US-Iran truce deal awaits Trump as strikes test fragile ceasefire

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday that a ceasefire with Israel was crucial, as Israeli and Lebanese military delegations meet at the Pentagon.

A statement from Aoun's office said that during a phone call, the president "emphasised the need to exert all efforts to reach a ceasefire, considering it an essential gateway to moving on to any other step".

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has held what he described as “productive” talks with his Omani counterpart Badr Albusaidi over the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a post on X, Araghchi said the two sides discussed the future of Hormuz and its management in line with “sovereign responsibilities and international law”.

He said the phone conversation with the Omani foreign minister focused on regional maritime developments and was constructive in tone.

A Greek national was set to appear in court Friday on charges that he helped the intelligence service of a foreign country, believed to be Iran, target a journalist working in London.

The allegations against Ioannis Aidinidis, 46, relate to attempts to target a journalist for Iran International, a media outlet that has traditionally been critical of the country's Islamic government, London's Metropolitan Police Service said in a statement.

"We know this may cause concern for many people here in the UK, and particularly those working in Persian-language media,'' Commander Helen Flanagan said. "We continue to work closely with a number of organizations and individuals to provide them with advice and support around their safety and security, and this includes the specific individual and organization linked to this investigation.''

Global markets traded mixed on Friday as oil prices slipped, driven by investor optimism over a potential US–Iran agreement to extend their fragile ceasefire and ease tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Oil markets have fluctuated this week amid shifting signals from Washington and Tehran, including brief disruption after US strikes on Iran and retaliatory moves in the region. However, hopes of a 60-day ceasefire extension helped stabilise sentiment and supported gains on Wall Street, with the S&P 500 hitting another record high.

European indices moved unevenly ahead of the weekend as traders weighed geopolitical risks against improving economic data and easing recession fears linked to lower oil prices.

Analysts said markets remain sensitive to any delay in a potential deal, warning that failure to secure an agreement could trigger renewed volatility in oil prices and global equities.

Despite uncertainty, broader sentiment has been supported by strong corporate earnings and continued momentum in artificial intelligence-driven investment, which has fuelled a global equity rally and pushed major Asian markets higher.

A US federal judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s administration from issuing payments from a $1.776 billion settlement fund set up for Trump allies who claim they were targeted by a “weaponised” government.

US District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Virginia also halted the creation of the fund while legal challenges remain pending.

The court scheduled a hearing for June 12 to decide whether the freeze on payouts from the so-called “Anti-Weaponisation Fund” should be extended. The fund was established to settle Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces have redirected 115 commercial vessels as part of an ongoing maritime blockade aimed at preventing trade to and from Iranian ports.

In a statement on social media, CENTCOM said the enforcement operation continues across key waterways to ensure “no commerce enters or leaves Iranian ports.”

The military has not provided additional operational details, but has previously described the mission as part of broader efforts to restrict maritime traffic linked to Iran amid heightened regional tensions.

The blockade has seen a growing number of commercial ships diverted in recent weeks as part of sustained naval enforcement operations in the region.

India has launched an emergency maritime operation to guide 13 Indian-flagged commercial vessels out of the Strait of Hormuz as tensions escalate in the Gulf region.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said the coordinated effort aims to ensure the safety of Indian seafarers and protect key maritime assets amid rising geopolitical risks in West Asia. The Ministry of External Affairs has also advised Indian nationals to avoid travel to Iran and urged those already there to leave.

The vessels include tankers, container ships, bulk carriers and a dredger currently navigating the strategic shipping corridor.

Officials confirmed that all Indian seafarers in the region are safe, with no hostile incidents reported. More than 3,400 Indian seafarers have already been repatriated from Gulf countries as part of ongoing evacuation efforts.

Air connectivity across the region remains largely operational, with flights running from several Gulf countries, while Indian missions continue assisting citizens through evacuation routes, including from Iran where thousands have already been assisted to exit.

Authorities said the situation is being closely monitored as concerns grow over energy security and global oil shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

China has opted not to send senior defence officials to the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Asia’s leading security summit, which opened on Friday and is being headlined by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Beijing’s Defence Minister Dong Jun is skipping the three-day forum for a second consecutive year, with China instead dispatching military academics and scholars. The absence comes despite key discussions expected on Taiwan, the South China Sea, and the Iran conflict.

The forum brings together officials from around 45 countries and has traditionally served as a platform for defence dialogue and behind-the-scenes diplomacy.

Analysts say China’s absence highlights its growing confidence as a regional power, while also avoiding high-pressure diplomatic exchanges. However, it also means Beijing will not be directly represented in high-level discussions on major security flashpoints.

The United States, Britain and Australia are also expected to hold talks under the AUKUS security framework during the summit, with Canberra emphasising the need to uphold a “rules-based order” amid rising regional tensions.

Iran’s top negotiator and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has said the Islamic Republic secures concessions “not through talks, but through missiles.”

In a post on X, Ghalibaf said negotiations are only a channel to communicate outcomes, adding that Iran places trust in “actions, not words or guarantees.”

He also stressed that no agreement will move forward unless the other side acts first, signalling Iran is waiting for US steps amid ongoing talks linked to a possible ceasefire framework and developments around the Strait of Hormuz.

Reports suggest the US and Iran are close to a draft understanding to extend a ceasefire arrangement and manage tensions in the strategic waterway, though final approval remains pending on both sides.

Ghalibaf further said any agreement favours the side better prepared for conflict after it is signed, underscoring Iran’s hardline stance during the negotiation.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has said 24 vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours in coordination with Iranian authorities.

In a statement carried by Iran’s Fars News Agency, the IRGC Navy said a limited number of ships are being allowed to transit the strategic waterway each day through designated routes, in an effort to ease congestion.

The force said maritime traffic is being managed under its supervision, with vessels required to coordinate and obtain clearance before passage through the strait.

India is diversifying its sources of oil and gas imports to make up for the shortfall in supplies caused by the choking of the Strait of Hormuz amid the West Asia crisis, a senior official said on Friday.

"Energy security is very important for us. We are trying to diversify our sources from across the world, and that is our policy at present. We welcome whatever support we can receive from various markets around the world," said Randhir Jaiswal, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesman.

He also said that 11 Indian-flagged vessels are still stuck in the Persian Gulf region.

"As many as 14 ships that were also in the Persian Gulf have already returned; they were able to cross the Strait of Hormuz and have reached India," Jaiswal added.

Meanwhile Indian oil companies have been buying more oil from Russia and African countries such as Nigeria and Angola.

India's crude sourcing decisions were driven primarily by commercial considerations and adequate supply availability, a Petroleum Ministry official said.

German inflation slowed in May as energy price pressures sparked by the Iran war eased, data showed, but analysts still expect a eurozone interest rate increase next month.

Consumer prices in Europe's biggest economy rose 2.6 percent compared with the same month a year earlier, according to preliminary data from the federal statistics agency Destatis. The figure was down from 2.9 percent in April.

Lebanese and Israeli military delegations were to hold security talks at the Pentagon on Friday, during which Beirut will demand Israel halt its attacks, which have intensified in recent days.

The development comes as the United States and Hezbollah's backer Iran, were negotiating with Tehran, which insists the fighting in Lebanon must be included in any agreement ending the Middle East war.

Also on Friday, the Israeli military issued evacuation warnings for seven southern Lebanese towns, two of them around 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of Israel.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported several strikes across the south, and a wave of displacement as people fled the threatened towns.

Lebanon's delegation includes six officers, headed by the army's director of operations, Georges Rizkallah.

A Lebanese military source told AFP the delegation will "emphasise the need for a ceasefire, and will present the army's plan for a state weapons monopoly and the extension of state authority across the country".

9 Air and Shandong Airlines will reduce fuel surcharges on domestic flights from June 5, marking the first cut since recent geopolitical tensions affected pricing, according to a Reuters report.

Flights of 800 km or less will see surcharges drop from 90 yuan to 80 yuan.
Routes above 800 km will fall from 170 yuan to 150 yuan.

Chinese carriers typically align surcharge revisions, suggesting other airlines may soon follow with similar reductions.

Danish intelligence said that Iran was playing a larger role when it came to the threat of terrorism against the Scandinavian country, adding that the threat assessment was mirroring global developments.

The Danish national security and intelligence service, PET, said the overall threat to Denmark remained at four on their five-point scale, but added that in recent years the threats had "changed significantly in character".

"Over the past year state actors have become increasingly important to the terror threat. We assess that this applies in particular to Iran, which poses a threat especially to Israeli and Jewish interests as well as certain Iranian dissidents in Europe, including Denmark," Finn Borch Andersen, head of PET, said in a statement.

"The threat from Iran emanates from the Iranian intelligence services, which make use of both criminal networks and the recruitment of operatives in Europe to plan and carry out attacks," he added.

In neighbouring Sweden, the Swedish Security Service (Sapo) has also accused Iran of using criminal gangs to commit "acts of violence" against Israeli interests and Iranian opposition figures in Sweden - a claim Iran has denied.

According to PET, the escalation in animosity between Iran and Israel in recent years, and since the launch of strikes by Israel and the United States against Iran in February, has reverberations for the threat level against the Nordic nation and across Western countries.

"This war has had indirect consequences for the threat landscape in the West, including Denmark," PET said.

PET said that in the past, threats were primarily driven by "non-state actors", such as militant extremists, and that while state actors now played a larger role, the threat from other groups persisted.

"Several attacks in the West over the past year have unfortunately also demonstrated that classic threat actors such as militant Islamists and right-wing extremists remain among the most serious challenges in the threat landscape," Borch Andersen said.

Fifteen children have been killed in Lebanon and 62 injured over the last seven days, the United Nations said Friday, despite the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

UNICEF, the UN children's agency, called the figures "staggering" and stressed that under international humanitarian law, children had to be protected at all times during conflict.

"According to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, 77 children have reportedly been killed or injured over the past week alone," UNICEF spokesman Ricardo Pires told a media briefing in Geneva.

"Fifteen children killed and 62 injured in seven days. That's an average of 11 children every 24 hours.

"We understand the vast majority of these children were impacted by airstrikes in south Lebanon. Only yesterday, seven children were killed and 30 injured," he said.

The United States and Iran appear to have the draft text of an agreement to extend their ceasefire for 60 days and provide a framework to negotiate longer-term peace.

According to US Vice President JD Vance, the document is now awaiting Donald Trump's signature.

But there have been conflicting reports from sources in Washington and Tehran about what might be covered in the initial agreement and what is off the table.

US Vice President JD Vance said it remains unclear when or whether President Donald Trump will sign a preliminary agreement with Iran, adding that negotiations continue over key nuclear issues.

Speaking to reporters after returning from Colorado, Vance said Tehran appears keen to reach a deal, while negotiators are still going back and forth over two points related to the wording of the proposed agreement.

"There are two outstanding areas of disagreement on the nuclear issue," Vance said, citing Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium and the future of uranium enrichment activities.

 Gold prices in Dubai moved higher on Friday as global markets reacted to ongoing geopolitical tensions linked to the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, alongside uncertainty over inflation and interest rates in the United States.

In the UAE, 24K gold opened at Dh544 per gram, up from Dh541.25 at yesterday’s close.

Meanwhile, 22K gold climbed to Dh503.75 from Dh501.25. The gains come as investors continue to move cautiously amid uncertainty surrounding a possible extension of the US-Iran ceasefire and concerns over global economic stability.

Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar arrived in Washington for a high-level official visit, where he was received by Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh and senior embassy officials. The visit centers on meetings with US Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio to discuss bilateral relations and regional issues. Dar is expected to return to Islamabad the same day following the conclusion of his engagements.

Spanish inflation held steady in May even as the Middle East war roiled global energy markets, preliminary data showed Friday.

The annual inflation rate stood at 3.2 percent in May, unchanged from April, as a rise in transport costs was partially offset by lower clothing and footwear costs, statistics office INE said in a statement.

Food and non-alcoholic beverage prices were broadly stable, compared with increases a year earlier, it said.

Global energy markets have been jolted by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for oil and gas exports from the resource-rich Gulf region, following US and Israeli attacks on Iran.

In response to rising energy uncertainty, Spain's leftist government approved a support package in March that included a temporary cut in the value-added tax on gas and fuel to 10 percent from 21 percent.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth is the headline speaker at Asia's premier defence summit opening Friday, but China's top officials aren't expected despite weighty questions like Taiwan and the war in Iran.

Beijing's defence minister is to skip the three-day Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore for the second year running, which analysts viewed as a sign of China's rising power.

Yet, the forum that brings together top officials from around 45 nations has historically provided a setting for debate as well as quiet and high-profile diplomacy.

Defence Minister Dong Jun's absence means no meeting there with Hegseth as China warns the US over its involvement with Taiwan and Washington seeks an end to the Mideast war.

The Middle East was the source of 57 percent of China's direct seaborne crude imports in 2025 - 5.9 million barrels per day (mbd) - maritime tracking firm Kpler said.

Hegseth's second trip to the Shangri-La Dialogue comes after US President Donald Trump's visit to China in May, and his subsequent suggestion that US arms sales to Taiwan could be used as a bargaining chip with Beijing.

Hegseth's speech on Saturday is expected to be "quite strong against China, but mainly for internal (US) consumption", said Oh Ei Sun, senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs.

"I think under Trump anything is negotiable and even with enemies deals can be done... (even) with Taiwan as a negotiating chip," Oh told AFP.

Trump said "fantastic" trade deals were struck after his visit to China, although details were vague and no breakthrough with Beijing emerged in the war with Iran.

Markets in Japan and South Korea hit fresh records as Asian shares advanced Friday on expectations the US and Iran will agree to extend the ceasefire in their war by 60 days.

Oil prices slipped, but remain above pre-war levels as the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed. Analysts warned that the potential ceasefire extension should be viewed with caution, as it will take time for oil supplies to recover.

US futures edged higher.

Tokyo's Nikkei 225 jumped 2.5% and ended at a record high of 66,329.50, as data released Friday showed that Tokyo's core inflation rate for May rose more slowly than economists expected.

South Korea's Kospi surged 3.6% to 8,476.15, also at an all-time closing high, with technology companies powering the gains thanks to the global boom in artificial intelligence. Shares in Samsung Electronics, the country's leading company, rose 5.8%.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 0.9% to 25,222.38, while the Shanghai Composite index fell 0.9% to 4,063.56.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was up 1.6% at 8,731.70.

Taiwan's Taiex traded 2.5% higher. India's Sensex edged down 0.2%.

The United States sanctioned many companies, individuals and vessels as part of a sweeping new crackdown on Iran's oil and petrochemical trade, accusing them of helping facilitate transactions involving Iranian-origin products.

The US Department of State announced sanction on several companies linked to what it called Iran's "shadow oil economy", saying the measures are intended to cut off revenue used by Tehran to fund destabilising activities and support its military apparatus.

The action formed part of a broader sanctions package targeting traders, shipping companies and vessels allegedly involved in transporting Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products.

"Today's sanctions action also targets three companies trading Iranian petrochemical products and one of their principal executive officers," the State Department said. It added that such companies provide "valuable revenue for the Iranian regime".

Hezbollah has dramatically expanded its use of fibre-optic-guided drones against Israeli troops and border communities, according to Wired tech magazine.

Adopting tactics refined on the battlefields of the Russia-Ukraine war, it is creating what Israeli officials now describe as one of the most difficult aerial threats they have faced in years.

Military analysts say the Iranian-backed proxy terror group based in Lebanon is increasingly relying on fibre-optic first-person-view, or FPV, drones. The reason: they can bypass Israel’s sophisticated electronic warfare systems and radar defenses.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that President Donald Trump would not accept a "bad deal" with Iran, insisting that any agreement must address Tehran's nuclear programme and guarantee open shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz.

Discussions with Iran were continuing, but Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent repeatedly declined to confirm reports of a tentative agreement, telling reporters at the White House that any deal would depend on President Donald Trump's approval.

"The teams have been going back and forth and President Trump has made it very clear," Bessent said. He added that Iran "has to turn over their highly enriched uranium", "cannot pursue a nuclear weapon" and that "the Strait of Hormuz has to free transit. Navigation of the seas has to be free and open as it was before".

"He's not going to take a bad deal. He's going to make a great deal for the American people," Bessent said.

The United States and Iran have made good progress towards a ceasefire extension deal but President Donald Trump is not yet ready to approve it, US Vice President JD Vance said Thursday.

"We're going back and forth on a couple of language points. We've made a lot of progress here," Vance told reporters, hours after US sources said Washington and Tehran had agreed a deal.

"Hopefully, we'll continue to make progress and the president will be in a position where he can endorse the agreement, but obviously that's still TBD (to be determined)," he added. 

The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday announced additional sanctions on Iran's military oil sales even as one U.S. official said that Tehran and Washington had reached a tentative agreement to extend the ceasefire and start nuclear negotiations.

The latest penalties -- first reported by The Associated Press -- are part of the Trump administration's sprawling and ever-growing economic pressure campaign to get Iran to capitulate to its demands. But both Republican and Democratic administrations have levied countless sanctions against Iran for decades to no avail.

The action puts additional sanctions on Sepehr Energy Jahan -- the oil sales arm of Iran's armed forces -- which facilitates the shipment of millions of barrels of Iranian crude oil to China. In a news release, Treasury claimed that Iran's military generates revenue through these sales "via an array of front companies to help fund its reconstitution and threaten its neighbors."

"The Treasury Department will continue to increase pressure on Iranian oil sales to deprive the Iranian regime and its military of the financial resources it needs to threaten U.S. allies and partners in the Middle East," Secretary Scott Bessent said.

Iran's football team still lacks US visas and is not competing in World Cup on "equal terms" because of its difficulty in training ahead of the tournament, its ambassador to Mexico said Thursday. Ambassador Abolfazl Pasandideh visited the northwestern Mexican border city of Tijuana, where Iranians have relocated their training camp. They were originally planned to be based in Tucson in the US state of Arizona.

The ambassador told a news conference that "the country to the north" -- meaning the US -- had not followed through on its responsibility of hosting the Iranian team. "We don't know whether or not they're going to give the players their visas," he added.

US and Iranian negotiators have reportedly agreed in principle to an initial framework that would extend a fragile ceasefire for 60 days and open formal negotiations over the future of Iran’s nuclear program, according to US officials familiar with the talks.

The proposed agreement, reported by the BBC, has not yet received final approval from President Donald Trump or Iran’s leadership, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. American officials described the arrangement as an "initial framework" aimed at preventing further escalation after weeks of military confrontation in the Gulf region.

The deal would open the Strait of Hormuz and start a 60-day negotiation period on Iran’s nuclear program, CNN reported.

But uncertainty quickly emerged from Tehran.

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim cited a source close to the negotiations who denied that any final agreement had been completed or formally confirmed, highlighting continuing divisions and mistrust between the two longtime adversaries.

Both sides have accused each other of violating an already shaky ceasefire announced earlier this week following US strikes on Iranian military targets and retaliatory attacks by Tehran-aligned forces.

On Thursday, Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had targeted a US military base in the region after fresh overnight American strikes hit southern Iran. Iranian state-linked media described the attacks as retaliation for what Tehran called “continued aggression” against its territory.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) today released data for April 2026 global passenger demand.

Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), was down -3.4 per cent compared to April 2025. Excluding the Middle East, demand increased by 1.2 per cent. Total capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), decreased -2.9 per cent year-on-year. The load factor was 83.1 per cent (-0.4 ppt compared to April 2025).

International demand fell -5.3 per cent compared to April 2025. Excluding Middle East, demand grew by 1.9 per cent. Capacity was down -5.1 per cent year-on-year, and the load factor was 83.9 per cent (-0.2 ppt compared to April 2025).

Domestic demand was flat compared to April 2025. Capacity increased 0.8 per cent year-on-year. The load factor was 81.9 per cent (-0.7 ppt compared to April 2025).

"The 46.6 per cent fall in demand for carriers in the Middle East due to war in the region was so acute that it dragged overall demand down -3.4 per cent. The situation for air transport remains highly volatile. The cost of jet fuel more than doubled in April, which is pushing airfares up. Forward schedule data is showing a reduced offering in the coming months, indicating that airlines are balancing high fuel costs and weaker demand." said Willie Walsh, IATA's Director General.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday threatened to target ally Oman if it helped impose a tolling system in the key Strait of Hormuz, warning of sanctions against all parties involved in such actions.

"Oman, in particular, should know that the US Treasury will aggressively target any actors involved - directly or indirectly - in facilitating tolls for the Strait and any willing partners will be penalized," Bessent warned in a post on X.

He said the United States would "not tolerate any effort to impose a tolling system in the Strait of Hormuz," a reference to Iranian proposals to do so as part of a potential agreement with Washington.

Bessent later told a White House press briefing that he spoke with the Omani ambassador earlier Thursday, and received assurances that "there were no plans for tolling" the critical waterway.

"I told him that this was a non-starter and he did not want to risk either the Oman individuals or Omani financial institutions getting sanctioned," Bessent said.

Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Yamahi, Speaker of the Arab Parliament, strongly condemned the Iranian terrorist attacks targeting the State of Kuwait with missiles and drones, stressing that they constitute a blatant assault on Kuwait's sovereignty, a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter, and a serious breach of international law.

In a statement issued today, Al Yamahi affirmed the Arab Parliament's full solidarity with the State of Kuwait in all measures it takes to safeguard its sovereignty and ensure the security of its citizens and residents.

He also reiterated that the security of the State of Kuwait is an integral part of Arab national security.

The proportion of vessels not linked to Iranian ownership that are transiting the key Strait of Hormuz has risen, according to data from maritime firm Lloyd's List Intelligence shared Thursday.

This despite Iran blockading the waterway since the start of the Middle East war on February 28, preventing a large share of Gulf countries' hydrocarbon exports, in turn harming the global economy.

"The last week we saw ships flagged with Singapore, UAE, South Korea, and also a Norway flagged-vessel going through the Gulf, specifically exiting," said Bridget Diakun, an analyst at Lloyd's List Intelligence.

Crossings by very large crude carriers not tied to Iran appear in particular to be picking up again.

Of the 27 recorded by analytics firm Kpler since the start of the conflict, more than half took place in May.

Five of these huge oil tankers meanwhile left the Gulf through the strait between May 20 and May 26.

Three of them - the Eagle Veracruz sailing under the Singaporean flag, as well as the Eagle Verona and the Yuan Gui Yang each flying the Chinese flag - have declared China as their destination.

Israel denounced on Thursday a UN decision to blacklist the country over alleged sexual violence in conflict zones, calling the move "shameful and absurd".

"The shameful and absurd UN decision to include Israeli entities in the annex to the CRSV (conflict-related sexual violence) report is further proof of the UN's true nature: a politicised and corrupt organisation that has abandoned its founding principles and systematically targets Israel as its primary mission," Oren Marmorstein, a spokesperson for the Israeli foreign ministry, said on X.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that he had ordered the country's military to take control of 70 per cent of the Gaza Strip, in defiance of the terms of a fragile ceasefire that took effect in October.

"We are currently squeezing Hamas. We now control 60 percent of the territory in the strip. You know, we were at 50, we moved to 60. My directive is to move to... 70 per cent," he said at a conference in an occupied West Bank settlement, according to a video aired by Israel's Channel 12 network.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened Thursday to target Oman if it helped impose a tolling system in the key Strait of Hormuz, warning of sanctions against parties involved.

"Oman, in particular, should know that the US Treasury will aggressively target any actors involved - directly or indirectly - in facilitating tolls for the Strait and any willing partners will be penalized," Bessent warned in a post on X.

Israel is breaking all contact with United Nations chief Antonio Guterres, the country's ambassador announced Thursday, saying it was "outrageous" Israel is being blacklisted over alleged sexual violence in conflict zones.

"We are done with this secretary-general," Ambassador Danny Danon said in a video posted on X.

"The decision to blacklist Israel and accuse us of using sexual violence as a weapon of war is an outrageous decision," he said, referring to an upcoming report from Guterres' office.

"The secretary-general and his team continue to spread lies against Israel. To put us and Hamas terrorists on the same list, that's unacceptable."

The Israeli mission to the UN said in a statement it will have no contact with the secretary-general's office as long as Guterres serves as head of the organisation.

Guterres's spokesman said they were aware of Danon's remarks.

US and Iranian negotiators have reached an agreement on a 60-day memorandum of understanding to extend the ceasefire and launch negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme, but President Donald Trump has yet to give it his final approval, two US officials and a regional source involved in the mediation efforts have been quoted as saying by Axios.

Day 90: US, Iran reach deal pending Trump's final approval

Day 89: Trump says 'not satisfied' yet on Iran deal

Day 88: Iran condemns US attacks as violation of ceasefire

Day 87: 'Proceeding nicely': US-Iran talks intensify, oil drops

Day 86: US-Iran talks: Trump says 'I don’t make bad deals'

Day 85: Trump: Iran deal ‘largely negotiated’, Hormuz to open

Day 84: UAE backs WHO move against Iran's attacks on civilians

Day 83: Trump rejects tolls in Hormuz: 'We want it free'

Day 82: Trump says US-Iran talks are ‘right on the borderline’

Day 81: Iran’s position 'unclear', deal 'uncertain': VP Vance

Day 80: Trump says 'holding off on attack on Iran tomorrow'

Day 79: Trump says 'clock is ticking' for Iran

Day 78: Iran plans new Strait of Hormuz toll system

Day 77: Israel and Lebanon extend ceasefire by 45 days: US

Day 76: World leaders call for security in Strait of Hormuz

Day 75: Trump arrives in Beijing for summit with Xi

Day 74: Iran signals potential 90% Uranium enrichment

Day 73: Trump calls Iranian response 'totally unacceptable'

Day 72: 'As of today, Tehran’s restraint is over': Iran official

Day 71: Iran keeps US waiting on response to peace plan

Day 70: US fires on Iran tankers as talks hang in balance