Vaughn Cockayne

Trump optimistic about Iran deal even as questions linger about Lebanon, remaining nuclear material

President Trump struck an optimistic tone Monday while touting the U.S.-Iran peace deal, predicting it will transform the Middle East even as daunting questions remain about fighting in Lebanon and the future of Tehran's nuclear program.

June 15, 2026

Iran: Lebanon’s sovereignty is a necessary part of the peace deal

Iran on Monday said the recent memorandum of understanding with the U.S. guaranteed a ceasefire in Lebanon and indicated it would not stand for further Israeli attacks on the country.

June 15, 2026

Israel refuses to pull back in Lebanon despite U.S.-Iran deal

Israel signaled Monday it has no intentions of stopping combat operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, despite the U.S.-Iran deal promising a ceasefire on all fronts.

June 15, 2026

Trump says war-ending deal with Iran reached

President Trump and the prime minister of Pakistan said Sunday that the U.S. and Iran had reached an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end more than three months of war.

June 14, 2026

Trump urges restraint in Lebanon as peace deal hangs in the balance

President Trump on Sunday urged Israel and Hezbollah to halt further retaliatory strikes as the U.S. and Iran work to finalize a peace deal.

June 14, 2026

Trump cancels strikes on Iran, predicts deal signing soon

President Trump on Thursday abruptly canceled planned strikes against Iran, citing a breakthrough in peace talks and the likely signing of a deal to wind down hostilities.

June 11, 2026

Iran, U.S. trade more strikes as Tehran calls ceasefire ‘meaningless’

Fighting between the U.S. and Iran reignited early Thursday, dealing another blow to peace efforts and the existing ceasefire that Tehran now considers effectively "meaningless."

June 11, 2026

Trump pledges to make Iran ‘pay the price’ as U.S. launches second day of retaliatory attacks

President Trump promised Wednesday to make Iran "pay the price" for slow-rolling peace negotiations with the U.S. as American forces in the Middle East launched a new round of airstrikes.

June 10, 2026

Iran launches new attacks at regional neighbors in retaliation for U.S. strikes

Iran launched new rounds of missiles and drones overnight at three of its regional neighbors in apparent retaliation for U.S. airstrikes from Tuesday.

June 10, 2026

U.S. launches ‘self-defense’ strikes after Iran downs military helicopter

The U.S. launched what it called "self-defense strikes" against targets in Iran on Tuesday in response to the downing of a military helicopter earlier in the day, according to U.S. Central Command, which called the operation a "proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression."

June 9, 2026

Trump vows to retaliate for downed U.S. chopper as Middle East turmoil imperils peace talks

President Trump said Tuesday he will retaliate against Iran for shooting down a U.S. military helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz, while Israel renewed its assault on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, leaving peace talks hanging by a thread.

June 9, 2026

Israel continues assault in Lebanon despite threats of retaliation from Iran

Israel conducted airstrikes Tuesday across southern Lebanon, despite a warning from Iran that further attacks could lead to a devastating reciprocal response.

June 9, 2026

Israel, Iran hold their fire after Trump pressures Netanyahu

Israel and Iran announced separately Monday that their militaries would halt offensive operations against each other after an explosive exchange of fire overnight that threatened to restart hostilities in the region and upend U.S.-led peace efforts.

June 8, 2026

Israel’s Netanyahu says strikes on Iran are on hold, vows forceful response if attacked again

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said attacks on Iran are on hold Monday, just hours after his country launched retaliatory missile attacks on the Islamic republic.

June 8, 2026

Chinese President Xi, in North Korea for rare visit with Kim, praises strength of partnership

Chinese President Xi Jinping received a colorful welcome from North Koreans on Monday, as he arrived in Pyongyang for his first summit in the country in seven years.

June 8, 2026

Iran says military operations against Israel are paused after retaliatory attacks

Iran's military command said Monday that offensive operations against Israel were paused after Tehran launched a wave of ballistic missiles at the country in response to its attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon.

June 8, 2026

Art of the Ordeal: Domestic clamor to wind down the war complicates Trump’s negotiations with Iran

President Trump is increasingly fighting the Iran war on two fronts, battling a defiant Islamic regime that's stringing out peace talks and grappling with growing domestic pushback because of higher prices and anti-war sentiment.

June 5, 2026

War of words: Iran, CENTCOM offer competing accounts of Gulf naval interaction

Iranian and U.S. authorities issued disparate accounts of a tense naval interaction this week, in which Tehran says its forces repelled an attempt to break through the country's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

June 5, 2026

Zelenskyy proposes further peace talks with Putin in open letter

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed deeper peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a combative open letter on Thursday, hoping that face-to-face interactions could generate momentum for a diplomatic solution after four years of war.

June 5, 2026

Israel, Hezbollah trade attacks despite ceasefire, threatening peace deal between U.S., Iran

Israel and Hezbollah exchanged fire again on Thursday despite the announcement of a new ceasefire agreement with the government of Lebanon the day prior, further threatening the chances of a negotiated end to the U.S.-Iran war.

June 4, 2026