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Middle East crisis live: US and Iran trade strikes again, after Trump warns Tehran will ‘pay the price’ for stalled talks | US-Israel war on Iran

Published

2 months ago

June 11, 2026

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Kuwait airspace closed amid Iranian attacks

Kuwait has closed its airspace after Iran announced new attacks on the gulf country, with officials saying some flights were being diverted to alternative airports.

Flights had been circling outside Kuwait for some time before the announcement, after it said its air defences were firing at aerial targets.

Kuwait International airport took a direct hit from an Iranian strikes last week, with one person killed and dozens more wounded.

Bahrain separately sounded its missile alert sirens on Thursday, after Iran said it was attacking the US navy’s fifth fleet which is headquartered in the country.

And the US embassy in Jordan issued an alert, saying “reports indicate missiles, drones, or rockets are in Jordanian airspace”.

Key events

Bahrain’s interior ministry said an 11-year-old girl was injured from falling debris after Iranian drones were intercepted by air defences in the capital Manama and Hamad Town.

The incident also damaged several vehicles and homes, the ministry said in a post on X, with pictures showing scorched cars and buildings.

Three Indian seafarers were killed in a US attack on an oil tanker earlier this week, India’s shipping minister, ‌Sarbananda Sonowal, said.

“It is deeply unfortunate to learn of the tragic incident aboard the Palau-flagged MT Settebello. Sadly, three Indian seafarers initially reported missing are now confirmed dead after bodies have been located and identified,” he wrote in a post on X.

The US Central Command had accused the Settebello of violating an American blockade on Iranian ports.

In a post on X, it said: “At 11:14 p.m. on June 9, US forces disabled an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman for the second consecutive day after another vessel violated the ongoing blockade by attempting to transport oil from Iran.”

It added that a US aircraft “fired precision munitions into the ship’s engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces”.

The US-Iran ceasefire is more like a “lesser fire”, UN secretary-general António Guterres has said, urging all parties to “work towards a diplomatic settlement”.

“We should not minimize the risks of lesser fire becoming full fire,” Guterres said in his post on X.

The Middle East is being pulled deeper into crisis & the consequences reach far beyond the region.”

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Kuwait resumes air traffic with flights set to resume

Kuwait’s civil aviation authority has announced that air traffic has resumed after it was suspended due to Iranian attacks.

Officials earlier announced that some flights were being diverted to alternative airports, after Kuwait said its air defences were firing at aerial targets.

In its statement, the civil aviation authority said Kuwait’s international airport was working normally, with flights set to resume.

Andrew Roth

As the story of the US-Iran war is written direct to social media, Donald Trump may be the genre’s premier unreliable narrator.

On Wednesday in the Oval Office, Trump warned of a fierce response to Iran’s missile and drone attacks on US allies in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan, but also said that a deal was within reach.

“We’re gonna hit ’em again hard today … and we’ll see what happens with a deal,” he said. “We’re really close to a deal but they keep on tapping us along, they keep playing us for suckers.”

The barrage and whiplash of White House claims of imminent deals and then threats that “a whole civilization will die tonight” have kept Trump squarely where he wants to be – dominating the news cycle – but they have also increasingly eroded trust in his declarations, even in life-and-death issues concerning a war.

Donald Trump gives remarks in the Oval Office. Photograph: Aaron Schwartz/Pool/Aaron Schwartz – Pool/CNP/Shutterstock

Other leaders appear to be playing on the credibility gap within the US administration. Trump said he planned to tell Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, not to retaliate against Iran this week, but when Israel did strike Iran, he claimed in a BBC interview that the “missiles had already gone”. He later denied that Netanyhau had defied him, adding that when he tells Netanyahu “to do something, he does it”.

Similarly, the US president has repeatedly threatened Tehran with airstrikes on its civil and energy infrastructure – a campaign that many international observers have characterised as a potential war crime – but then repeatedly reverted to diplomacy or ultimatums with two-week windows that are soon forgotten.

The Trump administration is once again stuck, unable to translate its military superiority into political acquiescence, with little indication of movement on the ground in negotiations other than the president’s own volatile posts to Truth Social.

In his interview with CNN, Brett McGurk also offered some insight into the thinking behind the Trump administration’s actions this week, and why they may have so clearly telegraphed that another attack was coming on Thursday.

What they’re trying to do is manage that escalation, to basically say to Iran, we’re going to respond, this is coming, but this is not a restart of the campaign we started in February.”

But McGurk notes that everything coming from Iran is “escalatory”.

I’m seeing nothing from the Iranians right now suggesting they’re on the verge of a deal.”

Brett McGurk, who served in senior national security positions in the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations, has told CNN that the strikes today were highly “telegraphed”, indicating that the US is perhaps “trying to put a ceiling” on the action today.

If these strikes are designed to pressure Iran into doing a deal, I don’t think that objective will be met.”

McGurk said that if the US is attempting to “shape the battlefield” to help ships get through the strait, then these strikes have “tactical merit”. But he adds they are unlikely to make a deal more likely.

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Twenty-two countries, including the United States, Australia and European nations, jointly warned Iran on Thursday to stop attacking people “on our soil”.

In a joint statement released before the US launched its second round of strikes on Iran, the countries condemned Iranian security services for their “deplorable” use of international and local criminal gangs for plots in Europe, North America and Australia.

Attempts to kill, kidnap, harass, intimidate, or otherwise attack people on our soil, undermines national sovereignty and international norms. These actions must stop immediately.”

The countries accused Iran of being behind a campaign of attacks across Europe targeting Jewish communities, Iranian journalists and US journalists.

The statement singles out an Iran-linked group, Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI), which has claimed responsibility for attacks targeting Jewish communities in the United Kingdom, Belgium and the Netherlands.

The torching of ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity in north London was one of a string of attacks across Europe. Photograph: Guy Bell/Shutterstock

HAYI reportedly said it was responsible for the stabbing of two Jewish men and a series of arson attacks on synagogues and community sites in north London over recent months.

Australia expelled Iran’s ambassador to Australia in August last year, accusing Tehran of directing at least two antisemitic attacks: an arson attack on a synagogue in Melbourne and the torching of a kosher cafe in Sydney.

Canberra also withdrew the Australian ambassador to Iran and suspended operations at its embassy in Tehran.

The statement was issued by Albania, Australia, Belgium, Britain, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Portugal, Sweden and the US.

Kuwait airspace closed amid Iranian attacks

Kuwait has closed its airspace after Iran announced new attacks on the gulf country, with officials saying some flights were being diverted to alternative airports.

Flights had been circling outside Kuwait for some time before the announcement, after it said its air defences were firing at aerial targets.

Kuwait International airport took a direct hit from an Iranian strikes last week, with one person killed and dozens more wounded.

Bahrain separately sounded its missile alert sirens on Thursday, after Iran said it was attacking the US navy’s fifth fleet which is headquartered in the country.

And the US embassy in Jordan issued an alert, saying “reports indicate missiles, drones, or rockets are in Jordanian airspace”.

Thursday’s strikes are more evidence that Iran has the leverage in the negotiations with the Trump administration, according to Dan Shapiro, the former US ambassador to Israel.

It is Trump that is desperate for them to sign the agreement, as his statements reveal, and Iran that is dragging their feet.”

In a post online, Shapiro says that the strikes will reinforce for Iran that “time works in their favor”.

A deal that punts nuclear negotiations to a second phase and requires some sanctions relief is a lousy deal – and still the least bad available alternative.”

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Welcome

Welcome to our live coverage of the conflict in the Middle East.

The US has launched a second round of airstrikes, after Donald Trump warned that Tehran would “pay the price” for stalled negotiations, and Iran responded with strikes targeting Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.

The US assault across multiple Iranian cities came as efforts to negotiate an end the war again appeared stuck, with Iran insisting it would maintain its chokehold on the strait of Hormuz.

It was the second consecutive day of back-and-forth strikes between the US and Iran, testing the limits of the shaky two-month ceasefire.

Here are the day’s main developments:

US Central Command said it had “completed” its latest round of airstrikes just before sunrise in Iran. It said the strikes targeted “Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communication systems and air defense sites” and were carried out by the US air force, Marines and navy.
The sounds of explosions echoed around Tehran, the port city of Bandar Abbas and other southern areas along the strait of Hormuz.
Iran responded by launching strikes on Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.
Kuwait closed its airspace as its air defences fought off the attack. Kuwait’s directorate general of civil aviation said flights were being diverted to other airports, without elaborating.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had fired ballistic missiles at a US command centre in Jordan, according to state media.
Iran’s UN envoy said the US should refrain from threats of force if it wants a deal.
Israel early on Thursday warned residents in the north to seek shelter after the detection of suspected incoming fire from Lebanon.
The international benchmark for crude oil traded above $93 a barrel on Wednesday, up more than 25% since the start of the war.

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Driver killed in Bedford train crash named

Published

2 months ago

June 21, 2026

info@oxinfo.co.uk

The family of Shaun Burton, say they are “devastated” by the loss.

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Spain v Saudi Arabia: World Cup 2026 – live | World Cup 2026

Published

2 months ago

June 21, 2026

info@oxinfo.co.uk

Key events

In the opening half an hour against Cape Verde, Mikel Oyarzabal, the centre-forward, did not get a single touch.

Oyarzabal profile

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.

Al-Aqidi profile

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.

Lamine Yamal profile

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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