Links to reports from Reuters and the Moscow Times; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names. (Scroll down for today’s WEST BANK, GAZA, LEBANON and IRAN, and for UKRAINE 6-18-26.) — MCM

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Russia eyes diesel ban, fuel imports amid Ukrainian strikes; Crimea restricts public life. From Reuters. Russia is considering a diesel export ban, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said today, while a newspaper reported on possible fuel imports to tackle shortages, especially in Crimea, which tightened restrictions on public services and activities. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 22  Inside the Ukrainian deep-strike campaign that has Moscow on the back foot, by Brawley Benson | The Moscow Times  Seemingly more so than any other point during the war, Ukraine has been able to seriously incapacitate Russian energy infrastructure and factories contributing to the war effort. READ MORE . . .

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Links to reports from the Cradle and Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names. (Scroll up or down UKRAINE, GAZA, LEBANON and IRAN, and down for WEST BANK 6-22-26.) — MCM

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UN inquiry finds Israel ‘intentionally’ targeting Palestinian children in Gaza, occupied West Bank. From the Cradle. A report issued by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory today found that Israeli troops are deliberately targeting Palestinian children in Gaza and the occupied West Bank as a central element of their ethnic cleansing campaign. READ MORE . . .

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Netanyahu says Israel must ‘break free from dependence’ after tensions with Trump. From Middle East Monitor. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today that Israel must reduce its dependence on foreign support and build an independent arms system amid disagreements between his government and the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, Anadolu reports. READ MORE . . .

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Links to report from the Cradle and Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names. (Scroll up or down for UKRAINE, WEST BANK, LEBANON and IRAN, and down for GAZA 6-22-26.) — MCM

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UN inquiry finds Israel ‘intentionally’ targeting Palestinian children in Gaza, occupied West Bank. From the Cradle. A report issued by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory today found that Israeli troops are deliberately targeting Palestinian children in Gaza and the occupied West Bank as a central element of their ethnic cleansing campaign. READ MORE . . .

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Netanyahu says Israel must ‘break free from dependence’ after tensions with Trump. From Middle East Monitor. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today that Israel must reduce its dependence on foreign support and build an independent arms system amid disagreements between his government and the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, Anadolu reports. READ MORE . . .

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For now, links to FIVE reports from Middle East Eye, the Cradle, and Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names. (Scroll up or down for today’s UKRAINE, WEST  BANK, GAZA and IRAN so far, and down for LEBANON 6-22-26.) — MCM

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Two killed by Israeli fire in southern Lebanon. From Middle East Eye. According to a report from Lebanon’s National News Agency, two men were killed today when Israeli soldiers “opened fire with their machine-guns in their direction while they were standing near an excavator that was unblocking a road” in a town near the city of Nabatieh. READ MORE . . .

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Washington ‘ends’ Israeli freedom of action inside Lebanon: report. From the Cradle. The U.S. government has informed Israel that it no longer has authorization for “unrestricted” military action in Lebanon, despite continued Israeli attacks and occupation in the country, Channel 12 reported today. READ MORE . . .

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Netanyahu says Israel must ‘break free from dependence’ after tensions with Trump. From Middle East Monitor. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today that Israel must reduce its dependence on foreign support and build an independent arms system amid disagreements between his government and the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, Anadolu reports. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 22  New ‘deconfliction mechanism’ for Lebanon excludes Israel, limits ‘freedom of action’: report. From the Cradle. A new Lebanon “deconfliction mechanism” was reportedly established over the weekend in Switzerland during talks between Iran and the U.S., which will “exclude” Israel and involve Washington, Tehran, Beirut, Qatar, and Pakistan, Channel 12 reported on Monday without citing sources. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 22  Lebanon building damage in Israeli attacks esimated at $1.38B. From Middle East Monitor. The direct cost of damage to buildings in southern Lebanon due to the recent Israeli offensive on the country exceeded $1.38 billion, with rubble estimated at around 3.1 million cubic meters, a UN agency and a Lebanese research center said Monday. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

NOTE: Computer strangeness has “peopled” an item below.

For now, links to TEN reports: from the Associated Press, National Public Radio, the Cradle, Middle East Monitor, Middle East Eye, and Reuters, and ; others are accessible by clicking on its name or initials. (Scroll up for today’s UKRAINE, WEST BANK, GAZA and LEBANON so far, and down for IRAN 6-22-26.) — MCM

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Netanyahu says Israel must ‘break free from dependence’ after tensions with Trump. From Middle East Monitor. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today that Israel must reduce its dependence on foreign support and build an independent arms system amid disagreements between his government and the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, Anadolu reports. READ MORE . . .

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Switzerland talks end as Iran, U.S. agree on ‘working groups’ from further negotiations. From the Cradle. The first round of technical talks between the U.S. and Iran in Switzerland has ended, with both sides agreeing to establish “working groups” for further negotiations on several matters, an Iranian official said today. READ MORE . . .

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Trump says Iran agreed to nuclear inspections into ‘infinity,’ Tehran denies U.S. claims, by Tala Ramadan and Nayera Abdallah | Reuters  DUBAI — U.S. President Donald Trump said today Iran had agreed to nuclear inspections into “infinity, despite Tehran’s denials, and that unfrozen Iranian assets would be used to buy humanitarian supplies from the United States. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for reports from Middle East Monitor and Middle East Eye.

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First, a link to a report from Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on its name. (Scroll down for today’s GAZA, LEBANON and IRAN so far, and for WEST BANK 6-19-26.) — MCM

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First, a link to a report from the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on its name or initials. (Scroll up or down for today’s WEST BANK, LEBANON and IRAN so far, and down for GAZA 6-17-26.) — MCM

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For now, links to three reports: from the Cradle and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll up or down for today’s WEST BANK, GAZA and IRAN so far, and down for LEBANON 6-20-26.) — MCM

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Iran reports ‘progress’ on Lebanon, frozen assets after Switzerland talks. From the Cradle. Iranian officials and media outlets reported “progress” today, after Pakistani- and Qatari-mediated technical talks on Sunday between Tehran and Washington in Burgenstock, Switzerland. READ MORE . . .

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Israel sets ‘conditions’ for ending occupation of south Lebanon: report. From the Cradle. Israel has set several “conditions” for the withdrawal of its occupation forces from Lebanon, Hebrew newspaper Israel Hayom reported on Sunday — after Tel Aviv was forced to stop bombing the country due to the U.S.-Iran agreement. READ MORE . . . 

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NOTE: Nobody reads this blog. But . . .

For now, links to THIRTEEN reports, commentaries, interviews and analyses: from Al Mayadeen, the Associated Press, Middle East Eye, National Public Radio, Agence France-Presse, Reuters, Informed Comment, ScheerPost, and Consortium News; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll up for today’s WEST BANK, GAZA and LEBANON so far, and down for IRAN 6-21-26.) — MCM

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Baghaei: Panel to oversee Lebanon, oil, sanctions provisions. From Al Mayadeen. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei, a member of Iran’s negotiating delegation, said after the first round of Iran-U.S. talks in Switzerland concluded that the two mediators issued a joint statement drafted in consultation with both delegations, and that its contents carry particular weight for the next phase of the process. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 21  U.S.-Iran negotiations expected through the night after Trump shakes talks with threats, by Aamer Madhani, Seung Min Kim and Jamey Keaten | AP  OBBUERGEN, Switzerland — Negotiators expected to work through the night after high-level U.S.-Iran talks on their interim deal to end the war had a tense start Sunday in Switzerland, when Tehran took offense at President Donald Trump ‘s threat to attack and his warning that Iran’s president should . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.  Click HERE and HERE for reports from NPR and Reuters. 

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FROM JUNE 21  Hormuz dispute clouds Iran peace talks. Reported by Jason Fuller, Pien Huang and Sarah Robbins | NPR  At the Lake Lucerne summit, U.S. and Iranian officials are trying to keep a shaky peace effort alive after renewed violence and confusion over Hormuz. Former Ambassador Ryan Crocker talks about the need for strategic patience. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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TO BE CONTINUED

Links to reports from the Cradle, the Associated Press and National Public Radio, and to a discussion from Consortium News; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll down for ALL OF IT, and for IRAN 6-20-26.) — MCM

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Iran prioritizes Lebanon in Switzerland talks amid ‘cautious calm’ across south. From the Cradle. Iran’s negotiating team began Pakistani and Qatari-mediated discussions with Washington in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, today as a cautious calm prevailed across south Lebanon following an initial postponement of the talks over Israeli war crimes in the Levantine nation. READ MORE . . .

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Vance and Iranian officials arrive in Switzerland to launch talks on Tehran’s nuclear program, by Aamer Madhani and Seung Min Kim | AP  OBBUERGEN, Switzerland — U.S. Vice President JD Vance and senior Iranian officials arrived in Switzerland on Sunday to formally launch negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program, build out the fragile interim deal to end the war in Iran and keep the Strait of Hormuz open. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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What could make a peace deal with Iran viable? One expert weighs in. Ayesha Rascoe of NPR asks Ali Vaez, director of the Iran Project at the International Crisis Group, about the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding and the priorities for a future peace deal. Click HERE later to listen and, still later, read.

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FROM JUNE 20  Iran claims Hormuz closure, U.S. says ships still passing. Reported by Jane Arraf and Pien Huang | NPR  Iran says it has closed the Strait of Hormuz again. The U.S. military says traffic is still flowing. NPR’s Jane Arraf reports from Beirut. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM JUNE 20  Watch: The World This Week — ‘Terms of U.S. surrender.’ Joe Lauria of Consortium News spoke with former CIA analyst and CN contributor Patrick Lawrence. From intro: “After losing the war, a major U.S.-Israel row is coming to a head with the fate of Mideast peace and the global economy on the line.“ Click HERE for video and print introduction.

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