Morning Briefing: June 4, 2026

Here's a rundown of all the news you need to start your Thursday, including the latest developments regarding efforts to end the US-Israeli war against Iran, Lebanon-Israel talks at the US State Department and the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara.

TOP STORIES

Trump says negotiations with Iran going ‘very well’

US President Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran are proceeding "very well."

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump was asked whether a ceasefire involving Iran remained in effect following the latest developments.

"They did something, not a big deal. We got it. We nipped it in the bud very quickly, as we do with the greatest military in the world," he said.

Iran, US reviewing exchanged texts, working on ‘final formula,’ foreign minister says

Iran and the United States are reviewing texts exchanged through intermediaries and working toward a “final formula” for a possible understanding, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview with Lebanon’s Al Mayadeen television network.

“There is currently no negotiation mechanism in place, but messages are being exchanged with the Americans,” Araghchi said.

“Our contact with the Americans has not been cut off, but no progress has been achieved in the negotiations,” he added.

Trump to attend 'most important' NATO summit in Türkiye: Rubio

US President Donald Trump will attend the NATO heads of state summit in Ankara in July, said Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Rubio said the summit would be the "most important meeting" in the alliance's history because "there are some things here that need to be cleared up and fixed."

“The United States is still in the NATO alliance and we'll be there," Rubio told the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• The US House of Representatives backed a war powers resolution to remove the US Armed Forces from hostilities against Iran.
• China called on the US and Iran to honor the ceasefire, urging the warring sides against “renewed warfare.”
• Lebanon and Israel have agreed to renew their fragile ceasefire and establish "pilot zones" placing the Lebanese Armed Forces in exclusive territorial control, with all non-state actors excluded, according to a joint statement.
• French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu called on Israel to end its "illegal occupation" of Lebanese territory, warning that the country's military strategy risks undermining regional stability.
• Germany failed to win a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council in a rare diplomatic setback widely attributed to international backlash over Berlin’s staunch support for Israel.
• Kyrgyzstan was elected a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the first time in its history, securing the required two-thirds majority in the UN General Assembly after four rounds of voting.
• Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto during a visit to Jakarta, said diplomatic sources.
• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington is finalizing a $400 million military aid package for Ukraine, with an official announcement expected shortly.
• US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine paid his first official visit to Venezuela.
• A cross-party group of British lawmakers warned that the pro-Israel US technology company Palantir has gained an outsized role in the UK public sector, creating what they described as an "unacceptable point of weakness" in the government's digital infrastructure.
• Kenyan Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the government will not seek public consultation on the establishment of a US-linked Ebola quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base.
• The head of the World Health Organization said efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are gaining ground despite major challenges, including weak contact tracing, community mistrust and the absence of vaccines and therapeutics.
• France intends to disband a far-right and a far-left group, said government spokesperson Maud Bregeon.
• Poland extended a restricted-access zone along part of its border with Belarus for another 90 days, saying migration pressure on the EU's eastern frontier remains a security concern despite a sharp decline in illegal crossing attempts.

• Hate crimes and incidents in Spain rose to a record high in 2025, up by 23.6% from the previous year, according to an Interior Ministry report.
  
  BUSINESS & ECONOMY
  

  Oil prices rise on uncertainty over US-Iran peace talks, renewed Gulf tensions

Oil prices increased, driven by uncertainty surrounding US-Iran peace talks and renewed tension in the Gulf.

International benchmark Brent crude traded at $97.85 per barrel at 9.45 a.m. local time (0645GMT), up around 1.9% from the previous close of $96.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude increased about 2.1% to $95.69 per barrel, compared with $93.76 in the previous session.

Global Islamic Economy Summit begins in Istanbul

The 3rd Global Islamic Economy Summit began in Istanbul, gathering global policymakers, central bank governors, investors, financial institutions, academics and industry representatives.

The four-day summit, till June 6, organized by the AlBaraka Islamic Economy Forum under AlBaraka Summits Türkiye, is taking place at Halkbank's headquarters at the Istanbul Financial Center.

This year’s event was organized under the theme “Capital in the Islamic Economy: Structuring Wealth for Sustainable Development,” focusing on ethical finance, sustainable development and the future of Islamic economics and finance.