Pakistan minister consults PM Sharif on upcoming visit of Tehran

This live blog follows the latest developments across the Middle East crisis, including regional diplomacy, maritime security, ceasefire negotiations, and economic fallout.

Catch up: Yesterday’s top developments

• Lebanon PM tells Iran to stop treating country as 'bargaining chip'
• Iran dismisses idea of Trump meeting supreme leader
• Trump claims Iran has ’21, 22 percent’ of its missiles left
• US approves potential $1.98bn sale of counter-drone equipment to Kuwait
• US strikes Iran’s coastal surveillance radar: Centcom

Israeli strike kills three Lebanese soldiers

Published: June 6, 2026 | 17:54 GMT | by AFP

An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon killed three soldiers, Beirut's military said Saturday, as its chief travelled to Pakistan to meet with a key mediator in efforts to end the Middle East war.

Israel has launched an operation into Lebanon to root out the Tehran-backed armed group Hezbollah, which dragged Lebanon into the wider Middle East war by launching missiles on behalf of its sponsor.

Gaza civil defense reports seven killed in Israeli strikes

Published: June 6, 2026 | 16:03 GMT | by AFP

Israeli strikes killed seven people in the Gaza Strip, medical sources and the territory's civil defense said.

In Gaza City, a drone strike killed six people and wounded 15 others in the Jawazat camp for displaced people, according to the civil defence, a rescue service that operates under the authority of the Islamist movement Hamas.

The city's Al-Shifa Hospital also reported receiving six bodies.

"We targeted terrorists in that sector," the Israeli army told AFP, without providing further details.

Further south, a 25-year-old man, Muhannad Othman Farwana, was killed in the morning in a strike on a tent, the civil defence said.

Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis said the man's body was brought in along with several wounded.

A spokesman for the Israeli military told AFP it had targeted "a terrorist," without elaborating.

The strike had hit his tent on the roof of his house, just before he was due to get married later in the day, his cousin Mohammed Farwana said.

"The whole family was ready to celebrate his wedding. Now, we're attending his funeral instead of his marriage," he told AFP.

Iran national team departs for Mexico to take part in World Cup: state TV

Published: June 6, 2026 | 16:03 GMT | by AFP

Iran's national football team took off from Turkey en route to Mexico on Saturday to take part in this year's World Cup, according to state TV, after its players were granted US visas late the night before.

The team "took off this evening for Mexico to participate in the World Cup after a 15-day training period" in Turkey, Iranian state TV reported. "The national team will arrive in Tijuana after a 20-hour flight."

Pakistan minister consults PM Sharif on upcoming visit of Tehran

Published: June 6, 2026 | 15:06 GMT | by Web Desk

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Lahore and consulted on the interior minister’s upcoming visit of Tehran. 

The premier provided guidance regarding the visit, the interior ministry said in a post on X. 

The interior minister also briefed PM Sharif about his various important meetings on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Conference.

Iran denounces 'political pressure' from UN nuclear watchdog

Published: June 6, 2026 | 13:29 GMT | by AFP

Iran denounced as a "tool of political pressure" a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expressing concern over its lack of access to Iranian nuclear sites.

"If the agency wants to be part of a diplomatic solution, it must refrain from turning a technical report into a tool of political pressure," Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi wrote on X.

In a confidential report seen by AFP on Thursday, the IAEA stated that the lack of access to nuclear sites in Iran constitutes a "proliferation concern".

"While the agency acknowledged that the military attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities and sites have created an unprecedented situation, it is critical for the agency to conduct verification activities in Iran without delay," the IAEA said in the report.

Iran condemns 'flagrant ceasefire violation' after US strikes

Published: June 6, 2026 | 13:26 GMT | by AFP

Iran condemned  a nighttime US attack on coastal radar installations in the Gulf, calling it a "flagrant" violation of the ceasefire in place since April.

The foreign ministry said it was an attack "on the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic republic", denouncing Washington's "hostile and provocative behavior."

Saudi Arabia condemns Iranian violations against Bahrain, Kuwait

Published: June 6, 2026 | 12:34 GMT | by Web Desk

Saudi Arabia condemned what it described as "offensive Iranian statements" and "blatant violations" of the sovereignty of Bahrain and Kuwait, warning that such actions threaten regional and international security.

In a statement, the Saudi foreign ministry said the continued Iranian violations risk further escalating tensions and instability across the region, adding that they undermine international efforts aimed at restoring security and stability.

"The Kingdom also renews its solidarity with the Kingdom of Bahrain and the State of Kuwait and its full support for all measures they take to preserve their sovereignty, security, and stability," the statement said.

US denied visas to 15 World Cup delegation members: state media 

Published: June 6, 2026 | 12:02 GMT | by Web Desk/AFP

The United States, one of the three host countries of the 2026 World Cup, has refused to grant visas to 15 members of Iran's delegation, state television reported.

"Visas have been issued for the national team and the technical staff, and there are 15 members of the administration and management whose visas are problematic and have not been issued by the US," a state television reporter said from the Turkish city of Antalya, where the team is holding a training camp.

Kuwait says new Iran attack 'dangerous escalation'

Published: June 6, 2026 | 10:47 GMT | by Web Desk/AFP

The Gulf state of Kuwait on Saturday condemned fresh attacks from Iran which it said were a "direct threat" to the "lives of citizens and residents", according to AFP.

Kuwait "affirms that these attacks constitute a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the state", its foreign ministry said, adding "they represent a dangerous escalation".

Neighboring Bahrain also said it was targeted by Iranian missile barrages.

Earlier, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Saturday that it had targeted two US air bases in Kuwait and key remaining facilities of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain with ballistic missiles after American attacks on Iranian sites, according to state-run IRNA News Agency.

Lebanese president 'strongly condemns' Israeli attack on army patrol 

Published: June 6, 2026 | 10:27 GMT | by Web Desk

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun strongly condemned the Israeli attack that targeted a patrol of the Lebanese Army on the Khardali-Nabatieh road Saturday morning, according to a post shared on X by Lebanese Presidency.

The Lebanese president called on the international community to assume its responsibilities and put an end to these repeated attacks.

Iran slams US 'discriminatory treatment' over World Cup visa refusals

Published: June 6, 2026 | 09:49 GMT | by AFP

Iran on Saturday slammed World Cup host the United States over what it called "discriminatory treatment" in not granting visas for some members of the Iranian delegation to the tournament.

"Why do you not say that visas were denied to a large portion of the managerial and executive staff, technical advisers, and others who are an integral part of any national football team?" the Iranian embassy in Turkey said in a post on X, referring to an earlier announcement by US envoy Tom Barrack that visas had been granted to players.

"You have now escalated the deliberate and discriminatory treatment against Iran's national football team to its highest level," the embassy added.

Iranian official says frozen funds key to progress in US talks

Published: June 6, 2026 | 09:41 GMT | by AFP

The release of frozen Iranian funds has become a key issue in negotiations between Tehran and Washington aimed at ending their war, a senior Iranian official said.

Iran has been subject to asset freezes and sweeping sanctions by the United States and other Western countries since its 1979 Islamic revolution that toppled the US-backed Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

In an interview broadcast on Friday, Mohsen Rezaei, a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and an adviser to Iran's supreme leader, said the talks were failing over the release of Iranian assets.

"If he (Trump) wants to reach an agreement with Iran, this $24 billion is a test of trust that Iran wants to have with Trump," he told CNN, according to an English translation of his remarks provided by the channel.

"This is a test that America must pass and the path will be opened," he said, adding that "this is our own money, not America's money".

While there is no official figure for the total amount of frozen Iranian assets, media reports have estimated the sum at between $100 billion and $123 billion.

Iran has conditioned an agreement to end the war on several demands, including the release of the frozen funds.

Israeli forces enter Golan villages, detain Syrian citizen: State media

Published: June 6, 2026 | 08:27 GMT | by Web Desk

Israeli forces reportedly entered several villages in the occupied Golan Heights overnight and detained a Syrian citizen, according to state-run media.

"An Israeli occupation force consisting of four military vehicles infiltrated, after midnight last night, into the Abu Madhara farm west of Saida village in the Golan, in the southern countryside of Quneitra, where it raided one of the houses, arrested a citizen, and took him into the occupied territories without knowing the reasons for the arrest," according to a post on X on Saturday by Syria's state-run SANA news agency.

"Another force consisting of four military vehicles infiltrated this morning into Al-Usha village in the southern countryside of Quneitra, where it searched several citizens' homes inside the village before withdrawing from the area," the post further said.

Bahrain says targeted by Iran, denounces 'blatant aggression'

Published: June 6, 2026 | 07:25 GMT | by AFP/Web Desk

Bahrain's foreign ministry on Saturday decried attacks by Iran against its territory and neighboring Kuwait, saying the two Gulf countries intercepted seven missiles fired by the Islamic republic, according to AFP.

"The ministry of foreign affairs strongly condemns the renewed attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran against the Kingdom of Bahrain and the sisterly State of Kuwait," Bahrain, which hosts the US Fifth Fleet, said in a statement.

"This blatant aggression constitutes a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of both countries," it added.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it has targeted two US air bases in Kuwait and key remaining facilities of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain with ballistic missiles after American attacks on Iranian sites, according to state-run IRNA News Agency.

Lebanese army says 'several' soldiers killed by Israeli strike in south

Published: June 6, 2026 | 06:58 GMT | by AFP

Several soldiers have been killed in an Israeli strike on a vehicle in south Lebanon, Beirut's military said Saturday, days after the two countries announced a conditional truce following talks in the United States.

"A number of military personnel, including an officer, were martyred in a barbaric Israeli raid targeting a military vehicle on the Khardali–Nabatieh road," the Lebanese army said in a statement posted to X.

A ceasefire that was supposed to end the fighting in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah took effect on April 17, but has not been respected.

Iran FM urges Lebanon president to save country from 'real foe'

Published: June 6, 2026 | 05:53 GMT | by AFP

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged on Saturday Lebanese president Joseph Aoun, who had criticized Tehran for interfering in his country, to save Lebanon from its "real foe".

"Based on Mr Aoun's comments, one would think it's Iran that has occupied 1/5 of Lebanon, displaced 1/4 of Lebanese and bombing his country on daily basis... Save Lebanon from your real foe, Mr. President," Araghchi wrote on X.

US military says Iran launched 7 missiles at Kuwait, Bahrain

Published: June 6, 2026 | 03:15 GMT | by AFP

United States military officials said Iran launched seven ballistic missiles toward neighboring Gulf nations of Kuwait and Bahrain on Friday, hours after reporting four Iranian "one-way attack" drones were thwarted.

In a statement posted to X, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it intercepted six of the missiles Iran launched and the seventh "did not reach its intended target."

"There are currently no reports of harm to US personnel, and Iranian claims of damaging US 5th fleet headquarters in Bahrain are false," the statement said.

Explosions heard near Kuwait airport and in Bahrain: AFP

Published: June 6, 2026 | 03:05 GMT | by AFP

Explosions were heard early Saturday in Kuwait and Bahrain after US strikes against Iran, according to AFP correspondents.

Multiple explosions were heard in areas near Kuwait International Airport, reported AFP's correspondent in Kuwait, whose military announced it was responding to "hostile" missile and drone attacks.

In Bahrain's capital Manama, an AFP correspondent there reported hearing explosions and interceptions, as air raid alerts rang out.

Air raid alert sounded in Bahrain: interior ministry

Published: June 6, 2026 | 02:15 GMT | by AFP

An air raid alert was issued in Bahrain, the Gulf country's interior ministry said Saturday, after new US airstrikes in Iran and Kuwait's announcement of intercepting missiles and drones.

"The siren has been sounded ..Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place," the ministry said on X.

Iran Guards say targeted US bases in Gulf: state media

Published: June 6, 2026 | 02:05 GMT | by AFP

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Saturday they hit "enemy bases" in the Gulf, state media reported, after US forces said they struck radar sites in Iran.

"Following the invasion of the child-killing and terrorist US army into Sirik and Qeshm Island, enemy bases in the region were hit by aerial missiles," state broadcaster IRIB reported, quoting the Guards.

Kuwait says responding to 'hostile' missile and drone attacks

Published: June 6, 2026 | 01:30 GMT | by AFP

Kuwait's military said early Saturday it was responding to "hostile" missile and drone attacks, days after a strike on the country's international airport killed one and wounded dozens.

"Kuwaiti air defenses are currently responding to hostile missile and drone attacks," the military said on X, without specifying their origin.

"The General Staff of the Kuwaiti Armed Forces confirms that any explosions that may be heard are the result of air defense systems intercepting hostile attacks," the Kuwait Army added.

US strikes Iran’s coastal surveillance radar: Centcom

Published: June 6, 2026 | 00:10 GMT | by Web Desk

US forces struck Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites in Goruk and on Qeshm Island, said a statement from Central Command.

“CENTCOM forces shot down four Iranian one-way attack drones that were launched toward the Strait of Hormuz,” the statement added, “US forces subsequently struck Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites in Goruk and on Qeshm Island to defend against further attacks.”

Trump claims Iran has '21, 22 percent' of its missiles left

Published: June 5, 2026 | 23:45 GMT | by Web Desk

Trump has told NBC News that Iran retains only about 21 to 22 percent of its missile capability after the US “totally destroyed” the country’s military.

“I would say, percentage-wise, maybe 21, 22 percent of their missiles,” he said, during an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press programme that was shared online.

Israel kills infant in West Bank

Published: June 5, 2026 | 19:40 GMT | by Web Desk/AFP

Israeli gunfire killed a Palestinian infant and wounded his parents on Friday in the south of the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry reported.

Sam Fahd Abou Haikal, aged seven months, died, and his parents were lightly injured "after the occupation forces opened fire on them on Friday evening" in the south of the city of Hebron, the ministry said. The Israeli army did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Israeli military in a statement said that its troops “sensed that a vehicle was accelerating toward them” and opened fire.

“From an initial investigation, it appears that these were uninvolved civilians,” the military said, adding that the incident was under investigation.

Hamas also released a statement condemning the incident, calling on the international community to immediately exert pressure on Israel to “stop its ongoing crimes” against Palestinians.

The Wafa news agency reported that the boy’s father was shot in the hand while his mother was hit with the bullet that went into Sam’s jaw. The family was on its way to visit Sam’s grandmother at the time of the fatal shooting.

Read our June 5 live blog for earlier developments here