US envoys are flying into Doha for high-level peace talks amid a renewed spate of strikes, despite claims from Tehran that no such talks have been arranged.Secretary of state Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to represent the US, a White House official said.“IRAN HAS REQUESTED A MEETING. IT WILL TAKE PLACE TOMORROW IN DOHA,” Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social. However, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, said no talks between Iran and the US were scheduled in the coming days. He said that an ​Iranian ⁠technical delegation ‌will visit Qatar this week, but it has ‌no relation to ‌US officials visiting the country.Iran and the US had traded attacks in the Gulf in recent days as each accused the other of violating an interim deal signed less than two weeks ago to end their four-month war.On Sunday, Iran said its naval and aerospace forces carried out a joint missile and drone operation targeting US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain, and warned further violations would receive a “crushing response”.Israel says Lebanon deal 'bad news' for Hezbollah and IranIsrael's ambassador to the UN has said that the agreement between Israel and Lebanon is "bad news for Hezbollah and the Islamic Republic, and good news for peace."Danny Danon added: "But agreements alone are not enough. What matters is their implementation."He said Israel has "no interest" in remaining in Lebanon and that its objective is to protect Israeli citizens. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar30 June 2026 06:00Alisha Rahaman Sarkar30 June 2026 05:45Oil falls below $73 a barrel as investors focus on potential Doha talksOil prices dropped this morning, with investors eyeing the outcome of potential US-Iran talks in Doha amid weekend missile fire from both sides that tested an interim ceasefire to ​end the four-month-old war.Brent August crude futures, which expire today, were down 1.03 per cent, ‌or 75 cents, at $72.40 a barrel.US West Texas Intermediate fell 0.66 per cent, or 47 cents, to $70.32 a barrel."Investors ​are pricing in hopes of a positive outcome from the Doha talks, even though ​real normalisation of flows through the Strait of Hormuz is not yet visible," ⁠said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade."The market is cautiously hopeful but still ​hedging its bets until we see more tangible signs of de-escalation," Waterer added. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar30 June 2026 05:30Iran says its delegation will travel to Doha, but not for US talksIran's foreign ministry said a delegation will be in Doha over the next two days, but the team will not meet with US officials.Instead, the group will pursue, through the Qatari mediator, the implementation of US commitments under the memorandum of understanding, according to deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi.President Donald Trump had said that Iran-US talks would be held in Doha today. However, Iran dismissed the statement, saying no talks have been ⁠scheduled for the coming days. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar30 June 2026 05:20Locals push back as Israeli troops force into a town in SyriaAs Israeli troops and vehicles entered the town of Abdin in southern Syria, residents blocked the roads with rocks, and some young men and boys threw stones to push back the military patrol.Tensions in this part of the country created by a buffer zone occupied by Israeli forces have flared into violence in recent days, leaving residents anxious that more escalation is coming. Residents of Abdin, located near a UN-patrolled buffer zone now controlled by Israeli troops, tried to resist against a military incursion on Sunday."They come into the village regularly, every few days," said resident Mohammad al-Hassan. "They come in armored 4x4 vehicles, they roam around the village and search some houses, they knock on doors and if people don't answer the door they break it down and enter the houses. Women and children start screaming, it's a terrifying thing, them coming here."Israel says it needs buffer zones to prevent attacks. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar30 June 2026 05:00Iran says final deal negotiation has not begunIran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has said that negotiations on the final deal between US and Iran have not begun.“We have not yet entered the negotiation phase for a final agreement,” he told Iran’s IRIB broadcaster.“According to Article 13 of the Memorandum of Understanding, the commencement of negotiations for a final agreement is conditional on the commencement and continuation of the implementation of Articles 1, 4, 5, 10, and 11,” Baghaei addedArticle 1 calls for an end to war on all fronts, including in Lebanon. Article 4 calls for the US to remove its naval blockade on Iranian ports, while Article 5 concerns the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Article 10 concerns lifting sanctions on Iranian oil exports, and Article 11 calls for the release of frozen assets. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar30 June 2026 04:45US to suspend some duties on phosphate fertilizer from MoroccoUS president Donald Trump has authorized the temporary suspension of certain duties on phosphate fertilizer ⁠imported from Morocco, the White House said, as farmers grapple with fertilizer shortages due to the Iran war.White House economic adviser Kevin ⁠Hassett said in ​March that the Trump ⁠administration was seeking more sources of fertilizer. Supply from major producers in ⁠the Middle East was sharply cut by the ​closure ⁠of the Strait ‌of Hormuz."Global supply chains for phosphate fertilizer and fertilizer inputs, including imports of such products ‌into the United States, have been ‌disrupted in recent months by, among other things, conflicts in fertilizer-producing regions as well as trade actions ⁠taken by major fertilizer-producing countries," Trump said in a proclamation released by the White House. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar30 June 2026 04:30Rachel Dobkin30 June 2026 04:15Demining of the Strait of Hormuz to be carried out only by Iran, deputy foreign minister saysThe ​removal of mines from the Strait of Hormuz is to be ⁠carried out solely by Iran according to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between Tehran and ⁠Washington, ​a senior Iranian official has said.Deputy Foreign ⁠Minister Kazem Gharibabadi made the remarks in a ⁠post on X on Monday, ​in ⁠response to ‌French President Macron's comments on the subject.Emmanuel Macron said ‌on Monday that ‌France and Oman are working together to de-escalate tensions ⁠in the Middle East and will cooperate with their partners on clearing mines from the Strait of Hormuz. “The situation is sensitive ‌and complex, we ​strongly advise France not ‌to complicate ⁠it further with its ⁠provocations,” Mr Gharibabadi added. The US and Iran have traded strikes over the Strait of Hormuz since Friday (Reuters)Nicole Wootton-Cane30 June 2026 04:00Nicole Wootton-Cane30 June 2026 03:00