Iran warns there is no “final conclusion” yet on ceasefire deal after Trump says deal agreed
21m ago
An Iran-linked group claims to have hacked FBI planes
A hacking group linked to Iran says it has hacked FBI planes and is threatening to target the World Cup, which started on Thursday, a monitoring group said on Friday.
The SITE Intelligence Group, an organization that monitors jihadist groups, published a statement from Handala saying it had access “for months” to all the images and all the suspects” captured by drones used by the FBI.
Hackers say the drones use technology including facial recognition and license plate number checks that are used to fight terrorism.
“You better strengthen your security for the World Cup, we don’t like some of those teams at all. Don’t forget: FPVs are everywhere; you never know when someone might end up on your team bus,” said Handala in a statement quoted by SITE.
The FBI is sending drones to World Cup stadiums to protect against unauthorized drones.
41m ago
An Iranian news agency says the nuclear program will be discussed during the 60-day ceasefire with the US.
Iran’s official news agency said on Friday that the future of Iran’s nuclear enrichment program would be discussed with the US within a 60-day period of a potential cooperation agreement.
The IRNA news agency released on Friday some of the details of the agreement with the US, which President Trump said on Thursday there was an agreement. Iranian officials stressed that there had been no final decision to accept the deal, but state media listed a number of terms apparently in a draft cooperation memorandum on Friday.
Sources outlined the terms of the potential deal to CBS News on Thursday, which they said include a 60-day extension of the ceasefire, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and, essentially, Iran is responsible not to enrich uranium for 15-20 years, during which time it will dismantle its nuclear facilities again. In exchange for those measures, sources said Iran would receive financial aid over time and be monitored for compliance.
According to IRNA, the agreement will end the war “in all regions” in the first phase, which will be followed by nuclear negotiations during the second phase lasting 60 days.
5:41 AM
Iran’s state news agency says $24 billion in frozen assets will be released under the deal with the US
An Iranian newspaper said on Friday that the agreement with the USPresident Trump proposed the previous day as “a good solution to the war,” including the US releasing 24 billion dollars of frozen Iranian financial assets.
Iran’s official Mehr News agency published what it said was a draft of the 14-point deal on Friday. It includes a condition that Iranian assets will be removed during a 60-day extension of the ceasefire, which will begin as soon as the deal goes into effect.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry warned earlier that the regime was not yet fully committed to the deal.
The document also states that part of the $24 billion in Iranian assets will be available before negotiations begin during a 60-day extension of the ceasefire.
A spokesman for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday that the deal still needs to be approved by the country’s government.
5:25 AM
Oil prices fell after President Trump said progress was being made in Iran talks
Oil prices fell more than 4% after President Trump said there had been progress in talks to end the war with Iran.
High oil prices have added to global inflationary pressures as the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for transporting oil and gas to the world, remains closed.
It is expected that the agreement between the US and Iran can help to reopen the decline in oil prices.
The price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, fell about 4% early Friday to trade at about $86.70 per barrel. That’s still well above the nearly $70 a barrel that existed before the war began at the end of February, but it’s down a lot on the day, and well below the highs of about $110 a barrel seen at the start of the war.
4:54 AM
Iran says the text of the deal is “largely finalized” but there is no “final conclusion” yet
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei told state news network SNN TV on Thursday that the text of the agreement with the US had been “substantially finalized,” but stressed that the agreement had not yet been finalized.
“The problem is that the opposing positions of the United States always make this process unstable and disrupted,” said Baqaei.
He said the Iranian government has not reached a “final conclusion on this matter,” following President Trump’s assertion on Thursday that an agreement to end the war had been reached.
4:08 AM
Trump’s demands were reportedly agreed to extend the 60-day moratorium and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The memorandum of understanding that President Trump said Thursday was agreed upon includes a 60-day extension of the moratorium, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and further negotiations to address Iran’s nuclear program, according to Axios.
The agreement reportedly includes the return of pre-war naval vessels through the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days, and the US lifting its blockade of the key shipping lane. US officials reportedly told Axios that Iran would also see some of its sanctions lifted, allowing Tehran to sell oil for 60 days.
3:38 AM
80 Hezbollah fighters were killed last week, the IDF said
Israel’s military said on Friday it had killed 80 Hezbollah fighters and attacked nearly 310 sites linked to the Iran-backed group in southern Lebanon last week.
The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that the strikes were carried out “in conjunction with the operation of the forces below the defense line to dismantle terrorist infrastructure and remove threats against Israeli civilians and soldiers operating in the area.”
Israel and Lebanon agreed to renew a ceasefire last week, but the Iran-backed Hezbollah group quickly rejected it. Tehran has previously said that any peace deal with the US and Israel must include a ceasefire in Lebanon.
3:11 AM
Netanyahu spoke to Trump about the proposed peace deal
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a phone call with President Trump on Thursday night about a possible peace deal between the US and Iran, Netanyahu’s office said.
“Although Israel is not a party to the cooperation agreement, the Prime Minister expressed his gratitude for President Trump’s commitment that the final agreement at the end of the negotiations will include the removal of advanced materials, the dismantling of advanced infrastructure, restrictions on missile production, and the cessation of Iran’s support for its terrorist proxies in the region,” Netanya’s statement in ahu said.
3:11 AM
Iran is trying to attack commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a US official said
A US official said it appears that Iran attempted to attack commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz early Friday morning local time. The US military shot down two Iranian fighter jets in a single attack, the official said.
Other vehicles are still moving, said the official.
3:11 AM
Iran has not yet made a final decision on a proposed peace deal with the US, an Iranian official said.
Iran has not yet reached a final decision on a peace deal with the US, an Iranian official said on Thursday.
“Until now, Iran has not reached a final conclusion on the deal,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said in a statement provided to Agence France-Presse.
The statement comes after President Trump said earlier in the day that the US had reached a “good solution” regarding the war with Iran.
A letter of intent or memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran is likely to be signed as early as next week, two sources familiar with the communication efforts told CBS News.
However, after the announcement of Mr. Trump, Iran’s Fars News Agency, which is related to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, cited “a well-known source close to the Iranian negotiating team” who denied the president’s claim about the initial agreement and said that “no text of the initial cooperation memorandum with the United States has been approved.”
Iran’s Tasnim news agency noted that he has announced an imminent deal 38 times in the past two months.
“Until Iran declares a potential understanding issue, any news from Trump on this matter should be taken as consistent with his previous messages,” it noted.
3:11 AM
A US-Iran memorandum of understanding is likely to be signed next week, sources said
A letter of intent or memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran is likely to be signed early next week, paving the way for further talks on a permanent US-Iran deal, two sources familiar with the diplomatic efforts said.
The signing of the memorandum will begin 60 days of negotiations to negotiate the details of the US-Iran deal. That period could be extended as needed, according to multiple sources.
The first steps include ensuring “freedom of trade” by removing the bombs and opening the Strait of Hormuz. Essentially, Iran will commit to a 15-20 year blackout during which it will not enrich uranium and will dismantle its nuclear facilities. If it takes these steps, Iran will receive financial aid over time and be monitored for compliance.
