Iran talks amid continued threats and regional tensions

Off Leash update 12 June 2026

IRAN •Pres. Trump threatened to carry out strikes on Iran for a third straight night before abruptly calling them off with an announcement that a peace deal is "in pretty final shape" and could be signed as soon as this weekend. •Iran's state media contradicted Trump's claim and reported that "nothing is finalized" yet, but Iranian officials confirmed to Al Jazeera off the record that Iran's leaders are indeed reviewing a memorandum of understanding they received from U.S. negotiators. •Like Trump, Iran continued to make public threats while working towards a peace deal behind the scenes. State media broadcast the military's threats to target regional assets linked to Elon Musk and his companies in revenge for the key role his Starlink internet service has played in U.S. military operations against Iran. •Separately, the World Bank downgraded its global growth forecast for 2026 from 2.6% to 2.5%, blaming energy supply disruptions caused by the Iran war. Likewise, the UK reported its first monthly economic contraction since August, citing the effect of the war on output.

UK •UK defence minister John Healey unexpectedly resigned yesterday, citing Prime Minister Starmer's failure to adequately invest in the military: "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."

SWITZERLAND •Switzerland is putting a unique question to a vote on Sunday, with a referendum on whether to enact a population cap. •If passed, the measure would oblige the government to act - e.g. by sharpening asylum and family unification rules or ending free movement across borders with the European Union - once the country's population reaches 10 million (vs. 9.1 million today). •Polling suggests Swiss voters are roughly split on the idea, with slightly more against it than for it. But experts say polls often misjudge support for immigration-related proposals.

SOUTH KOREA •Ousted South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his former defense minister were each sentenced to 30 years in prison for ordering provocative drone flights into North Korea in 2024. Prosecutors argued that Yoon ordered the incursions to stir trouble with Pyongyang and justify his declaration of martial law. •Yoon is already jailed on other charges including rebellion, for which prosecutors had sought the death penalty. Yoon is appealing his convictions.

AFGHANISTAN •Afghanistan's Taliban enforcers detained at least 30 women in Herat over alleged "noncompliance" with its strict female dress rules. A local witness told Human Rights Watch that "All the women were wearing hijabs, but the style did not meet their [the police’s] preferences." •The arrests sparked protests that security forces met with excessive force, killing a child and beating up dozens of demonstrators.