The US Senate has passed a war powers bill to block US military action against Iran. It comes as Tehran and Washington disagree over Iran's commitment to nuclear inspections, and the UN begins an evacuation of stranded seafarers through the Strait of Hormuz. A UN inquiry has also found Israeli authorities and security forces have deliberately targeted Palestinian children in Gaza and the West Bank.
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TRANSCRIPT
The United States Senate has passed a war powers bill seeking to block US military action against Iran.
The 50 to 48 vote marks the first time such a bill has passed both chambers of Congress, after nine previous attempts.
The measure would require the president to seek Congressional approval for any further military force against Iran.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer says Mr Trump's actions in Iran have been too costly, and must be stopped.
"Madam President, for years, Trump promised to put maximum pressure on Iran, but he ended up delivering maximum confusion, maximum chaos, maximum cost to the American people with his disastrous war. Every second this war continues, the costs to the American people go up."
Four Republicans crossed party lines to vote in favour of the resolution, joining a growing number of conservative politicians expressing concern over both the war and the recent deal President Trump struck with Iran.
The resolution is what's called a "concurrent resolution" - and does not require President Trump's signature, nor does it carry the force of law.
But, Democratic member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Greg Meeks says he will explore all legal avenues to ensure the Trump administration complies with the will of Congress.
Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries says the Pentagon's recent request for billions of dollars to cover the cost of the war is a sign of its failure.
"Their reckless and costly war of choice has been a disaster for the American people, and the notion that they'll come up to Capitol Hill to try to get an additional $80 billion to continue to waste taxpayer money on an endless war in the Middle East that Donald Trump promised he wouldn't start, but would stop, is beyond reckless."
The Senate resolution comes as a disagreement between Tehran and Washington continues over Iran's commitment to nuclear inspections.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian says no negotiations will take place on the country’s ballistic missiles.
He claims the issue was not in the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the US.
" I would like to say that if it was not for Iran’s missile capabilities, to defend ourselves, our country would have been plundered and destroyed... we shall never compromise or negotiate with anyone about our missile capabilities.”
While US President Donald Trump insists Iran has agreed to allow International Atomic Energy Agency to undertake nuclear inspections, vowing to stop talks if Tehran backs down.
"They're wrong. They're wrong. They know they're wrong, they told us inside and we have it down 100 percent inspections. And if they were right, I'd cancel the meetings right now."
The disagreement follows last week's US-Iran deal ((18 June)), which triggered a 60-day period for negotiations.
It included a requirement that Iran would ensure toll-free passage for commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz for at least 60 days, and restore the flow of all traffic within 30 days.
The United Nations has now announced an evacuation plan has begun which will see 11,000 stranded sailors transit through the Strait.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric says the operation will be carried out with the cooperation of Iran, Oman, the United States and the maritime industry.
"The IMO Secretary-General, Arsenio Dominguez, said IMO secured the necessary safety guarantees and thoroughly verified the conditions for safe navigation to support these operations. The operation marks a significant step towards alleviating the humanitarian impact of the crisis on thousands of seafarers who've endured months of uncertainty, months of unrestricted movements, and mounting welfare concerns."
Diplomacy efforts are also ramping up this week, with Mr Pezeshkian in Islamabad for talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who mediated the last round of US-Iran talks in Switzerland.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has arrived in Abu Dhabi as part of a tour of Gulf state allies, and Lebanon and Israel have begun direct talks in Washington.
Both Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel have accused each other of breaking a renewed ceasefire in Lebanon, and the Lebanese Health ministry says Israeli forces killed two people in southern Lebanon on Tuesday ((23 June)).
But UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric says a lull in fighting is largely holding, calling on all sides to refrain from escalation.
" We urge all parties to adhere fully to the ceasefire and refrain from any escalation, particularly during this delicate period of ongoing negotiations."
Meanwhile, the UN has accused Israeli authorities and security forces of deliberately targeting Palestinian children, resulting in genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza, and war crimes in the occupied West Bank.
A report from an independent UN commission has examined violations against Palestinian children since the start of the war in Gaza, finding around 30 per cent of those killed were children.
The Israeli government has rejected the findings, calling the report 'deeply flawed', and asserting it ignores 'the brutal tactics of Hamas.'
Chair of the inquiry, Srinivasan Muralidhar says the evidence is irrefutable, claiming between October 2023 and October 2025, more than 20,000 children have been killed - and more than 44,000 children injured.
"The use of torture, inhumane and degrading treatment, including use of sexual and gender-based violence against Palestinian children, as well as targeting of critical infrastructure essential to children such as orphanages, healthcare and educational facilities. There has been a widespread and systematic killing and harming of children."
Israel's leaders have repeatedly rejected allegations of genocide, saying its military's operations in Gaza have been conducted in self-defence, to defeat Hamas and to secure the release of Israeli hostages.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry has welcomed the report, calling on the international community to take immediate action, and hold Israel to account.
In Gaza City, Palestinian man Muhammad Al-Yaziji echoes these calls for accountability.
(Arabic* then translated into English): "After what? Let them bring out my family members from under the rubble. What was the fault of the children, the elderly and the women? I want to know, what was their fault? What was the fault of my mother, whom I have still not been able to see buried or bid farewell to?"
