IRAN STAYED AT THE TABLE AFTER THE US STRUCK IT, AND THAT IS THE WHOLE STORY

CENTCOM hit missile sites and mine-laying boats near Bandar Abbas, killing four IRGC soldiers 2GDN Iran remains in peace talks despite first US strikes since ceasefire13TOI US attacks missile sites in Iran despite ceasefire, says it acted to defend troops. Iran downed an MQ-9 Reaper, fired on an RQ-4 Global Hawk, and claimed to have forced an F-35 out of its airspace 10MHR Violating truce by US aggressor to be met with tough response12PTV IRGC downs US drone over Persian Gulf, warns against truce violations. Then Parliamentary Speaker Ghalibaf, leading the Iranian delegation, did not get on a plane home. He stayed in Qatar to argue about asset transfer mechanisms. The reason is not complicated: Tehran wants the $12 billion first tranche of frozen assets badly enough to absorb the political humiliation of troops dying while its diplomats negotiate 6AAM Iran demands release of $12 billion in frozen assets in potential deal with US7MHR Ghalibaf’s Doha visit focused on releasing $12 frozen assets. The last unresolved dispute is sequencing: Iran wants money before it opens Hormuz, the US wants Hormuz open first. Rubio says a deal is days away 4BBC Iran condemns US strikes as 'gross violation' of ceasefire13TOI US attacks missile sites in Iran despite ceasefire, says it acted to defend troops. Trump posted that talks are going "nicely" while threatening more strikes if they fail 13TOI US attacks missile sites in Iran despite ceasefire, says it acted to defend troops. Make of that what you will.

Netanyahu announced the IDF is seizing positions north of the Lebanon security zone, backed by over 100 overnight airstrikes in the Beqaa Valley 1TOI IDF pushes north of Lebanon security zone; Netanyahu says Israel seizing ‘strategic positions’. Washington signed off on the expansion with one explicit constraint: no strikes on Beirut while the Iran talks are live, with the precise instruction reportedly being "not to bring down buildings in Beirut" 1TOI IDF pushes north of Lebanon security zone; Netanyahu says Israel seizing ‘strategic positions’. That is a narrow red line, and Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners will push against it immediately. Any strike in Beirut's suburbs, however targeted, lands directly in the middle of the Doha negotiating room.

Trump posted that Gulf states and others should be "mandatorily" joining the Abraham Accords as part of any Iran deal package 15APW Trump ties expanding Abraham Accords to Iran deal. Saudi Arabia has never recognised Israel and has long conditioned normalisation on Palestinian statehood, so tying the two together either generates enormous leverage or hands Tehran's hardliners a clean argument for why the US cannot be trusted. The timing, dropped into the talks with no apparent prior consultation, was not accidental. European governments hoping for relevance in the post-war regional order can stop hoping.

After 88 days of near-total blackout, Iran announced the restoration of internet access 3BBM Internet starts coming back in Iran after months-long blackout. Netblocks and Kentik confirmed partial restoration but heavier filtering than pre-war levels, including WhatsApp restrictions 3BBM Internet starts coming back in Iran after months-long blackout. A hardliner legal challenge was filed to block the move, though the court clarified it was reviewing procedural standing rather than the restoration itself 5GDN End to Iran’s 88-day internet blackout stalled by legal challenge. Pezeshkian is giving ordinary Iranians something visible while the deal is still being written. The timing alongside Doha is deliberate.

Brigadier General Shekarchi warned that any new US-Israeli attack would produce a response "much more severe and heavier than the previous two wars" and would not remain confined to the region 9MHR Iran response to be more severe than previous war if attacked. He also repeated the threat to close the region to oil exports entirely if Iranian exports are blocked 9MHR Iran response to be more severe than previous war if attacked. This is standard deterrence theatre aimed at domestic hardliners as much as Washington, but it was issued the day after US strikes killed four IRGC soldiers, which is not nothing.