Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- US launches fresh strikes on Iran
- CENTCOM said the strikes were in response to the latest attack on a commercial vessel
- Hezbollah rejects US-brokered Israel-Lebanon security deal
- Israel launched a drone strike in Lebanon’s south
- Bahrain condemns Iranian drone attack on its territory
- US military says it has conducted strikes on Iranian targets
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Please follow along for the latest developments on the Iran war and the wider Middle East region for the weekend of June 26 to 28:
Skip next section US conducts additional strikes near Strait of Hormuz06/27/2026June 27, 2026
US conducts additional strikes near Strait of Hormuz
The US military has conducted strikes on targets in Iran, US Central Command said in a statement.
The statement added that the fresh strikes were in response to a drone attack on a Panama-flagged tanker that was transiting near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday morning.
Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported that explosions were heard in southern Iran’s Sirik region and Qeshm Island.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GB5NSkip next section Lebanon’s president asks Trump to help implement deal with Israel06/27/2026June 27, 2026
Lebanon’s president asks Trump to help implement deal with Israel
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told his US counterpart, Donald Trump, that he hoped Washington would help prevent violations of a framework agreement with Israel and ensure agreed commitments are fulfilled, particularly by pressing Israel to withdraw from occupied areas in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese presidency said on Saturday.
Trump emphasized that “the United States will contribute to supporting the Lebanese economy and the legitimate security forces, so that Lebanon can reclaim its pioneering role in its surroundings and the world,” according to the Lebanese presidency’s statement summarizing a Friday phone call between the leaders.
Aoun also said he told Trump that Lebanon would assume its responsibilities in implementing the framework agreement, the presidency added in a statement.
The Lebanese president’s statement also said Trump indicated that he would soon host Aoun for a meeting in Washington.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GB5LSkip next section Netanyahu plans ‘broad national government’06/27/2026June 27, 2026
Netanyahu plans ‘broad national government’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he plans to create a broader coalition to govern after the upcoming election. In a speech on Saturday, he distanced himself from both the far-right and the left.
“I intend to establish a broad national government, not a right-wing government, not a left-wing government that depends on Arab parties, but a broad national government,” Netanyahu said, in a televised speech.
“Because only in this way, I think, can we reach internal agreements … It means, first of all: enough with boycotts. I am not boycotting anyone. I say, everyone will be able to join; they simply need to agree to our basic principles, that Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people and that we respect individual rights,” he added.
Netanyahu said the government that he aims to lead would help complete Israel’s broader regional ambitions.
“After we have removed the Iranian existential threat, the broad national government can make peace within ourselves, deal with the remnants of the Iranian axis and reap the fruits of our victory in political agreements like the one we are making with Lebanon – and there are a few more on the way,” he said.
Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister over several terms, has said he plans to run in national elections to be held no later than October 27. A recent survey showed that a majority of Israelis want him to leave office.
Netanyahu currently leads Israel’s most far-right government. Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called Netanyahu’s remarks “very disturbing.”
“The government that Prime Minister Netanyahu must form should be a fully right-wing government,” he said.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5GB4qSkip next section Netanyahu hails Lebanon deal, far-right minister Ben Gvir slams it06/27/2026June 27, 2026
Netanyahu hails Lebanon deal, far-right minister Ben Gvir slams it
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday hailed the US-brokered framework agreement with Lebanon as “a historic achievement for Israel.”
“Yesterday … we achieved a historic deal for the state of Israel after direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon,” Netanyahu said in a televised press conference.
He added that the agreement was a blow to Iran and Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Shiite militant group in Lebanon.
On the issue of the Israeli-declared “security zone” in southern Lebanon, Netanyahu said: “We’ll continue to hold it until Hezbollah and other terror groups are disarmed.”
Israeli troops have taken over an area of around 10 kilometers (six miles) in southern Lebanon, which Netanyahu argued was to “thwart the threat of invasion” from Hezbollah.
While Netanyahu touted the deal’s success, Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called it “a big mistake” and stressed that Lebanon would not disarm Hezbollah.
“Ministers in the Lebanese government are Hezbollah members, and we cannot rely on Lebanon to take the weapons away from Hezbollah … Only IDF soldiers will destroy Hezbollah — no other entity will do it for us!,” he said, referring to the Israel Defense Forces.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GAtxSkip next section European Commission President von der Leyen welcomes Israel-Lebanon framework deal06/27/2026June 27, 2026
European Commission President von der Leyen welcomes Israel-Lebanon framework deal
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the US-brokered Israel-Lebanon framework agreement as a “critical step” away from conflict in the Middle East.
“There can be no peace in the Middle East with Lebanon in flames,” she said in a statement posted on X, thanking Washington for its mediation role.
Von der Leyen added “the disarmament of non-state groups and preserving Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity,” was key next steps.
She said the EU was ready to support the agreement, including with the delivery of humanitarian aid worth €100 million ($114 million).
https://p.dw.com/p/5GAReSkip next section WATCH: Could US-backed Israel-Lebanon deal lead to civil war?06/27/2026June 27, 2026
WATCH: Could US-backed Israel-Lebanon deal lead to civil war?
DW’s Ben Fajzullin speaks with Hanin Ghaddar of the Washington Institute about what the agreement means, whether it will weaken Hezbollah, and if this framework can really lead to lasting peace.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5GARMSkip next section Hezbollah leader rejects US-backed Israel-Lebanon agreement06/27/2026June 27, 2026
Hezbollah leader rejects US-backed Israel-Lebanon agreement
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said Saturday that the militant group deemed the US-backed Israel-Lebanon agreement “null and void.”
He described it as a “humiliation” and a “surrender of sovereignty.”
“The framework agreement in Washington is humiliating, shameful, and a surrender of sovereignty,” Qassem said.
He said instead that the provisions of the US-Iran interim agreeement must be implemented.
Qassem said any attempt to link Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon to the group’s disarmament crossed “red lines.”
Israel has marked a “yellow line” in southern Lebanon where its troops are deployed. It says the line marks a “security buffer zone” set up to protect its citizens from attacks by Hezbollah.
The line is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border. However, there have been reports of Israeli soldiers operating beyond the yellow line and Lebanon’s Litani River.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GALgSkip next section Israeli drone strike hits southern Lebanon06/27/2026June 27, 2026
Israeli drone strike hits southern Lebanon
Israel carried out an airstrike Nabatiyeh area in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s state news agency.
The Israeli military said the operation targeted suspected terrorists believed to pose a threat to Israel Defense Forces soldiers.
An army spokeswoman confirmed the strike to AFP news agency.
There were no immediate details on casualties or damage.
The incident marks the first such attack since Israel and Lebanon agreed to a US-brokered security arrangement. That deal aimed to ease tensions along their shared border.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GAE4Skip next section WATCH: After tit-for-tat blows: Is the US-Iran deal on the verge of collapse?06/27/2026June 27, 2026
WATCH: After tit-for-tat blows: Is the US-Iran deal on the verge of collapse?
Wesley Dockery Editor
DW’s Melissa Chan speaks to Professor Simon Mabon, an expert in Middle East politics, to understand the wider implications of this most recent US-Iran escalation.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GACySkip next section Germany: Israel-Lebanon security deal ‘offers hope,’ urges Hezbollah to act constructively06/27/2026June 27, 2026
Germany: Israel-Lebanon security deal ‘offers hope,’ urges Hezbollah to act constructively
Germany said the US-brokered security arrangement between Israel and Lebanon “offers hope.”
“It strengthens the security of both states, relies on direct understanding, and opens the chance to resolve a decades-long conflict,” Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul wrote on social media.
“Now it comes down to the implementation of the agreement,” he added.
Wadephul said it was important Lebanon’s government alone controls the use of force in the country. He also stressed security guarantees for Israel.
He urged Hezbollah, which is not a party to Friday’s agreement, “to now behave constructively.”
https://p.dw.com/p/5GAC9Skip next section Bahrain reports Iranian drone attack06/27/2026June 27, 2026
Bahrain reports Iranian drone attack
Bahrain said Iranian drones targeted its territory Saturday, calling the attack a flagrant threat to citizens and residents.
It warned the attacks were “sabotaging peace efforts.”
Iran earlier said it carried out strikes against targets linked to US forces in the region, without specifying locations.
The incident follows a series of escalating attacks in and around the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran said it had responded with attacks on US targets in the Gulf.
The US had launched airstrikes after an Iranian drone targeted a ship attempting to leave the strait Thursday.
Bahrain hosts the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet and has been a strong critic of Iran.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GA8QSkip next section Tanker struck in the Strait of Hormuz06/27/2026June 27, 2026
Tanker struck in the Strait of Hormuz
A tanker came under attack in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations center reported the tanker was struck by an “unidentified projectile.” It sustained damage to its bridge, but all crew members were safe.
No group has claimed responsibility for the strike on the vessel.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GA4mSkip next section WATCH: US military releases video of new strike on Iran06/27/2026June 27, 2026
WATCH: US military releases video of new strike on Iran
https://p.dw.com/p/5G9xGSkip next section Iran accuses US of ‘blatant violation’ of peace deal06/27/2026June 27, 2026
Iran accuses US of ‘blatant violation’ of peace deal
Iran has accused the United States of a “blatant violation” of the peace deal that was agreed upon by both rival countries.
“These brutal attacks, which targeted Iranian coastal surveillance facilities, are a blatant violation” of the memorandum of understanding to end the war, the Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement.
Iran said it responded to US airstrikes on its southern coast, which it said violated the UN Charter and confirmed that it struck targets linked to US forces.
Iran has, however, not specified the targets or say where they were located.
Meanwhile, the US military said its forces struck Iranian missile and drone storage sites and coastal radar locations on Friday in response to an Iranian attack on a cargo ship transiting the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
https://p.dw.com/p/5G9ldSkip next section State Department releases text of Israel-Lebanon framework deal06/27/2026June 27, 2026
State Department releases text of Israel-Lebanon framework deal
Following the announcement of a framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the agreement represents a “pathway out of a long crisis.”
“For Lebanon, this framework provides a genuine pathway out of a long crisis. For Israel, it creates a verifiable path to removing the persistent threat on its northern border,” Rubio said, announcing the US-mediated agreement.
The text of the 14-point agreement was later made public.
The points include:
- Israel and Lebanon agree to “conclusively end the conflict” and commit to a “reciprocal, sequenced process, with clear conditions” for the Israeli military (IDF) to withdraw from Lebanon — pending the disarmament of Hezbollah militants by the Lebanese Armed Forces.
- When Lebanon’s military is in full control of two pilot areas, “internationally supported reconstruction efforts will begin, and Lebanese civilians will be able to safely return to these areas.”
- The government of Israel declares it has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon and stresses that its military actions in Lebanon are the consequence of attacks and threat posed by Hezbollah. The Israeli government underscores that the termination of the threat posed by armed groups in Lebanon, through the disarmament and dismantlement and additional security arrangements to be agreed upon between the two countries, “will eliminate any future need for IDF military action or presence in Lebanon.”
- The governments of Lebanon and Israel affirm their right to self-defense consistent with applicable international law and reaffirm that no third party may exercise that right on their behalf.
https://p.dw.com/p/5G9MXShow more posts
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