Iran denies inviting IAEA to inspect sites hit by US, Israel

US intelligence agencies have warned the Trump administration that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to take steps that could undermine President Donald Trump’s effort to secure a lasting peace deal with Iran, the Washington Post reported, citing current and former US officials.

The warning comes amid growing tension over Lebanon, where Israel appears intent on continuing military operations against Hezbollah despite a key element of the US-Iran framework calling for an end to hostilities there.

The report said Netanyahu faces domestic pressure to maintain the Lebanon campaign and avoid any move that could be seen as a defeat. Israel launched airstrikes across southern Lebanon on Friday after a Hezbollah drone strike killed four Israeli soldiers, as US and Iranian officials postponed planned talks in Switzerland.

US Central Command commander Adm. Brad Cooper praised the 15,000 American service members who supported the naval blockade over the past two months, saying they helped enforce restrictions while allowing humanitarian aid to continue.

“I could not be prouder of our 15,000 men and women in uniform who supported the blockade over the past two months,” Cooper said in a CENTCOM statement.

He said their “dedication and professionalism” were on display every day, ensuring “strict enforcement while still supporting humanitarian aid flow.”

Iran’s judiciary said on Friday it has identified and prosecuted a large number of people accused of links to “hostile governments” and Israel, with some sentenced to long prison terms, asset confiscation or execution.

Hamzeh Khalili, the judiciary’s first deputy, said that the cases were handled “swiftly and decisively” during the recent war, in coordination with security and oversight agencies.

He said the judiciary had issued rulings against “a significant number” of individuals accused of cooperating with hostile states and the “Zionist regime,” adding that some of the cases had been publicized through state television.

Iranian authorities frequently use charges such as cooperation with hostile states or Israel against dissidents, activists and government critics.

Foreign ministers from Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye will meet in Cairo on June 21, as regional powers involved in Iran-US diplomacy seek to coordinate positions after a planned meeting between Iran and the US in Switzerland was postponed.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar will attend the fourth meeting of the R-4 foreign ministers in Cairo on June 21, Islamabad said Friday, bringing together regional states that have played roles in efforts to de-escalate the Iran-US conflict.

The meeting will include the foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan, according to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry. Islamabad said the ministers will discuss regional developments and exchange views on “peace, security, and stability.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said Hezbollah has continued to violate the ceasefire and attack Israeli civilians with drones, rockets and anti-tank missiles, warning that “no country would allow this situation to continue.”

In a Persian-language post on X, the ministry said Hezbollah “has never stopped violating the ceasefire and attacking Israeli civilians.”

The ministry said Israeli families have been forced to take shelter, communities live under constant threat, and children are growing up to the sound of sirens.

“Hezbollah attacks Israelis with drones, rockets and anti-tank missiles,” the post said. “No country would allow this situation to continue.”