Tehran [Iran], June 20 (ANI): Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi on Friday issued a stern warning to the United States, stating that Washington bears full 'commitment and responsibility' for ensuring the cessation of hostilities across all fronts, 'including Lebanon'.
Trump thanks China for staying out of Iran conflict Trump says he thanked China for staying out of the conflict with Iran after personally urging Beijing not to intervene. Speaking to reporters, Trump said he had asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to keep China away from the fighting, despite Beijing’s dependence on energy shipments moving through the Strait of Hormuz. “I want to thank China because I asked China not to get involved with Iran,” Trump said.
Talks on a long-term peace deal were set to begin on Friday, but Iran pulled out, citing Israeli strikes in Lebanon. Hours later, diplomats say, Israel and Hezbollah agreed to halt fighting there.
The agreement followed concerns that continued clashes would undermine the deal to end the war between the US and Iran.
Trump heads to Camp David as Iran talks stall US President Donald Trump will travel to Camp David this weekend, making only his second visit to the presidential retreat since returning to office last year. A White House official told Reuters that Trump will hold policy and political meetings during the trip. His family will also join him for the weekend, which includes Father’s Day on Sunday.
The memorandum of understanding signed on Thursday has prompted fresh hopes of an economic revival in Iran. But even a successful US-Iran agreement may do far less for the country's oil industry than many supporters expect.
UN calls on RSF to cease imminent offensive on Sudan’s el-Obeid Submitted by MEE staff on Fri, 06/19/2026 - 19:22 The United Nations' Volker Turk warned that a siege could lead to a repeat of the atrocities that took place in el-Fasher People are transported in the back of a truck, some 30 kilometres east of the city of el-Obeid, in Sudan's North Kordofan region, on 9 January 2023 (Ashraf Shazly/AFP) Off The United Nations has issued an urgent warning saying that Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) could imminently lay siege to el-Obeid, risking large-scale atrocities. El-Obeid is the capital of the North Kordofan state in Sudan. “We have seen this playbook before,” the UN high commissioner for human rights, Volker Turk, said, referring to North Darfur’s capital el-Fasher.
The agreement followed concerns that continued clashes would undermine the deal to end the war between the US and Iran.
UN experts on Friday welcomed the signing of a 14-point memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran but warned that any final agreement that fails to address human rights in Iran would be “fundamentally incomplete.
US-Iran meeting in Switzerland over implementation of deal cancelled amid clashes in southern Lebanon Middle East crisis – live updates Israel and Hezbollah agreed to renew a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon on Friday after 24 hours of intense violence that posed an early challenge to the new agreement between the US and Iran to end their conflict. A meeting due to take place on Friday between the US and Iran in Switzerland to discuss implementation of the new deal was cancelled when Hezbollah killed four Israeli soldiers and Israel carried out a wave of retaliatory airstrikes in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa valley that killed at least 47 people. Continue reading...
The war on Iran has not demonstrated weakness, the US president has insisted, despite a peace deal widely seen as anemic US President Donald Trump has denied that the war on Iran has highlighted the limits of his ability to project power, telling Axios on Thursday that "there are no limits.
The war on Iran has not demonstrated weakness, the US president has insisted, despite a peace deal widely seen as anemic US President Donald Trump has denied that the war on Iran has highlighted the limits of his ability to project power, telling Axios on Thursday that "there are no limits.
Trump says he urged Israel to accept Hezbollah ceasefire NBC News says US President Donald Trump told the outlet in a phone interview that he spoke with Israel earlier today and urged it to accept a ceasefire with Hezbollah. A senior US official has also confirmed the ceasefire to Reuters, even as Israel continues to launch attacks across Lebanon. The reports come as Israeli forces press on with strikes despite growing claims of a US-backed push to halt the fighting.
Iran plans to charge insurance fees to vessels in Hormuz after US deal expires Submitted by MEE staff on Fri, 06/19/2026 - 17:19 Iran lays the groundwork for a new transit system in critical waterway, but will need Oman's buy-in to shore up legal defence Cargo ships are pictured off the coast of the Khor Fakkan container terminal, the only natural deep-sea port in the region and one of the major container ports in the emirate of Sharjah, along the Gulf of Oman, on 19 June 2026 (AFP) Off Iran wants to collect an “insurance fee” from vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz after the 60-day agreement with the US expires, according to multiple media reports. The fee would effectively allow Iran to cement its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, but would likely require the cooperation of neighbouring Oman, whose territorial waters border Iran’s. Iran agreed not to charge any fees in the waterway during the 60-day ceasefire with the US, termed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, but the agreement left open the possibility of a new system afterwards.
Israeli strike on Gaza tent wounds five Palestinians An Israeli air strike has hit a tent housing displaced Palestinian families in al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, injuring at least five people, the Wafa news agency reports. Israel has repeatedly attacked al-Mawasi despite ordering Palestinians to flee there during its genocidal war on Gaza. Palestinian health authorities said on Thursday that Israeli forces have killed at least 73,018 Palestinians and wounded 173,273 others since October 7, 2023.
An organisation in 'crisis': Jewish anti-Zionists hit back at Board of Deputies Submitted by Fleur Hargreaves on Fri, 06/19/2026 - 16:04 Pro-Palestine groups contest the Board of Deputies of British Jews' statement about its protest outside the Great Israeli Real Estate Event Demonstrators and counter-demonstrators face off outside the Great Israeli Real Estate Event (Maya Saad/MEE) Off Anti-Zionist Jewish groups have responded to the statement issued by the Board of Deputies of British Jews condemning its protest outside a Great Israeli Real Estate Event in London on Sunday. The demonstration was co-organised by the groups Jewish Anti-Zionist Action (JAZA), International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN) and the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) to oppose the sale of land and properties, including illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, promoted at the event. In its statement, the Board of Deputies attempted to claim the event, which was hosted by the Edgware United Synagogue in northwest London, did not market any real estate over the Green Line - the 1949 armistice line separating Israel from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
BEIRUT/TEHRAN, June 19 (Xinhua) -- At least 47 people were killed and 97 others injured in intensive Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon from midnight until Friday afternoon, according to an updated toll released by Lebanon's Public Health Emergency Operations Center.
President Trump said the Italian leader had “begged” him to take a photo together at the Group of 7 summit in France. The remarks come as their once-friendly relationship has frayed.
Scheduled talks between the United States and Iran were delayed after deadly fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Iran denies inviting IAEA to inspect nuclear sites Iran has denied reports that it invited the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect its nuclear facilities, saying any wider access will depend on the outcome of talks. Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran had made no such invitation to the United Nations nuclear watchdog. He said Iran would keep its nuclear programme under the current status quo while negotiations over a final agreement continue, in line with the memorandum of understanding reached with the US.
