Belated thank you to the @FT for putting “Assad or We Burn the Country: How One Family’s Lust for Power Destroyed Syria” on the list of best 12 books “shedding light on the conflict in #Syria & its place in the wider power struggles across the Middle East” ft.com/content/d889cf00-89e7…

June sunset #Dubai #UAE 🇦🇪

This is the Iran victory spin version of the MOU and certainly not the final version.

Iran’s Mehr news agency publishes the purported text of the draft agreement with Trump. It will keep the Strait of Hormuz under Iranian control, will promise Iran $300 billion in reconstruction money in addition to an immediate cash transfer of $24 billion, a suspension of sanctions and the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the Middle East. Also, a commitment not to bother Iran again about its missiles and proxies, and restraining Israel in Lebanon. The U.S. gets in exchange a pinky promise to respect the NPT. Let’s see what happens in coming days. Link: mehrnews.com/news/6857718 Full text: A permanent and immediate cessation of war on all fronts, including Lebanon. A U.S. commitment not to interfere in Iran’s internal affairs and to respect the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Full lifting of the naval blockade within 30 days. A U.S. commitment to withdraw its forces from areas surrounding Iran. Reopening of the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days under arrangements determined by Iran. Suspension of sanctions on the sale of oil, petrochemical products, and related derivatives, along with full Iranian access to the resulting financial revenues. The United States and its allies would be required to present reconstruction plans for Iran worth at least $300 billion. A 60-day negotiation period aimed at reaching a final agreement covering nuclear issues and the complete removal of U.S. primary and secondary sanctions, as well as the repeal of relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and the IAEA Board of Governors. Reaffirmation by Iran of its commitment under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) not to produce nuclear weapons. During the negotiation period, the United States would commit not to deploy additional forces to the region and not to impose any new sanctions. The release of $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets during the 60-day final negotiation period. Half of this amount must be made available to Iran before negotiations begin. Establishment of a monitoring mechanism to oversee implementation of the agreement. The final agreement would be approved through a UN Security Council resolution. Final negotiations would not begin before the release of half of Iran’s frozen assets, the suspension of oil sanctions, and the lifting of the naval blockade. The final agreement would focus exclusively on the future of enriched nuclear material and uranium enrichment, sanctions relief, and a program for rebuilding Iran’s economy. Discussion of Iran’s missile program and its support for resistance groups would be definitively excluded from the agenda. As stated by the Foreign Ministry spokesperson, this text still requires review and final approval by the relevant authorities in Iran.

NEW: The US and Iran are edging closer to signing an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as the Group of Seven world leaders are set to meet next week, according to senior officials, @FionamMacdonald reports bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

Lebanon’s President Aoun: “We must be convinced we’re a sovereign state. Despite the pressures aimed at making us quit negotiations (with #Israel), we won’t withdraw & we will continue our path until we achieve results that serve interest of our country” today.lorientlejour.com/arti…

“Armed with a knife and a firearm, a Lebanese man managed on Tuesday amid an ongoing war to cross Israeli-occupied villages in southern Lebanon and breach the border, before being killed by the Israeli army” @lorienttoday reports today.lorientlejour.com/arti…

Iran-US negotiations: Proposals from American negotiators wind their way through a circuitous diplomatic path, often involving human couriers on Iranian side to conceal the whereabouts of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who was wounded early in war bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

The Iranian missile cities the US couldn’t destroy: “Yazd missile complex extended into surrounding granite mountains & remained operational throughout conflict. Bombings destroyed entrances to missile cities but they were reopened relatively quickly” giftarticle.ft.com/giftartic…

“what we define as ‘next human agenda’ is using technology, science and progress to really maximize both our physical appearance and our life, because it can also be something outside of us” says Christian Angermayer nytimes.com/2026/06/11/opini… via @NYTOpinion

NEW & EXCLUSIVE: Senior national security officials from the #UAE and #Iran held a face-to-face meeting for the first time since the start of the US-Israeli war against Tehran bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

“Yes, we will hear sounds, shrapnel will fall somewhere, you may see smoke,” Ms. Parekh said. “But think of it like a Hindi film — a bad guy’s bullet is stopped by a good guy’s bullet. The same thing is happening in our skies.” nytimes.com/2026/06/03/world… via @NYTimes

“Haim Har-Zahav, an Israeli writer who fought in Israeli-occupied Lebanon in the 1990s, said Israel’s return to Beaufort reflected how Israel could be barreling toward a similar occupation and war of attrition with Hezbollah” #Lebanon nytimes.com/2026/05/31/world…

🚨🇰🇼🇮🇷 BREAKING: The Kuwaiti Army has announced that Kuwait is currently under attack from hostile missiles and drones. Local Iranian reports confirm an Iranian ballistic missile launch at Kuwait. Source: @officialrnintel / Geopolitics Watch on TG

State Department reiterating Trump’s threat to “blow up” Oman.

President Trump on Wednesday warned the Gulf state of #Oman, a U.S. ally, not to enter into any agreement with Iran to share control of the Strait of Hormuz or else face an American bombing campaign. nytimes.com/2026/05/27/world… via @NYTimes

🕋 30,000 Iranian pilgrims travelled to Saudi Arabia on 131 flights for this year’s Hajj 🔢 That is roughly one-third of the country’s regular quota of 86,000 pilgrims 💵 Iranian officials attributed the shortfall to the war and restrictions caused by US sanctions on fund transfers

⚡️NEWS: US gave Israel 'tacit agreement' to target senior Hezbollah figures across #Lebanon (including in Beirut), despite the ongoing US-brokered ceasefire, sources confirmed to @AlMonitor . More: al-monitor.com/originals/202…

Iran is beating Trump at the art of the deal, writes @gideonrachman giftarticle.ft.com/giftartic…

Abu Dhabi National Oil has been quietly ferrying oil and gas shipments out of the Persian Gulf using its own fleet, apparently circumventing both the Iranian navy and US warships to reach energy-starved customers bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

Iran’s IRGC used UAE company to buy military satellite equipment: Equipment routed through Telesun, located in Ras al Khaimah. Company arranged for shipment of roughly 1.8 tonnes of Chinese-made satellite antenna equipment from Shanghai to Iran, via Dubai giftarticle.ft.com/giftartic…