Main points
- US and Iranian negotiators have reached a tentative agreement to extend the ceasefire in the three-month-old war by 60 days and launch talks on Iran’s nuclear programme, according to a US source
- US vice-president JD Vance confirmed there was a tentative agreement, but said it was unclear if Donald Trump would approve it.
- Binyamin Netanyahu said he has given orders to the Israeli army to seize control of 70% of the Gaza Strip
- France seeks investigation into the treatment of Gaza flotilla activists detained by Israel
- Israeli forces have reportedly advanced across Lebanon’s Litani River, as UN agency estimates 11 children have been killed a day on average in Lebanon amid expanded Israeli strikes
Key reads
- “Hello, fellow prisoners”: Iran’s internet flickers back to life
- “Zero dollars”: Why does Donald Trump’s Board of Peace fund lie empty?
That is all for today’s coverage.
Good afternoon.
Iran’s foreign minister had “productive call” with Oman counterpart
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said he a “productive call” with Oman’s foreign minister and expressed solidarity with Oman in the face of any threat, in a post on X
He said they discussed the Strait of Hormuz and “its future administration in line with our sovereign responsibilities and international law.” - Reuters
Israel advance past Lebanon’s Litani River
Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces had crossed Lebanon’s Litani River and advanced.
Speaking during a visit to Division 36 on Israel’s northern border, Netanyahu said Israeli forces were also operating in Beirut and the Bekaa Valley as part of actions against Hizbullah across the Lebanese front. - Reuters
‘Multiple incidents’ of vessels attacked in Strait of Hormuz
Several vessels transiting through the Strait of Hormuz have been attacked in recent days, said Chevron chief executive Mike Wirth.
“There still has been kinetic activity this week, some of which has been reported in the media – some of which has not,” Wirth said on Bloomberg TV on Friday. “We see risks very real still in that environment.
“There have been vessels that have been in transit that have suffered attacks,” he said. “They’re maybe not every day, but there have been multiple incidents that have occurred.”
Chevron would not consider paying a toll to move ships through the Strait of Hormuz, said Wirth. - Bloomberg
‘We gain concessions through missiles,’ says Iran’s top negotiator
Iran’s top negotiator Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf said on Friday in a post on X that Tehran does not trust guarantees and words and would judge by actions, adding that Iran would not act unless the other side did first.
He also said, “We gain concessions not through talks but through missiles.”
The United States and Iran reached an agreement on Thursday to extend their ceasefire and lift restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, sources told Reuters, though US president Donald Trump has yet to approve it and Iranian state media said it had not been finalised. - Reuters
Pakistani foreign minister arrives in Washington
Pakistani foreign minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Washington on Friday for talks with US secretary of state Marco Rubio that are expected to include the latest developments in negotiations on ending the Iran war.
A first round of peace talks in Pakistan concluded without a pact but Reuters cited sources as saying on Thursday that Tehran and Washington had reached an initial agreement to extend a ceasefire announced in April and to lift restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
US president Donald Trump, however, is yet to approve the agreement and Iran’s Tasnim news agency reiterated on Friday that it had not been finalised, saying it had undergone changes in recent days.
Dar will meet Rubio at 2pm (Irish time), according to Rubio’s schedule on the US state department website. - Reuters
Germany concerned about Israel’s plan to seize more of Gaza Strip
The German government is concerned about Israeli plans to take more of Gaza, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday.
Israel’s prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, said he has given orders to the Israeli army to seize control of 70 per cent of the Gaza Strip.
The German government added that Germany opposes a permanent division of the Palestinian territory. - Reuters
Average of 11 children killed every day in past week in Lebanon
An average of 11 children have been killed every 24 hours in Lebanon, according to the UN children’s agency, as Israel expanded strikes across the country in spite of a ceasefire being in place.
Heavy Israeli strikes hit towns and villages in southern Lebanon overnight on Wednesday and into Thursday, after Israel declared a new swathe of the area “a combat zone”.
On Thursday, an Israeli strike hit a building in the southern suburbs of Beirut amid a ceasefire that has failed to halt fighting between Israeli troops and Hizbullah in south Lebanon.
A total of 77 children have been killed or injured in the last seven days, Unicef said.
Since the ceasefire began in April, 55 children have been killed and 212 injured, according to the agency.
Unicef spokesperson Ricardo Pires described the toll as “staggering”.- Reuters
Former president Higgins won’t attend Ireland v Israel game
Former president Michael D Higgins says he will not be attending the Republic of Ireland’s match against Israel in Dublin this autumn, describing as “spurious” the argument that sport and politics do not mix, reports Ronan McGreevy.
Speaking at an event in Trinity College Dublin on Thursday evening, Higgins was asked whether Ireland should boycott the Nations League matches against Israel.
Without answering the question directly, he praised Ireland’s Séamus Coleman for his remarks about it during the week.
For the full article, read here.
What conditions are in the draft US-Iran peace agreement?
President Donald Trump has circulated a draft peace agreement for the war with Iran among allies including Israel.
The draft is not vastly different from the one that has been circulating across the Middle East for days, under which the strait of Hormuz would be opened to commercial shipping, the US blockade of Iranian ports would be lifted and Iran would be given access to as much as $12bn (€10.3bn) in frozen assets.
The aim would be for commercial shipping in the strait to return to pre-war levels within 30 days and for negotiations envisaged to last as long as 60 days to commence on the future of Iran’s nuclear programme.
This would include discussions about its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, a time-limited suspension of further enrichment and supervision by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN’s nuclear watchdog.
Iran would renounce the use of nuclear weapons.
The current scope of the agreement would be deeply unpalatable for Israel, because it defers Iran making any firm nuclear commitments and requires a permanent ceasefire to include Lebanon.
The draft is less specific than Tehran’s version about lifting sanctions on Iran’s oil and petrochemical exports. It also asserts toll-free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran is trying to negotiate an agreement with Oman separate to any memorandum of understanding that would result in fees imposed for “navigational services”. - Guardian
At least 17 people killed in Lebanon on Thursday
On Thursday in Lebanon, at least 17 people were reported killed and many others wounded across the country’s south,
Iran has insisted that any deal must include an end to Israel’s military operations in Lebanon against the Iranian-backed militant group Hizbullah.
Lebanese authorities said Israeli attacks landed near Unesco-protected historic sites and landmarks in the country’s south, such as the ancient city of Tyre and Beaufort castle in the Nabatieh district.
Culture minister Ghassan Salame “made numerous contacts with his counterparts worldwide and relevant international organisations to draw their attention to the huge damage to archaeological sites and heritage districts” in south Lebanon, the state-run National news agency said. - Guardian
Netanyahu orders seizure of 70 per cent of Gaza Strip
Israel’s prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, said he has given orders to the Israeli army to seize control of 70 per cent of the Gaza Strip.
“We are currently squeezing Hamas,” Netanyahu said at a conference in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, in reference to the militant group that still controls the rest of Gaza.
“We’re in possession of 60 per cent of the Gaza Strip’s territory. My directive is to move to 70 per cent,” the prime minister said, without giving a time frame. - Bloomberg
France seeks inquiry into treatment of its nationals in Gaza flotilla
France has asked for the public prosecutor to investigate the treatment of French nationals who were part of a recent activist flotilla heading for Gaza, French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said.
A number of Irish activists were onboard the Global Sumud Flotilla and were detained by Israeli forces, including President Catherine Connolly’s sister Dr Margaret Connolly.
“Based on a report I requested from our consul general in Turkey, who informed me of sexual violence, exposure to the cold, beatings and repeated humiliation of French nationals, all of these acts are likely to constitute criminal offences (and) I decided yesterday to refer the matter to the public prosecutor,” Barrot told France Inter radio.
Organisers of a flotilla that was detained last week during an attempt to bring aid to Gaza said activists were subjected to abuse, with several hospitalised with injuries and at least 15 reporting sexual assaults including rape. The activists have since been released. - Reuters
‘Nothing can justify’ Israel’s attack on Lebanon
Lebanon’s prime minister, Nawaf Salam, said “nothing can justify” Israel’s ongoing assault on the south of his country and reissued his calls for an immediate ceasefire.
Salam said Israel’s continued bombardment amounts to collective punishment condemned by all international norms and laws. - Guardian
Israel included in UN report on sexual violence in wars
The latest report from the UN documenting sexual violence in wars around the world said in 2025 the UN was able to document “patterns of sexual violence” against Palestinians detained in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.
The report verified multiple incidents of conflict-related sexual violence.
Israel said it is breaking all contact with UN chief António Guterres because of its inclusion in the report. - Guardian
Oil set for worst month since 2020
Oil edged lower after the US and Iran tentatively agreed to extend a ceasefire by 60 days, potentially allowing shipments through the Strait of Hormuz to resume.
Brent fell toward $93 (€79.85) a barrel, down by 18 per cent this month, while West Texas Intermediate was near $88 (€75.56).
Brent is set for the biggest monthly loss since 2020 after optimism built around expectations that some form of accord would be reached, although the warring parties have often hailed progress before, only for the stalemate to drag on. - Bloomberg
US, Iran reach tentative agreement to extend ceasefire
US and Iranian negotiators reached a tentative agreement to extend the ceasefire in the three-month-old war by 60 days and to open talks on Iran’s nuclear programme, according to a US official familiar with the matter.
Iran did not immediately confirm any deal, and the official noted that US president Donald Trump has yet to sign off on it.
Vice-president JD Vance on Thursday confirmed there was a tentative agreement, but said it was unclear if Trump would approve it.
“It’s hard to say exactly when or if the president’s going to sign,” Vance told reporters. - AP
