United News of Bangladesh

The United States and Iran appear close to a deal to end the war and open the Strait of Hormuz. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Saturday that a deal aimed at ending the war in the Middle East is closer than “ever before” and expected to be finalized within 24 hours. Pakistan is preparing for the electronic signing of the agreement, followed immediately by technical-level talks next week. Previous declarations of an imminent breakthrough failed to materialize. The apparent breakthrough in negotiations comes after Iran exchanged fire with the U.S. and Israel over three days this week, threatening to push the region into a full-scale war. U.S. Central Command late Friday said in a social media post that it intercepted several Iranian attack drones that were targeting commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The war launched by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28 has rattled the Middle East and virtually shut down oil and natural gas shipments from the Persian Gulf. A fragile ceasefire has been in place since April 7. Here's what to know: Iran's nuclear program terms to be finalized within 60 days of the agreement. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday the terms of dealing with Iran’s nuclear program would be finalized in the 60 days after the initial agreement is signed and that the parties could decide to extend that period. Iran’s nuclear program has been a key point of division. The U.S. and Israel fear it could lead to an atomic weapon — a main reason their leaders cited for going to war. Tehran has insisted its nuclear efforts are for peaceful purposes. A senior U.S. administration official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House, said Friday that the emerging agreement would begin the process of destroying or removing Tehran’s highly enriched uranium. The official said the 60-day period after both sides sign the deal would be used to work out technical details for removing Iran’s enriched uranium. The official did not detail who the U.S. envisions taking charge of removing the uranium, believed to be entombed under three nuclear sites that were battered by American strikes last year. The deal will include conditions to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, official says The U.S. official said the emerging agreement includes provisions for reopening the strait. Araghchi said Iran wants a deal that allows Tehran to charge ships “for services rendered” when they transit the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has imposed a toll system during the war, which the U.S. and other nations say violates international law. Transit through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for oil and natural gas, has been disrupted and crimped global energy supplies, driven up fuel prices and made food and other basics more expensive well beyond the region. The agreement is set to include Iranian sanctions relief Three regional officials said the emerging deal is also expected to include the phased lifting of sanctions on Iran and the release of frozen Iranian assets. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations. They said they expect a signing ceremony for the agreement in the coming days after officials in Washington and Tehran approve it. What will happen to Lebanon remains unclear Iran has insisted throughout that any deal must also include a ceasefire in Lebanon, where Israel has been fighting Hezbollah, Iran’s proxy militia. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Friday that Israel could still act independently toward Iran and that the country would not pull out of the zones it is occupying in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza, nor would it withdraw from the northern refugee camps of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Fighting continued in southern Lebanon on Saturday.

Iran will hold funeral and burial ceremonies for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in early July, state media reported on Saturday, as efforts to finalize an agreement aimed at ending the ongoing regional conflict continue. According to Iran’s state-run broadcaster IRIB, funeral processions, farewell ceremonies and the burial of Khamenei are scheduled to take place between July 4 and July 9. Khamenei was killed in the initial phase of the conflict launched by Israel and the United States against Iran in late February. He was subsequently succeeded by his son, Mojtaba Khamenei. State media said the funeral ceremonies will begin in Tehran before moving to the holy city of Qom, a major center of Shiite religious scholarship, and later to Mashhad, Khamenei’s birthplace. He is expected to be buried at the Imam Reza Shrine, one of the most revered sites in Shiite Islam. Funeral rites for Khamenei’s daughter and son-in-law, who were also killed in the February attack, will be held on the same day, the report said. Khamenei led Iran for more than three decades after succeeding Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic, following Khomeini’s death in 1989. During his tenure, Khamenei significantly expanded the influence of Iran’s Shiite clerical establishment and strengthened the role of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which evolved into one of the country’s most powerful military, political and economic institutions. The Revolutionary Guard became a key pillar of Iran’s security apparatus, overseeing the country’s ballistic missile program and maintaining a broad presence across various sectors of the national economy.   

Five people were killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon on Friday as Israeli attacks continued despite a US-brokered ceasefire and ongoing diplomatic efforts to end regional hostilities. Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that the victim was killed in an air raid targeting the municipality of Maarakeh in the Tyre district. Israeli warplanes also carried out strikes on several towns and villages in southern Lebanon, including areas located north of the so-called “Yellow Line,” a zone Israel has sought to control in recent months. The renewed attacks came amid reports that the United States and Iran have reached preliminary agreement on the wording of a deal aimed at ending the ongoing conflict. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday that mediators were working with both sides to finalize the agreement. According to Iranian media reports, the proposed deal would include an end to hostilities “on all fronts, including Lebanon.” The continued Israeli strikes have raised concerns that violence in Lebanon could undermine efforts to secure a broader regional agreement, particularly as Israel is not directly involved in the negotiations between Washington and Tehran. Israeli leaders have also indicated they do not intend to withdraw from Lebanese territory, adding to uncertainty over the prospects for lasting peace. The attacks occurred despite a ceasefire agreement reached earlier this month between Israeli and Lebanese officials, which called for a complete cessation of hostilities, particularly by Hezbollah. However, sporadic clashes and airstrikes have continued since the agreement was announced. A new round of talks between Israel and Lebanon is expected on June 22 as both sides seek to reach a more comprehensive arrangement aimed at ending cross-border hostilities. Source: Al Jazeera

The United States and Iran are close to reaching an agreement aimed at ending their months-long conflict, with officials from both sides indicating that a breakthrough could come within days. Three regional officials told media on Friday that the proposed deal could lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the phased lifting of sanctions on Iran and the release of frozen Iranian assets. A senior US official said the draft agreement also includes the removal and destruction of Iran’s nuclear material, dismantling parts of its nuclear programme and a commitment by Tehran not to fund terrorist groups. Middle East on edge as Iran and US exchange fire again Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X that a deal “has never been closer,” while President Donald Trump shared the post on social media. However, Trump also warned Iranian leaders to act quickly. The negotiations follow three days of exchanges involving Iran, the US and Israel and come amid a fragile ceasefire that has been in place since April 7. The conflict, which began on February 28, has disrupted energy shipments through the Persian Gulf and heightened regional tensions. Officials said the agreement is expected to be finalized after approval in Washington and Tehran. Pakistan, backed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt and Qatar, has played a leading mediating role in the talks.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he had called off new military strikes on Iran, claiming a breakthrough in negotiations to end the war just hours after the American leader threatened to escalate the conflict by seizing control of Iran’s oil industry. Trump has said multiple times in recent weeks that the warring parties have been on the cusp of a deal without anything coming to fruition. A spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry said in a live phone call on state television that mediators were active and nothing had been finalized to end the conflict that began Feb. 28 when the U.S. and Israel jointly attacked Iran. Trump opened an Oval Office event Thursday afternoon saying: “We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran.” He offered scant details, other than to say he expects an agreement to extend a fragile ceasefire that started in April to be finalized “over the next few days.” Extending the terms of the ceasefire gives U.S. leaders more time to negotiate over Iran’s nuclear program, the main reason Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used to justify launching the war. Netanyahu’s office said Thursday that Israel is not a party to the emerging agreement between the U.S. and Iran. The announcement came after two days of back-and-forth attacks between the U.S. and Iran had pushed the Middle East closer to the resumption of a full-scale war. Trump had threatened further escalation earlier Thursday, posting on social media that the U.S. would hit Iran “VERY HARD TONIGHT” and take “total control” of its oil and gas industries. A few hours later, Trump posted on social media that significant points in the negotiations “have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved.” Esmail Baghaei, the spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said in his phone call on state television that text of a deal is “mostly finalized.” “The problem is that the contradictions in America’s position has caused turbulence to this process,” he said Thursday night. A major sticking point in negotiations has been Iran’s nuclear program, which the U.S. and Israel fear could lead to an atomic weapon, but which Tehran says is for peaceful purposes. Another key issue is Iran’s stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping lane for transporting oil and natural gas. Trump again moves quickly from threats to negotiating Trump’s rapid shift Thursday from dire threats to promoting peace negotiations again underscored his whipsaw approach to the war. He suggested on Monday that a deal to end the conflict could be reached in a matter of days. Then back-and-forth strikes rattled the Middle East this week. The first involved attacks between Iran and Israel, followed by the two rounds of fire between the U.S. and Iran, which targeted countries where U.S. troops are based. The U.S. strikes began after Trump blamed Iran for downing an American attack helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz. Both pilots were rescued safely. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the U.S. attacks had “effectively rendered the ceasefire ... meaningless,” without saying it was abandoning it. After Trump threatened more attacks were to come on Thursday, Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, responded on social media that “wrong strategies and impulsive decisions” would wreak havoc on energy markets and “create an endless quagmire that you will be stuck in for years.” It wasn’t the first time Trump threatened escalation before giving negotiations another chance. In April, he warned Iran that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again” if it didn’t agree to his terms, before extending a ceasefire.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday said the United States would launch a major attack on Iran later in the day and signaled plans to take control of key Iranian oil and gas infrastructure, including Kharg Island. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the US would hit Iran “very hard tonight,” while claiming that Iran’s naval, air and air defense capabilities, along with much of its offensive military capacity, had already been eliminated.  Three Indian seafarers killed in U.S. attack near Oman Trump also said that the United States would, in the near future, take control of Kharg Island and other strategic energy facilities and assume control of Iran’s oil and gas markets. He compared the proposed move to what he described as US involvement in Venezuela’s energy sector.  The remarks marked a further escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran amid continuing hostilities and ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at securing a ceasefire and reviving negotiations.  With inputs from  Al Jazeera

Three Indian seafarers who had been reported missing following a US attack on a commercial vessel off the coast of Oman have been confirmed dead, India's Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said on Thursday. According to India's Ministry of External Affairs, the vessel was carrying 24 Indian crew members when it came under attack on Wednesday. US launches second consecutive day of strikes on Iran as Tehran retaliates against Gulf states and Jordan India condemned the attack the same day, describing assaults on shipping in the region as "deeply worrisome" and attributing them to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. In a statement, the foreign ministry called for the "immediate de-escalation of tensions" and urged an end to "the targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region." Media reports said India also lodged a demarche with the top US diplomat in New Delhi over the incident.

The United States carried out a new wave of airstrikes on Iran early Thursday, intensifying hostilities after President Donald Trump warned Tehran of consequences over stalled negotiations. The latest attacks targeted multiple locations across Iran as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict remained deadlocked. Iran continued to maintain pressure on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy route, contributing to rising oil prices and concerns over energy supplies. Following the strikes, Iran threatened retaliation. Air raid sirens sounded in Bahrain, which hosts the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, while Kuwait reported that its air defense systems were activated. Iran had earlier launched missiles toward Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan after a previous round of American strikes. The U.S. Central Command said the operation was completed shortly before sunrise and targeted Iranian military surveillance networks, communications infrastructure and air defense facilities. The military described the action as a response to what it called Iran's continued aggression. Explosions were reported in Tehran, the southern port city of Bandar Abbas and other areas near the Strait of Hormuz. The renewed exchange marked the third major escalation this week, testing a fragile two-month ceasefire. Wednesday had already seen missile exchanges involving Iran and several Gulf countries hosting American forces. Trump has repeatedly urged Iran to agree to a deal that would end the conflict, suggesting earlier this week that a breakthrough could come within days. However, Iran's Ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, told the UN Security Council that Tehran would not negotiate under pressure or threats. Despite the rhetoric, observers believe both sides are looking for a way to end the conflict while preserving political gains at home. Iran appears to be relying on its ability to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz as leverage in negotiations. The strategic waterway is one of the world's most important routes for oil and natural gas exports. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has continued to pursue broader objectives, including dismantling Iran's nuclear programme, weakening its regional allies and pressuring the country's ruling establishment. Iran and Israel also exchanged attacks earlier this week. The conflict, which began with US and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28, has rattled global markets and driven up energy prices. International benchmark crude oil prices climbed above $93 per barrel on Wednesday, more than 25 percent higher than before the conflict began. Trump claimed the U.S. military has been helping commercial oil shipments move through the Strait of Hormuz despite Iranian attempts to restrict traffic. He said more than 100 million barrels of oil had passed through the area since last month, though no independent confirmation of the figure was immediately available. The U.S. military also denied Iranian claims that the Strait had been fully closed, saying commercial shipping continued to operate. Earlier Wednesday, the U.S. military reported disabling a tanker carrying Iranian oil that allegedly attempted to breach a naval blockade. The vessel, sailing under the Palau flag, was struck in its engine room using precision-guided munitions. India later said three of its sailors aboard the vessel were missing, while 21 others were rescued. Iran condemned the American strikes, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi describing them as violations of Iranian sovereignty. Diplomatic efforts continued alongside the fighting. A Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran for discussions after consultations with Washington, according to officials familiar with the talks. The latest military exchanges followed the crash of a U.S. Army helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week. A U.S. official said the aircraft collided with an Iranian drone, though it remains unclear whether the collision was deliberate. Both crew members were rescued and were not injured, according to Trump. Major disagreements continue to hinder any quick peace agreement. Washington wants Iran to surrender its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, arguing it could be used for nuclear weapons development. Iran rejects that demand, insisting its nuclear programme is peaceful. Tehran is also seeking sanctions relief and the release of frozen assets before any final agreement is reached. Another obstacle is Iran's insistence that any settlement must include an end to hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel, however, has intensified military operations against the Lebanon-based group, further complicating prospects for a broader peace deal.  

US President Donald Trump has claimed that more than 100 million barrels of oil are currently moving through the Strait of Hormuz, saying he had ordered the US military to carry out a “secret mission” to assist oil tankers and other vessels navigating the strategically important Gulf waterway. In a post on social media, Trump said over 200 commercial ships had safely passed through the strait. Iran will stand firm against threats and pressure, says Pezeshkian However, he did not provide any evidence to support the claims. Trump also asserted that the United States-not Iran-controls the Strait of Hormuz. With inputs from Al Jazeera

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said on  that Iran will remain steadfast in the face of threats and pressure following fresh warnings from US President Donald Trump of possible military action against the country. In a post on X, Pezeshkian said Iran would “stand firm” against any intimidation and condemned threats targeting the country's infrastructure. US-Iran strikes rattle Middle East He said that threats aimed at transportation networks, as well as the electricity and water sectors, do not demonstrate strength but rather reflect desperation when confronted with the determination of a nation. The remarks came shortly after Trump said his administration would be “attacking very hard,” escalating tensions between the two countries. With inputs from Al Jazeera