Iran-US war latest: Tehran says it will not restart in peace talks until agreement with Trump is upheld

South Korea’s oceans ministry said this morning that the cargo vessel Namu would exit the Strait of Hormuz in mid-July at the ⁠earliest once the damage sustained in an attack in May was repaired.

The bulk carrier’s hull was hit near the stern in the attack, which Seoul said on 27 May probably involved an ⁠Iranian anti-ship missile, summoning the Iranian ​ambassador ⁠to share the results of its investigation and lodge a protest.

Saeed Koozechi, Iran’s ambassador to South Korea, ⁠denied Tehran’s involvement, the Yonhap news agency reported, and South Korea ​later ⁠said it could not ‌conclusively determine who was responsible or whether the attack was intentional.

There are currently two vessels stuck in the Strait ‌of Hormuz, including Namu, with 35 crew ‌members on board, Nam Jae-heon, vice oceans minister, told a press briefing today.

Nam added that 21 South Korean-operated vessels had passed safely through ⁠the strait since Washington and Tehran signed a ceasefire two weeks ago.

US vice president JD Vance has claimed that the Trump administration was in a “great position” despite how talks with Iran have been panning out.

“I actually think that the United States is in a great position, however, the negotiation ultimately shakes out,” Vance said, as US envoys met with a Qatari official yesterday.

He told Fox News: “If the negotiation is successful, which obviously we want it to be successful, you have an Iran that is permanently transformed.”

“That’s not funding regional terrorism and instability; that is permanently given up on any nuclear weapons ambition, and that, as a result, is welcomed back into the world economy. That’s a great outcome for the American people; it’s a great outcome for the whole region.”

US president Donald Trump ‌has weighed a return to all-out war, holding conversations with defence secretary Pete Hegseth and chair of the joint chiefs of staff General Dan Caine on conducting more strikes, the Wall Street Journal reported.

But for ‌now, Trump, who has publicly threatened Iran with more attacks, has decided to give diplomacy ‌more time, the report said.

The report comes as Iran said it would not meet with top US envoys who flew to the region following an outbreak of hostilities, clouding the prospects for a lasting peace between the two countries.

Iranian officials also said the two sides must still sort out the terms of a ⁠ceasefire they signed two weeks ago before they could tackle more difficult topics, such as possible limits to its nuclear program.

The two countries were due to commence lower-level technical talks, according to Majed al-Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry.

Over 100 days after the brutal and unprecedented crackdown during Iran’s national uprising, life will never be the same for many of the young people who took to the streets.

As waves of arrests, executions and heavy sentences continue to mount, dozens of young protesters are now in a state of limbo between hiding and constant flight. They cannot return home, switch on their phones or even spend two nights in the same place.

The Independent spoke to some of them about their experiences living in hiding. You can read more below:

US delegates have travelled to Doha to take part in peace talks, according to president Donald Trump – despite Iranian officials saying no such talks are scheduled.

It comes after both sides traded strikes over the Strait of Hormuz at the end of last week, risking the fragile ceasefire that had been settled just two weeks ago.

Both sides had recently traded attacks in the Gulf, each accusing the other of violating the earlier deal.

Iran claimed a joint missile and drone operation targeting US military sites, while the US had struck Iran after a tanker was hit in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iraq will hold a funeral procession for Iran’s slain supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Khamenei was killed in a US-Israeli attack at the beginning of the Iran war. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was named his successor.

“During my visit to Baghdad, I met with a number of senior Iraqi officials.

“As is the case in Iran, Iraq is preparing to hold a grand public funeral procession for His Eminence Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei, in an event that will undoubtedly go down in history and contribute to strengthening the bonds of brotherhood and the deep-rooted ties between our two countries and peoples”, Araghchi wrote on X.

Qatar’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has announced that US envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner met with Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha Tuesday.

The foreign ministry said in a statement that the ongoing talks between the US and Iran “within the framework of the memorandum of understanding between the two parties were reviewed”.

“The meeting also addressed the latest regional developments, particularly the ceasefire in the sisterly Republic of Lebanon, and stressed the importance of consolidating it and building upon it in a way that preserves Lebanon’s unity, sovereignty and stability”, the ministry’s statement read.

US security chief Markwayne Mullin has drawn criticism after he said he “danced a happy dance” when Iran were eliminated from the World Cup.

The Iranian team exited the tournament in heartbreaking fashion when they were denied a late winner against Egypt by VAR, which deemed goalscorer Shoja Khalilzadeh’s toes offside.

The 1-1 draw saw Iran finish third in Group G, and they narrowly missed out on one of eight spots in the knockout rounds for third-placed teams, falling short on goal difference.

Mullin, who runs the US Department of Homeland Security, told reporters: “I’m just glad they’re done, and they’re not coming back. I was so happy when we were able to pull their visas and said they could leave the US soil, and I might’ve sung a song or two or maybe even danced a happy dance.’

He added: “There wasn’t a single team that we had to spend more time dealing with than Iran.”

But Iranian officials said the comments “demonstrate that US officials have no commitment to international law or the principles expected of a host nation capable of organising a global sporting event”.

You can read the full story below: