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The US/Israel/Iran recap for June 2 didn’t include much negotiation news, but there was activity in and around the Persian Gulf throughout the day, on both sides, while talks continued between ministers, Iraq’s militias agree to align with government, and much more in this recap.
Negotiation news:
⚡️ Message exchanges between Iran and the US at reaching an initial MoU between Tehran and Washington have stopped for at least several days, according to Fars News Agency.
⚡️ Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Ankara was mediating negotiations between Iran and the US, and both sides are ‘serious about maintaining the ceasefire and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.’
⚡️ President Trump claimed on Truth Social that news reports (such as Tasnim News) reported that Iran and the USA had stopped speaking a few days ago were false and erroneous: “The conversation between us have been going on continuously, including four days ago, three days ago, two days ago, one day ago, and today.”
🔹 Trump said where the negotiations will lead, no one knows, but told Iran: “It’s time, one way or another, for you to make a deal – you’ve been doing this for 47 years, and it cannot be allowed to go on any longer.”
News from Hormuz:
⚡️ IRGC Navy published a statement claiming the passage of 24 vessels through the Strait of Hormuz in the previous 24 hours, after obtaining permission, with coordination and security provided by the IRGC Navy.
⚡️ Ship owners and captains from around the world were informed they can apply for passage through the Strait of Hormuz at any time during the day, by visiting the Persian Gulf Waterway Management Authority System, noting the system reviews the requests and issues passage permits if approved.
⚡️ Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for the incident with the Sariska 5, which was hit by two projectiles while at the port of Umm Qasr in Iraq on Monday, and thankfully all the crew members were unharmed and safe.
🔹 MSC confirmed the incident, describing it as an ‘unprovoked attack on a neutral commercial vessel with no links to the United States or Israel,’ expressing grave concerns over the attack, and the risks it poses to innocent seafarers and vital maritime trade in the region.
🔹 According to MSC, the first impact occurred while a harbour pilot was onboard as the vehicle departed port, while the second projectile later struck near the crew area, but the company said all crew members were unharmed and responded with ‘exceptional professionalism’ to secure both the ship and its cargo, noting the vessel was a neutral commercial carrier.
⚡️ US Central Command published footage of an unladen oil tanker that was attempting to pass toward an Iranian port in the Arabian Gulf on June 2, stating that enforced blockade measures against Botswana-flagged MT Lexie as it transited international waters towards Kharg Island.
🔹 Central Command said the ship’s crew ignored repeated warnings, failing to comply with directions from US forces multiple times over a 24-hour period, so a US aircraft ultimately disabled the vessel by firing a Hellfire missile into the ship’s engine room, preventing the tanker from reaching Iran.
⚡️ US officials said the Trump administration was increasingly concerned about Muscat’s position as ‘too favourable towards Tehran,’ despite Oman maintaining a neutrality during the war, according to the WSJ, noting Washington pressured Oman to distance itself from Iran and has discussed possible sanctions, or even military action, following intelligence assessments which suggested Oman could support Iranian efforts to impose fees on the Strait of Hormuz, even though Oman has repeatedly denied the claims.
What the media claimed:
⚡️ Mehr News Agency were told by an informed source that Iran were still reviewing the US text to end the war and it was still under discussion, so no response had been sent yet, adding that the history of US breaches of trust and historical distrust has caused Iran to view the matter closely, while based on previous experiences, the informed source said Iran was seeking to ‘gain real benefits.’
⚡️ Efforts to reach a deal between Iran and the United States remained deadlocked as both sides continued exchanging military strikes while negotiations struggle to resolve key issues, reported The Washington Post.
🔹 Iranian and US negotiators have failed to bridge differences over Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions relief, and control over the Strait of Hormuz, but Tehran has also cited Israeli military operations as a major obstacle to progress.
🔹 According to the report, the latest tensions saw the US strike Iranian radar and drone sites near the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran responded with missile fire toward Kuwait, underscoring the fragility of ongoing diplomatic efforts.
⚡️ Reuters: Iran is seeking a limited and temporary agreement with the United States to reduce increasing economic pressures and buy time, while avoiding major concessions in its nuclear program, describing the approach as a reflection of Iran’s strategy of ‘absorbing pressure,’ aiming to turn military tension into ‘breathing space’ and liquidity without curbing sensitive nuclear activities.
⚡️ Foreign Affairs Magazine: Iran is not only seeking survival and resilience against the US but also demands a fundamental change in how the world interacts with it, viewing the war as a tool to achieve the goal, while the failure of the 2015 nuclear deal and repeated US attacks during negotiations have completely shifted the internal power balance in Iran toward factions that prefer confrontation over compromise.
⚡️ BBC: President Trump is in urgent need to end the war, but Iran does not want to retreat, so Trump is caught in the consequences of his ‘grave mistake,’ a war that began with the illusion of an easy victory which has turned into a grinding deadlock.
⚡️ MS NOW: The claims of President Trump follow a strange and contradictory path, noting that 12 days after Trump claimed that a peace agreement was ‘largely negotiated’ and its details would ‘be announced soon,’ US forces carried out a series of attacks in southern Iran, and Iran in turn targeted a US base.
⚡️ Rai Al-Youm: The main issue in the Middle East isn’t merely the possibility of a new military attack but the fate of the region’s countries being dependent on decisions by a few foreign and regional actors, as the report referred to the possible Israeli attack on the southern suburbs of Beirut and the possible role of the US in preventing it, saying the region is once again on the brink of a crisis that could affect the fate of millions.
⚡️ Al-Sharq Al-Awsat: The reason for the continuation of the conflict between the US and Iran was the difference in the goals of the two sides, especially after President Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018, the US was not only thinking about limiting Iran’s nuclear program but proving the inefficiency of the Obama administration’s deal and imposing a tougher agreement – therefore, Washington’s policy has oscillated between maximum pressure, military threat, and negotiation, so it is unclear whether its ultimate goal is to change Iran’s behaviour or the regime itself.
⚡️ Investia (Russia): Tehran and Washington are on the verge of reaching a preliminary agreement to extend the ceasefire and start long-term negotiations, but deep disagreements over Iran’s nuclear program, the status of the Strait of Hormuz, and the release of Iran’s frozen assets still prevent a comprehensive peace agreement.
News from Iran:
⚡️ Former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral arrangements have been announced, according to Fars News, noting the Deputy Cultural Director of Tehran’s Mayor said the ceremony would be planned over three days to allow the public to participate, adding that the funeral in Tehran is expected to last 24 hours.
🔹 Tehran, Qom and Mashhad will host the ceremonies, with the Tehran venue due to be announced soon, including the possible options of placing the Martyred Laeder with the Tehran Musalla and Imam Khomeini’s shrine.
🔹 According to Fars, the funeral is likely to take place in the last days of Dhu al-Hijjah and the beginning of Muharram, and authorities said they are making preparations for an estimated 15 to 20 million people in the Iranian capital.
⚡️ Grand Ayatollah Hossein Noori Hamedani from Qom said on Tuesday that all individuals and groups must avoid any speech or action that caused division and discord in society, stating that while Iran distrust the United States, they do trust the youth who are responsible for negotiations.
🔹 The pressures caused by rising prices in Iran has affected the lives of many families, and officials were warned to pay special attention to the issue, while stating although the country faces special and difficult conditions, part of the existing problems can be controlled and solved through proper management, precise planning, and effective supervision, adding that there is insufficient oversight of prices and market trends, which has caused dissatisfaction and problems with the Iranian people.
⚡️ IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi said on Tuesday that transferring Iran’s enriched uranium reserves abroad is ‘difficult but not impossible,’ stating that transporting Iran’s reserves abroad was sensitive and technically complex.
🔹 Currently, there are several options under discussion, he said, including transferring uranium abroad or diluting it to a lower purity level, and although the agency is not directly involved, the agency’s assistance makes the process feasible and efficient.
⚡️ Euronews said Kazakhstan has expressed openness to hosting Iran’s uranium stockpile, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Alibek Kuantyrov, who said Astana was willing to consider the proposal, citing Kazakhstan’s previous role in hosting the IAEA’s Low Enriched Uranium Bank, and the proposal is reportedly being discussed as part of efforts to revive a nuclear agreement and provide guarantees regarding Iran’s nuclear program.
⚡️ Deputy Inspector of the Central Headquarters of the Khatam al-Anbiya, Sardar Asadi, said on Tuesday that Iran had repeatedly said they have not revealed all their trump cards, and there are many more cards that would be used if necessary.
🔹 Asadi said: “America only wants our complete surrender, and the Iranian nation will never surrender,” adding: “When there is no surrender, war is ahead; therefore we are waiting and have no problem with war; so if NATO also enters this arena, we have no concerns.”
⚡️ Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi said recent developments in Lebanon, Syria, occupied Palestine, and Jerusalem, further exposed the reality behind regional tensions.
🔹 Gharibabadi argued that President Trump’s claim he persuaded PM Netanyahu to cancel a major attack on Beirut doesn’t demonstrate a commitment to peace, but rather confirms Washington’s direct role in managing Israeli military actions.
🔹 The Deputy FM added that if a decision to attack the capital of a sovereign state can be reversed without a single call, then questions should be asked about why the ceasefire violations, attacks, displacement, and threats to Lebanon’s sovereignty have continued for months with western political backing.
⚡️ Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelati spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi by phone to discuss the latest regional developments and topics related to the ongoing diplomatic process aimed at reducing tensions and maintaining stability in the West Asia region.
⚡️ Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi by phone to discuss the latest diplomatic developments to reduce tensions in the West Asia region were discussed, and views exchanged.
Other news:
⚡️ Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior issued a travel ban for citizens travelling to Iran and Iraq on Tuesday, citing ongoing security tensions in the region.
⚡️ Iraqi media announced the third Iranian-aligned Iraqi militia group Kata’ib al-Imam Ali has announced it will sever its organisational ties with the Popular Mobilisation Forces and begin procedures to place weapons under state control, and said it had informed committees to oversee the inventory, transfer and handover of equipment under the supervision of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
⚡️ Iranian-aligned Iraqi militia group Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, composed of the 41st, 42nd, and 43rd Brigades of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), announced that it is disassociating from the PMF, handing over its weapons to the state, and placing itself directly under the authority of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
🔹 The group, led by US sanctioned Qais al-Khazali, said it had formed a central committee to complete all procedures for inventorying weapons and implementing disarmament, as Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq becomes the second faction to take the step after the Sadrist movement’s Saraya al-Salam.
⚡️ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the foundations of the Iranian terror regime have cracked: “It will not return to what it was, and I will tell you – it is destined to fall,” Netanyahu said.
⚡️ South Korea’s annual inflation rate rose to 3.1% in May, which exceeded expectations and reached its highest level in more than two years, reported Reuters, noting the increase was driven by surging oil prices linked to the Middle East, as petrol prices rose 24.2% year-on-year and international airfares jumped 33.5%, and the data has strengthened expectations that the Bank of Korea could move toward tighter monetary policy as early as next month to curb inflation and support the weakening won.
⚡️ Former Israeli military intelligence chief Tamir Hayman said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan convinced President Trump to abort a Kurdish-led invasion that was intended to serve as as the opening move in the wider US-Israeli war against Iran.
🔹 Hayman also added that former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was supposed to be part of a ‘sequence of special operations’ in the initial phase of the war, potentially to be installed as the country’s new leader.
⚡️ UAE Presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said the Arab region is paying the price for what he described as Iran’s expansive regional ambitions, writing on X that instability stretching from the Arabian Gulf to Yemen, Lebanon, and Iraq reflected the consequences of Tehran’s policies across the region, adding that no country’s regional role should come at the expense of security, while calling for a reassessment of policies that undermined regional peace, Gulf News reported.
⚡️ Retailers in the UAE warned fresh food prices could rise by around 8% following a sharp increase in fuel costs for June, with the warning coming after the UAE authorities raised petrol prices by nearly 8% since the beginning of the war, pushing fuel costs to their highest level in almost four years, while retailers said higher transportation and logistics expenses are expected to increase the cost of importing and distributing fresh products across the country.
