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June 23, 2026 11:18 AM

Rubio faces tough task of selling Iran reset to wary Gulf allies

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio faces a delicate mission this week pitching Washington's Iran peace deal to Gulf Arab leaders who fear excessive concessions will strengthen Tehran and reshape the region's security balance and oil flows. Rubio will meet them in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, before traveling to Kuwait and Bahrain, where he will meet officials from the Gulf Cooperation Council, a grouping of monarchies that also includes Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman. At issue are eleme...

June 23, 2026 10:49 AM

Explainer: Three ways Trump could get a stake in AI firms for the US

U.S. President Donald Trump said he is exploring options to give the public a stake in leading AI companies, in response to concerns that individual Americans will not share in the sector’s expected profits. Policymakers, companies and advocates have proposed several pathways for Trump's idea, floated this month, of AI companies "giving ‌back" to the public, including installing U.S. government representatives on company boards, targeted taxes on the industry and exchanging federal funding ...

June 23, 2026 10:45 AM

US waives Iran sanctions, Trump says he will ‘do what I have to’ if Tehran misbehaves

The United States waived sanctions on Iran for 60 days from Monday after the first talks under a nascent peace deal, with U.S. President Donald Trump saying he will "do what I have to do" if Iran does not stick to its side of the agreement. U.S. Vice President JD Vance said talks with Iranian officials in Switzerland had laid a good foundation for a final peace deal, although Iran denied that it had begun discussions of its nuclear program. The two sides, trying to build on the interim deal th...

June 22, 2026 11:01 AM

Shipping slows after Iran says it has again shut the Strait of Hormuz

The number of ships that passed through the Strait of Hormuz fell sharply on Sunday after Iran announced it had again closed the waterway, citing Israeli and U.S. violations of the interim peace deal, shipping data showed. Five vessels passed the strait on Sunday, from 26 ships spotted a day earlier, data from analytics firm Kpler showed. These included three Very Large Crude Carriers carrying 2 million barrels of Saudi crude and fuel oil each, one of which was heading to Japan. The data may ex...

June 22, 2026 9:19 AM

US military says it struck vessel in Caribbean, killing two

The U.S. military on Sunday said it struck a vessel in the Caribbean, killing two people, alleging that the vessel was operated by "designated terrorist organizations" that it did not identify. The U.S. Southern Command said no U.S. military forces were harmed in the operation. It described those killed as "male narco-terrorists," without elaborating. This is the latest such attack condemned by rights groups as "extrajudicial killings" and which the Trump administration has said are aimed at "...

June 22, 2026 9:09 AM

US and Iran conclude high-level talks in Switzerland, mediators say

The first round of talks between high-ranking U.S. and Iranian officials in Switzerland ended Monday, mediators said, after a tense opening marked by Tehran's announcement it had again closed the Strait of Hormuz and U.S. President Donald Trump repeating his threats to resume attacks on Iran. A joint statement from mediating nations Qatar and Pakistan said the U.S. and Iran agreed to a roadmap toward a final deal within 60 days. Technical talks will continue for the rest of the week in the Qata...

June 21, 2026 7:52 AM

US disputes Iranian claims about closing Strait of Hormuz as negotiators head to Switzerland

Negotiators from the United States and Iran were set to start peace talks in Switzerland on Sunday, even as U.S. officials disputed Iranian claims about closing the key Strait of Hormuz. A high-level Iranian team arrived in Switzerland for peace talks with the U.S., Iranian state media reported, as U.S. Vice President JD Vance departed Washington for meetings that Pakistan said will begin on Sunday. Although the U.S. and Iran had agreed to a 60-day ceasefire while negotiations take place, Tehr...

June 21, 2026 6:42 AM

Iran negotiators, Vance head for Switzerland but Lebanon fighting continues

A high-level Iranian team arrived in Switzerland on Saturday for peace talks with the U.S., Iranian state media reported, as U.S. Vice President JD Vance departed Washington for meetings that Pakistan said will begin on Sunday. The Iranian delegation was led by chief negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and included Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi as well as senior security, central bank and oil officials, Iranian media said. Although the U.S. and Iran had agreed to a 60-day ceasefire while negoti...

June 21, 2026 6:19 AM

Italy’s Meloni tells Trump to focus on his own popularity as row rumbles on

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday to look after his own popularity after he accused his NATO ally of trying to boost her domestic ratings by repairing ties with Washington. The Italian premier had accused Trump on Friday of being a liar for alleging that she had "begged" him for a photo with her during this week's Group of Seven summit in France. He repeated the assertion on Saturday, misspelling her name as "Gigiorgia" as he posted on his Truth...

June 18, 2026 1:35 PM

The Lebanese Question After the US-Iran Ceasefire: What Next for Israel, Hezbollah, and Lebanon?

The United States-Iran memorandum of understanding that ended nearly four months of direct military conflict has the potential to reshape the strategic landscape of West Asia. While initial global attention focused on the immediate implications for Washington and Tehran, one of the most consequential developments concerns Lebanon. With the MoU explicitly demanding a permanent termination of hostilities on all fronts including Lebanon ,the future of Hezbollah, Israel's security calculations, and ...