United News of Bangladesh

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged US President Donald Trump not to escalate the conflict with Iran during a phone conversation on Saturday, as Trump considers launching new military strikes against Tehran, according to a person familiar with the discussion. The call, first reported by media, came amid growing concerns in Riyadh that US attacks on Iran’s energy facilities or other critical infrastructure could trigger retaliatory strikes against Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states’ energy assets. The source, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said the crown prince sought clarification from Trump about the military options under consideration. Trump warns of continued military action against Iran A White House official confirmed the leaders spoke but declined to disclose details of the conversation. Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia joined the United States in strikes targeting logistics and weapons facilities used by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, while continuing to advocate renewed US-Iran negotiations to end the five-month conflict. The crown prince also sent Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman to Washington for separate meetings with Trump and Vice President JD Vance on Iran strategy. Trump has vowed retaliation after Iran’s failed attack on a US base in Jordan. The State Department on Saturday issued security alerts for Americans in 10 Middle Eastern countries, warning of possible flight disruptions and heightened regional risks as tensions continue to rise.

Israeli forces shot dead four Palestinians in the village of Tell in the northern occupied West Bank on Friday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, after an Israeli settler was killed during a confrontation with local residents. The incident also left two Israelis and four Palestinians injured, according to health officials. The Israeli military said it was preparing an “extensive” counterterrorism operation in the West Bank and had surrounded the city of Nablus. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz called for deploying more troops, demolishing the homes of the suspects in Tell, confiscating weapons and revoking work permits for villagers. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged tougher military action and said the villages of Tell, Iraq Burin and Beit Furik should face measures similar to those imposed on refugee camps in Nablus and Tulkarm, including evacuating residents and dismantling what he described as terrorist infrastructure. The Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that Israeli settlers attacked five Palestinian villages around Nablus on Friday. The area has witnessed frequent settler attacks, army raids and violent confrontations in recent years. According to the Israeli military, a Palestinian resident seized a settler's weapon and fatally shot 32-year-old settlement security guard Benayahu Mellet. Videos verified by the military showed armed civilians and soldiers confronting Palestinians before gunfire erupted. Another verified video showed Israeli troops firing repeatedly at Palestinians already lying on the ground. The military said the suspected gunman was among those killed but did not explain why the other three, all relatives, were also shot. Army chief Eyal Zamir later announced additional troop deployments to the West Bank.

At least 53 Iranian civilians, including three children, have been killed in US strikes since June 27 after fighting intensified and the Islamabad memorandum of understanding collapsed, according to Iran's Health Ministry. The ministry said more than 590 people have also been injured in the attacks during the same period. Meanwhile, the US military has also suffered casualties in the conflict. According to US Central Command, at least 18 American soldiers have been killed and hundreds more wounded since the war began in late February. With inputs from Al Jazeera

Israeli forces arrested 10 Palestinians, including an elderly man, during raids across the Hebron Governorate in the occupied West Bank on Friday morning. Osama Makhamra, an activist monitoring settlement activities in southern Hebron, told media that Israeli troops detained elderly resident Ibrahim Ismail Al-Jabour and his son, Anas, after raiding their home in Khirbet Hawara, east of Yatta. Makhamra said the father and son had confronted illegal Israeli settlers who had released their livestock near Palestinian homes in the area before their arrest. Latest Israeli strikes kill at least 12 people in Gaza, including police officers Meanwhile, Israeli soldiers established several military checkpoints at the entrances to Hebron city as well as its surrounding towns, villages and refugee camps. Troops also closed a number of main and secondary roads, restricting movement across the governorate. With inputs from Al Jazeera

International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Fatih Birol has cautioned that global energy security will remain under threat unless oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz increase. Speaking at a Council on Foreign Relations event, Birol said oil security continues to be a major concern and warned that the situation could worsen if conditions fail to improve over the coming weeks. The Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway between Iran and Oman that previously carried around one-fifth of global energy supplies, has remained largely closed since the conflict erupted on February 28. Birol said the disruption to oil and gas flows has affected economies worldwide, with Asian countries bearing the brunt of the crisis. According to him, Asia had relied on the strait for 80 to 90 percent of its energy imports. While Japan and South Korea have been significantly affected, Birol said developing countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh and India have suffered the greatest impact from the supply disruption. With inputs from Al Jazeera

Israel is ready to participate in potential future US military actions against Iran if requested by Washington, but is currently awaiting approval from US President Donald Trump, media says on Friday. The report, without citing any sources, noted that Israeli officials expect the military exchanges between the United States and Iran to persist over the coming days. Unclaimed airstrikes hit Iran after US ends operations, fueling speculation over new attacker In a separate report by USA media, quoting an unnamed source in Jerusalem, stated that Israel remains interested in taking part in any renewed military campaign against Iran should the ongoing conflict escalate. The developments follow recent US strikes on multiple targets inside Iran, which caused casualties and infrastructure damage. Washington launched the operations in response to alleged Iranian attacks on commercial vessels moving through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. In retaliation to the American operations, Iran launched missile and drone strikes targeting US military bases and facilities located across Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Jordan.

The United States carried out strikes on 10 Iranian military targets on Saturday after accusing Tehran of violating a fragile ceasefire by attacking an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes targeted surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defence sites, drone and missile storage facilities, coastal radar installations and minelayer capabilities at multiple locations near the strategic waterway. President Donald Trump said the attacks were launched after Iran breached the ceasefire agreement, warning Washington could take further military action if Tehran continued its attacks. CENTCOM said Iranian forces used a one-way drone to strike the oil tanker Kiku, carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel had departed a Qatari oil field and was bound for the United Arab Emirates. Iranian media reported explosions near the strait following the US strikes. Earlier, Bahrain accused Iran of launching several drones toward the kingdom, though no damage was reported. The latest escalation comes as Washington and Tehran continue negotiations under a 60-day interim agreement covering maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear programme. Maritime authorities also warned that threats to commercial shipping remain high despite expanded alternative shipping routes near Oman.

Pakistan Interior Minister Syed Mohsen Naqvi has travelled to Tehran for meetings with senior Iranian officials as Islamabad continues efforts to mediate between Iran and the United States over nuclear negotiations,  media says. The visit is intended to review and follow up on the progress of talks between Tehran and Washington, the source said. Naqvi left for Tehran on Saturday and is expected to hold discussions with senior Iranian authorities during the visit. Truce reached between Israel and Hezbollah amid delays in US-Iran negotiations The trip marks Naqvi’s latest engagement as part of Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to facilitate communication between Iran and the US. During his previous visit to Iran on June 7, Naqvi met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni. Pakistan has been seeking to play a mediating role amid ongoing discussions between the two countries over Iran’s nuclear programme.

An initial agreement between the United States and Iran aimed at extending a fragile ceasefire moved closer to formal signing on Monday, although uncertainties surrounding Tehran’s nuclear program and Israel’s military operations in Lebanon continued to threaten the deal. The electronically signed agreement, reached on Sunday, seeks to sustain a truce in a months-long conflict that has killed thousands across the Middle East, including senior Iranian leaders, and disrupted global fuel and food markets. A key element of the pact is the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas supplies pass. However, Iran said implementation would begin only after a formal signing ceremony scheduled for Friday in Geneva, while the US blockade remains in place until then. The deal also requires Iran to decide within 60 days on the future of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Further details, expected within two days, may include the release of frozen Iranian assets, sanctions relief and a proposed $300 billion reconstruction fund tied to Iranian commitments. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the agreement was US President Donald Trump’s decision, while reaffirming Israel’s determination to counter Iranian threats and maintain its military presence in parts of Lebanon. Continued fighting between Israel and Hezbollah remains a major challenge to the agreement’s success.

The United States and Iran are close to reaching an agreement aimed at ending their months-long conflict, with officials from both sides indicating that a breakthrough could come within days. Three regional officials told media on Friday that the proposed deal could lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the phased lifting of sanctions on Iran and the release of frozen Iranian assets. A senior US official said the draft agreement also includes the removal and destruction of Iran’s nuclear material, dismantling parts of its nuclear programme and a commitment by Tehran not to fund terrorist groups. Middle East on edge as Iran and US exchange fire again Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X that a deal “has never been closer,” while President Donald Trump shared the post on social media. However, Trump also warned Iranian leaders to act quickly. The negotiations follow three days of exchanges involving Iran, the US and Israel and come amid a fragile ceasefire that has been in place since April 7. The conflict, which began on February 28, has disrupted energy shipments through the Persian Gulf and heightened regional tensions. Officials said the agreement is expected to be finalized after approval in Washington and Tehran. Pakistan, backed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt and Qatar, has played a leading mediating role in the talks.