Iran rejects nuclear inspections as Rubio heads to the Gulf

An Israeli strike on a vehicle in southern Lebanon killed two people on Wednesday, Lebanese state media reported, a day after Israeli gunfire killed two people, which Hezbollah called a "violation" of a truce between the two sides.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said that "two people were killed" when an Israeli drone targeted their vehicle near the town of Kfar Rumman.

The Israeli military had said earlier that it targeted "two armed Hezbollah terrorists in the area of Ali al-Taher Ridge" near the city of Nabatieh, "who posed a threat", vowing that it will "continue to operate to remove immediate threats".

An Israeli drone targeted a vehicle near Kfar Reman in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, the Lebanese state news agency said.

Iran will address matters related to access to nuclear sites that have been attacked and to Iranian nuclear materials only in the framework of a final agreement with the United States and after practical steps are taken to lift US sanctions, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on Wednesday.

The head of the UN nuclear watchdog had said earlier on Wednesday that he expects inspections in Iran soon under an interim understanding linked to US-Iran talks, although details are yet to be finalised.

"Media noise cannot be used to impose facts on the ground," Gharibabadi said in a post on X.

Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani travelled to Oman on Wednesday to initiate talks between the Gulf states, Iraq and Iran on the Strait of Hormuz, a diplomat briefed on the discussions told AFP.

"The Qatari prime minister travelled to Muscat in preparation for talks between Iran, the Gulf nations and Iraq on the operation of the Strait of Hormuz," the diplomat told AFP, saying the discussions were separate from US-Iran negotiations.

Hamas on Wednesday accused Israel of pursuing a systematic policy of targeting Palestinian children in Gaza, calling for urgent international intervention following the killing of a child in Khan Younis.

In a statement, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said child Ahmed al-Riqeb was killed in an Israeli air strike on Khan Younis earlier on Wednesday.

Qassem said the killing came a day after a United Nations report condemned Israel over what it described as crimes against children in Gaza.

"The occupation government continues to starkly violate international law and disregard all international resolutions and reports," Qassem said.

He added that the deaths of more than 20,000 Palestinian children since the start of the war demonstrated that children were being targeted in a "deliberate and systematic manner" as part of a broader policy against the Palestinian people.

Qassem said the ongoing attacks showed Israel's disregard for the United Nations system and international law, and called for immediate international action to halt what Hamas described as genocide in Gaza and hold Israeli leaders accountable.

Israel has repeatedly denied accusations that it deliberately targets civilians and has said it takes measures to minimise civilian casualties while carrying out military operations against Hamas in Gaza.

Read more on the UN's report:

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Iran has told the United States that no tolls were being sought from ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz.

The two countries, which ended ‌a first round of negotiations in Switzerland on Monday, have offered conflicting accounts about financial incentives for Iran, control of the Strait of Hormuz and Israel's parallel war in Lebanon - all major aspects of their framework deal signed last week aiming to end the war.

Trump has faced criticism over the deal domestically, including from hardliners in his Republican Party.

"Iran has informed the U.S. that, despite troublemaking Fake News reporting to the contrary, there are 'NO TOLLS, NO INSURANCE COSTS, & NO OTHER CHARGES OF ANY KIND BEING SOUGHT OR RECEIVED BY IRAN ON SHIPS TRAVELING THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ' Trump wrote in a social media post.

"If this is false information, negotiations would end, immediately!" 

The Israeli military has claimed on Wednesday that it attacked "two armed Hezbollah militants" who posed "threats" to its forces in southern Lebanon.

This is a developing story and will be updated accordingly when more details emerge. 

Airlines should continue to avoid the airspace over Iran, Iraq and Lebanon and remain cautious across the region despite the framework deal between Washington and Tehran, because violations remained possible, the EU aviation safety agency EASA said.

EASA said on Wednesday it was extending its conflict-zone advisory for the region until 1 July.

Short-term violations of the US-Iran ceasefire remain possible, in particular in and around the Strait of Hormuz and neighbouring airspace, the agency said.

The agency also flagged the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, creating the potential for military activity impacting the airspace of Lebanon.

EASA said all operators must exercise caution and take potential risks into account when operating within the airspace of Bahrain, Kuwait, Israel, Jordan, Qatar, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. 

Pakistan said on Wednesday technical talks that Islamabad has been mediating between the United States and Iran were set to restart next week.

"Talks will resume next week, I presume on Tuesday," Pakistan's foreign ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi told journalists in Islamabad, adding next Monday or Wednesday were also possible start dates and without providing details on the location of discussions.

Lebanon and Israel are discussing a US-backed proposal for Israeli forces to pull out of some of the territory invaded in the war with Hezbollah and hand it to Lebanese army control during talks in Washington, officials on both sides said.

The proposed "pilot" project is being discussed in the latest round of Israeli-Lebanese talks, which are going ahead even after they appear to have been eclipsed by Iran's move to make Lebanon central to its talks with the United States.

Israeli forces have seized a swathe of southern Lebanon during the war, days after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran.

A ceasefire has largely held since Sunday, the longest lull in the fighting yet. But Israeli forces are still deployed deep inside southern Lebanon, citing the need to shield northern Israel from Hezbollah attack.

The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said Wednesday that inspections at Iranian nuclear sites were "going to happen".

"Whether this happens today after tomorrow or in one week or in 10 days, it's important but not essential. This is going to happen," Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told reporters during a visit to Japan.

The deal between Iran and the United States to end the Middle East war is "America's declaration of defeat", Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the head of the Iranian negotiating team, said on Wednesday.

"The Islamabad understanding was not the result of pressure and coercion, but rather the result of the resistance and authority of the brave Iranian nation," Ghalibaf said at a conference in Azerbaijan broadcast on Iranian television.

"That is why, the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding became a declaration of America's defeat," he said, adding that security in the Middle East must be ensured by the countries of the region.

Talks between Israel and Lebanon include discussion of a US-backed proposal for Israeli forces to hand over some of the territory they have invaded during the war with Hezbollah to the Lebanese military, according to Israeli and Lebanese officials.

The Israeli officials said the Lebanese troops involved would undergo US training and vetting to ensure they are not linked to Iran-backed Hezbollah, while Israel would maintain a military presence in a buffer zone along the border.

The proposed "pilot" project is being discussed in the latest round of talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials, which got underway in Washington on Tuesday.

Iran’s parliamentary speaker said on Wednesday that regional countries alone should determine the Middle East’s political and security order, rejecting external involvement and calling for expanded intra-regional cooperation.

Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf made his remarks at a meeting of the Parliamentary Union of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Baku, Azerbaijan's capital, as Iran and the United States seek to conclude a lasting peace agreement. His comments were broadcast on state television.

Iran's top diplomat spoke with a senior official from the Palestinian group Hamas regarding talks between Iran and the United States, state television reported on Wednesday.

Abbas Araghchi discussed the "latest developments" in the region with Basem Naeem, a member of Hamas's political bureau, Iranian television said.

The call follows the signing last week of a memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States aimed at bringing a lasting end to hostilities in the Middle East.

The text does not mention Gaza but stipulates "an immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon".

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi has said inspectors will eventually return to Iran's nuclear facilities despite ongoing uncertainty over Tehran's position.

"Whether this happens the day after tomorrow or in one week or in 10 days, it's important, but not essential. This is going to happen," Grossi told reporters in Tokyo.

His remarks come amid conflicting accounts from Washington and Tehran over Iran's commitment to renewed nuclear oversight. US Vice President JD Vance has said Iran agreed to allow IAEA inspectors back into the country as part of recent understandings, while Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei has denied that any meeting with Grossi has taken place and said there is no clear timetable for inspections.

The issue has emerged as one of the key points of disagreement following the US-Iran memorandum of understanding reached earlier this month.

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonia Tajani has announced the release of three activists detained in Libya while participating in a land convoy carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The activists, identified as Domenico Centrone, Leonarda Alberizia and Matias Alvarez Rodriguez, a Uruguayan-Italian national, had been held for a month. Tajani said they had been handed over to Italy's consul in Benghazi and would return to Italy on Wednesday.

They were among members of the Global Sumud Land Convoy, launched from Mauritania around the same time as the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla, whose vessels were later intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters.

The convoy says 10 participants from eight countries remain detained near Sirte, including four men and six women.

The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon appears to have held overnight, with only limited reports of military activity.

Residents reported Israeli vehicle movements and gunfire near the southern city of Tyre, though details remain unclear.

The last major incident occurred near Nabatieh almost 24 hours ago, when two Lebanese men were killed and another wounded.

Israel said those killed were "Hezbollah operatives" travelling in an excavator who ignored warning shots. Lebanon said they were members of a road-clearing team removing rubble left by Israeli attacks.

Nearly a day after the incident, no significant escalation has been reported, suggesting the ceasefire remains in place.