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Middle East crisis live: Tehran warns Trump over strait of Hormuz threat; Netanyahu suggests Israel helped rescue downed US crew member | US-Israel war on Iran
Opening summary
Welcome to the Guardian’s continuing coverage of the crisis in the Middle East.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has condemned Donald Trump’s threats to target energy and transport infrastructure, saying he was being misled by Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Your reckless moves are dragging the United States into a living HELL for every single family, and our whole region is going to burn because you insist on following Netanyahu’s commands,” Qalibaf posted on X.
Late on Sunday, Netanyahu suggested Israel assisted the US with its rescue of the downed airman in Iran. The Israeli prime minister said he had spoken to Trump and “congratulated him on his bold decision and a perfectly executed American mission”. “The president expressed his appreciation for Israel’s help,” Netanyahu said.
On Sunday, the US president used expletive-laden language to call on Iran to let ships through the strait of Hormuz as he threatened to further attack Iranian energy and transport infrastructure. Writing on Truth Social, Trump said: “Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell.”
Showing it still had the ability to cause damage despite the US-Israeli pounding, Iran expanded attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure over the weekend, launching drone and missile strikes on petrochemical facilities in Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
The Revolutionary Guards also said they hit an Israeli-linked vessel at Dubai’s Jebel Ali port.

In other key developments:
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Trump was sharply rebuked by US politicians, including Republican former ally Marjorie Taylor Greene, who called on the administration to “intervene in Trump’s madness”, adding the president “has gone insane, and all of you are complicit”. Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer wrote that “the President of the United States is ranting like an unhinged madman on social media”. Schumer added: “He’s threatening possible war crimes and alienating allies. This is who he is, but this is not who we are. Our country deserves so much better.”
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Crude oil prices opened higher on Monday after Trump’s threats to Iran. West Texas Intermediate – the US benchmark – rose 1.86% to $113.62 a barrel while North Sea Brent crude was also higher at the week’s market opening, climbing 1.16% to $110.30 a barrel.
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The second crew member of a downed F-15E fighter jet was rescued by the US overnight, ending a two-day search after the warplane crashed in south-west Iran. Trump said the crew member was “seriously wounded” but “safe and sound” after a mission that was reportedly made possible with the help of CIA subterfuge.
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At least five people were reported to have been killed in US-Israeli attacks in south-west Iran during the rescue operations.
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Israeli rescuers recovered the bodies of two people killed after an Iranian ballistic missile hit a residential building in the northern Israeli city of Haifa, Israeli media reported. Rescue efforts were continuing on Monday morning to reach two other missing.
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On Sunday, Iran said it struck a petrochemicals complex in Bahrain. Video footage showed thick black smoke rising from the site.
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The Kuwait Petroleum Corporation said a number of its facilities had been targeted by Iranian drone attacks, resulting in fires and “significant material losses”. Kuwait also reported that two power and water desalination plants sustained “significant material damage” after being attacked by Iranian drones.
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Israeli attacks in Lebanon on Sunday killed at least 15 people, the country’s health ministry said, while Israel’s military chief visited troops in southern Lebanon and pledged to intensify strikes against Hezbollah. One of Israel’s strikes in Beirut on Sunday killed at least five people and wounded 52 in the Jnah neighbourhood, the Lebanese ministry said.
Key events
Iran executes man accused of trying to storm military site during protests
Iran has executed a man convicted over an attempt to storm a military facility and access an armoury during unrest in January, state media said on Monday, after the supreme court upheld his sentence.
The man was named as Ali Fahim, Reuters is reporting.
Iran has already executed three others linked to the incident, including Amirhossein Hatami earlier last week and Mohammadamin Biglari and Shahin Vahedparast on Sunday, the report said.
Another man linked to the same case is believed to face execution in the coming days, according to Amnesty International.
The rights group said in a statement last week it was unconscionable that even as Iranians reeled from the war, Iran continued to “weaponise the death penalty to eradicate dissenting voices and further terrify people”.
The nationwide anti-government protests in January were repressed in the biggest crackdown in the Islamic republic’s history, with some estimates suggesting more than 30,000 people were killed.
Authorities said the defendants had tried to seize weapons and military equipment during protests, describing them as “rioters” acting against national security.
Amnesty International said several defendants were facing execution over the unrest, adding in a recent report that detainees in such cases had been subjected to torture and “grossly unfair trials”.
The Israeli military has just said it identified missiles launched from Iran and that defensive systems are operating to intercept them.
The IDF’s message on Telegram also said alerts had been sent to people in relevant areas directing them to go to shelters and “remain there until further notice”.
More now on the Haifa attack: Israeli firefighters are searching for two missing people in the rubble of a residential building in the northern Israeli city after it was struck by an Iranian missile that killed two others, authorities said on Monday.
The direct hit on a seven-storey building tore through sections of the structure, which has partially collapsed, the military and rescue services said.
Footage from Agence France-Presse showed rescuers using flashlights to search through rubble and scattered concrete blocks.
The strike took place minutes after the military warned it had detected a new round of missiles fired from Iran about 15.00 GMT.
“We have a major destruction site,” said Elad Edri, chief of staff of Israel’s home front command.
Israel’s fire and rescue services said later that two of four people trapped under the rubble had been found dead.
The building was hit by a “direct impact of a missile”, a military spokesperson told AFP, confirming it was fired from Iran.
Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency service said four people were wounded in the strike, including a 10-month-old baby who suffered a head injury. An 82-year-old man was also in a serious condition, it said. A hospital later said he was stable.
On Monday the military detected fresh waves of missiles fired from Iran, and each time it said its “defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat”.
Israel’s military says it has completed a fresh wave of strikes against “regime targets” in Tehran.
The short statement – in a Monday post on Telegram – came after Iranian media reports of attacks on residential areas in the Iranian capital earlier in the day.
Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, said on Monday her government was preparing to hold talks with Iran against the backdrop of the global energy crisis.
“We are preparing dialogues at the leadership level at an appropriate time,” she told a parliamentary committee.” She did not say with whom in Iran she planned to hold talks.
About 90% of Japan’s crude oil comes from the Middle East, making it particularly vulnerable to the closure of the waterway. Last month, the government approved the release of 15 days’ worth of oil from private-sector depots, the biggest-ever release of oil from its strategic reserves.
Iran threatens ‘devastating’ retaliation if civilian targets hit
Iran’s central military command has warned of “much more devastating” retaliation if the US hits civilian targets.
If attacks on civilian targets are repeated, the next stages of our offensive and retaliatory operations will be much more devastating and widespread.
The warning came after Donald Trump threatened to destroy Iran’s civilian infrastructure, demanding Tehran bow to his demands for a deal to reopen the Gulf to shipping.
Trump vowed on social media to hit Iran’s power plants and bridges and said the country would be “living in hell” if the strait of Hormuz – crucial for global trade – wasn’t opened. He ended with “Praise be to Allah”.
Opening summary
Welcome to the Guardian’s continuing coverage of the crisis in the Middle East.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has condemned Donald Trump’s threats to target energy and transport infrastructure, saying he was being misled by Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Your reckless moves are dragging the United States into a living HELL for every single family, and our whole region is going to burn because you insist on following Netanyahu’s commands,” Qalibaf posted on X.
Late on Sunday, Netanyahu suggested Israel assisted the US with its rescue of the downed airman in Iran. The Israeli prime minister said he had spoken to Trump and “congratulated him on his bold decision and a perfectly executed American mission”. “The president expressed his appreciation for Israel’s help,” Netanyahu said.
On Sunday, the US president used expletive-laden language to call on Iran to let ships through the strait of Hormuz as he threatened to further attack Iranian energy and transport infrastructure. Writing on Truth Social, Trump said: “Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell.”
Showing it still had the ability to cause damage despite the US-Israeli pounding, Iran expanded attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure over the weekend, launching drone and missile strikes on petrochemical facilities in Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
The Revolutionary Guards also said they hit an Israeli-linked vessel at Dubai’s Jebel Ali port.
In other key developments:
-
Trump was sharply rebuked by US politicians, including Republican former ally Marjorie Taylor Greene, who called on the administration to “intervene in Trump’s madness”, adding the president “has gone insane, and all of you are complicit”. Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer wrote that “the President of the United States is ranting like an unhinged madman on social media”. Schumer added: “He’s threatening possible war crimes and alienating allies. This is who he is, but this is not who we are. Our country deserves so much better.”
-
Crude oil prices opened higher on Monday after Trump’s threats to Iran. West Texas Intermediate – the US benchmark – rose 1.86% to $113.62 a barrel while North Sea Brent crude was also higher at the week’s market opening, climbing 1.16% to $110.30 a barrel.
-
The second crew member of a downed F-15E fighter jet was rescued by the US overnight, ending a two-day search after the warplane crashed in south-west Iran. Trump said the crew member was “seriously wounded” but “safe and sound” after a mission that was reportedly made possible with the help of CIA subterfuge.
-
At least five people were reported to have been killed in US-Israeli attacks in south-west Iran during the rescue operations.
-
Israeli rescuers recovered the bodies of two people killed after an Iranian ballistic missile hit a residential building in the northern Israeli city of Haifa, Israeli media reported. Rescue efforts were continuing on Monday morning to reach two other missing.
-
On Sunday, Iran said it struck a petrochemicals complex in Bahrain. Video footage showed thick black smoke rising from the site.
-
The Kuwait Petroleum Corporation said a number of its facilities had been targeted by Iranian drone attacks, resulting in fires and “significant material losses”. Kuwait also reported that two power and water desalination plants sustained “significant material damage” after being attacked by Iranian drones.
-
Israeli attacks in Lebanon on Sunday killed at least 15 people, the country’s health ministry said, while Israel’s military chief visited troops in southern Lebanon and pledged to intensify strikes against Hezbollah. One of Israel’s strikes in Beirut on Sunday killed at least five people and wounded 52 in the Jnah neighbourhood, the Lebanese ministry said.
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Driver killed in Bedford train crash named
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
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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