Iranian negotiators halt message exchange with US over attacks on Lebanon Iran negotiating team has halted exchanging messages with the US through mediators following attacks on Lebanon, the Tasnim news agency reported on Monday. The negotiators further stressed for the immediate end of military operations in Gaza and Lebanon.
How US law protects Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge Submitted by Daniel Tester on Fri, 05/29/2026 - 16:19 For decades Washington has ensured its ally has superior forces - is that about to change? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks at one of the first two F-35 stealth fighters to arrive in the country at Nevatim air force base on 12 December 2016 (AFP) On The US has long been Israel 's most reliable partner in the Middle East, not least during the attacks on Iran in 2025 and 2026. At the heart of this relationship has been Washington’s long-standing policy known as Qualitative Military Edge (QME).
Trump tells Erdogan he plans to visit Turkey for Nato summit Submitted by Ragip Soylu on Mon, 06/01/2026 - 11:31 The visit could make the Nato summit one of the most consequential in decades as the US weighs withdrawing troops from Europe Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and US President Donald Trump give a thumbs-up during the greetings ceremony at the Gaza Peace Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, 13 October 2025 (AFP) Off US President Donald Trump has told his Turkish counterpart that he plans to attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) summit in Ankara in July, multiple sources familiar with the conversations told Middle East Eye. In April, Trump said he was seriously considering withdrawing the US from Nato, adding that he was disgusted with the alliance. However, the US president struck a different tone during a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on 20 May, saying he would visit Ankara to attend the meeting.
Iran's top negotiator says no deal with US unless rights of its citizens upheld Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warns the United States is not to be trusted, saying Tehran will not agree to any deal with Washington unless it fully secures Iranian rights. Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warns the United States is not to be trusted, saying Tehran will not agree to any deal with Washington unless it fully secures Iranian rights. "We will not approve any agreement until we are certain that the rights of the Iranian… pic.
Iran's Araghchi says truce deal with US must include 'ceasefire on all fronts' Iran's foreign minister demanded that a truce deal between the Washington and Tehran "unequivocally a ceasefire on all fronts", including in Lebanon. In a post on X, Abbas Araghchi said that a "violation on one front is a violation of the ceasefire on all fronts". "The US and Israel are responsible for the consequences of any violation," he added.
Hasan Piker was set to meet Zack Polanski and Jeremy Corbyn in UK before being banned from UK Submitted by Imran Mulla on Mon, 06/01/2026 - 10:25 The American podcaster has been barred from entering Britain in a move condemned by Polanski and Corbyn Hasan Piker attends the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Mark Guiducci at Los Angeles County Museum of Art on March 15, 2026. (AFP) Off American political commentator Hasan Piker was scheduled to meet Green Party leader Zack Polanski and former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in Britain before being denied entry by the Home Office, Middle East Eye has learnt. Sources with knowledge of the matter told MEE Piker was set to appear on Polanski's podcast, Bold Politics.
Iran submits new amendments, rejects Trump's ceasefire changes: Report Iran has proposed new amendments to a draft memorandum of understanding being discussed with Washington and has not accepted changes put forward by US President Donald Trump, according to Iran's Tasnim News Agency. Citing an informed source, the semi-official outlet reported that Tehran intends to revise the latest draft of the proposed ceasefire agreement as negotiations continue. The source stressed that Trump's proposed amendments should not be interpreted as having been accepted by Iran.
Israeli claims about an Iran 'threat' were always a lie. Now we have proof Could it be that Israel ’s 30-year narrative about Iran - one that persuaded US President Donald Trump to wage a criminal and disastrous war of aggression - was always a fiction, an invention cooked up in Tel Aviv? Far from Tehran posing an existential danger to Israel, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed for decades, might Israel’s real fear be that a stronger Iran would undermine its unique leverage over Washington, threatening its status as the region’s sole - and unmonitored - nuclear power?
Iran says no conclusions can be drawn from ongoing US talks Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said negotiations and message exchanges with Washington remain under way, cautioning against drawing conclusions before the talks produce a concrete outcome. Speaking to Iran's Tasnim news agency, Araghchi said it was too early to assess the prospects of an agreement, stressing that discussions remain ongoing behind the scenes. He dismissed the growing speculation surrounding the negotiations, saying that everything currently being reported is conjecture and “should not be given any importance.
Iran's Qalibaf says no US deal without tangible results Iran will not accept any agreement ending its conflict with the US unless there is certainty that the Iranian people's rights are secured, top negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on Sunday according to Iranian state media. "There is no trust in the enemy's words and promises. Our only criterion is to achieve tangible results before we fulfill our commitments in return," he added after taking an oath as the re-elected speaker of parliament.
Morning update Good morning Middle East Eye readers, The push for a US-Iran agreement remains alive but uncertain, with both sides signalling progress while acknowledging that major differences remain. Donald Trump says Washington is “close to a very good agreement”, but reports indicate he has requested changes to the proposed framework. Fighting in Lebanon is intensifying, with Israeli forces expanding operations north of the Litani River and Hezbollah increasing attacks on Israeli positions.
Trump: US forces will withdraw after Hormuz reopens, nuclear issue resolved US President Donald Trump said the United States is close to reaching a “very good deal” with Iran and indicated that American forces would withdraw from the region once the Strait of Hormuz is reopened and the nuclear issue is resolved. In an interview with Fox News, Trump said a diplomatic agreement remains the preferred option because signing it would mean “immediately reopening the Strait of Hormuz to navigation”. He added, “The Strait of Hormuz must be opened immediately and without any transit fees, and Tehran must be permanently prevented from acquiring any nuclear weapon.
NYT: Trump sent revised proposal with toughened terms back to Iran Earlier, Axios reported that US President Donald Trump requested “several amendments” to the preliminary agreement negotiated by his envoys with Iran. Now, The New York Times is also reporting that Trump has “toughened the terms” of the proposed framework and sent the revised text back to Tehran for consideration. The reported revisions come after Iranian officials repeatedly accused Washington of altering previously discussed understandings and retreating from positions conveyed through mediators.
Congress weighs measure to expand US-Israel military integration A provision in a defence bill before the US Congress could significantly expand military cooperation between the United States and Israel by increasing collaboration on weapons research, production and defence technology. The proposal, known as the “United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative”, is included as Section 224 of the House Armed Services Committee’s version of the fiscal year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act. The measure remains in the early stages of the legislative process, but if approved, it could mark a major shift in the US-Israel military relationship.
Axios: Trump seeks changes to proposed Iran agreement US President Donald Trump has asked for “several amendments” to a proposed agreement negotiated by his envoys with Iran, according to Axios, citing US officials. The requested changes reportedly emerged during a White House Situation Room meeting on Friday. According to Axios, Trump wants revisions to clauses related to Iran’s nuclear programme and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
We shouldn’t have been in Iran, Trump tells Fox News US President Donald Trump said the United States “shouldn’t have been in Iran” while speaking on past American military interventions during an interview with Fox News. “You look at what happened with Iraq. We did so bad.
Trump: We are ‘close to a very good agreement’ with Iran US President Donald Trump said Washington is “close to a very good agreement with Iran” but warned that military options remain available if negotiations fail. Speaking to Fox News, Trump said, “I prefer the diplomatic option because signing an agreement means immediately reopening the Strait of Hormuz to navigation,” adding that “the only and fundamental guarantee I adhere to is preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. ” Trump claimed that “the Iranians have already agreed not to develop or purchase a nuclear weapon” and said, “The Iranians are very experienced negotiators and it takes time, but I am not in a hurry.
Key issues unresolved in Iran-US talks, Tehran says Iran says a proposed agreement with the United States has not yet been finalised and that negotiations remain ongoing through Pakistani mediators and other regional actors, despite signals from Washington that a deal may be close. Iranian officials say several major issues still need to be resolved before any formal announcement can be made. Among the main sticking points are the release of Iran’s frozen assets, which Tehran wants returned immediately upon a deal being announced, while Washington reportedly favours a gradual, performance-based process.
Khamenei adviser says Trump 'betraying diplomacy' Mohsen Rezaei, an adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, has said that US President Donald Trump was "betraying diplomacy for the third time" by continuing a naval blockade imposed on Iran. He added that Washington was making what he described as excessive demands in negotiations.
Israeli claims about an Iran 'threat' were always a lie. Now we have proof Submitted by Jonathan Cook on Fri, 05/29/2026 - 14:00 It is not Tehran led by unhinged, genocidal megalomaniacs threatening the security of the region and the world. It is Tel Aviv and Washington Former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is pictured in Tehran on 2 June 2024 (Atta Kenare/AFP) Off Could it be that Israel ’s 30-year narrative about Iran - one that persuaded US President Donald Trump to wage a criminal and disastrous war of aggression - was always a fiction, an invention cooked up in Tel Aviv?
