Lebanese Leaders Tell Tehran To End Inference In War-Torn Country
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and President Joseph Aoun called on Tehran to stop interfering in the affairs of the war-torn Middle East nation amid Iran-backed Hezbollah's continued battles with Israeli forces.
A militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon, Hezbollah is considered a terrorist organization by the US, while the European Union has blacklisted its armed wing but not its political branch.
Salam addressed Iran's leaders directly during a news conference, saying: "Have mercy on our south, stop treating it and its people as merely a bargaining chip."
"We are the people of a sovereign nation that refuses to serve as...an open battlefield for their wars."
Aoun issued a similar message to Tehran during a CNN interview: "It's not your country. It's our country. It's not your job to interfere into our country."
Lebanese and Israeli representatives this week agreed to a truce during talks in Washington, conditional on a "complete cessation" of Hezbollah fire, although it did not mention a halt to Israeli attacks.
The Iran-backed militant group rejected the deal on June 4, demanding instead a comprehensive cease-fire and full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
Tehran, meanwhile, insists that the fighting in Lebanon and the wider war in the Gulf are linked. On June 4, the head of the IRGC's foreign arm said Israel must pull back from its front lines in Lebanon before any peace deal can be signed with the US.
"It's the Lebanese people, they are not Naim Qassem's people," Aoun said, referring to the Hezbollah chief who rejected the truce deal.
"The majority of the Lebanese people are fed up with war," the president added.
"Hezbollah must understand [there is]...no other way to solve this problem and to save what's left except through negotiation and diplomacy," Aoun said.
He also addressed Israeli leaders, saying: "You need to show some willingness and commitment to end this war... We are committed. Are you?"
Lebanon's government has banned Hezbollah's military activities, and the country's military was working to disarm the militant group in areas its strongholds near the Israeli border before the latest war erupted.
Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war when Hezbollah attacked Israel on March 2 in retaliation for the February 28 killing of Iran's supreme leader during US-Israeli air strikes.
With reporting by AFP
Lebanese Leaders Tell Tehran To End Inference In War-Torn Country
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and President Joseph Aoun called on Tehran to stop interfering in the affairs of the war-torn Middle East nation amid Iran-backed Hezbollah's continued battles with Israeli forces.
A militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon, Hezbollah is considered a terrorist organization by the US, while the European Union has blacklisted its armed wing but not its political branch.
Salam addressed Iran's leaders directly during a news conference, saying: "Have mercy on our south, stop treating it and its people as merely a bargaining chip."
"We are the people of a sovereign nation that refuses to serve as...an open battlefield for their wars."
Aoun issued a similar message to Tehran during a CNN interview: "It's not your country. It's our country. It's not your job to interfere into our country."
Lebanese and Israeli representatives this week agreed to a truce during talks in Washington, conditional on a "complete cessation" of Hezbollah fire, although it did not mention a halt to Israeli attacks.
The Iran-backed militant group rejected the deal on June 4, demanding instead a comprehensive cease-fire and full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
Tehran, meanwhile, insists that the fighting in Lebanon and the wider war in the Gulf are linked. On June 4, the head of the IRGC's foreign arm said Israel must pull back from its front lines in Lebanon before any peace deal can be signed with the US.
"It's the Lebanese people, they are not Naim Qassem's people," Aoun said, referring to the Hezbollah chief who rejected the truce deal.
"The majority of the Lebanese people are fed up with war," the president added.
"Hezbollah must understand [there is]...no other way to solve this problem and to save what's left except through negotiation and diplomacy," Aoun said.
He also addressed Israeli leaders, saying: "You need to show some willingness and commitment to end this war... We are committed. Are you?"
Lebanon's government has banned Hezbollah's military activities, and the country's military was working to disarm the militant group in areas its strongholds near the Israeli border before the latest war erupted.
Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war when Hezbollah attacked Israel on March 2 in retaliation for the February 28 killing of Iran's supreme leader during US-Israeli air strikes.
With reporting by AFP
US Says Iran Soccer Players Have Received Visas For World Cup
A White House official told Reuters that players on Iran's World Cup soccer team have received their visas to travel to the US, just 10 days before the squad's opening match in Los Angeles.
The visas were granted overnight, Reuters quoted a White House official as saying after Iran's ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, said late on June 4 that the team had not received the required allowances to cross the border from Tijuana into California.
Iran's Fars news agency said some technical and administrative staff members have not yet received their visas as of midday on June 5.
Iran switched the team's planned training base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, due to the visa issues and amid the raised tensions between Washington and Tehran since the start of US-Israeli air strikes on February 28.
The team is scheduled to fly from Turkey to Spain on June 6 before traveling on to Tijuana, most likely on June 7.
Iran is scheduled to play its first group match on June 15 against New Zealand in Los Angeles. It will later face Belgium, also in Los Angeles, before taking on Egypt in Seattle.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the US would not allow Iran to include individuals linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), the powerful hard-line branch of the Iranian armed forces.
The World Cup is being hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada.
UPDATE: US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack confirmed in a message on X on June 5 that Iran's soccer squad has been granted visas to play in the World Cup.
"Proud of our outstanding team at the US Embassy in Ankara for their work processing visas for Iran's national football team on their road to the @FIFAWorldCup in the United States," he said.
"Sports transcends borders, and we look forward to welcoming competitors and fans from around the world," the ambassador said.
With reporting by Reuters and AFP
US Military Says It Seized Iran-Linked Tanker In Indian Ocean
The US military's Indo-Pacific Command announced on June 5 that US forces had conducted a seizure and inspection operation against the stateless tanker MT Davina, which is currently under sanctions, in the Indian Ocean overnight.
"We will continue global maritime enforcement to disrupt illicit networks and interdict vessels providing material support to Iran, wherever they operate," the US Indo-Pacific Command wrote in a message on X.
The United States has imposed a naval blockade on Iran since April 13, and Iranian military forces have opened fire on some vessels to prevent ships from passing through the Strait of Hormuz, at the entrance to the Persian Gulf.
US forces have intercepted several commercial ships and tankers in the Indian Ocean in recent months.
Reuters reported that the MT Davina, a supertanker with a capacity of up to 2 million barrels of crude oil, was placed under US sanctions in October 2024 for its involvement in Iranian oil trade, based on ship tracking data.
The ship, also known as the Lenoir, was last seen on June 5 near the southern coast of Sri Lanka.
Separate shipping data also shows the ship was almost completely loaded with oil cargo.
US Central Command Denies Naval Clash With Iran
An Iranian claim that its forces fired on two US destroyers has been denied by US Central Command (CENTCOM).
“Iranian forces did NOT attack or fire at US Navy warships. Doing so would be a gross violation of the ceasefire,” CENTCOM said in a statement on social media.
The claim made by Iranian armed forces was carried by Iranian state media. It said warning shots had been fired at ships identified as DDG-103 (USS Truxtun) and DDG-8 (USS Lynde McCormick).
The reports said Iran used Qader missiles and attack drones in the alleged incident.
“US forces continue to operate freely in regional waters while fully enforcing the ongoing blockade against Iran,” the CENTCOM statement said.
Any Iran Deal Must Be Measured By Actions, Not Promises, Says Former Ambassador Lisa Gable
WASHINGTON -- As US President Donald Trump signals an agreement with Iran could be within reach, major questions remain over Tehran's nuclear ambitions, regional security, and the durability of any future deal.
Amid continuing tensions across the Middle East -- from southern Lebanon to the Strait of Hormuz -- RFE/RL spoke with Lisa Gable, a former US ambassador who served during the George W. Bush administration and is now the chairwoman of World In 2050, about the prospects for diplomacy, the challenges of verification, and the broader geopolitical stakes.
Gable says one of the most important factors is "the unity of allied nations involved."
"The commercial aspects of this are affected by the Strait of Hormuz, but any disruption there affects many countries. It's not only affecting the United States; it's also affecting China and Russia," she says. "That works to our benefit, but at the same time, that level of basic commercial activity -- particularly the movement of ships -- is going to be the primary concern for everyone."
To read the full interview, click here.
WFP Warns Middle East Conflict Pushing Millions Into Hunger
Millions of people are being pushed closer to the brink of hunger amid the Iran war and the broader Middle East conflict, the United Nations' World Food Program (the WFP) said on June 5.
Rising fuel and transport costs have caused food prices to skyrocket, while shortfalls in funding have forced aid agencies to cut back on vital assistance, the WFP said.
The US-Israeli war with Iran, which began with joint air strikes on Iran on February 28, triggered a regional conflict that has disrupted key shipping routes such as the Strait of Hormuz, which has sharply constrained global energy flows and supply chains.
The WFP forecast in March that as many as 45 million people could become acutely food insecure if oil prices remained around $100 per barrel through June -- a situation that is now unfolding as benchmark crude prices have remained above that level.
Households in Afghanistan, Somalia and Sri Lanka are among the most seriously affected and face mounting pressure due to higher fuel costs, food price spikes, income losses, and disrupted trade.
In Somalia, 6.5 million people -- roughly a third of the population -- are expected to face severe hunger in 2026, while Afghanistan could see 17.4 million people affected, the WFP said.
The situation is projected to worsen, with an additional 2.5 million Somalis and 2.3 million Afghans at risk of falling into food insecurity if disruptions persist. Both countries are reliant on imported energy and food.
The Middle East crisis comes amid a deep funding shortfall for aid agencies. The WFP said it expected to serve 1.5 million fewer people globally in 2026, and an extra 9 million fewer if the situation persists for six months.
With reporting by Reuters
From Iran To Ukraine: How Asymmetric Warfare Is Challenging Conventional Military Power
When it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia expected the fall of Kyiv within days.
In waging a bombing campaign of Iran in late February, the United States and Israel anticipated the rapid collapse of the Islamic republic.
But in both cases, overwhelming military power failed to defeat the smaller and weaker side in the conflict. Instead, Ukraine and Iran reshaped the battlefield with cheap, domestically produced drones.
The conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have given rise to asymmetric drone warfare, experts say. Compensating for shortages of missiles and the lack of a modern air force, militarily weaker actors are increasingly using drones to even the playing field.
"Drone warfare is new in the sense that it doesn't truly replace conventional military means but rather modifies their uses," said Clement Molin, an analyst at the France-based think tank Atum Mundi.
"If drones are used so extensively by Ukraine and Russia, it is primarily due to a lack of air superiority capabilities or missiles. We see this in the Middle East, where states have been able to achieve almost total air superiority over Iran," he added.
To read the full report, click here.
Any Deal With US Must Release 50 Percent Of Frozen Assets, Says Iranian Official
Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi says Iran "insists" that half of Tehran's frozen funds be released upon signing any potential deal with the United States to end the war.
Speaking with the state-affiliated Mehr News Agency on June 4, Gharibabadi added that the remaining frozen funds should be made available to Iran "after a reasonable period of time, which in our opinion will not be more than one or two months."
Gharibabadi has stated that Iran's three conditions for signing an agreement are the end of the war on all fronts, including the Lebanese front; the lifting of the US naval blockade; and the release of frozen Iranian funds.
US President Donald Trump has said no money would be given to Iran in exchange for a deal.
During the negotiations, the United States has repeatedly imposed new sanctions on Iran and has explicitly spoken of "Operation Economic Fury" to paralyze the Iranian economy.
However, Gharibabadi emphasized that from Iran's perspective, lifting sanctions and nuclear-related issues are in the second phase of negotiations.
This is despite Trump saying on his social media account, Truth Social, that almost all of the text of the agreement with Iran is about Tehran's nuclear activities. He has repeatedly written that Washington must obtain Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium.
Iran has called US demands regarding Iran's nuclear activities "excessive."
Trump Says US Will Win Iran War 'Militarily Or On Paper'
US President Donald Trump said the United States will win the conflict with Iran either "militarily or on paper," referring to the fitful negotiations with Tehran, and he suggested he could meet with Iran's reclusive supreme leader "if it was to make a deal."
"We're going to win one way or the other," Trump told reporters at the White House on June 4.
"It's going to be militarily or on paper."
Trump also said he had no desire to meet with Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen since the outbreak of violence on February 28 and was reportedly seriously injured in US-Israeli air strikes.
However, Trump added if the two sides reached a deal, it was possible the two leaders would meet and added: "If it happened...I'd be respectful."
"I don't want to meet, but if I did meet, I'd be honored to meet him," Trump said.
"But if we make a deal, it's possible that I would meet him. I'd be OK with that."
Trump was speaking at the White House on June 4 to reporters on a wide variety of subjects, including the Ukraine war, Cuba, and global trade issues.
Read more here.
Rubio Condemns Iranian Attack On Kuwait
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has condemned Iran's "outrageous and unacceptable" attacks on Kuwait's international airport that killed one person and injured 63.
According to a statement from the US State Department, during a meeting with Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah in Washington, Rubio condemned "Iran’s outrageous and unacceptable attacks targeting Kuwait International Airport and other parts of the country."
According to the statement, Rubio also expressed condolences "for those killed and injured in that attack."
Kuwaiti officials said Iran launched 30 ballistic missiles and drones in the strike. One Indian citizen was killed.
The attacks, which the authorities in Kuwait described as "brutal," forced the closure of Kuwait International Airport and also damaged "vital installations," including diplomatic missions.
Iran has denied responsibility for the attack, saying a US Patriot missile was responsible.
CENTCOM, the US Central Command, has denied the claim.