Trump says canceling Iran strikes on Thursday

Middle East live: Trump says he called off new strikes on Iran President Donald Trump on Thursday said he was calling off new military strikes on Iran, just hours after threatening to escalate the war by seizing control of the country's oil industry after hitting Iran "very hard tonight". Follow our liveblog for the latest updates. Tehran has not yet approved text for US deal, Iranian media reports Iran has not approved any text for an initial memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the US, reports Iran's semi-official Fars news agency citing an informed source close to Iran's negotiating team. "No text has been approved for an initial memorandum of understanding with the United States," said Fars. The report came shortly after President Donald Trump announced he had called off planned strikes on Iran "based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved". Iranian attack on Kuwait airport caused injuries, serious damage, Kuwait aviation authority says Kuwait's civil aviation authority has said an Iranian attack targeting Kuwait International Airport's radar earlier Thursday had caused injuries and serious material damage to radar facilities and equipment linked to air traffic management. - Iran announces closure of Strait of Hormuz after US attacks - US military says none of its warships struck in Strait of Hormuz - Twenty-two countries tell Iran to stop attacks 'on our soil' - Iran Guards say targeted bases in Bahrain and Kuwait - US military says completed new wave of strikes against Iran - Trump calls off latest threats to strike Iran, citing progress in negotiations Trump calls off latest threats to strike Iran, citing progress in negotiations President Donald Trump has said he is calling off new military strikes on Iran, just hours after threatening to escalate the war by seizing control of the country's oil industry. Trump said in a social media post that he made the move “based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved.” The announcement came after two days of back-and-forth attacks between the US and Iran had threatened pushed the Middle East closer to the resumption of a full-scale war. In his latest message on Truth Social, Trump wrote that “discussions and final points have been, in both concept and great detail,” approved by United States, Israel, and other regional allies. He did not offer details. Trump says canceling Iran strikes on Thursday US President Donald Trump said Thursday he has called off new military strikes on Iran, hours after threatening to escalate the war. The president said in a social media post that he made the move “based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved” Trump also suggested that progress has been made in talks to extend the fragile ceasefire, writing that “discussions and final points have been, in both concept and great detail,” approved by United States, Israel, and other regional allies. He did not offer details. Trump on multiple occasions over the last several weeks has claimed that the warring parties have been on the cusp of a deal without anything coming to fruition. Trump flags possible Iran deal signing after 'highest level' talks Iran's top command warns Trump's threats against energy facilities will mean oil, gas exports for 'no one' Iran's top joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, has said the US will receive a more severe response than before if it attacks Iran. Responding to President Donald Trump's latest threats to Iran's oil facilities, the Iranian military command warned that "either oil and gas exports are for everyone or they will be available for no one". In a statement broadcast on state media, the command said the war would become "more widespread and extensive" if the US attacks, causing insecurity across the region. Iran's top negotiator warns of 'endless quagmire' for US Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has called on the US to carefully consider its next step in the war or face years of turmoil and soaring oil and gas prices. "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," Ghalibaf, who is also Iran's parliamentary speaker, said in a social media post. UN chief calls for diplomatic solution to Lebanon crisis UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for a "diplomatic settlement" to the Lebanese conflict that "fully respects the territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence of Lebanon". In a statement posted on X, Guterres said there has been a "serious escalation" in the conflict in recent days as Israel intensified its operations in Lebanese territory and Hezbollah fired deeper into Israel. A de-escalation process "must start with a comprehensive ceasefire respected by all parties everywhere," he said. Palestinian detained pending trial in Greece over suspected Hamas links Greek judges on Thursday ordered the detention pending trial of a Palestinian accused of being part of a Hamas-linked network plotting attacks on Israeli targets in Europe and Asia, legal and police sources said. The 37-year-old suspect, who denies wrongdoing, was detained on June 6 on the island of Crete, in a joint operation by Greece's intelligence service and police anti-terrorism unit, authorities said. Police confiscated mobile phones, a laptop and hard discs from his residences and investigators found evidence he had ordered online materials that could be used to make explosives but had not received them. His lawyer told Reuters the evidence was thin and revealed inconsistencies. "The defendant’s character, mindset and overall demeanour bear no resemblance to the profile of a criminal or terrorist. Rather, he appears to have been cast as a scapegoat in a case founded on tenuous evidence and riddled with significant gaps," said criminal defense lawyer Spyridon Pantazis. The arrest in Greece follows the detention of two Palestinians, aged 32 and 38, in Cyprus on May 22. They are under investigation for terrorism-related activities after explosive-making materials were found during searches, police have said. According to Greek police sources, the two cases are linked. EU top diplomat discusses Iran conflict escalation with Iranian, Kuwaiti counterparts The EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said she discussed the recent escalation in the Iran war with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and she reiterated the need for a diplomatic way out of the conflict. "I spoke to Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi about the latest escalation in the Gulf and the state of negotiations with the US. I've also been in touch with the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. The resumed attacks on the Gulf countries and their critical infrastructure are unacceptable," wrote Kallas on X. "A return to full-scale war would come at a tremendous cost to the entire region. The diplomatic route remains the best path out of this war," she added. Trump says US will hit Iran 'very hard,' take control of energy infrastructure President Donald Trump has said the US will hit Iran “VERY HARD TONIGHT,” threatening in a social media post to “assume total control” of Iran’s oil infrastructure. "At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets, much like we have with Venezuela," Trump said on Truth Social. US military blocks third tanker this week, CENTCOM says US forces "disabled" another oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, making it the third vessel to be struck in the same area this week, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM). The Guinea-Bissau flagged M/T Jalveer was hit "as it attempted to transport oil from Iran through the Gulf of Oman," CENTCOM said in a statement posted on X. A US aircraft fired two Hellfire missiles into the engine room of the vessel "after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from US forces," CENTCOM said. It was the third such US strike this week and the ninth since the blockade began, said CENTCOM. Earlier Thursday, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre reported a tanker fire 21 nautical miles northeast of Sohar, Oman, with the Indian embassy in the country saying the Omani navy was evacuating crew members. This latest strike followed a similar one on Wednesday off the coast of Oman. Three Indian crew members were killed, leading the Indian government to lodge a diplomatic protest. Iran state TV says blast heard off southern Gulf coast, cause unknown Iranian state television has said that a blast was heard in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of the southern port city Sirik, with the cause unknown. “A few minutes ago, an explosion was heard in the Sirik area at sea," a state television reporter said from the area, without providing further information. Israel denies entry to French RFI journalist Israeli authorities have denied entry to French reporter Alice Froussard, who has been covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for FRANCE 24's sister station Radio France Internationale (RFI) and Radio France. The Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism said that Froussard, "who sought to return and work in Israel on a permanent basis," was "deported this morning and put on a flight back to France" on the ministry's recommendation. The minister accused the reporter of supporting Hamas. RFI condemned Israel's ban as "an obstacle to press freedom". Saudi Arabia lifts 5-year ban on Lebanese imports Saudi Arabia announced Wednesday the end of a ban it imposed on Lebanese imports five years ago, marking a major step in attempts to rebuild relations between Lebanon and Gulf countries. The kingdom slapped a ban on Lebanese fruits and vegetables in 2021, saying they were being used to smuggle drugs, and months later extended the ban to all Lebanese products. At the root of the diplomatic crisis was Saudi Arabia's regional rivalry with Iran and its displeasure with the influence of the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon. Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement Wednesday that the reversal of the ban at the order of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman came as a result of “positive steps taken by the Lebanese state.” Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in a statement thanked Prince Mohammed for the decision, which he said “will contribute tangibly to reviving the national economy and providing support to broad segments of Lebanese producers and exporters.” Israel to allocate $338 million for West Bank settlement expansion, rights group says Israel is expected to approve on Thursday the allocation of 1 billion shekels ($337.8 million) to build new settlements and connect them to infrastructure in the occupied West Bank, Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now said. The plan is being promoted by Israel's far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, a proponent of Israeli settlement expansion who has said he wants to bury the idea of Palestinian statehood. Both Peace Now and the news website Axios, citing a draft resolution, said the allocation of funds would include construction of infrastructure such as access roads, land preparation, sewage systems, water connections and related works, as well as temporary residential compounds. UN bodies and most countries view the West Bank settlements as illegal, citing international conventions. Israel disputes this, saying a Jewish presence has existed in the West Bank for thousands of years. A Palestinian man stands in the ruins of his home that was demolished by Israeli authorities in the Silwan neighborhood of east Jerusalem on May 19, 2026. ©Mahmoud Illean, AP Iran maritime body says Hormuz completely closed 'until further notice' Iran's new body overseeing the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday confirmed a complete closure order for the strategic waterway until further notice, after the Revolutionary Guards announced the move overnight. "Due to the tensions caused by the aggression of the American forces in the region and the announcement made last night by the Iranian armed forces, the Strait of Hormuz will be closed until further notice," the Persian Gulf Strait Authority said in a post on X. "Applicants who have been granted a transit permit are asked to be patient and wait for instructions from the PGSA.” US and Iran exchange fire for a second day, undermining shaky ceasefire The United States and Iran traded air attacks for a second straight day on Thursday, with President Donald Trump vowing further strikes if Tehran does not immediately agree to a peace deal. The escalation in hostilities began this week with Monday's downing of a US Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz, which sparked a series of tit-for-tat attacks across Iran and on US bases around the region. Yesterday's key developments: - The US military said Wednesday it has begun another round of strikes against Iran after President Donald Trump said more were coming. The escalating attacks threatened to derail efforts to end the war, with Trump warning that Tehran would “pay the price” for stalled negotiations. - US Vice President JD Vance acknowledged differences with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an interview excerpt released Wednesday, saying the Israeli leader had "gotten some things wrong" in the Middle East war. - Lebanon's health ministry said Israeli airstrikes on the country's south on Wednesday killed 12 people as Netanyahu urged the Lebanese to join Israel's fight against Hezbollah. Please find all the latest updates from Tuesday, June 9 here. (FRANCE 24 with Reuters, AP and AFP)