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This liveblog is no longer being updated.
Oil tanker exploded after colliding with mines in Hormuz, Iran's Fars reports
An oil tanker exploded and caught fire after colliding with mines in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's IRGC said, according to Fars, without saying when the incident occurred.
Syria fuel price hikes trigger widest protests since Assad fall
A sharp rise in fuel prices at the weekend has sparked protests across Syria, in the country's most widespread demonstrations since the toppling of Bashar al-Assad almost two years ago.
Demonstrators burned tires and blocked key roads, including the highway linking the capital Damascus to the industrial hub of Aleppo, after Syria's government on Saturday raised diesel prices by 40% to 175 Syrian pounds ($1.32) a litre.
The price increases piled further pressure on Syrians facing years of economic crisis. The United Nations Development Programme estimates 90% of Syrians live below the poverty line, compared with about a third before the Syrian civil war began in 2011.
Houthis say Saudi targeted Yemen with 54 strikes in 24 hours
The Houthis said that Saudi Arabia targeted Yemen with 54 strikes over 24 hours, as the Iran-backed group made rapid gains on the Red Sea coast.
"The Saudi criminal air force conducted 54 airstrikes over the past 24 hours using F15 and Typhoon aircraft that took off from the enemy Saudi bases," the Houthis' military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a statement, adding that the areas of Taiz, Lahj, Al-Jawf, Marib, and Hodeida were targeted.
Netanyahu threatens retaliation if Israel's enemies attack
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of heavy reprisals on Israel's enemies if they attacked, as he lauded the recent demolition of a Hezbollah tunnel network in southern Lebanon.
Netanyahu said Israel's destruction of Hezbollah positions at the Beaufort and Ali al-Taher ridges was a "massive victory" and vowed to "continue to destroy terrorist infrastructure".
"I say to our enemies: If you haven't learned the lesson by now, and you choose to attack us again, you will suffer even heavier blows. There is still work to complete," Netanyahu added, according to a video published by his office.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a news conference, in Jerusalem, June 15, 2026. © Ronen Zvulun, Pool Photo via AP
Trump says he will decide if US will work towards deal with Iran
President Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran wants to make a deal and he will decide whether the US will engage in that effort.
"The failing Nation of Iran wants to make a deal, quickly and badly. I will determine whether or not the USA will choose to engage – The concept of which we are open to," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Senior Sunni cleric shot dead by unidentified gunmen in southeast Iran
Molavi Yusef Gorgij, a senior Sunni Muslim cleric, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in southeastern Iran , the official news agency IRNA reported.
IRNA quoted a local governor as saying Gorgij "was active in the fight against divisive elements and Zionism", a description suggesting the cleric was pro-government.
EU chief slams 'relentless attacks by Iran's proxies' on Gulf countries
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen condemned "relentless attacks" by Iranian-backed armed groups in the Gulf, following the latest strikes by Yemen's Houthis against Saudi military targets.
"We stand in solidarity with our Gulf partners in the face of relentless attacks by Iran's proxies," the European Commission chief posted on X. "We all have a stake in this."
Tehran has long supported the Houthis, but denies any involvement in the revival of Yemen's civil war.
Saudi oil pipeline hit in strikes will be mostly out of service for several weeks for repair
A crucial Saudi oil pipeline that was struck in an attack last week will mostly be out of service for weeks as the damage is repaired, said two regional officials.
The East-West Pipeline, which runs across the kingdom, is key to Saudi Arabia’s strategy of shifting its oil exports to the Red Sea to avoid the Persian Gulf’s Strait of Hormuz, where Iranian attacks have stifled shipping. The 1,200-kilometer (745-mile) pipeline can carry up to 7 million barrels of oil a day
An attack that Saudi Arabia blamed on drones from Iranian-backed militias in Iraq forced the shutdown of the pipeline on Thursday.
Iran nuclear agency head blocked from IAEA meeting is 'sanctioned individual', US energy secretary says
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright has said Washington opposed the Iranian nuclear agency head attending an annual conference of the UN nuclear watchdog.
"He's a sanctioned individual and we don't want sanctioned individuals evading their sanctions. He asked for a waiver of the sanctions and it was denied," Wright told reporters in Vienna, the seat of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Sucker Punch: How the Houthis shocked the Gulf
Yemen's Houthis have seized the strategic islands of Greater and Lesser Hanish in the southern Red Sea following the seizure of the critical port city of Mokha, adding pressure on Saudi shipments and, in turn, global oil supplies and prices.
Thomas Juneau, a specialist on the Houthis and Iran from the University of Ottawa's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, explains the intricate dynamics of the group, its repressive nature and the level of the threat to world shipping.
Saudi crown prince, US CENTCOM chief discuss developments after Houthi escalation
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed regional developments with US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper in Jeddah , Saudi state media said, amid escalating hostilities with Yemen's Houthis.
The meeting comes days after three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters the crown prince had sought military assistance from President Donald Trump to help fight the Houthis.
Trump did not agree to US strikes on the group, but Washington told Riyadh it would provide intelligence-sharing and targeting assistance, the sources added.
The fighting has opened a second theatre in the wider regional conflict and raised concerns over Saudi oil exports and global shipping.
Who is Iran's 'influential spymaster' Hossein Taeb, and does he pull the strings?
FRANCE 24's "Press Review" show examines a New York Times report that Iran's "influential" spymaster Hossein Taeb masterminded an Iranian attack on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz after the US and Iran signed a peace deal.
The report said there was an intense power struggle in Iran between moderates led by President Masoud Pezeshkian and hardliners within the clergy and factions of the IRGC.
Houthis say they targeted military facilities in Saudi Arabia's Khamis Mushait area
Yemen's Houthis have said they fired dozens of drones and ballistic missiles at military targets in Saudi Arabia, in retaliation for airstrikes by Riyadh.
"The Yemeni armed forces conducted a large-scale military operation targeting military installations and infrastructure, including fighter jet hangars, radars, runways, ammunition depots, and other targets located at King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait," said Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree.
It came minutes after the Saudi Civil Defense sent an all clear after issuing an alert for the Khamis Mushait governorate.
Iran denies any involvement in Yemen war
Iran's foreign ministry has said Tehran had any involvement in the war in Yemen, after the Iran-backed Houthi movement seized more territory.
"Iran does not interfere in Yemeni affairs," ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told reporters, saying the Houthis are "entirely independent actors who make their decisions based on their own interests".
Iran summons Austria envoy after nuclear chief blocked from Vienna meeting
Iran has said it summoned Austria's charge d'affaires after the European country refused to allow Iran's nuclear chief to take part in a meeting of the UN nuclear agency in Vienna.
"The Austrian government's refusal to issue visas to the delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran is a completely unjustified decision," foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said at a press conference in Tehran.
"It is clear to us that this incident occurred under American pressure, but that does not absolve the Austrian government of responsibility."
Iran says reports about activity in Pickaxe Mountain are baseless
Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson has said reports of activity at the country's Pickaxe Mountain (Kolang Kouh) were baseless, after President Donald Trump said the US was monitoring activity
there.
Trump had said last week that the US could hit Pickaxe Mountain and urged Iran to be cautious.
Saudi Arabia requested postponement of Hormuz meeting, Iran says
Saudi Arabia requested the postponement of a meeting between Tehran and Gulf powers on the Strait of Hormuz that was supposed to take place in Oman on Monday, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei has told reporters in Tehran.
Iran nuclear chief blocked by US from Vienna meeting, state TV reports
Iran's nuclear chief was blocked from attending an annual conference on Monday at the headquarters of the UN's nuclear agency in Vienna due to opposition from the US, Iranian state television said.
"Mohammad Eslami and his delegation took a regular flight to Vienna on Saturday, but were blocked on the way because of obstructions by the United States," the state broadcaster reported, saying he had returned to the capital Tehran.
Iran nuclear chief blocked by US from Vienna meeting: media
Yesterday's key developments:
- Oil prices rose more than $3, to more than $108 per barrel, as of 22h14 GMT Sunday after new strikes on Saudi Arabia and on ships in the Gulf.
- The UN said that roughly 2,000 people landed in Djibouti this week after fleeing the uptick in fighting between Yemen 's Iran-backed Houthi fighters and the Saudi-backed government.
- The Houthi rebels said they had hit a Saudi military base amid renewed fighting with Yemeni forces.
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A ship was struck in the Strait of Hormuz, killing one person and injuring three, local Iranian authorities said. The origin of the strike was not specified.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, Reuters and AP)
