Donald Trump is scrambling to secure a peace deal with Iran before the G7 summit with world leaders on Monday.
Iran has said a peace deal has never been closer, yet several contradictory statements have emerged in recent days, including the US president accusing Tehran officials of being “dishonourable”.
“The terms that Iran leaked out to the Fake News have NOTHING to do with the terms that were agreed to, in writing. What they said, including their weak and pathetic statement on having a deal, bears no relation to the truth. Very dishonorable people to deal with,” he posted on Truth Social.
A senior US administration official has said the peace deal should be signed “in the next few days”, adding it “accomplishes the core objectives that the President of the United States set out for this mission”.
Swiftly after the Iranian foreign minister’s post, Pakistan’s prime minister said that the “final text” of a peace deal has been reached.
Shehbaz Sharif said Friday that a “final, agreed upon text of the peace deal” between the US and Iran has been reached.
“Peace has never been this close as it is now,” he added.
Iranian state media earlier claimed that a draft agreement between the US and Iran includes a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war in Lebanon.
UAE to unlock billions of dollars for Iran, sources sayThe United Arab Emirates has agreed to unlock billions of dollars for Iran, four sources said, in a tactical shift after weeks of Iranian attacks on the wealthy Gulf Arab state during the U.S.-Israeli war with the Islamic Republic.
Word of the move by the UAE to seek de-escalation and which has not been previously reported, coincides with the final stages of broader negotiations between Tehran and Washington on ending the war, talks that diplomats say could involve the release of tens of billions of dollars in Iranian oil revenues frozen in foreign banks under U.S. sanctions.
In the past month, the UAE, which was heavily targeted by Iran at the height of the war, has been spared fresh strikes, while Iran has trained its missiles and drones on Kuwait and Bahrain. The last known direct attack by Iran on the UAE was more than a month ago – a May 4 strike on the Gulf state’s Fujairah port on the Gulf of Oman.
Two regional sources told Reuters the UAE had agreed to release a total of $10 billion, more than $3 billion of which had already been delivered.
Holly Evans13 June 2026 08:52
Israel tells residents in Lebanese towns to ‘evacuate immediately’Israel has issued an urgent evacuation warning for 20 towns and villages in southern Lebanon, telling residents: “In light of the terrorist Hezbollah party violating the ceasefire agreement, the Defence Army is compelled to act against it forcefully.”
In a post on X, the Israeli military’s Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee added: “The Defence Army does not intend to harm you.
“Out of concern for your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately and move north of the Zahrani River.
“Anyone present near Hezbollah elements, facilities, and combat means endangers their life!”
Holly Evans13 June 2026 08:25
Treasury Secretary insists US economy is ‘excellent’ and Iran deal is close
(Reuters)U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had an optimistic message on Friday evening about the fate of the Iran war, President Trump’s strategy, and its impact on the global economy.
“We believe that he had to take this opportunity to keep Iran from having a nuclear weapon,” Bessent said on Fox News. “We will see, maybe as soon as this weekend or Monday, we will get on the other side of this.”
He added that he was “very confident that the challenging time with gasoline will pass by” and said that when it comes to the U.S. economy, the “underlying fundamentals are excellent.”
Josh Marcus13 June 2026 08:01
Could Israel go rogue after a U.S.-Iran deal?
(Getty)There have been sporadic moments of tension between allies U.S. and Israel in their joint war against Iran — mistimed strikes, lapses in communication, disagreements hashed out on President Trump’s Truth Social feed — and that could continue once a peace deal is reached.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz suggested Friday that Israel retained “the ability to act independently to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.”
Josh Marcus13 June 2026 07:30
Recap: Trump loses cool over reports of Iran deal termsUS president Donald Trump rejected claims by Iran that the two sides have agreed on terms to end the conflict, saying Tehran’s account “has nothing to do with the terms that were agreed to, in writing.”
In a post on Truth Social, Trump accused Iran of acting in bad faith and dismissed its statement on a deal as “weak and pathetic”.
“The terms that Iran leaked out to the Fake News have NOTHING to do with the terms that were agreed to,” Trump wrote, adding that Iranian officials were “very dishonorable people to deal with.”
Trump also condemned what he described as a failed Iranian drone attack against Indian ships leaving the Strait of Hormuz, calling the incident “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE”.
“They better get their act together, and FAST!” he said.
Iran has not publicly responded to Trump’s latest comments.
JD Vance also said he is seeing a lot of fake information about a potential deal to reopen the Strait and end Iran’s nuclear weapons program.
“First, the Iranians are not receiving any cash, and no funds are being released for simply signing a deal or attending a meeting,” he said.
“The deal is structured to ensure that the US and its allies concerns are prioritized, and that if the Islamic Republic of Iran meets its obligations, then economic benefits will flow to them and to the entire region. This deal has the potential to remake the region and lead to lasting peace.
Shweta Sharma13 June 2026 07:08
Qatar pursued ‘secret deal’ to protect energy infrastructure: report
(Getty)At the outset of the U.S.-Iran war, U.S. ally Qatar reportedly sought a “secret deal” with Tehran to protect its vital Ras Laffan gas complex, The Washington Post reports.
The proposal would’ve seen Iran keep Ras Laffan off its target list and the Qataris pull back on gas production, sending energy prices spiking.
The effort reportedly fell apart when Iran struck Ras Laffan in a March missile attack on Qatar.
Josh Marcus13 June 2026 07:00
Deal marks first time in 47 years US expressed respect for the sovereignty of Iran Iran’s foreign minister said the US and Iran have agreed to “respect the sovereignty” of the other country as part of an agreement to end the conflict.
Abbas Araghchi it will be the first time in 47 years that the US has explicitly agreed to respect Iran in writing, according to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB News.
“Likewise, the two sides will respect each other’s sovereignty. I believe this is the first time that, after 47 years, the United States has explicitly expressed respect for the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and mentions this and puts it in writing, and asks us, in return, to respect the sovereignty of the United States,” he said.
(Getty)About the Strait, he said, “There is also the issue of the Strait of Hormuz, with its details; the removal of maritime restrictions; the next round of negotiations and the subjects it will include; Iran’s nuclear issue; sanctions relief; reconstruction in the framework of an economic reconstruction and development plan, whose mechanisms will be agreed upon during subsequent negotiations; and other matters that will arise.”
Mr Araghchi said the issue of Iran’s nuclear programme had been postponed to the “final agreement stage for various reasons”.
“It commits itself not to interfere in Iran’s internal affairs, and asks us to commit ourselves not to interfere in its internal affairs,” he said.
“This is entirely on the basis of equality.”
Shweta Sharma 13 June 2026 07:00
Even if there is progress on a peace deal, the biggest issue may still be off the tableThe potential U.S.-Iran deal being floated at the moment may not touch the biggest issue between the two countries.
If Tehran is to be believed, the rumored agreement in the works now does not address the deeper question of the country’s nuclear program.
“The nuclear issue has been left for the second round and a final agreement,” Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said on state television today.
Josh Marcus13 June 2026 06:30
Is Trump the boy who cried wolf on Iran?
(Reuters)The U.S. and Iran are once again insisting progress on a peace deal is close at hand.
Then again, we’ve been here before, with little to show for it.
The Wall Street Journal estimates that President Trump has side both sides are close to a deal nearly 40 times, yet even the beginnings of a lasting deal seem to remain elusive.
Josh Marcus13 June 2026 06:00
Drone strikes continue as US and Iran near ceasefireUS forces said on Friday morning that Iran launched multiple one-way attack drones in an attempt to strike commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
Just hours after US and Iran confirmed talks to reach a ceasefire, Centcom said US forces have downed all of them in recent hours as traffic flow through the strait continues unimpeded.
The international trade corridor remains open for transit, it added.
Iranian news agencies had reported that explosions were heard along the strait in Iran’s Sirik port and Qeshm island, which residents and local officials attributed to shots fired by Iranian forces to warn vessels attempting to cross the waterway without permission from the Revolutionary Guards’ navy.
Shweta Sharma13 June 2026 06:00
