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Iran state TV says draft deal with US includes releasing $12 bn in assets
Iranian state media reported that a proposed memorandum of understanding with the US included an agreement to release $12 billion in frozen assets.
The report cited an "unofficial" draft of the memorandum, and a similar item carried by state TV earlier this week was dismissed by the White House as a "fabrication".
It comes a day after US President Donald Trump issued his own detailed characterisation of a potential agreement aimed at halting the war between the two foes, key elements of which were likewise disputed by Iranian sources.
US military fires on Gambia-flagged ship violating Iran blockade
The US military said it had disabled a Gambia-flagged cargo vessel attempting to sail to an Iranian port by launching a missile into its engine room.
US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees forces in the Middle East region, said the strike occurred on May 29 after the M/V Lian Star failed to respond to more than 20 warnings.
"A US aircraft disabled the vessel by firing a Hellfire missile into the ship's engine room after Lian Star's crew failed to comply. The ship is no longer transiting to Iran," CENTCOM said on X.
The statement did not mention if there were any injuries aboard the Lian Star following the strike.
Austrian government shrinks inflation-fighting petrol price 'brake'
Austria's coalition government said it will further shrink its recently introduced "petrol price brake", an inflation-fighting measure aimed at cushioning consumers from the rise in oil prices caused by the Iran war.
The mechanism, which combines trimming retailers' margins and returning an increased value-added tax take from higher fuel prices to consumers in the form of lower petrol tax, requires the government to set the size of those two elements each month.
Currently the reduction in margins is set at 2.5 euro cents per litre and the tax reduction at 2 cents per litre. From June 1, the margin cut will be scrapped and the tax reduction trimmed to 1.7 cents per litre, the economy ministry said in a statement.
Lebanon PM says country facing dangerous Israeli escalation
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam denounced what he called a dangerous Israeli escalation in the south, urging an immediate ceasefire and insisting that a "scorched-earth policy" would not ensure Israel's security.
In a televised address, Salam also defended his government's direct negotiations with Israel – which Iran-backed Hezbollah opposes – saying that the talks were the "least costly path" for Lebanon.
"In light of the dangerous and unprecedented Israeli escalation over the past few days, it is necessary to step up political and diplomatic efforts to achieve a swift and real ceasefire," Salam said.
US planning faster troop withdrawal from Europe, German media reports
The US plans to accelerate the withdrawal of troops from bases in Europe and will present its proposals to NATO allies next month, German newspaper Welt am Sonntag reported, citing an unidentified Pentagon source.
Washington announced plans in May to pull 5,000 troops out of Germany, widely seen as the consequence of a rift over the Iran war between President Donald Trump and European powers. Germany is home to some 35,000 active-duty US military personnel, more than anywhere else in Europe.
At the time, the Pentagon said the withdrawal was expected to be completed over six to 12 months.
Welt am Sonntag did not provide details on how much faster the withdrawal would be, or which locations might be affected.
US says 'more than capable' of resuming war as peace deal remains elusive
Pentagon head Pete Hegseth has said that Washington could restart the war with Iran at any time if it wanted. His remarks follow days of talks and a two-hour meeting in the White House situation room that has yet to produce a deal between the US and Iran.
FRANCE 24’s international affairs editor Shirli Sitbon has more.
US military disables another commercial ship trying to head to an Iranian port in breach of blockade
The US military has stopped another merchant vessel trying to break through the American blockade of Iranian ports, a US official with knowledge of the situation said.
The Gambia-flagged bulk carrier Lian Star ignored multiple warnings from US forces overnight as it tried to enter an Iranian port, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations. The ship was disabled by US aircraft in the Gulf of Oman and remains adrift there, the official said, adding that US forces have not boarded it.
📸 In pictures: Lebanon's Nabatieh region hit by new Israeli strikes
A photo taken from the Marjayoun area in southern Lebanon shows smoke rising after an Israeli air strike on the village of Arnoun on May 30, 2026. © AFP
Clouds of smoke rise from southern Lebanon following Israeli strikes, as seen from Nabatieh, on May 30, 2026. © REUTERS
Lebanese president and prime minister condemn 'Israeli practices'
In a joint statement, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned “Israeli practices" the escalation of its attacks — particularly in the areas of Tyre and Nabatieh — as well as the “continued demolition and bulldozing of homes and the destruction of historical landmarks in the south".
The two leaders met to discuss security developments in southern Lebanon, as the Israeli military has intensified its air and ground operations in recent days.
They also reviewed Friday’s meeting in Washington between Lebanese and Israeli military delegations to prepare for a new round of talks scheduled for June 2 and 3.
Israeli strikes reportedly pound near Crusader-built castle in Lebanon
Israel’s air force and artillery struck areas close to a strategic mountain housing a Crusader-built castle in southern Lebanon as fighting raged in villages close to the southern city of Nabatieh.
Kataeb Hezbollah vows to keep arms as Iraq faces US pressure to disarm groups
The influential Iraqi armed group Kataeb Hezbollah pledged to keep up its "jihadist action", as Baghdad faces mounting US pressure to disarm factions backed by Iran.
Following the outbreak of the US-Israeli war on Iran at the end of February, groups operating under the banner of the "Islamic Resistance in Iraq" carried out repeated drone and rocket attacks on US interests in the country.
Washington, in turn, bombed facilities and bases belonging to the groups, including Kataeb Hezbollah, killing dozens of their members.
Since taking office in mid-May, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has pledged to restrict weapons to the hands of the state.
Oman issues warning to ships after suspected naval mine spotted in Strait of Hormuz
Oman’s Maritime Safety Center has urged ships to exercise caution following the sighting of a floating object suspected to be a naval mine west of the coastal traffic zone in the Strait of Hormuz, within Omani territorial waters.
Israeli troops push deeper into Lebanon, crossing the Litani river, as talks expected
In Lebanon, Israeli forces have advanced further north. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says they have crossed the Litani river, a key reference point in Southern Lebanon marking the limit of a UN-monitored zone. Despite a ceasefire, Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants have continued to fight for weeks.
FRANCE 24’s correspondant in Beirut Renée Davis has more.
Lebanon army says 'targeted' Israeli strike wounds two soldiers
Lebanon's military said on Saturday that a "targeted" Israeli strike wounded two soldiers in southern Lebanon, a day after military delegations from the two countries met in Washington.
In a statement, the Lebanese army said "two soldiers were seriously wounded as a result of being targeted inside a vehicle by a hostile Israeli drone" near the southern city of Nabatieh.
Israel crosses the Litani River in Lebanon: What it means and why it matters
Khamenei adviser says Trump 'betraying diplomacy' with blockade and excessive demands
Mohsen Rezaei, an adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, said on Saturday that US President Donald Trump was "betraying diplomacy for the third time" by continuing a naval blockade imposed on Iran and making what he described as excessive demands in negotiations.
Hezbollah says fired rockets at north Israel town
Hezbollah said on Saturday it fired rockets at the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona, as exchanges of fire between the two sides have intensified despite Lebanon-Israel negotiations.
In at least two statements, the Iran-backed group said it launched a "rocket barrage" at the town "in defence of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the Israeli enemy's violation of the ceasefire".
Israeli army issues evacuation orders for seven south Lebanon villages
The Israeli military issued evacuation warnings on Saturday for residents of seven villages in southern Lebanon, saying it was about to strike Hezbollah targets there.
"In light of the terrorist organisation Hezbollah's violation of the ceasefire agreement, the IDF is compelled to take decisive action against it," the military's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee said on X in two separate statements, naming seven villages in Lebanon's south, including some near Nabatieh.
Israeli army crosses southern Lebanon's Litani River
The Israeli army crossed the Litani River in southern Lebanon, about 30 kilometres north of the border with Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, as part of the intensification of operations against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah.
Visiting soldiers near the border in northern Israel on Friday, he praised the army's advance in strategic sectors, saying that Israeli forces had "crossed the Litani," according to a video released by his office.
US hails 'productive' talks between Israel, Lebanon military officials
Military officials from Israel and Lebanon held "productive" talks in Washington on Friday, a US official said, adding that the meeting will complement upcoming diplomatic discussions.
"Today at the Pentagon, I hosted military delegations from Israel and Lebanon for the security track supporting the ongoing peace talks between their two countries," Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon's second-in-command, said on X.
"We held productive military-to-military discussions which will inform the Department of State-led political track next week," he said.
It was the first meeting between Israeli and Lebanese military officials in decades.
