Iran and Afghanistan

On Thursday (3 July), Russia formally recognised the Taliban government in Afghanistan by accepting credentials from its new ambassador, Gul Hassan Hassan. In April, Russia removed the Taliban from its list of terrorist organisations. On Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry welcomed this decision, stating that diplomatic ties would promote "productive bilateral cooperation" in areas such as trade, energy, transport, agriculture, and security. Afghanistan’s foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, welcomed Russia’s move, calling it 'historic' and expressing hope that other countries would follow suit. This reflects the Taliban's growing efforts to gain international legitimacy since seizing power in August 2021 following the US withdrawal from the country.

Hours after US President Donald Trump said his ceasefire had taken effect, Israel said it intercepted two Iranian missiles, with Defence Minister Israel Katz vowing that the military would "respond forcefully". Israel had stated on Tuesday it agreed to Trump's declaration of a ceasefire with Iran, adding that it had achieved all its objectives in the 12-day war with its arch-enemy. According to AFP, Iran denied launching missiles at Israel after the ceasefire announcement, and said it had "compelled" Israel to "unilaterally halt its aggression", while stopping short of officially accepting the ceasefire plan.

US president, Donald Trump, has said that the American military has completed strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordo, Natanz and Esfahan. "We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air space," he wrote on Truth Social. Trump added that a "full payload of bombs" were dropped on Fordo and all planes were on their way back to the US. In a national televised address from the White House, Trump warned  Iran it must make peace of future attacks will be "far greater". The UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the United States’ bombing of three nuclear sites in Iran as a “dangerous escalation” on Saturday following eight days of deadly strikes and counter strikes between Tehran and Tel Aviv. “I am gravely alarmed by the use of force by the United States against Iran today,” said the UN chief, reiterating that there is no military solution “This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security.”

In a statement released on Thursday (19 June), the U.S. President set a two-week deadline to decide whether the United States should launch a military strike on Iran amid growing concerns over Tehran’s alleged nuclear capabilities.

Russian President Vladimir Putin offered Wednesday to help mediate an end to the conflict between Israel and Iran, suggesting Moscow could help negotiate a settlement that could allow Tehran to pursue a peaceful atomic program while assuaging Israeli security concerns, AP reported. Speaking to senior news leaders of international news agencies on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin noted that “it’s a delicate issue,” but added that “in my view, a solution could be found.” Meanwhile, Iran launched a fresh salvo of missiles at Israel on Thursday, with a hospital reported hit, as US President Donald Trump warned he was weighing US military action in the conflict.