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Key developments
• Status of ceasefire: There are mixed messages on the status of US-Iran talks to end the war. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that negotiations have gone “very well,” but Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there has been no “significant progress” in recent days.
• US-Israel ties: Trump also called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “great partner,” days after a tense phone call between them. On Capitol Hill, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to provide context for the call regarding Lebanon, saying Hezbollah remains a problem.
• Israel-Lebanon talks: After another round of negotiations, Israel and Lebanon agreed to implement a ceasefire, contingent on a cessation of Hezbollah fire and the removal of Hezbollah operatives from southern Lebanon.
• Congressional rebuke: Meanwhile, the House passed a resolution to limit Trump’s war powers in Iran, a significant rebuke to the US president.
Iran says war will only end when it ends in Lebanon
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said the US-Israel war with Iran will only end “when it also ends in Lebanon.”
“We hold the same position regarding a ceasefire, and the same position regarding ending the war,” Araghchi said in an interview with Arab media outlet Al Mayadeen, shared by Iran’s foreign ministry.
Iran has repeatedly said that any ceasefire agreement must include Lebanon – a stipulation that has threatened to disrupt the US negotiating process with Tehran.
Araghchi also said that the end of the war must mean that Israeli forces withdraw from Lebanon, where Israel has been targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah since early March.
On Wednesday, Israel and Lebanon agreed to implement a ceasefire, contingent on a cessation of Hezbollah fire and the removal of Hezbollah operatives from southern Lebanon.
Araghchi said that all parties, including Hezbollah, must participate in national dialogue to solve Lebanon’s internal issues.
“The world must recognize that Hezbollah is part of Lebanon’s reality,” he said, adding that attempts by Israel to dismantle the group and assassinate its leaders have only made it stronger.
Araghchi indicated that Iran would help with reconstruction efforts in the country once that happens.
Some context: Israel sees Hezbollah as a terrorist group that threatens its security, and analysts have said it will likely continue to seek its disarmament.
Israeli ambassador downplays Trump-Netanyahu divisions
Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter has downplayed divisions between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and warned that if “if Hezbollah is intent on disrupting the ceasefire, the result is going to be on them.”
“The bottom line is that America, Israel, Lebanon are united on keeping Iran out of the equation,” he said after two days of US-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon.
Leiter called the ceasefire agreement, which was announced earlier on Wednesday evening after two days of talks at the State Department, “relatively unprecedented.”
In a joint statement, the two sides agreed to “the implementation of a ceasefire,” but it is contingent on “a complete cessation” of Hezbollah fire and removal of all Hezbollah operatives from southern Lebanon. Iran has threated retaliation if Israel attacks Beirut and earlier this week suggested it would no longer participate in diplomatic talks with the US because of the Israeli threats of escalation in Lebanon.
Leiter said peace between Israel and Lebanon “can only be achieved if this Iranian proxy, this Iranian menace, is neutered, and we’re on the way to accomplishing that.”
He indicated that the next round of talks would once again be at the ambassadorial level, but said they are working toward a leader-level meeting.
Hezbollah fighters: Asked about the “pilot zones” where the Lebanese Armed Forces would “take exclusive control,” Leiter said Israeli forces in southern Lebanon would allow “safe passage” for Hezbollah operatives to go north.
He said the pilot zones would be “guided by the United States.”
“Special units in the Lebanese army will take control of various areas and gradually spread out throughout the south, so we don’t go into another pattern where Israel leaves, Hezbollah comes back,” he said. “Everybody understands it has to stop, and we are full of hope that this time it will succeed.”
Iran says no progress in talks, Trump saying they're going "very well"
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday there has been “no significant progress” in talks with the US over the past few days, despite US President Donald Trump’s assertions that talks are going “very well.”
“There is no formal negotiation process underway between Iran and the United States. However, messages continue to be exchanged,” Araghchi said in an interview with Arab media outlet Al Mayadeen, shared by Iran’s foreign ministry.
Araghchi said Iran sent messages to the Americans this week pressing the need to prevent an Israeli attack on Beirut.
“Our channels of communication have not been cut off,” he added. “Both sides are still reviewing the existing frameworks.”
Trump painted a more rosy picture of negotiations to end the war on Wednesday, suggesting that a potential advancement could happen as soon as this weekend.
Some context: Iran’s Tasnim news outlet, which has strong links to the country’s revolutionary guards, claimed on Monday that talks with the US had been suspended. The country’s top negotiator, Mohammad Baghar Ghalibaf, later suggested they were ongoing, but warned they would be halted if Israel continued attack on Lebanon.
CNN’s Besty Klein, Nadeen Ebrahim and Aida Karimi contributed reporting.
"People are frustrated." 3 GOP lawmakers who bucked Trump on Iran war defend votes
One of the four House Republicans who voted to curb President Donald Trump’s war powers in Iran told CNN that Americans are frustrated by the conflict.
Barrett, who represents a competitive Michigan seat, said his vote stemmed from a “variety of considerations,” but he “definitely” understood the war’s effect on his constituents.
House Speaker Mike Johnson contended that reining in the president’s powers during negotiations could be “dangerous.”
Pressed on this, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick defended his vote as following the law.
Kentucky congressman Thomas Massie has long criticized Trump for waging war without congressional authorization.
He said after Wednesday’s vote:
Iran threatens to respond if Israel attacks Beirut
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has threatened an attack if Beirut comes under Israeli fire.
“We informed the American side that if Beirut were attacked, we would not tolerate it under any circumstances. From our perspective, such an action would mean that the ceasefire had been completely broken, and our armed forces would respond,” the foreign ministry quoted him as saying in an interview with Arab media outlet Al Mayadeen.
“Our armed forces are ready at all times, and if the ceasefire is violated, they will carry out their duty,” he went on to say upon being asked whether Iran is prepared to respond should Israel attack Beirut’s southern suburbs again.
His comments come as US-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon took place in Washington and the same day as Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed at least eight people, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
Israel and Lebanon agree to implement ceasefire, contingent on Hezbollah actions
Israel and Lebanon have agreed to “the implementation of a ceasefire,” but it is contingent on “a complete cessation” of Hezbollah fire and removal of all Hezbollah operatives from southern Lebanon, according to a joint statement released after the latest round of US-mediated talks today.
The agreement comes after the Israeli government threatened to escalate its actions in Lebanon – a move that threatens to derail the US-Iran talks. The ongoing ceasefire has seen repeated violations as Israel and Hezbollah have continued to trade strikes.
Wednesday’s talks lasted nearly nine hours and came after a full day of talks on Tuesday at the US State Department. Israel and Lebanon “agreed to reconvene the political and security tracks the week of June 22, with a view toward reaching a comprehensive agreement,” the joint statement said, noting that the US “agreed to continue facilitating communication between the parties in the interim.”
The joint statement said the two sides have agreed to “swiftly advance the creation of pilot zones in which the Lebanese Armed Forces will take exclusive control of the territory to the exclusion of all non-state actors,” but it did not lay out a timeline for those pilot zones.
According to the joint statement, “Israel reaffirmed that its security and respect for its territorial integrity can only be achieved through the disarmament of Hezbollah and the dismantlement of its infrastructure throughout Lebanon.”
“Lebanon reaffirmed the necessity for mutual respect of internationally recognized borders, the urgent need for full implementation of the cessation of hostilities, underscoring the principles of territorial integrity and full state sovereignty,” it said. “Lebanon committed to enhancing the capacity of the Lebanese Armed Forces, with US support, to assert effective control throughout the country.”
The US “underscored its intent to support the Lebanese Armed Forces, with the aim of improving their capacity and enabling the effective exercise of sovereignty throughout Lebanese territory,” it said.
“All parties condemned Iran’s attacks on countries in the region, and ongoing activities that undermine stability throughout the Middle East, whether through support for proxies and all other acts of aggression,” it said.
Video shows moment of Iranian attack on Kuwait's airport
Security camera video shared by Kuwait’s Civil Aviation Authority shows the moment of Iranian strikes on Kuwait International Airport early Wednesday.
US-Iran ceasefire remains in place despite new attacks, Trump says. Catch up on the latest
A House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing repeatedly turned contentious as Secretary of State Marco Rubio was grilled on President Donald Trump’s fitness for office, the war with Iran and even Rubio’s shoes.
Meantime, Trump suggested that a ceasefire between the US and Iran remains in place despite recent strikes in the region and that negotiations have gone “very well.”
Catch up on the latest headlines:
- Military activity: The Iranian navy claimed that it targeted a US Central Command facility, saying it was “responsible for recent US actions against Iran.” CENTCOM denied the Iranian claim. Earlier, Iran said it targeted US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, as well as a vessel near the Strait of Hormuz, in response to US attacks.
- US president weighs in: Days after a tense phone call between the two leaders, Trump called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “great partner.” He also said the US blockade of Iran’s ports is the “most powerful thing,” suggesting it had given the US even more leverage over Iran than military strikes.
- Iran’s nuclear material: Trump also told reporters at the White House that “as of this moment,” Tehran has agreed to allow the US into Iran to dig up buried nuclear material in coordination with Iranian authorities once the conflict ends.
- Joint review launched: The Pentagon, State Department and USAID inspectors general launched a joint review of the US war, announcing in a news release that they are mandated by law to probe overseas military operations exceeding 60 days.
- Iran war powers resolution: The House passed a resolution to limit Trump’s war powers in Iran, a significant rebuke to the US president and his handling of the conflict.
A House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing Wednesday repeatedly turned contentious as Secretary of State Marco Rubio was grilled on the US war on Iran.
And here’s the latest in Israel and Lebanon:
- On the ground developments: As another round of US-mediated talks took place in Washington between Israel and Lebanon, Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed at least eight people, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health.
CNN’s Natasha Bertrand, Jennifer Hansler, Alejandra Jaramillo, Betsy Klein, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Maureen Chowdhury, Elise Hammond and Camila DeChalus contributed reporting.
Iranian navy claims it retaliated for recent US strikes
The Iranian navy claimed Wednesday that it targeted a US Central Command (CENTCOM) facility, saying it was “responsible for recent US actions against Iran.”
In a statement cited by Iranian official media, the navy said that US military forces had carried out “hostile actions” against Iranian commercial vessels in the Gulf of Oman and violated regulations governing navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
The statement also claimed that the “command-and-control facility” overseeing those operations was located aboard a US Navy destroyer.
CENTCOM denied the Iranian claim in a post on X. “Iran is lying,” it said. “U.S. military assets at sea continue to fly, sail, and operate safely and unimpeded.”
Iran did not provide further details about the reported targeting operation, including whether it caused any damage or casualties.
Earlier Wednesday, Iran said it targeted US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, as well as a vessel near the Strait of Hormuz. The reported strikes came after the US military said it used a Hellfire missile to disable a Botswana-flagged oil tanker heading toward Iran’s Kharg Island, the Persian Gulf hub for most of Iran’s oil exports.
In significant rebuke to Trump, House passes Iran war powers resolution
The House passed a resolution today to limit President Donald Trump’s war powers in Iran, a significant rebuke to the US president and his handling of the conflict.
Democrats have repeatedly forced votes to limit Trump’s war powers in both the House and the Senate – a campaign that has gradually picked up more GOP support in recent weeks.
The vote was 215 to 208 with Republican Reps. Thomas Massie, Brian Fitzpatrick, Tom Barrett and Warren Davidson crossing party lines to support the resolution.
US blockade of Iranian ports has "more impact" than bombing, Trump says
The United States’ blockade of Iran’s ports is the “most powerful thing,” President Donald Trump said Wednesday, suggesting it had given the US even more leverage over Iran than military strikes.
The president added that his administration is negotiating a “very powerful deal” with Iran that is the “exact opposite” of a deal the Obama administration struck with Iran in 2015.
“Under our deal they will never, ever have a nuclear weapon,” he said.
“There’s nothing more important than taking away the capability of a nuclear weapon from Iran.”
Reopening the Strait of Hormuz is the other thing that is “very important” and should happen immediately after signing a peace agreement, Trump said.
Trump says US and Tehran will jointly dig out buried nuclear material in Iran
President Donald Trump said that “as of this moment,” Tehran has agreed to allow the US into Iran to dig up buried nuclear material in coordination with Iranian authorities once the conflict ends.
Trump also acknowledged that Iranian officials have “changed their mind a couple of times, but as it stands now, we will go in sometime in the not-too-distant future.”
Trump said the efforts to retrieve the materials will happen only after the conflict ends. “And I don’t want to do it if we’re in conflict, I don’t want to put men in that kind of danger,” he said.
“I remember Jimmy Carter had some bad problems in Iran with the hostages. I don’t want to ever put our people in that kind of danger. But when it’s over, as of this moment, it’s agreed that we will go in with them, we will get it and we will destroy it. It will be destroyed,” Trump said.
Eight killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon
At least eight people were killed in separate Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health.
The ministry’s Emergency Operations Center said an Israeli airstrike on the town of Housh in the Tyre district killed six people, including four Syrian nationals and two Palestinians.
In a separate incident, the ministry said an Israeli strike directly targeted an ambulance belonging to the al-Risala Scout Association in the town of Shahour, killing two paramedics and critically wounding a third, who was transferred to surgery.
The Health Ministry condemned the attack on the ambulance, describing it as “inhumane and barbaric” and a violation of international humanitarian law, which guarantees protection for healthcare workers.
The ministry called on international organizations and the international community to take action to stop what it described as systematic violations. It also paid tribute to emergency responders who continue operating in areas under bombardment, committed to saving lives despite having no means of protection.
Trump calls Netanyahu a "great partner”
President Donald Trump on Wednesday called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “great partner,” days after a tense phone call between the two leaders.
“Bibi Netanyahu has been for me a great partner. For other people not so good, for me he’s been very good,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Earlier this week, Trump said he was “perturbed” with Netanyahu over Israel’s plans for military operations in Lebanon as the US was working toward a peace agreement with Iran.
“I wouldn’t say angry. I was a little bit perturbed at his constantly fighting with Lebanon. You know, at some point I said, ‘Bibi, we got to stop this,’” Trump said about the phone call on a New York Post podcast, which was taped Tuesday and released Wednesday.
Trump in the Oval Office emphasized continued coordination with Netanyahu despite occasional differences over the pace and scope of military operations.
“We were very effective what we’ve done, and they needed us,” Trump said, referring to the US-Israeli war with Iran. “They couldn’t have done it without us, couldn’t have even come close, and they needed us, and they got us to help them with a real problem, because Iran was a real problem.”
Trump suggests ceasefire still in place and negotiations going "very well"
President Donald Trump suggested that a ceasefire between the US and Iran remains in place despite recent strikes in the region, while adding that negotiations have gone “very well.”
“A ceasefire there is much different than a ceasefire in other parts of the world,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday when asked if the fragile truce was holding.
He painted a rosy picture of negotiations to end the war and suggested that a potential advancement could happen as soon as this weekend.
“The negotiation itself has gone very well — actually, very well — even if it happens, and it might not happen, but if it happens, it could happen like over the weekend,” he said.
Trump said there was “a reason” behind the US strikes and suggested Iran was “reciprocating” with its attacks.
CNN has reported that Iran said it targeted US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, as well as a vessel near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s foreign minister said they were “self-defense strikes” after the US military fired a missile to disable a Botswana-flagged oil tanker heading toward an Iranian port.
Trump confirms he will attend G7 summit later this month
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he plans to travel to the Group of Seven summit in France later this month.
“I’ll be going to the G7, in France, immediately following what will be one of the Most Entertaining Nights in American History, the UFC World Championship Fights on the South Lawn of the White House,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
Trump’s participation is being closely watched this year amid ongoing tensions between the United States and some of its G7 allies, including over the US war with Iran.
Last year, Trump abruptly left the G7 early amid tensions in the Middle East.
“Is this a circus?” Rubio spars with Democrats in House hearing
A House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing Wednesday repeatedly turned contentious as Secretary of State Marco Rubio was grilled not only on the war on Iran but on President Donald Trump’s fitness for office and even his shoes.
The nearly four-hour hearing broke down on party lines, with Republicans heaping praise on Rubio and swiping at their Democratic colleagues and several Democrats angrily confronting Rubio.
Rep. Ted Lieu showed several videos appearing to show Trump asleep during meetings and accused Rubio of “lying to Congress” after the top US diplomat said he’d “never been in any meeting” where the president fell asleep or had trouble staying awake.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio lashed out during the Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on Wednesday after California Democrat Rep. Sara Jacobs brought up shoes the president had given Rubio earlier this year.
Rep. Sara Jacobs, another California Democrat, questioned Rubio not only on his assertion that the war in Iran is over but also about the 2020 election and a reported pair of gifted shoes from Trump.
“Who won the 2020 presidential election?” she asked. Rubio would not answer, saying he was not there to discuss domestic political issues.
“Mr. Secretary, it seems like you have an issue admitting facts. You can’t say that the president lost the 2020 election, just like you won’t admit President Trump is losing this reckless war of choice, and just like you couldn’t admit that the shoes the president bought you were too big,” she countered. She was referring to a Wall Street Journal report that Trump buys Florsheim shoes for Cabinet members, which in a photo appeared to be too large for Rubio.
And after a heated exchange with Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Rubio criticized lawmakers for not giving him time to answer.
“It’s not a hearing. It’s like a dunk tank. What is this?” he said.
US government watchdogs begin Iran war oversight after deciding hostilities passed 60 days
The Pentagon, State Department and USAID inspectors general have launched a joint review of the US war with Iran, announcing in a press release Wednesday that they are mandated by law to probe overseas military operations that exceed 60 days.
The announcement is significant because it indicates that the watchdogs believe that, legally, the war has lasted more than 60 days from its commencement on February 28. Under the War Powers Act, the president is prohibited from keeping US troops in active hostilities for more than 60 days without congressional approval.
The administration never sought such approval for Operation Epic Fury, the name the US gave to its military campaign against Iran. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last month that it was his understanding that the 60-day clock on the war “reset” when President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire in April.
Days later on May 12, however, the Pentagon’s inspector general, Platte B. Moring III, was appointed by the chair of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency to be the lead inspector general for Operation Epic Fury, according to his office.
Hegseth’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the discrepancy.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said this week that the United States’ war with Iran is “over,” even though the US and Iran have continued to trade missile and drone attacks over the last several days.
Video shows extensive damage at Kuwait's international airport
Kuwait’s Interior Ministry published a video showing First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahd Yusuf Saud al-Sabah assessing the damage at Kuwait International Airport following Iranian strikes early Wednesday.
The video shows the extensive damage to the airport’s passenger building at Terminal 1, as well as Saud al-Sabah speaking to first responders at the scene.
