Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- Iranian official says there are no technical talks with the US this week
- Technical negotiations meant to cement a final deal to end the Iran war
- Attacks by both Iran and US over the weekend threatened to derail peace talks
- Interim peace deal was signed on June 17
Tired of missing our real-time updates? Click here to add us as a Preferred Source on Google. Keep reading here for the latest news on Iran war on June 29:
Skip next section Iran stresses it will demine Strait of Hormuz by itself06/29/2026June 29, 2026
Iran stresses it will demine Strait of Hormuz by itself
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi said that the removal of mines from the Strait of Hormuz should be carried out solely by Iran, in accordance with the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Tehran and Washington.
He made his statement on X in response to comments by French President Emmanuel Macron regarding the demining of the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier on Monday, Macron said that France and Oman were working together to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East and will cooperate with their partners to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz.
Gharibabadi added that the situation is sensitive and complex and that France should avoid further provocation.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GGmwSkip next section German ambassador to Israel retires06/29/2026June 29, 2026
German ambassador to Israel retires
Steffen Seibert, Germany’s 66-year-old ambassador to Israel, is retiring after serving four years there.
In a video message on X, Seibert said, “A big part of my heart will remain here,” in fluent Hebrew.
During a walk on Rothschild Boulevard in Tel Aviv, Seibert listed 25 things he will miss about Israel. These include Israeli songs, food, and places, as well as the hoopoe, Israel’s national bird.
Before moving to Israel, Seibert served for more than 11 years as government spokesperson for then-Chancellor Angela Merkel.
He will be succeeded in Tel Aviv by Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, the former German ambassador to Moscow.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GGmQSkip next section Lebanon president says determined to extend control up to Israel border06/29/2026June 29, 2026
Lebanon president says determined to extend control up to Israel border
Lebanese President Michel Aoun told US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper that he was committed to extending the state’s control, via its military, to the border with Israel, where the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah has a strong presence.
According to a statement from the presidency, he reaffirmed to Cooper “the Lebanese state’s determination to extend its authority, through its armed forces, to the southern border.”
The statement added that the pair discussed preparations for implementing a framework agreement between Lebanon, Israel, and the US.
According to a statement from the Lebanese army, its chief, Rodolphe Haykal, also received Cooper. The two discussed the latest developments in Lebanon and the region.
Hezbollah has rejected the US-Israel-Lebanon agreement, which calls for Hezbollah to be disarmed before Israel will withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
https://p.dw.com/p/5GGiOSkip next section Germany pledges €250 million for Africa, Asia over Hormuz blockade06/29/2026June 29, 2026
Germany pledges €250 million for Africa, Asia over Hormuz blockade
The German Development Ministry announced that Germany will provide €250 million ($286 million) in additional support for hard-hit regions in Africa and Asia facing the impact of the prolonged blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
At the Hamburg Sustainability Conference, Development Minister Reem Alabali Radovan said that the money will be used to improve food security, strengthen resilience, and support small farmers.
This will be done in close cooperation with UN organizations, such as the World Food Program (WFP), and other partners. “One prominent example is the Sahel Resilience Partnership,” the ministry said in a statement.
To reduce the affected areas’ dependence on imported fertilizers, the Development Ministry will also provide €30 million for measures that promote organic fertilizers and local production.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GGgESkip next section France, Oman to cooperate on demining Hormuz Strait06/29/2026June 29, 2026
France, Oman to cooperate on demining Hormuz Strait
France and Oman are working together to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East, and they will cooperate with their partners to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz, French President Emmanuel Macron announced after meeting with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al at the Elysee Palace.
“We have decided to collaborate, in conjunction with our partners, on clearing mines from the Strait in order to secure maritime routes and guarantee free and unconditional passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” Macton wrote on X.
He also stated that Oman and France are strengthening their partnership through historic agreements in economic, scientific, cultural, and industrial fields.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GGJiSkip next section Trump says Iran requested meeting in Qatar06/29/2026June 29, 2026
Trump says Iran requested meeting in Qatar
US President Donald Trump announced that Iran has requested a meeting with the US representatives.
“It will take place tomorrow in Doha!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Doha is the capital of Qatar, which is one of the mediators between the US and Iran.
Later, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s adviser and son-in-law, “will be flying to Doha for high-level meetings this week.”
However, Tehran had previously denied that technical talks aimed at ending the war in the Middle East were scheduled for this week.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GGIuSkip next section Iran says no technical meeting expected with US in coming days06/29/2026June 29, 2026
Iran says no technical meeting expected with US in coming days
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on Monday that technical working group meetings under the Iran-US memorandum of understanding were not scheduled for this week, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported.
Earlier, several media outlets reported that US-Iran talks were to take place in Qatari capital Doha on Tuesday, though DW clarified that Iran’s position was not yet known.
Gharibabadi said consultations between Iran and Qatar regarding the US commitments were continuing as planned but that technical working group talks in Doha had not been confirmed.
Iran and the US signed an initial agreement on 17th June, kicking off a 60-day period of negotiations on a final deal to end the war.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GFK4Skip next section Iran says $6 billion of Iranian assets in Qatar to be released, state media reports06/29/2026June 29, 2026
Iran says $6 billion of Iranian assets in Qatar to be released, state media reports
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday that, after an agreement with the US lifted oil and petrochemical sanctions, $6 billion out of $12 billion of assets frozen in Qatar would be released and returned to Iran, Iranian state media reported.
Iran and the United States signed an interim agreement this month to prepare the ground for a settlement of their conflict.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GELXSkip next section Iranian and Omani diplomats hold first meeting of Hormuz Joint Committee06/29/2026June 29, 2026
Iranian and Omani diplomats hold first meeting of Hormuz Joint Committee
Iran and Oman held a first meeting of the Hormuz Joint Committee in Muscat on Monday, according to Iranian deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi.
Gharibabadi said on X that he met with Oman’s Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Al-Hinai to discuss the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway between Oman and Iran.
“While reviewing current issues related to the Strait, we exchanged views on the future management of the Strait within the framework of paragraph five of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understandingand the sovereign rights of the coastal states,” he wrote, alluding to the interim peace agreement signed with the United States earlier this month.
Iran and Oman are working out the details on how the vital waterway, through which around 20% of the world’s oil usually flows, will be governed.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
https://p.dw.com/p/5GDuvSkip next section US and Iranian teams to continue technical talks06/29/2026June 29, 2026
US and Iranian teams to continue technical talks
The US and Iran are slated to meet in Doha on Tuesday for talks, media reports say, though Iran’s position on the matter is not clear yet.
The talks were initially supposed to take place in Switzerland and focus on Iran’s nuclear program, according to news site Axios, but were moved to Qatar to focus on the Strait of Hormuz following a recent escalation.
The US-Iran interim peace agreement, signed on June 17, has come under strain following tit-for-tat military strikes between the two countries.
On Sunday, US President Donald Trump warned in a post on Truth Social that “the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist” if a point is reached where he decides the US will no longer be “reasonable,” highlighting the fragile nature of the peace agreement.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GDrQSkip next section What happened over the weekend?06/29/2026June 29, 2026
What happened over the weekend?
On Friday, the US accused Iran of attacking a cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, jeopardizing a ceasefire agreement between the two countries.
In response, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced fresh strikes on Iran. CENTCOM said on Sunday that US fighter jets had struck 10 Iranian military targets.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry accused the US of a “blatant violation” of the peace agreement between the two countries, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it targeted US military facilities in retaliation for Friday’s strikes.
Iran then launched drone and missile attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait in response to US airstrikes.
Fighting in Lebanon threatens deal
Meanwhile, Israel and Lebanon signed a framework agreement in Washington on Friday after several days of talks, a move welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
On Sunday, Lebanese state media reported that Israel carried out an airstrike targeting southern Lebanon.
The Israeli army said it destroyed an extensive tunnel in southern Lebanon on Sunday.
The Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah has rejected the agreement as “null and void.”
https://p.dw.com/p/5GDZ3Skip next section US and Iran agree to halt attacks06/29/2026June 29, 2026
US and Iran agree to halt attacks
The United States and Iran have agreed to halt attacks and resume technical talks after a weekend of tit-for-tat strikes threatened an interim peace deal, a US official said late on Sunday.
“Technical talks are slated to continue on all areas of the MOU,” a US official told reporters, referring to the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran.
“Both sides will stand down for now and vessels can move freely” in and around the Strait of Hormuz, the official said.
Delegates from Washington and Tehran are set to meet on Tuesday in Doha, Qatar, according to US news site Axios.
Despite an April ceasefire, the two sides have continued to exchange attacks, threatening the flow of traffic through the vital Strait of Hormuz.
On Sunday, US Central Command said it had struck 10 Iranian military targets over “continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping.”
https://p.dw.com/p/5GDZbSkip next section Welcome to our coverage06/29/2026June 29, 2026
Welcome to our coverage
Shakeel Sobhan | Roshni Majumdar Editor
Here are the latest updates regarding the Iran war and wider Middle East.
Late Sunday, the United States and Iran agreed to halt attacks on each other and resume talks aimed at ending the conflict in the Middle East, a US official announced.
Over the weekend, the US military said it had struck 10 Iranian military targets over “continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping.”
This comes even as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stressed the importance of retaining control over the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, according to state media.
Follow along.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GDYnShow more posts
About The Author
