SWITZERLAND - A signing ceremony and technical talks for the US-Iran deal in Switzerland have been postponed after Iran’s delegation refused to travel, citing Israeli military action in Lebanon. “Plans for the upcoming technical talks have not been finalised and the US delegation has been prepared to depart at the first available opportunity,” the White House said. Iran’s refusal to take part does not bode well for the aim of completing fraught negotiations on numerous outstanding issues within the 60-day period. Israeli strikes continued in Lebanon on Friday, killing at least 16 people overnight according to local reports. Four Israeli soldiers were also killed while fighting Hezbollah. Shortly afterwards the Iranian delegation announced it had suspended its trip because of continuing Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon despite the call to end military operations in the deal.

IRAN - Many Iranians who stood against the regime are left feeling frustrated and angry as details emerge of the peace deal between Washington and Tehran — worrying that the Islamist hardliners are now more powerful and entrenched than ever. President Trump signaled that the US was going to war with Iran’s regime partially over the deaths of thousands of anti-regime protesters. “HELP IS ON ITS WAY,” he posted on Truth Social on January 13. A peace deal would waste all of that progress, 34-year-old Nima Azar told The Post. “Forty-five thousand dead in two days, probably more. It can’t be for nothing. You’re going to let them rebuild?” said Azar, who joined a legion of anti-regime protestors outside Iran’s latest World Cup match in Los Angeles. “They fear this will embolden the Islamic Republic and allow it to redirect the frustration and defeat it suffered at America’s hands into rage against unarmed, innocent Iranians,” he added. Experts warn that should the war in Iran end as is, the Islamic Republic would have evidence to show its citizens that the regime cannot be toppled.

GERMANY - NATO members are reportedly considering offensive cyber actions against Moscow under the pretext of battling a supposed “Russian threat”. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has opened a new hybrid warfare center amid the broader militarization of the country in response to a supposed “Russian threat.” Previous media reports have, however, suggested that Germany and other NATO member states are plotting offensive cyber operations against Russia. The military bloc’s members have routinely accused Russia of hacking government servers, jamming aircraft GPS signals, and redirecting Ukrainian drones into their airspace, with little to no evidence. Moscow has dismissed the allegations as warmongering designed to justify the “rabid militarization” of Europe.

USA - At least seven tornadoes broke out Wednesday night across the Midwest and Southeast, as severe weather descended on a large swath of the country, destroying homes and businesses in the process. According to the National Weather Service, a confirmed tornado was reported near the small northeast Iowa community of Harpers Ferry at 5:10 pm, while a second confirmed tornado rolled through Charleston in central Illinois at about 6:40 pm local time. Both tornadoes were flagged by the weather service as a "particularly dangerous situation," a rare designation used by the weather service for environments in which "strong and violent tornadoes" are possible. Photos and videos obtained by CBS News showed extensive damage to homes and buildings in Charleston, where a mess of downed trees and power lines covered the streets.

USA - As Arthur moves inland over the southeastern United States, the main threats will be related to torrential rain and flash flooding, but some severe thunderstorms may also produce tornadoes into Friday. A mass of showers and thunderstorms that has been sprawling across Texas and northern Mexico consolidated into Tropical Storm Arthur on Wednesday. As of late Wednesday, the storm had moved inland and lost wind intensity, becoming a tropical rainstorm. Life-threatening flooding, property damage and disruptions to commerce and travel may unfold as inches of rain pour down over a portion of the southeastern United States into Friday. The gathering of moisture originates from former eastern Pacific Tropical Storm Cristina, a tropical wave of low pressure from Africa, a stalled weather front and the jet stream.

USA - Florida Forest Service and Miami-Dade County firefighters have been battling the Quarry 2 Fire since June 15, one of several wildfires burning in the Sunshine State during an unusually active fire season. Two large wildfires burning in western Miami-Dade County are sending smoke into nearby communities, reducing visibility and worsening air quality across parts of South Florida. The latest fires are burning during an unusually active wildfire season in Florida. Over the past 10 years, the state has averaged about 2,675 wildfires, and more than 140,000 acres has burned annually. By mid-June, Florida had already surpassed that acreage total, with nearly 150,000 acres burned, according to the Florida Forest Service.

USA - Evacuations remain in place for fires burning in Ventura and Riverside counties. The Sandy Fire in Simi Valley is burning near the Santa Susana Field Laboratory, a former nuclear reactor site, raising air quality concerns. Gusty winds and hot, dry weather are fueling the explosive growth of California wildfires this week, causing thousands to flee their homes and residents to mask up due to poor air quality. Due to the Sandy Fire’s proximity to the Santa Susana Field Laboratory, a former nuclear reactor and rocket testing facility, officials are conducting air quality monitoring around the fire perimeter. Nuclear cleanup continues more than 50 years after a nuclear reactor mishap at the Rocketdyne site. Fire crews are prioritizing the protection of the facility and the surrounding communities.

USA - Donald Trump stood in Riyadh in May 2025 and declared that the United States was finished with wars in the Middle East. A month later, American bombers flew thousands of miles to attack Iran’s nuclear sites. Eight months later, the US president joined Israel in provoking a full-scale war with the Islamic Republic that cascaded across the region, causing thousands of deaths, untold destruction and global economic upheaval. The US will probably be paying the price for Operation Epic Fury for years to come. The 108-day war dealt a wounding blow to American credibility on the world stage and has shaken global faith in the US as a provider of security. Mr Trump wanted to bring the Islamic Republic to its knees. Now, he finds himself negotiating a settlement with a regime uninterested in an immediate deal and bolstered by the conflict. The president’s infamous 2015 tweet – in which he called the first nuclear deal negotiated by Barack Obama “one of the most incompetent ever made” – has resurfaced to haunt him this week. “The US lost on virtually every point,” he wrote. “We just don’t win anymore!”

USA - In a stunning departure from decades of established US foreign policy, President Donald Trump revealed that a forthcoming peace agreement with Iran will likely allow the regime to retain its conventional ballistic missiles. Standing before reporters at the G7 meeting in France, the President argued that a complete ban is unrealistic because 'they got to have some.' 'What am I going to do? Am I going to let Saudi Arabia have missiles, but they can't have them?' Trump said during the briefing. 'Missiles aren't the problem. They hurt a little location, but they don't blow up the planet.' For months, Rubio centered his argument for military action against Iran on the necessity of neutralizing the nation's missile capabilities. He labeled the regime's unwillingness to negotiate regarding its arsenal a 'big problem' and an 'unsustainable threat,' asserting that Tehran maintained weaponry 'solely designed to attack America and attack Americans.' For generations, every American administration has maintained a strict 'red line' against Iran's ballistic missile capabilities.

MIDDLE EAST - Iran's top diplomat said Tuesday that the tentative deal to end the war with the United States would require Israel to withdraw from Lebanon — a condition Israel has already rejected and that could sink the agreement, leading to the resumption of all-out war. The deal, which is between the US and Iran, has not been made public, and officials have sometimes offered contradictory interpretations of what is in it. While Israel is not party to the agreement, it is part of the war: It joined the US in launching strikes on Iran on February 28, and has since fought the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon and seized large swaths of that country. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel would remain in Lebanon "as long as necessary."