the bloc's Aspides naval mission take "the primary role" in clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz as part of a Franco-British-led initiative, according to a document seen by Reuters.
The mission would take place “when conditions allow”, according to the outlet.
The European External Action Service wrote in a note dated May 26 and sent to member states that “the situation requires the Union to provide a meaningful contribution” to a coalition led by France and Britain “to be materialised once conditions allow and separated from the belligerents”.
Changing the Aspides mission's mandate would require unanimity, and it remains unclear if the EU’s 27 member countries would back such a change. The mission was established in 2024 to protect ships from attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebel group in the Red Sea.
Watch: Trump says 'there would be no Israel' if it weren't for him
Wednesday 3 June 2026 15:15 , Maira Butt
Kuwait summons Iranian charge d'affair and declares two diplomats persona non grata
Wednesday 3 June 2026 14:45 , Maira Butt
Kuwait has summoned Iran’s charge d’affaire following Iranian attacks on Kuwait International Airport on Wednesday, according to the country’s foreign ministry.
Two diplomats have also been declared persona non grata over “ongoing aggressions”.
One person was killed and 63 injured in the attacks, according to the country’s foreign ministry and health ministry.
US releases footage of missile strike that disabled tanker bound for Iranian port
Wednesday 3 June 2026 14:15 , Maira Butt
Trump again insists gas will be back down to $1.85 a gallon as soon as Iran war is over
Wednesday 3 June 2026 13:53 , Maira Butt
President Donald Trump has again insisted that gas prices will plummet to $1.85 per gallon as soon as the Iran war is over — but the path to peace remains in doubt.
“We want low gasoline,” Trump said during an interview with Pod Force One, hosted by New York Post columnist Miranda Devine, released Wednesday. “I had it down to $1.85 a gallon…$1.85 in Iowa; I was in Iowa just before the war started…And it’ll be back there again at some point in the probably not too distant future. I think as soon as it ends.”
On Wednesday, the national average price was $4.26 a gallon — up $2.98 since just before the war broke out in February, according to AAA
Brendan Rascius reports:
Trump insists gas will be back down to $1.85 a gallon as soon as Iran war is over
Trump calls US blockade 'amazing'
Wednesday 3 June 2026 13:05 , Maira Butt
President Donald Trump has called a US blockade of Iranian ports and coastal areas “amazing”.
The US leader has also said in his wide-ranging interview with Pod Force One that America does not need boots on the ground for now.
Iran executes man accused of killing police officer during early 2026 protests, report says
Wednesday 3 June 2026 12:50 , Maira Butt
Iran executed Fathollah Avari, a man convicted of fatally stabbing a police officer during unrest in the western city of Hamadan in January, the judiciary's news outlet Mizan reported on Wednesday.
The report said the sentence was carried out after being upheld by the Supreme Court.
In pictures: Iranian attack on Kuwait International Airport kills one and injures 63
Wednesday 3 June 2026 12:37 , Maira Butt
Iran and the US trade strikes in the Persian Gulf, further testing the ceasefire
Wednesday 3 June 2026 12:30 , Maira Butt
Kuwait briefly shut the country's main airport Wednesday after Iranian drones heavily damaged it and killed one person — the latest salvo in a series of back-and-forth attacks by Tehran and Washington that have tested a fragile ceasefire.
The strikes came as semiofficial Iranian news agencies said the country had stopped communicating with mediators about extending a ceasefire in the war with the US and Israel. A regional official said Tehran wanted the truce in Lebanon enforced before returning to talks. US President Donald Trump said negotiations were continuing.
Iran and the US trade strikes in the Persian Gulf, further testing the ceasefire
At least 63 people injured in Iran attack on Kuwait, says health ministry
Wednesday 3 June 2026 12:15 , Maira Butt
Kuwait’s health ministry has said that 63 people have been killed in Iranian attacks on Kuwait International Airport on Wednesday.
One person has been killed.
Trump hits back at claims Israel’s Netanyahu ‘tricked’ him into starting war
Wednesday 3 June 2026 12:05 , Maira Butt
President Donald Trump has hit back at claims that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu tricked him into a war with Iran.
“I’m the one that started it,” he said in an interview on Pod Force One released on Wednesday. “I started it because we can’t let them have a nuclear weapon.” He added: “If there wasn’t me there would be no Israel right now.”
Trump said he was left “perturbed” by the Israeli leader’s “constant fighting with Lebanon”.
Earlier this week reports by Axios suggested that the US leader had called Netanyahu “f**king crazy” in a furious phone call over Lebanon.
Qeshm: Iran’s fortress island with an underground ‘missile city’ threatening US troops in Hormuz
Wednesday 3 June 2026 11:50 , Maira Butt
The US military launched fresh strikes on a fortified Iranian island near the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday as diplomacy slowed and Iran restarted attacks on its neighbours.
US Central Command said the military attacked a ground control tower on Qeshm Island in “self defence”, claiming Iran had tried and failed to attack Kuwait and Bahrain with missiles.
Residents reported hearing early morning explosions on the 558sq mile stretch off the mainland, which has been used throughout the conflict to attack ships passing through the closed waterway.
Inside Qeshm: How Iran’s fortress island holds the key to the Strait of Hormuz
Gas prices in US would come down when Iran war ends, says Trump
Wednesday 3 June 2026 11:41 , Maira Butt
President Donald Trump has said that gas prices in the United States would come down when the Iran conflict ends and that inflation at the moment is not "very much."
"We don't have very much inflation. Look, if you take away just the price of gasoline, the energy, we have very little inflation," Trump told Pod Force One.
Trump says he will meet Iran's new supreme leader 'at some point'
Wednesday 3 June 2026 11:25 , Maira Butt
Donald Trump has said that new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei has been involved in discussions with the US and that he is giving his approval in talks.
He added that he will “probably” meet with Khamenei at “some point”.
Trump says Iran has agreed not to have a nuclear weapon
Wednesday 3 June 2026 11:20 , Maira Butt
President Donald Trump has said that Iran has agreed that they will not have a nuclear weapon in a new podcast interview on Wednesday, according to Reuters.
Is it safe to travel to Dubai and Abu Dhabi? Latest UAE travel advice following drone attack on Kuwait
Wednesday 3 June 2026 10:50 , Maira Butt
Following an Iranian drone attack on Kuwait International airport on Wednesday as part of ongoing conflict in the Middle East, many holidaymakers will have concerns over travel to the region.
Multiple people were injured in the attack on the airport’s T1 building, with flights suspended or diverted to alternative airports, a report citing the General Civil Aviation Authority said.
The temporary closure of Middle Eastern airspace in March grounded flights and severely disrupted travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after a series of strikes across the country.
Is it safe to travel to Dubai and Abu Dhabi? Latest UAE travel advice
One person confirmed dead in Kuwait Airport attack
Wednesday 3 June 2026 10:36 , Maira Butt
One person has been killed in an attack on Kuwait International Airport on Wednesday, the country’s foreign ministry said in an update following the strikes.
Kuwait Airways resumes flights from Terminal 4
Wednesday 3 June 2026 10:29 , Maira Butt
Kuwait Airways has resumed flights from Terminal 4 at Kuwait International Airport after evaluating damages caused by an Iranian attack on Terminal 1 on Wednesday, according to the country’s state news agency.
One person was killed in the attacks with multiple injuries reported.
Watch: Video released by Iranian military shows missiles and drones launched in new exchange of fire
Wednesday 3 June 2026 10:20 , Maira Butt
In pictures: Israeli strikes on Lebanon continue
Wednesday 3 June 2026 10:00 , Maira Butt
Kuwait International Airport had reopened only recently
Wednesday 3 June 2026 09:45 , Maira Butt
After Iranian drone attacks, Kuwait International Airport has suspended all flights until further notice.
It had only re-opened recently, on Monday 1 June after Iranian retaliatory strikes hit the region for weeks in the fallout of the war with the US and Israel.
The conflict caused flight disruptions for months. The Airport was hit by drone attacks in March and April further delaying its re-opening.
Pictures emerge of extensive damage to Kuwait airport
Wednesday 3 June 2026 09:26 , Maira Butt
Images have emerged following an Iranian drone attack on Kuwait International Airport on Wednesday.
Extensive damage at Kuwait International Airport’s T1 building following Iran’s missile and drone strike overnight. https://t.co/d6dvImay29 pic.twitter.com/c5Kk4blvBa
— Ariel Oseran أريئل أوسيران (@ariel_oseran) June 3, 2026
Iran says Kuwait and Bahrain bear 'direct and clear responsibility' for US attacks
Wednesday 3 June 2026 09:17 , Maira Butt
Iran’s foreign ministry has released a statement targeted at Kuwait, following drone attacks on the country’s main airport on Wednesday.
It condemned US attacks on an Iranian oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz and a telecommunications tower on Qeshm Island, saying they violated a ceasefire understanding as well as breaking international law.
The ministry said Kuwait and Bahrain bore “direct and clear responsibility” for the attacks and accused the countries of allowing the US to use their territory and facilities to launch attacks against Iran.
Tehran said it reserved the right to self-defence and would use all available means to respond including targeting the source of any future attacks.
Watch: Debris burns in Kuwait following reports that air defences intercepted missile and drone attacks
Wednesday 3 June 2026 08:55 , Maira Butt
There are supposed to be ceasefires across the Middle East, but the fighting is worsening
Wednesday 3 June 2026 08:50 , Maira Butt
Ceasefires have been announced, often to great fanfare, in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. So why is there still so much fighting?
In just the last few weeks, Israeli forces have captured more territory in Gaza and killed two top Hamas militants there, as well as more than a dozen other people. In Lebanon, Israeli troops captured a Crusader fortress over the weekend in their deepest incursion in 26 years, as Hezbollah kept up rocket fire into northern Israel.
The fighting in Lebanon showed no sign of letting up on Tuesday, after US President Donald Trump said both sides had agreed — again — to de-escalate.
There are supposed to be ceasefires across the Middle East, but the fighting is worsening
In pictures: Kuwait Airport closed after Iran attacks
Wednesday 3 June 2026 08:39 , Maira Butt
Kuwait Airport is closed following an Iranian drone attack that has caused multiple injuries.
It follows reports of other drone and missile attacks earlier this week.
Mapped: Where Iranian drone strikes hit Kuwait
Wednesday 3 June 2026 08:24 , Maira Butt
