Middle East live: US will no longer have safe haven in region, warns Iran’s Khamenei after strikes
26/05/2026 – 10:46
Iran executes man accused of intelligence cooperation with Israel
Iran has executed a man for alleged espionage and intelligence cooperation with Israel, the semi-official Tasnim news agency says.
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The agency identified the individual as Gholamreza Khani Shekarab.
26/05/2026 – 10:38
Canada demands Israel probe ‘appalling’ treatment of flotilla members
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday that the treatment of activists detained by Israel had been “appalling” and described the situation in Gaza as “catastrophic,” Carney’s office said in a statement.
“The Prime Minister reiterated that the appalling treatment of civilians, including Canadian citizens, aboard the Gaza-bound flotilla was unacceptable, and he called for an independent investigation,” the statement said.
Carney, it said, also reaffirmed Canada’s opposition to illegal Israeli settlement expansion, settler violence in the West Bank, and violence against Palestinian civilians.
26/05/2026 – 10:04
Iran’s Guards reserve right to retaliate for any US ceasefire violations
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps has said it reserves the “legitimate and definite” right to retaliate against any ceasefire violations by the US, hours after Washington said it carried out strikes on Iranian boats and missile sites.
The IRCG said its air defence units shot down a US MQ-9 drone and fired at a fighter jet that had entered Iranian airspace, state media reported.
26/05/2026 – 09:18
Israeli strike on village in eastern Lebanon kills 12
An Israeli air strike on a village in eastern Lebanon killed 12 people, the country’s state-run National News Agency has said.
The strike late Monday in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley area came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he had authorised more intensive strikes targeting the Hezbollah militant group across Lebanon.
Rescue workers say that a dozen bodies were pulled out of the rubble following an intense wave of overnight strikes targeting swaths of southern and eastern Lebanon.
The intensified attacks come three days before Lebanese and Israeli military delegations are set to meet in Washington for direct talks.
26/05/2026 – 09:15
Iran’s supreme leader says regional powers will no longer be a shield for US bases
Gulf powers will no longer be a shield for US bases and the US will no longer have a safe haven in the region, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has said in a post on his Telegram channel.
Khamenei, whose father and predecessor Ali Khamenei was killed on the first day of the war, has not been seen in public since.
26/05/2026 – 08:28
Hebzollah says targeted three barracks, military post in Israel on Monday
Hezbollah said it staged several attacks Monday on three barracks and a military post in northern Israel “in response to the violation of the ceasefire”.
The Iran-backed group claimed responsibility for at least four drone attacks on the Shomera barracks, as well as attacks on two barracks in towns in northern Israel, and another on a military post in Misgav Am, carried out around midday at short intervals.
26/05/2026 – 07:24
What are the key sticking points in negotiations?
The United States and Iran have downplayed prospects for a rapid deal to end the Middle East war, despite signs of progress in talks.
Key sticking points remain over Iran’s nuclear programme, control of the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions relief and a possible ceasefire in Lebanon, with both sides signalling that major issues are still unresolved.
The New York Times, citing two unnamed American officials, said a key element of the proposed agreement was an apparent commitment by Tehran to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
The question of how Iran would do so would be discussed in a “later round of negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme”, the paper said.
But Iran’s Fars and Tasnim news agencies reported that Iran made no commitments regarding its nuclear programme.
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26/05/2026 – 06:57
Iran national football team to stay in Mexico during World Cup
Iran’s national football team will sleep in Mexico and travel to the US on the days of its three World Cup matches after Washington declined to host the squad for the tournament, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has said.
Sheinbaum said FIFA approached her government after US authorities said they did not want Iran staying in the country throughout the June 11-July 19 competition, even though Iran is scheduled to play three Group G matches there.
“We have no reason to deny them the possibility of staying in Mexico,” Sheinbaum told her daily press conference.
Iran is due to face New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, Belgium in Los Angeles on June 21 and Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
26/05/2026 – 04:52
Rubio says Hormuz strait will reopen ‘one way or the other’
Top US diplomat Marco Rubio insisted on Tuesday that the blockaded Strait of Hormuz would reopen “one way or the other”, after fresh US strikes on Iran cast doubt on an accord to end the Mideast war.
“The straits have to be open. They’re going to be open one way or the other, so they need to be open,” Rubio told reporters in the Indian city of Jaipur, where he was making an official visit.
“What’s happening there is unlawful, it’s illegal, it’s unsustainable for the world, it’s unacceptable,” he said.
26/05/2026 – 04:24
Rubio says Iran deal still possible within days despite US strikes
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that a deal with Iran was still possible despite new American strikes that cast doubt on their fragile ceasefire.
“There were some talks going on in Qatar today, so we’ll see if we can make progress. I think it’s a lot of talking back and forth going on about specific language in the initial document, so it’ll take a few days,” Rubio told reporters in Jaipur during an official visit to India.
“The president’s expressed his desire to make it. He’s either going to make a good deal or no deal,” he said.
26/05/2026 – 03:59
Dollar wobbles as markets cling to hopes for Middle East peace deal
The dollar nursed losses on Tuesday on rising investor optimism of a deal being struck to reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz and end the three-month-long Iran war, although fresh US attacks on Iranian targets weighed on sentiment. Despite low odds of an imminent deal, hopes of peace have pushed oil below $100 a barrel, eased pressure on emerging-market currencies, and boosted risk sentiment.
The euro held onto its gains to trade at $1.16365 on Tuesday, while the Japanese yen fetched 158.95 per US dollar. US markets were closed on Monday for a holiday. Against a basket of currencies, the dollar was at 99.031.
“Markets are right to price some optimism because even a path toward reopening Hormuz lowers the extreme tail risk around oil, inflation and global growth,” said Charu Chanana, chief investment strategist at Saxo in Singapore.
26/05/2026 – 03:49
WTI crude price falls over 5% despite new US strikes on Iran
The price of the main US benchmark for oil fell more than five percent on Tuesday, despite US forces launching new strikes on Iran.
Around 12:30 am GMT, the price of West Texas Intermediate was down 5.46% at $91.33 a barrel.
However, North Sea Brent crude was up 1.6% at $97.68 a barrel.
Oil prices plunged below $100 on Monday as investors raised expectations of a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, following signs that Washington and Tehran were edging closer to a deal.
26/05/2026 – 03:31
US military says it carried out ‘self-defence’ strikes in Iran, including on missile launch sites
US forces attacked missile sites in southern Iran and boats trying to lay mines on Monday, US Central Command said, as top Iranian negotiators arrived in Doha for talks to end the war.
“US forces conducted self-defense strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces,” Tim Hawkins, a US Central Command spokesman, said in a statement.
It gave no details of the attacks and said only that the targets included missile launch sites and boats trying to “emplace mines.”
The strikes threatened an already fragile ceasefire that began April 8 as the United States and Iran struggle to reach an accord to end a war that has rattled the global economy with a severe disruption of energy flows.
