US-Iran peace deal remains elusive as choice of US targets draws legal questions | First Thing

The US and Iran remain distant from a peace deal, despite President Trump's claims of impending agreement. Iran's foreign ministry has dismissed these assertions, stating that any understanding would be announced by them. Meanwhile, US military strikes on June 10th, which damaged two water storage facilities in southern Iran, are drawing scrutiny from legal and military experts who question if these actions constitute a war crime by targeting civilian objects. The article also briefly touches on legal challenges to the US's nitrogen hypoxia execution method and the use of Pokémon Go data for military drone training.

Global oil prices significantly dropped on Friday, reaching lows not seen since early March, following US President Donald Trump's announcement that he was close to a peace deal with Iran. Brent crude fell from around $93 a barrel to briefly trade below $85 as optimism grew that a deal could lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil trade route, over the weekend. Trump called off planned military strikes against Iran, citing progress in talks. While Tehran indicated a final decision was pending, it stated large parts of an agreement had been finalized. This development has injected confidence into the market, suggesting a potential normalization of oil flows.