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07:32
Trump: Iran Deal Expected 'Over the Next Week'
President Donald Trumptold ABC Newsthat he expects to reach an agreement with Iran to extend the cease-fire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz within the next week.
Speaking to ABC News' chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl in a telephone conversation on June 1, Trump said a peace deal could be "even better than a military victory."
A draft agreement, mediated by Pakistan, has been going forth and back between the two sides in recent weeks -- with huge uncertainty hanging over the on-again, off-again negotiations. A limited cease-fire has been in effect since April, though it has been tested by sporadic strikes.
There was, the president said, "tremendous hostility" from Iran.
"It's not an easy thing for them. It's actually not easy from our standpoint either. But we're getting what we need to get," Trump said.
Regarding a time frame for a possible deal, Trump said: "I think you're talking about over the next week." He said that an agreement hadn't been made yet because "I still have to get a few more points."
In recent days, Iran and the US have traded military strikes, with US forces announcing self-defense attacks on Iranian targets and Iran indicating it had attacked a US base in Kuwait.
The push for a deal comes as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has significantly disrupted global oil supplies and driven up energy prices.
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00:00
We are now closing the live blog for the day. We'll be back at 7:30 a.m. Central European time to cover the latest events across the Middle East.
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20:17
1.6.2026
Trump Denies Report Iran Talks Have Stopped
Following on from his remarks in TV interviews, US President Donald Trump has taken to Truth Social to insist that diplomatic efforts to reach an agreement with Iran are ongoing.
Talks are continuing, at a rapid pace, with the Islamic Republic of Iran, Trump wrote, without elaborating.
The social media post came amid uncertainty over talks on June 1.
Iranian news agency Tasnim reported earlier that Iran would stop taking part in exchanges of texts through intermediaries, a move that appeared connected to increased Israeli attacks in Lebanon on Iranian proxy Hezbollah.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning what it said were cease-fire violations by Israel and adding that Washington was responsible for the consequences and impacts of this situation.
Then, in a separateTruth Socialpost, Trump said he had spoken with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and, through intermediaries, with Hezbollah.
Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel, he wrote.
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19:29
1.6.2026
Trump Says I Dont Care If Iran Talks Are Over
U.S. President Donald Trump at a cabinet meeting at the White House on May 27
Faltering diplomatic moves to bring about an agreement between Tehran and Washington have been plunged into further uncertainty after a report by Iranian news agency Tasnim, affiliated to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), suggesting talks were being suspended.
Asked about the report, US President Donald Trump told NBC News there had been no official communication from Iran about the matter.
The Iranian negotiating team will suspend talks and the exchange of texts through mediators, Tasnim reported, owing to Israel stepping up military action in Lebanon, where it is fighting Iranian proxy force Hezbollah.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning what it said were cease-fire violations by Israel and adding that Washington was responsible for the consequences and impacts of this situation.
Trump was quoted by NBC as saying he was not aware of this decision but that it was not a concern.
I think its fine if theyre done talking. he said in a brief phone call. But they havent informed us of that.
In a separate interview with CNBC, Trump added: I really dont care. I couldnt care less.
A draft agreement, mediated by Pakistan, has been going forth and back between the two sides in recent weeks.
On May 29, Trump said he was entering the Situation Room in the White House to make a final determination about the text but there was no subsequent announcement of an agreement.
Over the weekend, the two sides traded further military strikes, with US forces announcing self-defense attacks on Iranian targets and Iran indicating it had attacked a US base in Kuwait.
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15:26
1.6.2026
Kallas Urges 'Deeper Talks' About Iran's Missiles, Nuclear Stockpiles
Any temporary peace agreement between the United States and Iran must be followed by deeper talks about Tehrans nuclear stockpiles, missiles, and other critical issues, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.
Speaking at a news conference in Islamabad on June 1, Kallas, the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, said she sees a "tenuous diplomatic opening" to extend the current temporary cease-fire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz despite an exchange of attacks overnight by both Iran and the United States.
"Any temporary understanding between the US and Iran must be followed by deeper talks about Tehran's nuclear stockpile and other critical issues," the bloc's top diplomat told a joint news conference with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
Kallas praised Pakistan's role as a mediator in the Gulf crisis and expressed the EUs readiness to contribute to the peaceful resolution of the US-Iran dispute mentioning the groups economic leverage, hard-won nuclear expertise, longstanding relationships with partners across the Gulf, and direct engagement with Iran itself.
I see a concrete role for the EU in helping to make any eventual agreement durable -- whether through maritime operations or economic incentives that support long-term stability, she said suggesting strict conditions for a calibrated path towards sanctions relief for Iran.
To read the full story, clickhere.
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10:20
1.6.2026
Iran Executes Two Men Over January Anti-Government Protests
Iran says it has executed two men accused of setting fire to a mosque, destroying public property, and blocking streets during nation-wide antigovernment protests that took place in December and January before security forces brutally cracked down on the unrest, killing thousands in the process.
The country's judiciary news agency, Mizan, identified the executed protesters as Mehrdad Mohammadinia and Ashkan Maleki. According to Mizan, the two protesters were among the main perpetrators of an arson attack on the Jafari Mosque in Tehran's Gisha neighborhood.
The agency claimed that they had deliberately damaged and set fire to the mosque, destroyed public property, clashed with law enforcement officers and security personnel, blocked streets, and obstructed the movement of people.
Initial reports published by Mizan and other Iranian news agencies did not provide details about the circumstances of their arrests or the trial process.
Mizan said the death sentences of the two were upheld by the Supreme Court before being carried out on the morning of June 1.
According to the Oslo-based Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, which closely monitors human rights violations in Iran, the executed men were "two Kurdish political prisoners."
Hengaw said the executions were carried out in secret and that the two prisoners were denied a final meeting with their families before their deaths.
The authorities killed at least 7,000 people in January as they crushed mass protests calling for an end to clerical rule, according to human rights groups, although the real death toll is believed to be significantly higher.
The weekslong demonstrations erupted in late December 2025 over economic grievances but soon snowballed into the biggest threat to the Islamic republic in years.
Hundreds of political prisoners and citizens detained during the protests are still being held in Iranian prisons on political and security-related charges.
Human rights activists have warned that many of them are at risk of receiving death sentences, having their sentences upheld, or being executed.
According to the Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) and the Paris-based Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM), at least 1,639 people were executed in 2025, including 48 women -- giving Iran one of the highest execution rates in the world.
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09:08
1.6.2026
Rubio Holds Talks With Israeli And Lebanese Leaders As US Seeks De-escalation Amid Iran Talks
Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with both Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as part of US diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions between Israel and Lebanon, a US official said on May 31.
As part of those efforts, according to the official who spoke on background, Washington has proposed a "clear sequence" toward de-escalation: "Hezbollah must stop all attacks on Israel. In return, Israel would refrain from escalating its operations in Beirut. This would create space for a gradual de-escalation and an effective cessation of hostilities."
The official said Hezbollah is acting in line with Iranian interests rather than those of the Lebanese people, adding that Tehran seeks to prolong instability in Lebanon so that it can later claim a role in resolving the crisis.
"The United States does not expect Israel to absorb ongoing attacks on its civilians by a terrorist organization," the official said.
"The fastest way to de-escalate and protect civilians on all sides is for Hezbollah to stop firing immediately."
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05:52
1.6.2026
US Conducts New Round Of 'Self-Defense' Attacks On Iran; Tehran Fires Back At Kuwait
Violence flared again in the Middle East, with the US military saying it had conducted a third round of self-defense strikes against Iranian sites, while Tehran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on US Gulf ally Kuwait early on June 1.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) conducted self-defense strikes on Iranian radar and command and control sites for drones in Goruk, Iran, and Qeshm Island this weekend, the US military entity responsible for American forces in the Middle Eastsaid in a statement.
Illustrative image released by US Central Command (CENTCOM), which said it conducted 'self-defense' attacks on Iranian sites on May 30-31.
The operation marks at least the third publicly announced US "self-defense" strike against Iranian targets since the cease-fire took effect in early April.
It comes as US and Iranian officials are exchanging a series of proposals for a framework to extend the current cease-fire for 60 days and also potentially open the Strait of Hormuz and lift a US blockade of Iranian ports, among other issues being discussed.
The White House declined to comment and referred an RFE/RL reporter to CENTCOM.
CENTCOM said in a statement that the strikes were at least partially in response to the shooting down of a drone by Iranian forces.
CENTCOM called the strikes measured and deliberate strikes occurred on Saturday and Sunday in response to aggressive Iranian actions that included the shootdown of a US MQ-1 drone that was operating over international waters.
It said that US fighter jets responded by eliminating Iranian air defenses, a ground control station, and two one-way attack drones that posed clear threats to ships transiting regional waters.
It said no US service members were injured in the operation.
Iran's hard-line Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) was quoted by Iranian state media as saying its forces targeted an air base used by US forces to launch the latest attacks, without specifying the country.
But, at the same time, theKuwaiti militarysaid its air defenses were confronting hostile missile attacks and drones attacks as air raid sirens blared throughout the small Gulf nation and US ally.
In a posting on X, the military said that if explosion sounds are heard, they are of air defense systems intercepting the hostile attacks. Everyone is requested to adhere to the security and safety instructions issued by the competent authorities.
It did not immediately identify the incoming projectiles as coming from Iran, but the small Gulf nation has often been the target of retaliatory launches by Tehran, which has claimed that US attacks have been launched from its territory.
US forces conducted strikes on May 7 after attacks involving Iranian missiles, drones, and small boats targeting US naval vessels, and carried out additional strikes on May 25 and May 27-28 against missile sites, mine-laying boats, and other military targets that Washington said threatened US forces and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
RFE/RLs senior Washington correspondent Alex Raufoglu contributed to this report.Share
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02:51
1.6.2026
Trump Again Insists That Cease-Fire Deal Will Block Tehrans Nuclear Ambitions
US President Donald Trump insisted again that Tehran will not have a nuclear weapon under his proposed cease-fire deal, suggesting that the main focus of the memorandum now being negotiated is on Irans nuclear program.
In a social media post on May 31, Trump said his deal states, very clearly, that Iran will not have a Nuclear Weapon.
"It then goes on, in very strong and lengthy detail, to discuss various other aspects of Nuclear. In fact, thats what most of the agreement is about,he wrote.
US President Donald Trump waves as he returns to the White House on May 31.
In a Fox News interview -- which was conducted on May 28 by his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, and broadcast on May 30 -- Trump said Iran had agreed it would not have atomic weapons.
"The one guarantee that I have to have is that there will be no nuclear weapons. They've agreed to that, and it was very interesting," he said.
Tehran has consistently said that no agreement has been made regarding its nuclear program or its supply of highly enriched uranium, which can be used to build a nuclear bomb.
Tehran, which has enriched some of its uranium stocks to levels close to weapons quality, insists that its atomic efforts are for civilian purposes.
In a video broadcast on state television on May 31, Mohammad Qalibaf, Iran's lead negotiator, said Iranian negotiators "neither trust the enemy's words nor its promises."
"We will not approve any agreement until we are certain that the rights of the Iranian people have been upheld," said Qalibaf, who is Iranian parliament speaker.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi confirmed on May 31 that talks were ongoing, but warned against "speculation," saying Tehran couldn't judge the negotiating process until there was a clear outcome.
US and Iranian negotiators have exchanged several proposals over recent weeks. The New York Times and the website Axios reported on May 30 that Trump had sent back to Tehran a new framework that contained "tougher" terms.
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01:23
1.6.2026
Europeans Express Concerns Over Israeli Offensive, Also Assail Hezbollah Ahead Of UN Session
French PresidentEmmanuel Macronand top British and German officials on May 31 expressed concerns over Israels latest ground offensive in Lebanon, while also assailing the Hezbollah militant group's attacks across the border into Israel.
Iran-backed Hezbollah, a militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon, is considered a terrorist organization by the US, while the European Union has blacklisted its armed wing but not its political branch.
Macron said that "nothing justifies the major escalation under way in south Lebanon" and he called for an end to fighting "for good."
France will continue to support the Lebanese authorities in their efforts to restore the sovereignty of the state and the countrys territorial integrity, he wrote on X.
British Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper said ina post on Xthat Israel's military escalation in Lebanon has killed and displaced civilians, destroyed infrastructure, and eroded space for diplomacy."
"It must end. Hizballah must end attacks on Israel and disarm. All sides must respect the ceasefire and engage with negotiations in good faith,
"All sides must respect the cease-fire and engage with negotiations in good faith," she added.
Israeli troops seize the Beaufort Castle and a strategic ridge in southern Lebanon.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul also called on Israel and Hezbollah to return to the cease-fire that was announced in April but has been on shaky ground since.
Wadephul said Israels "continued advance" into southern Lebanon was "a cause for great concern."
The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on June 1 over Israel's expansion of its offensive in Lebanon, diplomatic sources told AFP.
The meeting, requested by France, and will take place immediately after an emergency session over the impact of a Russian drone into a Romanian apartment building. That meeting is scheduled for 3 p.m. in New York.
Lebanon's Health Ministry said an Israeli strike in the south of the country early on May 31 killed at least eight people as Israel intensifies its attacks and ground operations targeting Hezbollah.
"The massacre committed by the Israeli enemy in a raid on the town of Deir Zahrani, Nabatieh district, at dawn on [May 31]..resulted in eight martyrs, including three women, and 19 wounded, including five children and six women," the ministry said in a statement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to push deeper into Lebanon following the militarys capture of the medieval castle of Beaufort, calling it a "dramatic shift" in the drive against Hezbollah.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israeli troops had raised the Israeli flag over the castle, which is also known as Qalaat al-Shaqif. He described the site as "one of the most important strategic points for defending communities of the Galilee" and ensuring the security of Israeli forces.
The castle has long held significant military value. Israeli forces used the fortress as a base during their 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon, which ended in 2000.
The militant group, meanwhile, said it targeted Israeli forces near the fortress and military positions and infrastructure in Shlomi and Nahariya in northern Israel, while air raid sirens sounded in the Acre area.
With reporting by Reuters and AFPShare
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