Morning Briefing: May 25, 2026

Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Monday, including a US official saying that Washington and Tehran have reached a preliminary deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Türkiye and seven other countries condemning an Israeli minister over the treatment of flotilla detainees, and a suspected suicide bombing targeting a train in Pakistan leaving 23 people dead and 70 injured.

TOP STORIES

• US official says Washington, Tehran reach preliminary deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz: Reports

The US and Iran have agreed in principle to a deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for Tehran's commitment to dispose of its highly enriched uranium, an American official said, according to a report by the New York Times.

The official said the agreement has not yet been signed and remains subject to final approval by US President Donald Trump and Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, a process that could take several days, noting that the method for disposing of Iran’s highly enriched uranium is still being negotiated.

The proposed deal does not address Iran’s missile stockpile or include a moratorium on uranium enrichment, the official said, adding these issues are expected to be handled in future rounds of talks.

• Türkiye, 7 other countries condemn Israeli minister over flotilla detainees' treatment

The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates strongly condemned what they described as “appalling, degrading and unacceptable” actions by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir against the participants of a Gaza-bound flotilla held in Israeli detention.

In a joint statement, the ministers said Ben-Gvir’s public humiliation of detainees constituted a “disgraceful assault on human dignity” and a "clear violation" of Israel’s obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

They also strongly condemned what they described as illegal acts of incitement and violence by Ben-Gvir and other Israeli officials against Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory.

• Suspected suicide bombing targeting train in Pakistan kills 23, injures 70

At least 23 people were killed and 70 injured in a suspected suicide bombing targeting a train in southwestern Pakistan, police sources told Anadolu.

According to the sources, a suspected suicide bomber believed to have acted alone rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a train carrying military personnel in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province.

The blast occurred along a railway track as the train was heading toward the city’s cantonment area.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• China successfully launched its Shenzhou-23 crewed spacecraft, marking another major step in the country’s expanding space ambitions and long-duration human spaceflight research.
• US President Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran are “orderly and constructive” and vowed the blockade will remain in place until a final agreement is reached.
• Iranian air defenses have shot down an Israeli surveillance drone over the country's southern Hormozgan province, Iran's semi-official news agency Mehr reported.
• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed progress toward a possible agreement between the US and Iran, stressing the need for a deal that would reduce tensions and prevent further escalation in the region.
• UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed progress toward a potential agreement between the US and Iran, stressing the need for international efforts to secure a lasting diplomatic solution.
• Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar hailed a "very deep, very broad-based cooperation" as he hosted US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New Delhi, who is on his maiden trip to the South Asian country.
• The US and Iran are close to signing a 60-day ceasefire extension that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, allowing Iran to resume oil sales and creating a window for negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear program, according to a US official familiar with the draft agreement, the Axios news website reported.
• Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will run for a second term in the 2027 presidential election, said an official.
• Confirmed cases of the Ebola virus disease have passed the 100 mark as infections surge in the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to a report by health authorities.
• Bangladesh's health authorities recorded 16 more fatalities of children with measles-like symptoms, taking the death toll to 528 since mid-March.
• The foreign ministers of Türkiye and 17 other countries strongly condemned the “illegal and unacceptable” move by the breakaway Somaliland region to open a so-called embassy in occupied Jerusalem.
• Türkiye’s special representative for the normalization process with Armenia said the opening of the Akhalkalaki-Kars railway line to Armenia’s imports and exports marks a new step in trade relations between the two neighboring countries.
• European leaders and officials have strongly condemned a wave of Russian missile and drone attacks across Ukraine, describing the strikes as deliberate targeting of civilians and a further escalation of the war while reaffirming continued military and political support for Kyiv.
• The death toll from Ukraine's drone attack on a college building and dormitory in the city of Starobilsk in Ukraine's Russia-controlled Luhansk region rose to 21, according to regional authorities.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Egypt signs deal for 1st nationwide airborne mineral survey in 42 years

Egypt has signed an agreement with a Spanish firm to implement the first comprehensive aerial survey of the country’s mineral resources in 42 years through a large-scale geophysical mapping project, said the Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ministry.

Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi witnessed the initial signing of the agreement between the Mineral Resources and Mining Industries Authority and Spain’s Xcalibur.

The agreement was signed at Marsa Alam Airport on the Red Sea coast, where a specialized aircraft equipped with advanced technology arrived ahead of survey operations, the ministry said.