Middle East crisis live: White House says Iran report on draft deal is ‘complete fabrication’

From 19m agoWhite House says Iran report on draft deal is 'complete fabrication'

The White House on Wednesday blasted an Iranian state television report about a framework deal with the United States to end the Middle East war as a “complete fabrication.”

The Iranian report cited a draft outline of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that it said included a US commitment to lift the naval blockade on Iran and withdraw its forces from the Gulf region.

“This report from Iranian controlled media is not true and the MOU they ’released’ is a complete fabrication. Nobody should believe what Iranian state media is putting out. FACTS MATTER,” the White House said on X as it lashed out at US media for reporting the Iranian claims.

The White House on Wednesday blasted an Iranian state television report about a framework deal with the United States to end the Middle East war as a “complete fabrication.”","elementId":"93fea529-64bc-432e-8e6e-f7e1becffc43"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

The Iranian report cited a draft outline of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that it said included a US commitment to lift the naval blockade on Iran and withdraw its forces from the Gulf region.","elementId":"4cf32ba4-09b8-462f-9333-7554fd620887"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

“This report from Iranian controlled media is not true and the MOU they ’released’ is a complete fabrication. Nobody should believe what Iranian state media is putting out. FACTS MATTER,” the White House said on X as it lashed out at US media for reporting the Iranian claims.","elementId":"787df61e-c7d2-4c96-875f-9ff6cae69a15"}],"attributes":{"pinned":true,"keyEvent":true,"summary":false},"blockCreatedOn":1779895219000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"17.20 CEST","blockLastUpdated":1779896524000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"17.42 CEST","blockFirstPublished":1779896525000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"17.42 CEST","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"17.42","title":"White House says Iran report on draft deal is 'complete fabrication'","contributors":[],"primaryDateLine":"Wed 27 May 2026 17.42 CEST","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Wed 27 May 2026 08.53 CEST"},{"id":"6a16e4128f08c2c7e6ab2a2b","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

Iran’s state TV said Tehran had obtained a draft of an initial unofficial framework for a memorandum of understanding with the US.","elementId":"544b2223-0bdd-4f3c-8ce4-aae0faba76c9"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

Under the framework, Iran would restore commercial shipping through the strait of Hormuz to pre-war levels within a month, while the US would withdraw military forces from Iran’s vicinity and lift a naval blockade.","elementId":"8194c9d5-7829-4981-92eb-a33900dc434e"}],"attributes":{"pinned":false,"keyEvent":true,"summary":false},"blockCreatedOn":1779885074000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"14.31 CEST","blockLastUpdated":1779887182000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"15.06 CEST","blockFirstPublished":1779885304000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"14.35 CEST","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"14.35","title":"Iran says draft US deal would reopen Hormuz shipping","contributors":[],"primaryDateLine":"Wed 27 May 2026 17.42 CEST","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Wed 27 May 2026 08.53 CEST"},{"id":"6a16cebf8f0862b31fbd85ac","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

A recap of today’s events:","elementId":"126f23b2-23d1-4998-b43f-995eac58bb05"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"\n \n

Hezbollah said it traded fire with Israeli soldiers in Lebanon as the Israeli military appeared to push deeper in the country. The Iran-backed group said its fighters engaged in close-range combat with Israeli troops in Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, a town north of the Litani river and beyond the buffer zone that Israel has enforced in parts of southern Lebanon.\n \n

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 31 people in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, according to health officials, in one of the deadliest attacks since a ceasefire took effect in April. The Israeli prime minister. Benjamin Netanyahu, said he had instructed the military to expand its operations in Lebanon with “large forces on the ground” and take control of new areas north of the Israeli-held buffer zone.\n \n

US president Donald Trump is expected to hold a cabinet meeting today as talks on ending the nearly three-month war with Iran reach a crucial stage amid conflicting signals over whether an agreement is close.\n \n

An Iranian official said Tehran and Washington have not yet reached an agreement on the strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively shut since the start of the war in February. “Until we agree on all the issues, we consider that we have agreed on nothing,” Ali Bagheri, Iran’s deputy secretary of the supreme national security council, was quoted as saying.\n \n

He also said Iran was negotiating with Oman, whose territory sits on the other side of the strait, on a new procedure for ships to pass the key waterway.\n \n

South Korea said a probe into an attack on a cargo ship in the strait of Hormuz assessed that it likely involved an Iranian missile. Components in the debris from unidentified objects that were found inside the HMM Namu, which came under attack on 4 May, indicated they were likely made in Iran, according to a South Korean foreign ministry official.\n \n

Israel has claimed to have killed Mohammed Odeh, head of Hamas’s armed wing, in a strike on Gaza City last night. If confirmed, his death comes just 11 days after the Israeli military killed his predecessor. Hamas has yet to comment on the report.\n","elementId":"b5920383-8899-412d-93ff-5223c7f021fc"}],"attributes":{"pinned":false,"keyEvent":false,"summary":true},"blockCreatedOn":1779879615000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"13.00 CEST","blockLastUpdated":1779883229000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"14.00 CEST","blockFirstPublished":1779883229000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"14.00 CEST","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"14.00","title":"Summary of developments so far","contributors":[],"primaryDateLine":"Wed 27 May 2026 17.42 CEST","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Wed 27 May 2026 08.53 CEST"},{"id":"6a16bfb78f0872784f912033","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

Hezbollah said its fighters clashed with Israeli soldiers in a town north of the Litani river, beyond the boundary of Israel’s self-declared military security zone in southern Lebanon.","elementId":"856d5f45-4ed4-49af-a120-67216a723765"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

It comes a day after the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, announced he had instructed the military to expand its operations in Lebanon with “large forces on the ground” and take control of new areas north of the Israeli-held buffer zone.","elementId":"96e7d5eb-9757-45ad-9fc1-6fe86f5ad75e"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

In a statement carried by the Hezbollah-owned Al Manar TV, the group said its fighters “clashed with enemy forces at point-blank range” in the town of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, about a mile north of the Litani river.","elementId":"1653fab9-1a4d-4443-b55f-6447fbdcf5e2"}],"attributes":{"pinned":false,"keyEvent":true,"summary":false},"blockCreatedOn":1779875767000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"11.56 CEST","blockLastUpdated":1779877114000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"12.18 CEST","blockFirstPublished":1779877115000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"12.18 CEST","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"12.18","title":"Hezbollah says its fighters 'clashed' with Israeli soldiers north of Lebanon's Litani river","contributors":[],"primaryDateLine":"Wed 27 May 2026 17.42 CEST","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Wed 27 May 2026 08.53 CEST"},{"id":"6a16b9cb8f0872784f912001","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

South Korea said a probe into an attack on a cargo ship in the strait of Hormuz assessed that it likely involved an Iranian missile.","elementId":"26f8cd10-496c-4dcc-9325-0dd5d4a004d5"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

The ship, operated by South Korean shipping firm HMM Co, was struck by “two unidentified aircraft” in the strait on 4 May, causing a fire and leaving one of the vessel’s 24 crew members with minor injuries.","elementId":"fdf75d43-37be-4815-8175-6cb773b5175f"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

At a briefing today to announce the outcome of a government investigation into the attack, the first vice minister of foreign affairs, Park Yoon-joo, said: “Various pieces of evidence point toward Iran.”","elementId":"d305b87a-c0dc-40dd-a354-1e8dad4a3993"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

Components in the debris from unidentified objects that were found inside the ship indicated they were likely made in Iran, according to Park.","elementId":"5df4acd0-9cb4-49c2-aa66-26417fc05021"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

“Their engines were similar to turbojet engines made in Iran,” he said, adding that South Korea will summon the Iranian ambassador to share the results of the investigation and deliver a protest message.","elementId":"74fcd16c-9e0d-4698-9983-21fe83d35f79"}],"attributes":{"pinned":false,"keyEvent":true,"summary":false},"blockCreatedOn":1779874251000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"11.30 CEST","blockLastUpdated":1779875431000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"11.50 CEST","blockFirstPublished":1779875431000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"11.50 CEST","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"11.50","title":"South Korea says strike on ship in strait of Hormuz likely involved Iranian missile","contributors":[],"primaryDateLine":"Wed 27 May 2026 17.42 CEST","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Wed 27 May 2026 08.53 CEST"},{"id":"6a16b4898f0872784f911fb7","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

Iran and the US have not yet reached an agreement on the strait of Hormuz, said Ali Bagheri, Iran’s deputy secretary of the supreme national security council, according to Russia’s Ria Novosti news agency.","elementId":"ae907f5a-8629-4605-a8cc-309690808cbb"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a security summit in Moscow, he said: “Until we agree on all the issues, we consider that we have agreed on nothing.”","elementId":"a8b073e9-b05d-4eda-b660-c5a4a90f335a"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

“Iran and Oman, as adjacent coastal states, are negotiating together to determine a new mechanism for passage through the strait of Hormuz,” Bagheri was quoted as saying.","elementId":"1d625131-ab46-41e6-a36e-4eb0351eb9ce"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

When asked about Iran’s enriched uranium, he said it was “not on the agenda” in talks between Tehran and Washington, despite US president Donald Trump claiming earlier this week that it would be transferred to the US “immediately” to be destroyed.","elementId":"0dd43429-522a-46b7-97a2-d1d71b8617de"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

Bagheri added that indirect negotiations are continuing.","elementId":"306717a8-7c71-4699-bd85-2ae705d776e3"}],"attributes":{"pinned":false,"keyEvent":true,"summary":false},"blockCreatedOn":1779872905000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"11.08 CEST","blockLastUpdated":1779874216000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"11.30 CEST","blockFirstPublished":1779874217000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"11.30 CEST","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"11.30","title":"Iran and US have not reached agreement on strait of Hormuz, says Tehran official","contributors":[],"primaryDateLine":"Wed 27 May 2026 17.42 CEST","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Wed 27 May 2026 08.53 CEST"},{"id":"6a16a50d8f0803c3c6f95c0c","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

Israel has claimed to have killed Mohammed Odeh, head of Hamas’s armed wing, in a strike on Gaza City last night.","elementId":"90d421a2-7fcf-44c5-911f-6a6f7af6cf4b"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the joint operation with intelligence agency Shin Bet targeted “several buildings” in the northern Gaza Strip which it claimed were used as a “hideout” by Odeh.","elementId":"dd2ae744-4092-4da6-8687-3d57aee40bf1"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

Israel considers Odeh one of the architects of the 7 October attacks.","elementId":"d3ce906a-ce20-4901-b167-5ed0b0769c6e"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

“We committed to eliminating everyone who led the October 7 massacre,” the Israeli defence minister, Israel Katz, posted on X. “All of them are marked for death, wherever they may be.”","elementId":"a51d37a6-c207-41be-a4c4-189a7385731e"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

He added:","elementId":"39f3f2f4-2145-4cb6-b384-f30653b909ac"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement","html":"\n

We committed that Hamas will not rule Gaza civilly or militarily, and so it shall be, and also the voluntary emigration plan from Gaza will be implemented – everything at the right timing and in the right manner.\n","elementId":"ce1e178c-c482-4def-9900-0c6de42222d3"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

Odeh was appointed as chief of the Qassam Brigades last week after his predecessor, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, was killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza on 16 May.","elementId":"7567a7fc-6427-48d2-8131-0fe789adfca5"}],"attributes":{"pinned":false,"keyEvent":true,"summary":false},"blockCreatedOn":1779868941000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"10.02 CEST","blockLastUpdated":1779870419000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"10.26 CEST","blockFirstPublished":1779870419000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"10.26 CEST","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"10.26","title":"Israeli officials say Hamas military chief killed in airstrike in Gaza","contributors":[],"primaryDateLine":"Wed 27 May 2026 17.42 CEST","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Wed 27 May 2026 08.53 CEST"},{"id":"6a161c848f0803c3c6f9591c","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

Welcome to the Guardian’s continuing coverage of the crisis in the Middle East.","elementId":"37e410fb-b8b0-4b59-8947-6d5938f757e1"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

Israel pounded Lebanon with more than 120 airstrikes