NATO Chief Warns Of Deepening Russia–Iran Cooperation Fueling Middle East Instability
WASHINGTON -- NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on April 9 said growing cooperation between Russia and Iran is strengthening both countries’ military capabilities, with direct consequences for the war in Ukraine and rising instability across the Middle East.
Speaking at a conference in Washington, Rutte described a widening network of coordination among Russia, Iran, China, and North Korea, calling it a shared effort that is “absolutely” reshaping security dynamics across multiple regions.
He pointed in particular to the exchange between Moscow and Tehran, saying Iran is supplying Russia with advanced drone and military technology used in Ukraine, while Russia is providing financial resources in return.
“That is technology into Russia, money from Russia to Iran,” Rutte said. “And the money is being spent for Iran to create…chaos.”
Rutte accused Iran of acting as a major destabilizing force in the Middle East, citing its support for regional proxy groups and its continued development of missile and nuclear capabilities.
He warned that Iran’s expanding missile range -- reportedly reaching distances of up to 4,000 kilometers -- indicates that the technology is nearing operational maturity.
According to Rutte, such developments pose risks not only to the Middle East but also to Western interests, as Iranian capabilities become increasingly sophisticated and far-reaching.
The NATO chief argued that efforts by the United States to curb Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs remain critical in limiting those threats.
His remarks come amid heightened tensions in the Gulf region. Rutte said NATO could play a role in safeguarding maritime security in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit route.
“If NATO can help, obviously then there is no reason not to be helpful,” he said, emphasizing the importance of keeping the waterway open.
He noted ongoing coordination among a group of 34 countries, led in part by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, alongside the United States, to ensure freedom of navigation in the area.
At the same time, Rutte sought to highlight continued transatlantic cooperation despite political tensions. He said increased European defense spending -- including purchases of US weapons -- has strengthened NATO’s military capacity.
His comments followed criticism of the alliance by US President Donald Trump, who has threatened to scale back US military commitments to NATO allies.
Rutte maintained that cooperation within the alliance remains strong, even as geopolitical challenges -- from Ukraine to the Middle East -- become increasingly interconnected.
Iranian State Media Claims Draft US Deal Includes Nuclear Ban
Iran’s state-affiliated Mehr news agency claimed on June 12, citing an unnamed official source, that a draft memorandum between Iran and the United States includes Iran’s commitment not to develop nuclear weapons; a permanent halt to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon; a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days; and 60 days of negotiations to reach a final agreement on Iran’s nuclear program.
US President Donald Trump on June 11 said a “great settlement” has been reached with Iran to end the war, which began on February 28, adding that he expects a deal to be signed in the coming days.
"We have a deal that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, which was the whole purpose of what we had to go through to get this," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
The White House has not elaborated further on the contents of a possible deal, however Axios reported that under the memorandum of understanding (MOU) "Iran would make certain commitments on its nuclear program -- first and foremost to never acquire a nuclear weapon and to resolve the standoff around its enriched uranium."
Axios also reported, citing a "diplomat from one of the mediating countries and a US official," that the MOU would extend the cease-fire for 60 days and "calls for the strait [of Hormuz] to be reopened immediately without tolls, with a return to pre-war shipping volumes within 30 days. In return, the U.S. blockade would also be lifted."
The Mehr news agency further claimed that other provisions included the lifting of Iran’s naval blockade, the withdrawal of US forces from areas surrounding Iran, the suspension of sanctions against Iran, and the release of $24 billion in frozen Iranian funds.
Quoting the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson, Mehr claimed that the text requires final approval by the Iranian authorities.
Reports from Iranian state media during negotiations have often been used to float ideas or advance particular positions -- and have frequently proven to be inaccurate or incomplete.
Oil Prices Drop After Trump Announced Possible Iran Deal
Oil prices fell sharply after US President Donald Trump announced he had canceled planned strikes on Iran and that a “great settlement” had been reached.
Brent crude futures fell $2.72, or 2.9 percent, to settle at $90.38 a barrel on June 11. On June 12, prices extended losses in early Asian trading, with Brent falling toward the $88.40-$88.65 range.
US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures dropped $2.32, or 2.6 percent, to settle at $87.71 a barrel on June 11 and traded near $86.00-$86.70 on June 12.
Trump said on June 11 that he expects the deal -- which could reopen the Strait of Hormuz -- to be signed in the coming days, possibly this weekend in Europe.
Asian equity markets rallied after the news and falling oil prices. Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged more than 3 percent in early-to-mid trading on June 12, climbing toward the 66,000–66,500 level after recovering modestly the previous day.
US Shoots Down Two Iranian Drones Near Hormuz, As Trump Hails Impending Peace Deal
(This item was updated to reflect comments by a senior US defense official to RFE/RL)
The US military shot down two Iranian attack drones after Tehran's forces attempted to strike commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a senior US defense official told RFE/RL.
“It appears Iran has attempted to strike commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz tonight. US forces shot down two Iranian one-way attack drones. Traffic flow through the strait continues," the defense official said.
Iranian state media reported early on June 12 that the country's forces had fired toward a tanker attempting to traverse the waterway without permission from Iranian authorities.
Iranian media said blasts were heard near the coast of Sirik, igniting some fears of renewed air strikes amid reported momentum of a peace agreement.
State news agency IRNA later said any sounds could have been related to military activity in maritime regions, including off the coast of Sirik, which overlooks the Strait of Hormuz.
State media quoted a military source as saying the sounds heard near Sirik were linked to Iranian forces confronting an oil tanker attempting to pass through the strategic waterway, through which some 20 percent of the world's oil and gas supplies flowed prewar.
The tanker later complied with the ban on transit after receiving warnings from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) navy, the source told state media.
Iran's top military command on June 11 announced the closure of the strait, including the transit of oil tankers and commercial ships, saying any vessel that attempts passage would be fired upon.
It came as US President Donald Trump on June 11 hailed what he called a “great settlement” with Iran to end the war and said a peace deal could be signed as soon as this weekend that would reopen the strait to shipping.
Trump said the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran effectively closed after the war began on February 28, will also be opened “as soon as we have it signed.”
But an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman responded that a final decision on a deal had not yet been reached by the Tehran government.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Washington correspondent Alex Raufoglu and Reuters
Iran Soccer Team Works Out Before Reporters At Tijuana Base
Iran's World Cup soccer team took to the training field on June 11 at their base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, as it prepared before reporters ahead of their first match across the border in Los Angeles.
The team has not made any public appearances since arriving in Tijuana. It originally had been set to practice in the city of Tucson in Arizona but was forced to switch sites because of visa issues.
For June 11 training session, journalists were given 15 minutes to watch a small group of players as they conducted warm-up exercises.
About 12 of the 26 members of the team were present. Star striker Mehdi Taremi was not among those to show up.
Iran is set to play its first match on June 15 in Los Angeles against New Zealand.
Iran's ambassador to Mexico last week told reporters that the team had only been allowed into the US on the day of its games and would have to immediately travel back to the Tijuana base afterwards.
The World Cup is being cohosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada. The team's appearance had at times been in doubt after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran, setting off a broader Middle East war. In the opening match on June 11, Mexico defeated South Africa 2-0.
With reporting by AFP
Trump Reassures Israel On Iran's Enriched Nuclear Material: PM's Office
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said US President Donald Trump has assured him that any US-Iran agreement would include commitments to remove Tehran's supply of enriched nuclear material.
It said on X on June 11 after the two spoke by phone that "President Trump spoke this evening with Prime Minister Netanyahu regarding the emerging memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran to enter into negotiations."
"Although Israel is not party to the memorandum of understanding, the prime minister expressed his appreciation for President Trump's commitment that the final agreement at the conclusion of negotiations will include the removal of enriched material, the dismantling of enrichment infrastructure, limits on missile production, and the cessation of Iran's support for its terrorist proxies in the region," Netanyahu's office said on X after the two spoke.
Trump on June 11 said a “great settlement” has been reached with Iran to end the Middle East war and that the agreement could be signed as early as this weekend, possibly in Europe.
“We have a deal that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, which was the whole purpose of what we had to go through to get this. So, it's a very big thing,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
Trump Announces ‘Great Settlement’ Reached With Iran, Says To Be Signed 'Quickly'
US President Donald Trump on June 11 said a “great settlement” has been reached with Iran to end the three-month-long war, saying he expects a deal to be signed in the coming days.
“We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
He said the documents related to a deal with Iran were “in pretty final shape” and “should be done and done quickly.”
Trump added that there will “probably be a signing, maybe in Europe” once the documents are finalized “over the next few days.”
“We have a deal that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, which was the whole purpose of what we had to go through to get this. So, it's a very big thing.”
Trump said the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway that Iran effectively closed after the war began on February 28, will also be opened “as soon as we have it signed.”
He also said that he had spoken to leaders in the region, including allies in the Persian Gulf and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, adding: “The whole Middle East is very happy.”
There was no immediate official response from Iran.
To read the full report, click here.
Trump Says He Canceled Strikes On Iran
US President Donald Trump says he has canceled strikes on Iran, hours after he had threatened to hit the Islamic republic "very hard tonight."
Washington and Tehran exchanged attacks for a second consecutive night on June 10, deepening one of the most serious escalations in hostilities since a fragile cease-fire took hold in April.
"Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved, I have, as President of the United States of America, cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening," Trump said in a post on Truth Social on June 11.
Trump added that "discussions and final points" have been approved by the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, and others.
"The Naval Blockade will remain in full force and effect until this Transaction is finalized — Time and place of the signing to be announced shortly," he said.
Iran Top Negotiator Warns US Of 'Endless Quagmire'
Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, a senior Iranian official, warned the United States against becoming entangled in an "endless quagmire."
"Wrong strategies and impulsive decisions will reset the entire board for the worse, explode energy infrastructure and markets and create an endless quagmire that you will be stuck in for years," Qalibaf, who is Iran's parliamentary speaker and chief negotiator, said in a June 11 post on X.
"You will see a different Iran," he added.
His comments came after US President Donald Trump earlier on June 11 threatened to hit Iran "very hard tonight."
Tehran And Tirana Brawl Amid Flamingo Revolution
Protests in Albania over a proposed luxury resort linked to US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, have unexpectedly morphed into a very public brawl between Albania and Iran.
Thousands of Albanians have taken to the streets in recent days to protest the start of construction for the $1.6 billion resort in a once-protected flamingo wetland made possible after the government fast-tracked building permits and updated environmental laws to allow five-star hotels in protected zones.
Amid the unrest -- dubbed the Flamingo Revolution for the pink birds that flock to the remote stretch of Balkan coast -- Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama fired the first shot, accusing Tehran of being involved in a "hybrid war" of disinformation by amplifying a conspiracy theory: that the resort is actually a cover to resettle Palestinians from Gaza onto Albanian soil.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei fired back on X, telling Rama to "calm down," accusing him of selling out Albania's sovereignty -- and quoting Albanian protest slogans such as "No to corruption" and "Rama goes" in their original language.
To read the full report, click here.
Bessent: Iranian Funds To Be Used To Pay For Damage To US Allies
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said any damage caused by Iran against US allies in the Middle East will be paid for by funds “extracted from Iranian accounts.”
His comments came after Iran carried out attacks against US military sites in Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait in the past two days. The attacks were in response to US strikes in southern Iran.
Tens of billions of dollars in Iranian funds have been frozen in foreign banks due to US sanctions.
In a post on X on June 11, Bessent also said any fees paid to the Persian Gulf Strait Authority -- a new Iranian body tasked with vetting and tolling vessels using the Strait of Hormuz -- “will be offset by [Iranian] funds.”
Tehran effectively closed the strait, a key artery for global oil and gas supplies, after the United States and Israel launched a bombing campaign on February 28.