Iran war day 113: Tehran presses US over Lebanon ceasefire
Iran presses US over Lebanon as Israeli strikes test fragile ceasefire and broader peace efforts. Published On 20 Jun 202620 Jun 2026 Iran says it is ready to move forward with diplomacy with the United States, but insists Washington must ensure Israel complies with the agreement to end the war. Tehran has repeatedly said the deal requires an end to hostilities across the region, including in Lebanon. The comments come as a US official told Reuters that Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon, despite reports of continued Israeli attacks. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the US has a “commitment and responsibility” to ensure the deal is upheld on all fronts. Here is what we know: In Iran: Iran sees Lebanon as “a test” of US leverage over Israel: Muhanad Seloom of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies said Tehran is watching whether the US can “actually control or rein in the Israeli side”, calling Lebanon “a test” of Washington’s influence. “If the United States is not able to stop Israel from attacking Lebanon,” he said, “who will guarantee that in the future Israel won’t attack Iran itself?” For Iran, he added, it is crucial to see whether the US can “guarantee that Israel will abide by the terms of any upcoming agreements”. Linking Lebanon to Iran-US deal could backfire: Former US official Mark Kimmitt said it was “very, very unwise” for Iran to make an end to Israel’s war in Lebanon a condition of the agreement. “They can’t control what Hezbollah is going to do, and the United States doesn’t control what Israel is going to do,” he told Al Jazeera, adding that while Washington and Israel have “overlapping interests”, they do not have “identical interests”. Attempting to tie the two conflicts together, he warned, is “going to blow back in Iran’s face”. Analyst sees long road to a broader US-Iran agreement: Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group, said the MoU is likely to hold but warned that turning it into a broader agreement will be “very difficult” and “very ambitious” within the 60-day timeframe. Citing the technical complexity of the negotiations and the deep mistrust between Washington and Tehran, Vaez said both sides will likely remain in “MoU-land for a period of time” because “there is no better alternative”. Advertisement In the US: Trump frustrated with Israel: Signs of tension between Washington and Israel are growing as the Trump administration pushes for a “complete ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, Hezbollah, and Israel”, while Israeli forces continue strikes and ground operations in Lebanon. Analysts say Lebanon remains the deal’s greatest vulnerability, with Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute arguing that Tehran is “not joking” about its demand for a ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. US to host new Israel-Lebanon peace talks next week: The Trump administration has announced a new round of talks between Israeli and Lebanese officials in Washington on June 23 and 25, aimed at advancing a “lasting peace”. The US has described direct negotiations as the only viable path to Lebanon’s reconstruction and economic recovery, though the process remains complicated by Hezbollah’s rejection of the talks and ongoing disagreements over calls for the group’s disarmament. In Lebanon: Israeli strikes cast doubt on Lebanon ceasefire: Israeli attacks continued in southern Lebanon after a ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect, raising questions about the truce’s viability. The deal, brokered by Qatar, the US and Iran, was meant to prevent the Lebanon conflict from undermining wider US-Iran peace efforts, but strikes continued almost immediately after the deadline despite both sides signalling support for the agreement. Adblock test (Why?)
Turkiye knocked out of World Cup 2026 after 1-0 defeat to 10-man Paraguay
With two defeats in two group games, Turkiye have been knocked out of the World Cup. By Reuters Published On 20 Jun 202620 Jun 2026 Ten-man Paraguay eliminated Turkiye from the 2026 World Cup with a courageous defensive effort to seal a dramatic 1-0 win after suffering a dismissal before half-time, with the fastest goal of the tournament proving the difference. Fired up after their humiliating 4-1 opening match defeat by the United States, Paraguay went ahead when Matias Galarza wound up from 25 metres (27 yards) and fired a low rocket home after 64 seconds on Friday evening to eclipse Ismael Saibari’s 71-second strike in Morocco’s 1-0 win over Scotland hours before. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Spurred on to the sound of beating drums in the San Francisco Bay Area, Paraguay defended resolutely to withstand the Turkish onslaught and played the second half with 10 men, after Miguel Almiron was sent off for remarks made to Mert Muldur with his hand covering his mouth. The win by the South Americans means the US were confirmed as Group D winners after their earlier 2-0 victory over Australia in Seattle. Turkiye’s coach, Vincenzo Montella, said his players fought to stay in the tournament and it was an outcome everyone had to accept. “I’m sad, but I’m also very proud of my players. They gave everything right up until the final whistle. That’s what football’s like,” he said. Paraguay’s goalscorer Galarza said it was one of the best days of his life. “We showed our quality fighting spirits even with one player down. God wanted this to happen for Paraguay more than ever before,” said the 24-year-old, on loan at Atlanta United from River Plate. Turkiye’s’s Merih Demiral and Deniz Gul react after a late chance went wide [Eloisa Lopez/Reuters] Turkiye dominated the match, with 79 percent possession at one point, but they paid the price for their atrocious finishing, logging 32 attempts but no goals in almost a carbon copy of their high-shooting opening match loss to Australia. Advertisement Turkiye were inventive and always threatening but fell apart in front of goal, with a slew of chances for Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz and Real Madrid’s Arda Guler. Paraguay defended solidly and looked dangerous on the break in their few chances. Known as “La Albirroja” (the white and red), Paraguay last played in the World Cup in 2010, where they were eliminated by eventual champions Spain in the quarterfinal, which has been their best-ever run in the tournament. Paraguay’s Matias Galarza celebrates scoring the winning goal [Eloisa Lopez/Reuters] Paraguay’s red card Almiron was sent off in first-half stoppage time after the exchange with Muldur, with the dismissal confirmed by the video assistant referee (VAR) as Paraguay led 1-0. It was the first instance of the new rule being applied at the World Cup. Players who cover their mouths with their hand, arm or shirt in confrontational situations receive a red card. The rule came into effect after Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni was accused of making discriminatory slurs to Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr with his mouth covered. Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron argues with referee Ivan Barton [Darren Yamashita/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters] Adblock test (Why?)
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