Middle East live: Only Iran will carry out Hormuz Strait demining, Tehran says in rebuttal to Macron
· France 2429/06/2026 - 21:53
Lebanon state media says Israeli strike hits south
Lebanese state media said an Israeli strike hit the country's south, despite a framework accord signed by the two countries last week aimed at securing a peace deal.
"Israeli warplanes carried out an airstrike targeting the area between the southern Lebanese towns of Qantara and Deir Seryan," the state-run National News Agency said.
29/06/2026 - 21:32
Trump says meeting with Iran this week 'perhaps' important
US President Donald Trump on Monday told reporters in the Oval Office that the US-Iran meeting in Qatar this week will be "perhaps important, perhaps not".
29/06/2026 - 20:31
UAE allows nationals to travel to Lebanon from Monday
The United Arab Emirates will allow its nationals to travel to Lebanon starting today, the state news agency WAM reported.
UAE citizens planning to visit Lebanon must register through an official service, an emergency and support platform by the ministry of foreign affairs, before their departure, the agency added.
On April 30, UAE banned its citizens from traveling to Iran, Lebanon and Iraq, and urged Emiratis in those countries to leave immediately and return home, citing regional developments.
29/06/2026 - 09:58
- Lebanese parliament rejects US–Israel framework
- US and Iran to stand down on strikes with technical talks set to continue
- Trump says Iran has ‘requested meeting’ in Doha on Tuesday
- France and Oman to cooperate with partners on de-mining Hormuz Strait, Macron says
- De-mining of the Strait of Hormuz to be carried out only by Iran, deputy foreign minister says
- Iran says 'expert delegation' heading to Qatar this week
- De-mining of the Strait of Hormuz to be carried out only by Iran, deputy foreign minister says
29/06/2026 - 20:30
Iran says 'expert delegation' heading to Qatar this week
Iran said a delegation of experts would travel to Doha this week for discussions on the implementation of the memorandum of understanding signed with the United States earlier this month.
"An expert delegation from the Islamic Republic of Iran will travel to Doha later this week" to discuss the implementation of clauses of the memorandum, foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said.
"We have not yet entered the stage of negotiating a final agreement," he said, noting that "over the coming days, we will not have any negotiation meetings with the US side at any level".
29/06/2026 - 20:27
Iran says 'expert delegation' heading to Qatar this week
29/06/2026 - 20:20
Iran warns it will proceed with Hormuz management plans without Oman's cooperation, though Tehran says Muscat appears willing to engage
29/06/2026 - 19:48
No Iran-US talks in coming days, Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson says
No talks between Iran and the United States are scheduled in the coming days, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said in a statement, adding that an Iranian technical delegation will visit Qatar this week, but has no relation to US officials visiting the country.
Tehran has not started negotiations for a final deal as these require the implementation of certain points of the MoU, which is Iran's priority currently, Baghaei added.
29/06/2026 - 19:08
De-mining of the Strait of Hormuz to be carried out only by Iran, deputy foreign minister says
The removal of mines from the Strait of Hormuz is to be carried out solely by Iran according to the Islamabad MoU between Tehran and Washington, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said 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, Gharibabadi added.
29/06/2026 - 19:07
🎥 Why Oman has become a key diplomatic player in Mideast war
Iran said Monday it had held its first meeting with Oman on managing the Strait of Hormuz since it signed a preliminary deal to end the Middle East war with the United States. It comes as French President Emmanuel Macron meets with the Sultan of Oman at the Elysée Palace on Monday.
FRANCE 24's James André takes a look at how Oman ended up playing a key diplomatic role in the conflict in the Middle East.
29/06/2026 - 16:57
Rubio, Witkoff to brief US Congress on Iran deal, official says
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff will brief the full US House of Representatives and Senate by phone on the deal with Iran, a White House official said.
29/06/2026 - 16:38
France and Oman to cooperate with partners on de-mining Hormuz Strait, Macron says
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, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday.
"We have decided to collaborate, in conjunction with our partners, on clearing mines from the Strait in order to secure maritime routes and guarantee free and unconditional passage through the Strait of Hormuz," Macton wrote on X after meeting with Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al at the Élysée Palace.
29/06/2026 - 16:03
Germany pledges €250 mln for Africa, Asia over Hormuz fallout
Germany will provide €250 million in additional support for hard-hit regions in Africa and Asia facing the impact of the prolonged blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the development ministry said.
The money will be used to improve acute food security, strengthen local resilience and assist small farmers, Development Minister Reem Alabali Radovan said at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference according to the statement.
29/06/2026 - 14:40
Iraq sets September 30 deadline for pro-Iran groups to disarm
Iraq's government has given pro-Iran armed groups in the country until September 30 to disarm, its spokesman said during a press conference.
The announcement comes ahead of a visit to the United States by new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, with Washington exerting pressure on Baghdad to ensure the factions turn in their weapons.
Some of the groups targeted US facilities in Iraq during the Middle East war, which was sparked by Israeli-American strikes against Iran in late February.
29/06/2026 - 14:11
Doha technical talks will be held on the sidelines of high-level talks, White House says
29/06/2026 - 14:10
Top US envoys Witkoff and Kushner to attend meeting in Doha, White House confirms
US President Donald Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will attend an expected meeting with Iran in Doha on Tuesday, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said.
"Special Envoy Witkoff and Jared Kushner will be flying to Doha for high-level meetings this week, as we continue to discuss the memorandum of understanding. On the sidelines of those high-level talks, there will be the technical talks," she said in an interview with Fox News on Monday.
29/06/2026 - 13:37
Trump says Iran has ‘requested meeting’ in Doha on Tuesday
US President Donald Trump said a meeting on Iran would be held Tuesday in Doha, without giving further details.
“Iran has requested a meeting. It will take place tomorrow in Doha,” he wrote in a social media post.
29/06/2026 - 13:19
Iran's state news agency reports no technical meetings planned this week
29/06/2026 - 13:18
What’s in the deal between Israel and Lebanon?
Israel and Lebanon agreed to a US-mediated peace framework that would leave Israeli troops inside occupied southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed and the Lebanese army takes control, terms the Iran-backed militia has rejected as surrender.
These are its main points:
- Peace and mutual recognition
Israel and Lebanon affirm each other’s right to exist in peace and security as sovereign neighbouring states and express their intent to formally end any state of war between them. Israel and Lebanon will continue US-backed negotiations toward a broad peace agreement.
- Disarmament of Hezbollah
Lebanon’s armed forces, the LAF, will gradually restore control over all of Lebanon, disarming Hezbollah and any other militant group. The first phase will begin in two pilot zones where reconstruction will begin while civilians safely return to those areas from which they fled Israeli attacks.
- Eventual israeli withdrawal
Israel declares it has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon and that once Hezbollah is disarmed in all of Lebanon and no longer poses a threat, it will redeploy its troops outside Lebanon.
- Reconstruction
Washington will rally international partners to help Lebanon to rebuild and recover.
- Legal measures, detainees
The two countries agree to halt “all hostile or adverse actions in international political or legal fora” and “pledge to work towards the search for and return of remains and the release of detainees.”
29/06/2026 - 13:11
Syria slams Israeli incursions after violence in south
Syria’s foreign ministry condemned Israeli incursions and bombardment in the country’s south a day after violence near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that state media and locals said caused residents to briefly flee.
Tensions rose on Sunday in the village of Abidin in the Yarmuk Basin area in the southern province of Daraa after Israeli forces advanced into the area, with angry residents trying to block the road with stones to stop the patrol. State media and a local official said Israeli forces later responded with artillery fire, prompting residents to flee to nearby villages overnight.
Syria’s foreign ministry in a statement condemned “the Israeli attacks represented by incursions into Syrian territory in Quneitra and Daraa provinces and the targeting of the region with artillery shelling”, slamming “a blatant violation of Syrian sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
After the December 2024 overthrow of Syria’s longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, Israel sent troops into a UN-patrolled buffer zone that for decades separated Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan, occupying what it now calls a “security zone” in southern Syria. It has also carried out repeated incursions deeper into Syrian territory, as well as bombings, and says it wants a demilitarised zone in the country’s south.
Yesterday's key developments:
• The Israeli military said it destroyed a 200-metre-long tunnel used by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in a village in southern Lebanon.
• The United States and Iran agreed to stop strikes against each other, and will meet on Tuesday in Doha, Qatar's capital, to work out their dispute over the Strait of Hormuz.
• Iran launched drone and missile attacks targeting Bahrain and Kuwait, threatening a "complete halt" in negotiations if Washington continued its attacks against the Islamic Republic.
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters, AP and AFP)