Egypt has called on the United States and Iran to take advantage of all available opportunities to reach a peace agreement aimed at ending the ongoing conflict. The appeal was made through a statement issued by Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which also commended U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to cancel a planned military strike against Iran.

The ministry expressed hope that this moment could be used to create a favorable environment for resolving outstanding issues and opening a new chapter of regional stability. It emphasized Egypt’s commitment to continue its tireless and sincere efforts to reduce tensions through coordination and cooperation with regional and international partners.

According to the statement, Egypt remains focused on promoting dialogue and stability in the region, viewing the current situation as a critical opportunity to prevent further escalation and foster long-term peace.

Israel is setting up a permanent military base in the city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank, according to a report by Israeli newspaper Haaretz. This will be the first such installation in an area that has been under full civilian and security control of the Palestinian Authority since the 1993 Oslo Accords.

The report states that the Israeli army says the new base aims to create conditions for safely evacuating residents from homes in the Jenin refugee camp. The base will be built near the camp, where repeated Israeli operations since early 2025 have displaced thousands of residents and caused extensive infrastructure damage.

According to the report, the base may also be used to support Israeli military operations and protect nearby Israeli settlements.

Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom have jointly launched a four million dollar peace fund to support the two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Each country will contribute 1.34 million dollars to the fund, which was announced on Thursday. According to the UK Foreign Ministry, the initiative will focus on new and existing grassroots projects, particularly those involving youth groups, civil society organizations, and women.

The move comes as the three countries, along with France, New Zealand, and Norway, have imposed coordinated sanctions against networks financing and executing violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. Western nations have taken this step in response to record levels of illegal settlement expansion and increasing violence against Palestinians in the region.

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper stated that peace, justice, and security in the Middle East depend on a two-state solution, noting that their countries have recognized both Israel and Palestine as states.

Iran has announced plans to file legal action against the United States in both domestic and international courts, accusing Washington of destroying two potable water reservoirs in southern Hormozgan province. The attack, carried out early Wednesday, reportedly damaged the water infrastructure in Sirik, cutting off supply to more than 20,000 residents across Kuhestak city and ten villages in Bemani district, where temperatures exceed 45 degrees Celsius.

Abdolhamid Hamzehpour, managing director of Hormozgan Water and Wastewater Company, said the destruction of the reservoirs has created a major crisis for the region’s water network, as local groundwater reserves are insufficient to meet immediate needs. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian condemned the alleged U.S. strike, calling it an assault on vital civilian infrastructure and a sign of desperation rather than strength.

Hormozgan’s chief judicial official, Mojtaba Kahramani, stated that legal proceedings will be pursued under both national and international jurisdictions, citing the 1977 Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, which prohibits attacks on objects essential for civilian survival, including water facilities.

Erin Klatt, an American who moved to New Zealand on a working holiday visa in 2016, formally renounced her U.S. citizenship in early 2026 after settling permanently in the country. She cited political dissatisfaction during the Trump era and the heavy tax obligations on Americans living overseas as key reasons for her decision. Klatt paid a $2,350 fee before the U.S. State Department reduced the renunciation cost by nearly 80 percent. Her case reflects a broader trend of Americans abroad reconsidering their citizenship.

According to Americans Overseas, a group assisting expatriates, 4,889 names appeared on the IRS list of citizenship renunciations in 2025, the highest since 2020. The organization reports a 15 percent rise in inquiries this year and expects the trend to continue. Experts note that many “accidental Americans” face complex tax liabilities despite little connection to the United States.

Immigration lawyers warn that renouncing citizenship carries long-term consequences, including loss of visa-free travel and the right to live or work in the U.S. For some, however, the decision represents not only financial or political motives but also a search for personal identity.

US President Donald Trump announced that he canceled a planned military strike on Iran on Thursday night after receiving final approvals for a potential agreement between the United States and Iran. Writing on Truth Social, Trump stated that discussions with Iran had been approved at the highest levels of the Islamic Republic’s leadership, prompting his decision to halt the attack. He said all relevant parties had endorsed both the talks and the final terms.

According to Trump, the countries granting approval include the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, and Egypt. He added that a naval blockade would remain in place until the agreement is finalized and that the time and location for signing the deal would be announced soon. This is not the first time Trump has claimed that a deal with Iran is close, though previous efforts did not materialize.

A source familiar with the matter said Iran recently sent the latest draft of the proposed agreement to the United States through Qatari mediators, while both sides continued limited hostilities earlier in the week.

At least 23 people were killed in a drone strike on the strategic Sudanese city of El-Obeid, according to a human rights group on Thursday. The attack, one of the deadliest since the war began in 2023, struck residential areas, a funeral gathering, and a food supply truck from Wednesday evening through Thursday in South Kordofan region. The group Emergency Lawyers, which documents wartime human rights violations, blamed the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for the assault, adding that at least 19 others were injured. The claim could not be independently verified, and the RSF has not commented.

El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, has been under partial siege by the RSF for months. Witnesses described widespread destruction, collapsed homes, and bodies being taken to hospitals. A medical official said two children and their mother were among the dead. The United Nations reports that between January and April this year, at least 880 civilians have been killed in drone strikes nationwide.

The conflict between Sudan’s army and the RSF has displaced over 11 million people and killed tens of thousands, creating what the UN calls the world’s largest displacement and hunger crisis.

Israeli authorities have deported French journalist Alice Froussard, known for her critical reporting on Israel’s war on Gaza and its policies in the occupied West Bank. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Thursday that France was supporting Froussard but acknowledged Israel’s legal right to deport her. No official reason was provided for the deportation, though Israeli Minister for Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli later accused her of supporting Hamas and celebrated her departure from Ben Gurion Airport to Paris.

The Foreign Press Association condemned the deportation, noting that Israel had previously authorised Froussard’s travel. The incident has drawn renewed attention to Israel’s restrictions on international media coverage of its military actions in Gaza and Lebanon. Reporters from abroad have been barred from entering Gaza since the conflict began after the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, while many local journalists have been killed during the fighting.

Israel has faced repeated criticism for limiting press access and allegedly targeting journalists. The ongoing ban on foreign reporters has left Palestinian journalists to document the conflict and its humanitarian toll largely on their own.

Turkey has called on Iran and the United States to stop their ongoing conflict, warning that continued hostilities could further intensify warfare in the Middle East. The appeal was made by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan during a press conference in Sofia on Thursday, where he noted that reciprocal attacks over the past two days had raised fears of heightened regional tension.

According to a report from Istanbul by AFP, Fidan advised both parties to cease mutual strikes and return to dialogue. His remarks reflect Ankara’s concern that the situation could spiral into broader instability if not contained through diplomatic engagement.

The Turkish statement underscores the country’s effort to position itself as a mediator in regional disputes, emphasizing the need for restraint and renewed negotiations between Tehran and Washington.

Kuwait’s armed forces intercepted 24 hostile drones that entered the country’s airspace within a 48-hour period, according to a statement from the Ministry of Defense spokesperson Major General Saud Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi. The official confirmed that the drones were of Iranian origin and caused only minor material damage, with no casualties reported.

Al-Otaibi stated that the Kuwaiti armed forces remain fully prepared and vigilant to safeguard national security and protect citizens and residents. He emphasized that the military continues to perform its duties with high efficiency and readiness.

The report, carried by Al Jazeera and local media, highlights Kuwait’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its air defense and maintain stability amid regional tensions.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict has now lasted longer than World War I, reaching its 1,569th day last Thursday, marking more than four years and three months of continuous fighting. The war, which began in February 2022 when Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine expecting a quick victory, has instead turned into a prolonged and attritional conflict. Peace talks remain stalled, and public opinion surveys suggest nearly half of Ukrainians do not expect the war to end before next year.

Historians caution that direct comparisons with World War I are limited, as that war was global in scope. Yet, both conflicts have profoundly altered Europe’s geopolitical and military landscape, prompting defense budget increases and alliance restructuring. Analysts note that technological evolution has transformed warfare: where tanks and aircraft once dominated, drones now define the battlefield.

Drone warfare has rendered traditional trench systems obsolete, forcing soldiers into deeper, smaller bunkers. Despite these tactical shifts, destruction remains immense, with drone footage showing landscapes reminiscent of early 20th-century battlefields. Experts describe the current stalemate as a “drone-era version” of World War I, with Ukraine targeting Russia’s economic assets to break the deadlock.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro compared Israel’s occupation to Nazi forces during a United Nations Security Council meeting on Wednesday. He sharply criticized Israel’s military operations in Gaza, saying thousands of people, including children, had been killed by Israeli missile strikes. Petro stated that no political or economic interests could hide this reality and warned that the world was returning to a Nazi-like era.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemned Petro’s remarks, calling him an anti-Semitic president who was deliberately trivializing the memory of the Holocaust. The exchange highlighted growing tensions between Colombia and Israel over the Gaza conflict.

Colombia is scheduled to hold its presidential election on June 21, but Petro is not seeking re-election, according to the report sourced from Middle East Monitor.

Qatari negotiators have departed Tehran after completing discussions focused on the ongoing conflict situation in the Middle East. A diplomat confirmed to AFP on Thursday that the talks, which continued until early morning, involved Iranian officials and were conducted in coordination with the United States.

The meeting took place at a time of heightened tension, as the United States and Iran have recently carried out retaliatory attacks against each other. The discussions were aimed at addressing the escalating hostilities and exploring possible de-escalation measures, though no specific outcomes were disclosed.

The timing of the Qatari delegation’s departure underscores the urgency of diplomatic efforts to manage the volatile regional situation, but the source did not provide details on any agreements or next steps.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said the European Union should be ready to impose new sanctions on Iran if the Middle East crisis does not ease. Speaking in parliament, she stated that if Tehran continues on the wrong path, the EU must be prepared to increase pressure through new targeted measures.

Meloni also sharply criticized remarks made by Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir about Italy, calling them unacceptable for Italy and degrading for Israel. Her comments came as European countries continue discussions on adopting a tougher stance toward Iran amid escalating regional tensions.

The statement reflects growing concern within Europe about the direction of Iran’s policies and the broader instability in the Middle East, with EU members considering coordinated responses to maintain regional security.

The United States launched a missile strike on an Iranian cargo barge in the Gulf of Oman, according to Reza Shahidian, governor of Iran’s Sirik County. The 150-ton barge, owned by local residents of Sirik, was carrying essential goods from Oman’s Khasab port when it was attacked about five nautical miles from the coast. Passing vessels rescued all five crew members and brought them to Oman.

Following the strike, Iran’s central military command announced the complete closure of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. The command warned that any vessel attempting to pass through the waterway would be targeted. The Strait of Hormuz is a key maritime route for global energy shipments, and its closure marks a significant escalation in regional tensions.

The report, citing Al Jazeera, did not provide details on casualties or the reason behind the US attack, leaving uncertainty about the broader implications of this confrontation.