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Middle East crisis live: Rubio sees initial progress on reopening Hormuz after Trump claims Iran deal ‘largely negotiated’ | Middle East and north Africa
Rubio says ‘significant’ progress made in talks with Iran
The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has been talking to reporters in New Delhi during a diplomatic visit to India.
“I do think perhaps there is the possibility that in the next few hours the world will get some good news,” Rubio told the media.
He added that “significant” progress had been made in peace talks with Iran but cautioned that this was not “final” progress. Rubio reiterated that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon and that the strait of Hormuz has to be open to global marine traffic without tolls being charged by Tehran for safe passage.
Rubio said:
We have made some progress over the last 48 hours working with our partners in the Gulf region on an outline that could ultimately – if it succeeds – leave us not just with a completely open strait … and with addressing some of the key things that underpin what has been Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions in the past.
Key events
Rubio said that the path to a durable agreement would require “full Iranian acceptance and then compliance”, and “future work” would have to be done to finalise “the details”.
“When you are talking about a nuclear programme, as an example, these are highly technical matters and ones that would probably need to be addressed over some period of time,” the secretary of state said.
Responding to the criticism of the emerging deal from senior Republicans (see post at 08.28), Rubio said Donald Trump’s commitment to Iran never possessing a nuclear weapon is unwavering.
“And the idea that somehow this president, given everything he has already proven he is willing to do, is going to somehow agree to a deal that ultimately winds up putting Iran in a stronger position when it comes to nuclear ambitions is absurd,” he said.
“That is just not going to happen. But our preference is to address this through a diplomatic means and that is what we are endeavouring to do here.”
Rubio says ‘significant’ progress made in talks with Iran
The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has been talking to reporters in New Delhi during a diplomatic visit to India.
“I do think perhaps there is the possibility that in the next few hours the world will get some good news,” Rubio told the media.
He added that “significant” progress had been made in peace talks with Iran but cautioned that this was not “final” progress. Rubio reiterated that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon and that the strait of Hormuz has to be open to global marine traffic without tolls being charged by Tehran for safe passage.
Rubio said:
We have made some progress over the last 48 hours working with our partners in the Gulf region on an outline that could ultimately – if it succeeds – leave us not just with a completely open strait … and with addressing some of the key things that underpin what has been Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions in the past.
While there is little doubt that waves of US and Israeli airstrikes heavily degraded Iran’s military capabilities, many of Donald Trump’s core objectives remain unfulfilled and he is now essentially trying to get back to the status quo of the strait of Hormuz being freely open to international vessels.
A stockpile of highly enriched uranium is also still believed to remain buried following US and Israeli airstrikes last June and Iran reportedly retains much of its pre-war missile stockpile despite US-Israeli attacks.
Texas senator Ted Cruz has said he is “deeply concerned” about the reports of the potential deal being struck between Tehran and Washington.
He said Donald Trump was right to launch the initial strikes on Iran in late February, in which the country’s former supreme leader Ali Khamenei was killed, but urged the president to “continue to hold the line”.
“He was right to do so, and we achieved extraordinary military results-including destroying all of their missiles & drones and sinking their entire navy,” Cruz, who is among the Republican lawmakers most supportive of airstrikes on Iran, wrote in a post on X.
“If the result of all that is to be an Iranian regime-still run by Islamists who chant “death to America”-now receiving billions of dollars, being able to enrich uranium & develop nuclear weapons, and having effective control over the strait of Hormuz, then that outcome would be a disastrous mistake.”
Interim summary
In case you’re just joining us, here’s a recap of the day’s key news amid the Middle East crisis.
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The US and Iran reportedly sought on Sunday to finalise an agreement to formally end the Middle East war after Donald Trump said a proposal that included reopening the strait of Hormuz was “largely negotiated”. “Final aspects and details of the Deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly,” the US president posted on his Truth Social platform, without giving details.
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Trump emphasised the deal was still “subject to finalisation”, while news reports said a draft indicated the two sides would address contentious issues about Iran’s nuclear program only after an initial pact was reached.
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Leaders from Middle Eastern countries including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain as well as Pakistani and Turkish representatives joined a call with Trump to discuss the deal on Saturday, the US president said.
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Mediator Pakistan hoped to host another round of talks “very soon”, said the prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif. US vice-president JD Vance led US delegation to Islamabad in the first round of peace talks with Iran six weeks ago which ended without an agreement.
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Trump said a separate call with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu “went very well”.
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The potential US-Iran agreement involves a 60-day ceasefire extension during which the Hormuz strait would be reopened, the Axios new site reported, and Tehran would be able to freely sell oil. Negotiations would be held on curbing Iran’s nuclear program, it said, citing an American official, while also saying the details were in an agreement draft and “could still fall apart”.
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Iran has not commented on Trump’s announcement of a deal being close but Iran’s Tasnim semi-official news agency said that under a potential memorandum of understanding the US would waive its sanctions against selling Iranian oil. It also said Tehran had not yet agreed to any actions on its nuclear program and that the potential agreement included ending the war on all fronts including Lebanon.
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The results of the latest negotiations on the Iran war “offer grounds for optimism that a positive and durable outcome is within reach”, the foreign minister of mediator Pakistan said.
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Former Trump secretary of state Mike Pompeo denounced the apparent emerging deal as benefiting Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and being too close to the terms Barack Obama’s negotiators struck with Iran in a nuclear agreement Trump later abandoned.
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In Lebanon, the civil defence agency said early on Sunday its regional facility in the southern city of Nabatieh had been destroyed by an Israeli strike. The agency condemned “this attack on a centre dedicated to humanitarian and relief work”, also saying there were no reports of casualties among its personnel.
With news agencies
Iran’s Tasnim semi-official news agency is saying Tehran has not yet agreed to any actions on its nuclear program and that under the potential memorandum of understanding between Iran and the US, Washington would waive its sanctions against selling Iranian oil.
The MOU also emphasises ending the war on all fronts including Lebanon, according to Tasnim, and that Israel would have to end the war in Lebanon.
It said a 30-day period would be allocated for procedures relating to the strait of Hormuz and an end to the US blockade of Iranian ports, while a 60-day period would be set for nuclear negotiations.
Under the MOU, part of Iran’s frozen funds must be released during the first phase of the agreement, Tasnim is saying, quoted by Reuters.
The foreign minister of mediator Pakistan has said the achievements of the latest negotiations on the Iran war “offer grounds for optimism that a positive and durable outcome is within reach”.
Ishaq Dar said Donald Trump’s phone call with Middle Eastern leaders and Pakistan “marks a significant step closer toward the shared objective of regional peace, stability and an early diplomatic outcome”.
He also said in the post on X:
Pakistan remains firmly committed to supporting all sincere efforts aimed at lasting peace, mutual respect, and regional stability.”
Dar, who is also deputy prime minister, added:
Dialogue and diplomacy must prevail over conflict and confrontation for the collective prosperity and security of our region and beyond.”
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says he welcomes the latest developments on the Iran war and believes “appropriate solutions” can be found on the nuclear and other contentious issues.
Erdoğan also said Turkey “stands ready to provide every kind of support” during the potential deal’s implementation phase and that “a just peace would have no losers”.
A post on X from the Turkish presidency said held a teleconference with Donald Trump and Middle Eastern leaders and mediator Pakistan as well as US cabinet members and expressed that “an agreement to secure free passage through the Strait of Hormuz would support stability in the region, providing a relief to global economy”.
In the call Erdoğan said that “appropriate solutions could be found over the course of the process to the issues that look contentious within the context of Iran, including the nuclear issue”.
The post also said:
Underscoring that Türkiye desires a new era in which countries of the region do not pose threats to one another, President Erdoğan added that a just peace would have no losers.”
Iran’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia has said conditions are now right for Middle Eastern countries to “unite in the reconstruction of the region” and build it up.
Alireza Enayati also said on X (in a translation) that Iran had “strong ropes that have kept the tent of Iran safe from fierce winds and destructive storms throughout history” and that it “remains proud” during hardships.
He said:
Iran is a new opportunity for the region to think about the future by moving away from the repetitive literature of the past. Now, conditions are in place for all countries in the region to unite in the reconstruction of the region and to work together to build the region.”
Iran executed one person for charges related to sending information to the US and Israel during the war, the Iranian judiciary’s Mizan news agency reported on Sunday, according to Reuters.
The individual was sending data about Iran’s defence industry to “the enemy”, the news agency alleged.
The draft agreement between the US and Iran also makes clear the Israel- Hezbollah war in Lebanon would end, Axios is reporting.
The newsite quotes an unnamed Israeli official as saying Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed concern about that condition – and other aspects of the deal – during a call with Donald Trump on Saturday.
The report went on:
The US official said it would not be a ‘one-sided ceasefire’ and if Hezbollah tried to rearm or instigate attacks, Israel would be allowed to take action to prevent it. ‘If Hezbollah behaves, Israel will behave.’”
As just mentioned, the report says the agreement is only in unfinalised draft form and “could still fall apart”, according to a US official.
Peace draft involves reopening Hormuz strait during 60-day truce extension – report
The agreement the US and Iran are reportedly close to signing involves a 60-day ceasefire extension during which the strait of Hormuz would be reopened, according to Axios.
During that time Iran would be able to freely sell oil and negotiations would be held on curbing Iran’s nuclear program, the US news site is reporting, citing an American official, while also saying the details were in an agreement “draft” as it currently stood.
“Those details have not been confirmed by the Iranian side, though Tehran has also indicated a deal is getting close,” the report says.
Some of the draft details look to align with what is being reported from sources quoted by the Associated Press and the New York Times, as our full report details.
The deal would avoid an escalation of the war and decrease the pressure on the global oil supply, Axios says, adding:
However, it’s unclear whether it will lead to a lasting peace agreement that also addresses President Trump’s nuclear demands.”
The report says that during the 60-day Hormuz strait reopening, Iran would agree to clear mines it deployed in the waterway and allow ships to pass freely. In exchange, the US would lift its blockade on Iranian ports.
The report also says:
Both Trump and the mediators have indicated the deal could be announced on Sunday, though it has not been finalized and could still fall apart.”
Amid Israel’s strikes on Lebanon this weekend, Hezbollah said Iran pledged not to abandon the militant group.
Tehran-backed Hezbollah said its leader, Naim Qassem, had received a message from Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi saying the latest proposal through Pakistani mediators aimed ending the regional war emphasised “the demand to include Lebanon” in the broader ceasefire.
Lebanese authorities, however, have insisted the country’s ongoing talks with Israel under US auspices must be independent from the Iran-US negotiations, as AFP reports.
Israel’s military has been pounding Lebanon despite the US-brokered truce that was recently extended by six weeks, while Hezbollah has also kept up attacks on Israeli targets.
The group said Araghchi’s message indicated Iran “will not give up its support” for Hezbollah.
Iran has previously demanded there be a lasting ceasefire in Lebanon before any peace deal with the US.
Hezbollah has vehemently rejected the US-hosted talks between Lebanon and Israel that led to the truce.
Lebanon’s military stressed this week that its soldiers were loyal to the institution after the US announced sanctions that included an officer accused of sharing information with Hezbollah.
The family of Shaun Burton, say they are “devastated” by the loss.
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Key events
In the opening half an hour against Cape Verde, Mikel Oyarzabal, the centre-forward, did not get a single touch.
Kyle Green gets in touch: “Your highlighting of Lalas and his absurdity is something that has prevented me from wanting to watch the coverage on Fox. While every channel has its pros and cons I just can’t.
“I’m 45 and probably the youngest of anyone who remembers him as a player instead of an opinionated insert insult here. As for the match this could be more competitive than it looks on paper Spain need a win the pressure is on them. Saudi Arabia could hold out for a draw and see what happens in their last match. “
News from the England camp, and it seems to be good news on Declan Rice.
“I’m ready and fit, raring to go. I was feeling a little bit of neural pain in my hamstring, which I was managing from after Christmas with Arsenal for a very long time. Obviously, not a lot of people would have known that. It was all behind-the-scenes stuff but it was a smart decision.
“In the end, that last 20 minutes is probably where you pick up the most, and it’s where you play a 70-minute match. But that last 20 is where you really feel your body going for it. And I think it was a smart decision because the last few days I felt really, really good.”
Alex Reid has penned today’s weekend special Football Daily.
Portugal v Uzbekistan on Tuesday enticingly pits the incredibly nice, incredibly 41-year-old-superstar-tolerant Roberto Martínez against Fabio Cannavaro, who’s won a Ballon d’Or as a player and the Chinese Super League as a coach. While the fixture following that game really does see the dream of Thomas Tuchel – in his first international job with England – taking on Queiroz, who is in charge of his ninth national side with Ghana.
The expected formations are 4-2-3-1 for Spain, and 5-3-2 for the Saudi Arabians.
The Saudi team features two Donis changes: Ali Lajami, a defender, and Nasser Al Dawsari, a midfielder, are preferred to Mohammed Abu Al Shamat and Mohamed Kanno. You may recall Salem Al Dawsari, the Saudi captain, as the man who scored the winner against Argentina.
An entertaining read, even for those of us who have just seen the clips.
In a conversation where his co-panelist is casually reminiscing about his days playing alongside Messi or exchanging shirts with Ronaldo Nazário at the World Cup, what exactly is Lalas going to talk about – coming on as a second-half substitute for Earnie Stewart in a friendly against Scotland in 1998? Helping the Kansas City Wizards finish last in the 1999 MLS Western Conference? Did Lalas enjoy an elite playing career? No. But does he do the background reading that could compensate for his relative lack of standing in a conversation with titans like Henry and Zlatan? Also no. But is he charming or funny or charismatic or otherwise magnetic on screen? Eh, no.
For the record, I once interviewed Alexi Lalas on the challenge of playing against Romario in the 1994 World Cup. He had this to say:
“He could kill you in so many different ways. If you remember from that World Cup, he scored so many types of goals. That ranged from solo adventures to an outside-of-the-right-foot half-volley off a corner kick. Romario was both the most difficult to play against and the best that I have faced.
“Roberto Baggio was doing his thing, but in terms of consistency and living up to the hype, he [Romario] was the best. As with all stars, there was a moment when the fans sit up in their seats, and that was a feeling I got with Romario. When it got close to him and the potential for his involvement in a play was there, everybody sat up in their seat. They knew that something spectacular would be happening.”
Saturday’s match reports here.
The Saudi Arabia coach, and Blackburn legend, Georgios Donis, spoke about the challenges facing his team: “Spain is not the same team when Yamal or Williams are on the bench.
“While they still have plenty of possession, they lack the individual one-on-one penetration when these two are missing. I’m not saying it’s a problem for Spain, but when those players are missing, they play in a different way. We saw this very clearly against Cape Verde.
“We are playing against one of the best teams in the world, and it’s very important that when you play against these kinds of teams, you should enjoy the experience and respect the opponent, but not too much.
“It is very hard for any team playing against Spain to have any time in possession. So what we must do is to be more in control of our movement and compact, and when the ball goes through the lines, be able to defend dynamically.
“It’s nice to see miracles in football, and we’ve seen favourites losing against underdogs. Of course, it’s great for Saudi football to have a great memory of the result against Argentina, but we aren’t drawing anything from that.
“I think we’ll feel more pressure in that [Cape Verde] game than we will against Spain.”
The Spain coach, Luis De La Fuente had this to say in his Saturday press conference: “This generation of footballers is highly competitive and really fired up… It’s going to be a completely different story,” he said at his pre-match press conference on Saturday. There is no drama or crisis. The bottom line is simply that we need to win tomorrow.”
Four changes for Spain: Lamine Yamal, Pedro Porro, Dani Olmo and Alex Baena also come into the side with Marcos Llorente, Fabian Ruiz, Ferran Torres and Gavi dropping out.
The teams – Lamine Yamal starts
Spain: Simon, Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella, Gonzalez, Rodri, Yamal, Olmo, Baena, Oyarzabal. Subs: Raya, Joan Garcia, Pubill, Grimaldo, Eric Garcia, Llorente, Merino, Torres, Fabian, Gavi, Pino, Williams, Zubimendi, Munoz, Iglesias.
Saudi Arabia: Al Owais, Abdulhamid, Tambakti, Lajami, Al Amri, Al Harbi, Nasser Al Dawsari, Al Khaibari, Al Juwayr, Al Buraikan, Salem Al Dawsari. Subs: Al Aqidi, Al Kassar, Majrashi, Yahya, Al Shehri, Al Boushal, Kadesh, Al Johani, Al Ghannam, Al Hajji, Al Hamdan, Mandash, Kanno, Thakri, Abu Al Shamat.
Referee: Raphael Claus (Brazil)
Perhaps one of the Saudi -players can write themselves into this high-grade selection?
Perhaps it can be their goalkeeper.
Madrid screening of Spain v Saudi Arabia cancelled due to heat
The public screening of Spain’s World Cup match against Saudi Arabia in Madrid on Sunday has been cancelled because of extreme heat forecast for the Spanish capital, officials said.
The match, due to kick off at 6pm local time on Sunday, had been scheduled to be shown on a giant screen installed by the Spanish football federation (RFEF) at a fan zone in Plaza de Colón in central Madrid.
Madrid city council and the federation decided to cancel the screening after national weather agency AEMET issued an orange heat warning – the second-highest level – for the Madrid region, with temperatures forecast to reach 40C.
“The decision has been taken with the aim of protecting the health of attendees, event staff and support services involved in the event,” Madrid city hall said in a statement, apologising for any inconvenience.
Officials urged supporters to watch the match indoors in air-conditioned spaces and avoid prolonged exposure to the heat.
Large parts of Spain are experiencing unusually high temperatures for June as a mass of hot air from North Africa moves across the Iberian Peninsula.
A total of 13 of Spain’s 17 regions are on orange alert for heat on Sunday, while the northern Basque Country bordering France is on red alert, the highest level.
Authorities advised residents and visitors to take precautions during the heatwave, including drinking water regularly, staying in cool environments, limiting outdoor physical activity during the hottest hours of the day and taking extra care of vulnerable people. AFP
Can Saudi Arabia repeat the magic of 2022?
Argentina arrived in Qatar on a 36-game unbeaten run. When Lionel Messi opened the scoring from the penalty spot after 10 minutes, a comfortable afternoon seemed in the offing. Saleh al-Shehri and Salem al-Dawsari had other ideas, Argentina had three goals disallowed for offside in the space of 13 minutes and the greatest comeback in Saudi Arabia football history was made. Argentina went on to lift the trophy, while defeats to Poland and Mexico meant the Saudis did not reach the knock-out stage.
Unai Simon over David Raya is a controversial choice for De la Fuentes. The Arsenal keeper could lay claim to being Europe’s best this season.
“Those at the Champions League final had a few more days, so I got there on the Wednesday night,” Raya says. “I arrived a bit before Fabián [Ruiz]. I was saying hello to some of the others in reception when he arrived. I went to say congratulations; that was almost the first thing I did. I couldn’t really talk [to him] after the final; I just didn’t have it in me. The next day we talked about the game properly. Just two mates chatting … I was happy for him that he could lift the trophy for a second time.”
A high pressure game for the European champions, as Sid Lowe reports.
“If we had scored one, the game would have changed,” Martín Zubimendi said. Immediately after the game, De la Fuente had offered a simple analysis: when the ball doesn’t want to go in it doesn’t want to go in, he insisted. Spain had racked up 27 shots, after all. Ferran Torres had hit the bar and seen another clear opportunity saved. Vozinha, the 40-year-old goalkeeper who stopped that, saved six more and was named the man of the match. “There’s nothing to reproach the team for,” Rodri said. “We generated chances but couldn’t put it away; the good thing is they created almost nothing.”
We wait to see what role Lamine Yamal will play today. His coach would surely like to be able to use him.
The worst mistake we could make would be to compare him to anyone. He is the midst of a process. He has exceptional footballing maturity and lives it all with total naturalness. He has great serenity and strength. We have to let him follow his path but those players who have something different are ready for that. They’re geniuses, like Dalí [who] can paint a picture, or Michelangelo. They’re different. What is exceptional to us, isn’t to them. In those extremes, they feel comfortable. Why? Because they are different. What we think is exceptional, they consider normal.
Preamble
Spain’s campaign did not get off to a flying start, and Luis de la Fuentes may wake up in the night to visions of Cape Verde’s Vozinha. He will have Georgia on his mind ever since Monday. Saudi Arabia are no pushovers and gave Uruguay a scare in their opening match. Memories of downing Argentina four years ago still abound, and so Spain might beware. They can ill afford to go into the final game with Uruguay at a disadvantage. All eyes on Lamine Yamal, whose fitness situation remains opaque, though Spain need their other forwards to come to the party.
Kick-off 5pm UK, 1pm ET, 2am AEST. Join me.
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