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Middle East crisis live: US and Iran reach peace deal as European leaders warn Tehran ‘must never acquire a nuclear weapon’ | US-Israel war on Iran
Key events
How much sticking power will the “great deal” – as Trump has described it – have given that so many details are yet to be addressed?
Speaking to Australian Associated Press, Kylie Moore-Gilbert, an expert on Middle Eastern politics who spent more than two years in an Iranian prison, said the pause in fighting would probably be temporary because of unaddressed sticking points.
The agreement failed to deal with Tehran’s ambitions to build nuclear weapons, its use of proxies in the region, its missile program and human rights abuses, she said.
Every single reason cited for this war by the Trump administration … has not been addressed,” she said.
All those sticking points remain, and we can expect that the Islamic Republic will continue in its intransigence and resist coming to any kind of arrangement or agreement on those points.
This is just kicking the can down the road to the next conflict.”
World leaders react to the peace deal
News of the deal has sparked comment from leaders around the globe, including in France, Qatar, the UK, Turkey, Japan and Australia.
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Qatar’s foreign ministry expressed its “full support for all efforts and initiatives aimed at enhancing regional security and stability’”.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed “the need to avoid rhetoric, provocations, and actions that could escalate tensions in the period leading up to the signing of the agreement, and to remain vigilant against possible sabotage.”
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French President Emmanuel Macron called for “the urgent and unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz,” adding that France and the UK were “ready to support”.
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British prime minister Keir Starmer said “toll-free freedom of navigation must now be restored in the Strait of Hormuz,” adding that the UK was ready “to offer support on mine clearance.” “It remains the UK’s firm and longstanding position that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon,” he added.
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Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese and foreign minister Penny Wong called for “continued restraint and constructive engagement”. “Iran must address longstanding concerns about its nuclear program and the threat it poses to international security,” they said in a joint statement.
Crude prices plunge, stocks surge on US-Iran peace deal
News of the US-Iran peace deal has been greeted by global markets with a sigh of relief.
The strait of Hormuz – a vital maritime chokepoint through which roughly 20% of the world’s crude oil supply transits – was effectively closed by Tehran soon after US-Israel strikes on Iran kicked off the conflict on 28 February, roiling global markets for months.
Writing on Truth Social on his 80th birthday, President Trump said:
“ I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade. “Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!”
Crude prices tanked as much as 5% Monday, with West Texas Intermediate approaching $80 a barrel for the first time since the start of March. Brent was down more than 4% at about $83.60
Asian equities surged, led by Tokyo and Seoul, which piled on more than 5% apiece.
It’s been an eventful day, with the most substantial development we have seen so far in reaching a peace deal.
The tentative agreement comes more than three months after the US and Israel launched strikes Iran. But a lot of questions remain.
This helpful explainer addresses what we know, and don’t, so far.
Opening summary
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of events in the Middle East, with the US and Iran agreeing to a tentative deal to end the war.
There are still many details to be ironed out after an MoU is expected to be signed in Geneva on Friday.
Here is what we know so far.
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The US and Iran have reached a tentative peace deal to end the war, although many critical questions and details, including the reopening of the strait of Hormuz, and the future of Iran’s nuclear program, remain unanswered.
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The agreement was first announced by Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, who has been acting as a mediator. Minutes later, Donald Trump confirmed the deal, writing: “The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all!”
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Trump subsequently said the “Great Deal” would bring peace and security to the region and claimed the strait of Hormuz would be reopened. “The Leaders of the Region have, for the first time, found a President who can help them achieve real Peace,” he said in a post on Truth Social. “With the opening of the Strait upon the signing of the Deal on Friday, for purposes of mine removal, oil will flow on both ends again for the Region, and the World!”
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In televised comments, Iran’s deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the agreement with the United States puts an “immediate end” to the countries’ war. He said the end of the war had been declared on all fronts, including Lebanon.
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However, how the strait of Hormuz will be managed seems uncertain, with Iran’s state media Mehr saying that an MoU expected to be signed in Geneva on Friday stipulates that it will be carried out under “Iranian arrangements”.
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In a call to the New York Times, Trump claimed that under the deal the strait would be “permanently toll free”.
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Trump also insisted that if Iran failed to reach a final nuclear accord with the US, he would restart military attacks on Tehran or make the US “the guardian of the Middle East” in return for 20% of the region’s revenues.
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Some, such as Republican senator Lindsey Graham have expressed concern about the differing substance from US and Iranian negotiating teams.
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Leaders in Europe, Japan, and Australia have welcomed the deal, while the UN chief António Guterres hailed it as a “critical step”.
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Asian markets have responded positively to news, with benchmarks in Tokyo and Seoul gaining more than 5% early Monday. Oil prices fell more than $3 a barrel.
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There has been no immediate reaction to the announcement from Israel, which has said it was not party to the planned US-Iran deal. The agreement was sealed despite an Israeli strike on Lebanon on Sunday that drew criticism from both Iran and Trump.
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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