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Latest news US, Iran highlights: Qatar says technical talks continue after row over Netanyahu's Lebanon visit
Latest news US, Iran highlights: US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Doha for indirect talks. Iran said that no meeting had been scheduled, after missile exchanges between the two sides over the weekend put the interim ceasefire under strain.
- 12:09 AM IST, June 30Qatar says technical talks continue between US and Iran
- 10:57 PM IST, June 30Palestinian Authority warns against Israeli settlement push
- 10:32 PM IST, June 30Netanyahu says Israeli troops will stay in occupied southern Lebanon
- 10:23 PM IST, June 30US adds Hezbollah-linked entities, officials to terror sanctions list
- 10:12 PM IST, June 30US man arrested in Israel on suspicion of spying for Iran
- 10:06 PM IST, June 30Mine risk keeps Hormuz security threat at ‘substantial’, says report
- 9:37 PM IST, June 30Araghchi calls attack on IRIS Dena ‘sign of cowardice’
- 9:35 PM IST, June 30Egypt, Turkiye intelligence chiefs meet Hamas leaders in Cairo
- 9:15 PM IST, June 30Oil set for steepest monthly, quarterly fall since 2020
- 9:06 PM IST, June 30Iran rejects third-party role in Hormuz mine clearance
- 9:03 PM IST, June 30China says fragile ceasefire must be backed by talks
- 8:52 PM IST, June 30Gulf markets mixed as investors await US-Iran talks
- 8:22 PM IST, June 30Palestinians condemn Israeli plan for 100 new West Bank settlements
- 8:21 PM IST, June 30MoU wording ‘poison’ for Iran-US talks, analyst says
- 8:19 PM IST, June 30Israeli raids, settler attacks continue across occupied West Bank
- 7:13 PM IST, June 30Gaza war strips civilians of privacy, identity and burial rights
- 7:07 PM IST, June 30US, Iran come together in Doha for ‘technical talks’. What it means
- 7:05 PM IST, June 30US says only China buying Iranian oil as others stay cautious
- 6:50 PM IST, June 30Iran accuses US of politicising World Cup treatment of team
- 6:46 PM IST, June 30US envoys arrive in Doha for indirect Iran talks
- 6:37 PM IST, June 30Hamas delegation arrives in Cairo for ceasefire talks
- 6:01 PM IST, June 30A recap of events
- 5:47 PM IST, June 30Iran says discussions will proceed via Qatar, not US
- 5:20 PM IST, June 30Iran says US must honour Lebanon commitments under MoU
- 5:19 PM IST, June 30Qatar PM, EU Gulf envoy discuss regional security
- 5:00 PM IST, June 30Food, fuel costs may stay high despite Hormuz reopening, says UN
- 4:41 PM IST, June 30Iran renews push to control Hormuz ahead of US talks
- 4:29 PM IST, June 30IRGC says 'terrorist' cell dismantled in northwest Iran
- 4:17 PM IST, June 30US envoys to meet mediators, not Iranian officials, says Qatar
- 4:09 PM IST, June 30Qatar links frozen Iran funds to progress in US talks
- 3:34 PM IST, June 30Lebanon army to assume security as Israel withdrawal begins
- 3:24 PM IST, June 30Israel has killed at least 73,066 in Gaza since October 2023
- 3:11 PM IST, June 30Tehran says US to unfreeze half of Iran's $12 billion held in Qatar
- 3:10 PM IST, June 30China calls for genuine, lasting ceasefire in Gaza amid Israeli genocide
- 2:49 PM IST, June 30Iran resumes Dubai flights after months of war disruptions
- 2:31 PM IST, June 30Oil heads for biggest quarterly loss since 2020
- 2:14 PM IST, June 30Frozen Iranian assets to be released by Qatar, says Tehran
- 1:24 PM IST, June 30Israeli drone drops stun grenades on house in Lebanon: Local media
- 1:03 PM IST, June 30Oil set to end June down by about 20 per cent
- 12:37 PM IST, June 30'Terrorists' shoot dead 2 Guards members in Iran: Local media
- 12:12 PM IST, June 30What did Macron say on Hormuz de-mining?
- 12:01 PM IST, June 30De-mining of Hormuz to be carried out only by Iran, says Tehran
- 11:33 AM IST, June 30Israel-Lebanon deal may entrench stalemate, say analysts
- 11:08 AM IST, June 30IRGC describes attack incident in Iran as ‘terrorist’, probe on
- 10:55 AM IST, June 30Hormuz traffic picks up as supertankers sail into Persian Gulf
- 10:35 AM IST, June 302 Revolutionary Guards killed in attack by unknown gunmen in Iran
- 10:24 AM IST, June 30Sri Lanka reduces fuel prices
- 10:12 AM IST, June 30US envoys en route to Doha, says Trump
- 10:01 AM IST, June 30Iran war cost average US household $1,000, economist estimates
- 9:50 AM IST, June 30Vessel movement in Hormuz continues despite tensions
- 9:39 AM IST, June 30Gold drops below $4,000 amid uncertainty over talks
- 9:27 AM IST, June 30Qatar, Iran ‘review security developments’
- 9:18 AM IST, June 30Pakistan rushes to buy LNG amid disrupted Qatar gas supplies
- 8:57 AM IST, June 30Iran announces release of frozen assets in Qatar
- 8:42 AM IST, June 30Oil holds gain as Iran seeks Hormuz control
- 8:24 AM IST, June 30Gold faces biggest monthly drop since late 2008
- 8:12 AM IST, June 30UAE lifts war-related ban on travel to Lebanon
- 8:04 AM IST, June 30Lebanon president says determined to deploy army up to Israel border
- 7:54 AM IST, June 30Iraq sets September 30 deadline for pro-Iran groups to disarm
- 7:43 AM IST, June 30US envoys Kushner, Witkoff to travel to Doha for talks: White House
- 7:38 AM IST, June 30What did Trump say on Doha talks?
- 7:34 AM IST, June 30Strait of Hormuz in focus during potential Doha talks
- 7:27 AM IST, June 30Oil prices fall over potential Doha talks
- 7:18 AM IST, June 30Uncertainty over potential US-Iran talks in Doha
This live blog is now closed. For continued updates, read here Latest news US, Iran highlights: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited occupied southern Lebanon on Tuesday and said Israeli troops would remain there until Hezbollah no longer posed a threat. His visit came days after a US-mediated security agreement under which Israel is expected to hand over two areas to the Lebanese army....Read More
Netanyahu said Hezbollah still has thousands of rockets and missiles, while Israel maintains its military presence in a buffer zone along the border despite a ceasefire agreed earlier this month.
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Doha for mediated talks on implementing the initial US-Iran deal aimed at ending the war in Iran.
Iran says there will be no meeting with US officials in Doha in the coming days. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that discussions will instead focus on implementing parts of the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding, including the release of Iran’s restricted assets, through Qatari mediators. Qatar has separately confirmed that $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds has not yet been transferred to Tehran.
The Doha drama
US President Donald Trump said Iran had requested a meeting in Qatar on Tuesday, even as Tehran denied that any direct negotiations with Washington were planned on the agreement aimed at ending the war in West Asia.
Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran's foreign ministry, said the country's delegation was travelling to Qatar, which has played a key role in mediation, to discuss the terms of the interim agreement without any direct involvement from the US.
Strait of Hormuz in focus
Iran's control over the strategically important Strait of Hormuz has remained a source of repeated tensions.
The latest escalation came early on Sunday when US Central Command said it had struck 10 Iranian military targets in response to what it described as "continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping".
Iran said it responded by launching strikes on US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.
The issue of the waterway continues to be one of the main obstacles in the negotiations.
The Strait of Hormuz is bordered by Iran and Oman. Before the conflict began, around one fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passed through the route. Iran said on Monday that it had held its first talks with Oman since the agreement was signed.
Tehran announces release of frozen Iranian assets
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday that $6 billion of the $12 billion in Iranian assets frozen in Qatar would be released and returned to Tehran, according to Iranian state media.
He called the memorandum, which includes US waivers on sanctions related to Iran's oil and petrochemical sectors, "a great victory for the Iranian people."
Oil prices fall over potential Iran-US talks
Oil prices fell on Tuesday as investors awaited the outcome of possible talks between the US and Iran in Doha.
Brent crude futures for August delivery, which expire on Tuesday, fell 1.03 per cent, or 75 cents, to $72.40 a barrel at 0038 GMT. The more actively traded September contract was down 0.54 per cent, or 40 cents, at $73.51 a barrel.
US West Texas Intermediate crude dropped 0.66 per cent, or 47 cents, to $70.32 a barrel.
US-Iran peace deal
The US and Iran allowed themselves at least 60 days to implement the 14 point memorandum of understanding. The agreement is intended to extend the April ceasefire, hold discussions on Iran's nuclear programme and negotiate a lasting truce.
However, progress has been slow, with both sides accusing each other of failing to honour the agreed terms.
Israel has stayed out of the US-Iran peace negotiations and has kept its distance from the agreement. At the same time, tensions between Washington and Tehran have made efforts to end the fighting in Lebanon more difficult.
