Key facts
- President Trump is urging Israel and Iran toward negotiations as the conflict nears 100 days.
- A conditional ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has been announced.
- Deadly strikes continue in Gaza and Lebanon despite ceasefire efforts.
- Israel plans to continue operations in Lebanon to establish a buffer zone.
- Israeli strikes in Gaza City killed at least 11 Palestinians.
- The UN nuclear watchdog warns Iran's risk of covert nuclear weapons development has increased.
- Iran possesses 440.9 kg of high-enriched uranium.
- The U.S. is preparing a draft resolution to condemn Iran at the IAEA.
- The Pentagon has elevated the counterintelligence threat from Israel to the highest level due to spying concerns.
- Airlines are gradually resuming Middle East flights amid ongoing disruptions.
- The UN World Food Programme warns millions are being pushed into acute hunger.
- Iran reaffirmed support for Hezbollah and demands Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
President Trump has intervened in the escalating Middle East conflict, reportedly urging Israel and Iran toward negotiations as the conflict nears its 100-day mark. This intervention comes as a conditional ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is announced, contingent on Hezbollah ceasing hostilities, which has led to a decline in oil prices. Despite the ceasefire hopes and President Trump's peace narrative, deadly strikes continue in Gaza and Lebanon. Israel plans to continue operations in Lebanon to establish a buffer zone, and strikes in Gaza have killed at least 11 Palestinians. Ceasefire talks for Gaza have stalled, and Hezbollah has rejected the new Lebanon ceasefire plan. The UN nuclear watchdog warns that Iran's risk of covertly developing nuclear weapons has increased since US-Israeli strikes in June 2025. Inspectors can no longer regularly verify Iran's nuclear material, which includes 440.9 kg of high-enriched uranium. The U.S. is preparing a draft resolution to condemn Iran at the IAEA, a move Russia believes may antagonize Iran and complicate wider U.S.-Iran talks. In a separate development, the Pentagon has elevated the counterintelligence threat level posed by Israel to the highest level due to increasing concerns about Israeli spying on the U.S. This reflects heightened worries within the U.S. defense establishment regarding Israel's intelligence gathering activities. Airlines are slowly restoring some flights to the Middle East, with regional carriers rebuilding schedules after war-related disruptions, though many carriers outside the Gulf still divert Europe-Asia flights to avoid the region. The UN World Food Programme warns that millions are being pushed into acute hunger due to the prolonged Middle East crisis, impacting fragile economies and forcing aid rationing due to funding cuts. Iran has reaffirmed support for Hezbollah, demanding Israel withdraw from southern Lebanon as a condition for any peace deal with Washington, while Hezbollah rejected a U.S.-brokered pact. Tensions also escalated in the Gulf of Oman. The U.S. military has refuted Iran's assertions of launching warning shots at U.S. warships. An Iran-aligned Iraqi militia, Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, has formed a committee to sever ties with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), aiming to ensure weapons are exclusively held by the state. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has emerged as a prominent European voice opposing the U.S. and Israel's actions.
Israel's defense exports reached a record $19.2 billion in 2025, a nearly 30% increase driven by missile, rocket, and air defense systems, with Europe and Asia-Pacific as the largest markets. CNN reported that Israel allegedly established and operated covert military and intelligence sites in Azerbaijan near Iran's border. The status of U.S.-Iran talks remains disputed. The conflict involving Iran has reached its 100-day mark with no resolution in sight, with U.S. forces intercepting Iranian missile and drone attacks in the Persian Gulf. Six ballistic missiles fired at Bahrain and Kuwait were intercepted. Saudi Arabia's non-oil sector experienced a pickup in growth during May. Lebanese army commander General Rudolf Haykal is visiting Pakistan amid regional tensions and Pakistani mediation efforts concerning the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.