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Iran Describes its Proposal to End War with US as Legitimate, Generous

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei. (Iranian Foreign Ministry)
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei. (Iranian Foreign Ministry)
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Iran Describes its Proposal to End War with US as Legitimate, Generous

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei. (Iranian Foreign Ministry)
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei. (Iranian Foreign Ministry)

Iran's proposal to end war with the US and reopen the Strait of Hormuz was legitimate and generous, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil ‌Baghaei said ‌on Monday, adding ‌that ⁠the US continues ⁠to uphold unreasonable and one-sided demands.

"Our demand is legitimate: demanding an end to ⁠the war, lifting the (US) ‌blockade ‌and piracy, and ‌releasing Iranian assets that ‌have been unjustly frozen in banks due to US pressure," Baghaei ‌said according to Reuters.

"Safe passage through the Strait of ⁠Hormuz ⁠and establishing security in the region and Lebanon were other demands of Iran, which are considered a generous and responsible offer for regional security."

Iran responded to Washington's latest peace proposal on Sunday, after drones threatened several Gulf region targets and Tehran warned it would not hold back from retaliating against any new US strikes.

According to state broadcaster IRIB, Tehran's response, passed to Pakistani mediators, focuses on ending the war "on all fronts, especially Lebanon" -- where Israel has kept up its fight with Iran-backed Hezbollah -- as well as on "ensuring shipping security".

US President Donald Trump had said he was expecting Iran's reply by Friday, but as the wait dragged on, the ceasefire in the Gulf came under increasing strain, including from Sunday's drone strikes, one of which hit and damaged a freighter sailing towards a port in Qatar.

The United Arab Emirates accused Iran of being behind another attack that targeted its territory in what would be, if confirmed, only the second strike on a Gulf country since the start of the month-old truce.

"We will never bow down to the enemy, and if there is talk of dialogue or negotiation, it does not mean surrender or retreat," Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on X Sunday.

Tehran's military chief Ali Abdollahi, meanwhile, met the country's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei and received "new directives and guidance for the continuation of operations to confront the enemy", according to Iranian state television.

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World

UK Defense Minister John Healey Announces Shock Resignation

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Defense Secretary John Healey walks outside 10 Downing Street, on the day of a cabinet meeting, in London, Britain, June 2, 2026. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Britain's Defense Secretary John Healey walks outside 10 Downing Street, on the day of a cabinet meeting, in London, Britain, June 2, 2026. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo
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UK Defense Minister John Healey Announces Shock Resignation

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Defense Secretary John Healey walks outside 10 Downing Street, on the day of a cabinet meeting, in London, Britain, June 2, 2026. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Britain's Defense Secretary John Healey walks outside 10 Downing Street, on the day of a cabinet meeting, in London, Britain, June 2, 2026. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo

British Defense Secretary John Healey resigned on Thursday, in a shock move which he blamed on Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the finance ministry failing to commit sufficient resources to defense investment.

His announcement is a fresh blow to Starmer and comes at a politically charged moment for the embattled Labor leader, a week before a by-election which could prompt a bid to topple and replace him.

Healey's sudden departure comes after months of delays to a long-awaited Defense Investment Plan (DIP) for funding over the next decade, which he has said would fall far short of what had been requested.

Starmer has pledged to raise defense spending to 2.5 percent of gross domestic product from next year, increasing to three percent in the next parliament.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly urged NATO countries to spend more and become less reliant on Washington for security.

"You have been unable, and the Treasury has been unwilling, to commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country at this time of rising threats," Healey wrote in a resignation letter to Starmer posted on his X account.

"After explaining to you that I would not be able to accept a DIP settlement that does not give our Forces the resources they need, I am now left with no other option than to submit my resignation."

Starmer is facing political peril in next Thursday's contest when Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham is standing for the Makerfield parliamentary seat and has said that he would participate in any Labour leadership race, although none has yet been triggered.

Healey has been previously talked about as another potential contender, but there has been no suggestion his resignation is linked to the leadership speculation.

British media has for weeks been reporting on behind-the-scenes battles within the government over the DIP settlement.

Starmer's centre-left government, elected in July 2024 following 14 years of Conservative rule, has kickstarted its pledge to ramp up defense spending, with priority given to NATO commitments.

But the publication of its defense investment plan to plug a longer-term shortfall in investment was first expected back in late 2025 and has been pushed back -- to the frustration of industry and others.

It was expected to be announced next week, according to reports earlier Thursday.

In his letter, Healey said he was first given full sight of the DIP on Monday, revealing that it "falls well short of what is required for defense and the country at this dangerous time".

"Without a DIP that meets the moment in this way, I am being forced to make decisions that would reduce the readiness of our forces and increase the risk to personnel on operations, and could make the country less safe."

World

Iran Maritime Body Says Hormuz Completely Closed 'Until Further Notice'

Vessels are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 10, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
Vessels are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 10, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
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Iran Maritime Body Says Hormuz Completely Closed 'Until Further Notice'

Vessels are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 10, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
Vessels are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 10, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer

Iran's new body overseeing the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday confirmed a complete closure order for the strategic waterway until further notice, after the Revolutionary Guards announced the move overnight.

"Due to the tensions caused by the aggression of the American forces in the region and the announcement made last night by the Iranian armed forces, the Strait of Hormuz will be closed until further notice," PGSA said in a post on X .

"Applicants who have been granted a transit permit are asked to be patient and wait for instructions from the PGSA."

World

A Mass Funeral is Held for 22 Pakistani Soldiers Who Died in a Helicopter Crash in Kashmir

Smoke billows after an army MI-17 helicopter crashed due to a technical fault, in Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Wednesday, June 10, 2026. (AP Photo/M.D. Mughal)
Smoke billows after an army MI-17 helicopter crashed due to a technical fault, in Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Wednesday, June 10, 2026. (AP Photo/M.D. Mughal)
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A Mass Funeral is Held for 22 Pakistani Soldiers Who Died in a Helicopter Crash in Kashmir

Smoke billows after an army MI-17 helicopter crashed due to a technical fault, in Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Wednesday, June 10, 2026. (AP Photo/M.D. Mughal)
Smoke billows after an army MI-17 helicopter crashed due to a technical fault, in Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Wednesday, June 10, 2026. (AP Photo/M.D. Mughal)

Rescuers recovered the remains of all 22 soldiers aboard a military helicopter that crashed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir the previous day, officials said Thursday, confirming there were no survivors, as senior government and military officials attended a mass funeral for the victims.

The helicopter crashed Wednesday in Muzaffarabad, the regional capital, apparently because of a technical fault, according to Pakistan’s military. An investigation is underway to determine the exact cause.

An Associated Press reporter counted 22 coffins draped in Pakistan’s national flag at a funeral ceremony.

Witnesses and regional officials said the remains of the soldiers were recovered from the badly burned wreckage. The dead included a colonel and two army majors, according to two security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Among those attending the funerals was regional Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore.

According to the officials, the soldiers had been traveling to carry out security duties after a call for a march on Muzaffarabad by the Joint Awami Action Committee, a recently banned alliance of various groups.

Authorities have not indicated any connection between the planned protest and the crash.

Pakistan has deployed additional security forces across the region, where tensions have been high since the weekend after members of an outlawed group attacked police and security personnel, killing four officers.

Military helicopter crashes are not uncommon in Pakistan.

In September, an army helicopter on a routine flight crashed in northern Pakistan, killing two pilots and three technicians.