French star Boisson has Wimbledon hopes ended

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Breakout Roland Garros star Lois Boisson saw her hopes of a maiden Wimbledon main-draw appearance ended in the first round of qualifying.

The 22-year-old rose to 65 in the world following her fairytale run to the French Open semi-finals as a 361st-ranked wildcard at the French Open.

However, the cut-off to enter the main draw is about six weeks before the tournament – when Boisson was still ranked outside the top 400.

That meant she had to go through qualifying, where on Tuesday she suffered a 6-2 6-7 (1-7) 6-4 defeat by Canada’s world number 197 Carson Branstine.

Branstine will face compatriot and long-time friend Bianca Andreescu for a place in the third and final round of qualifying.

Former US Open champion Andreescu, currently ranked 147th following a series of injuries and illnesses, comfortably beat Brazil’s Laura Pigossi 6-2 6-1.

The pair won the Australian Open girls’ doubles title together in 2017 and will face each other in a senior singles match for the first time.

Britons Emily Appleton and Amarni Banks progressed to the second qualifying round in the women’s draw.

Appleton, 25, completed a comeback victory over Swiss player Simona Waltert, winning 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 6-3 to set up a meeting with Czech player Barbora Palicova.

The 22-year-old Banks also went the distance in a 6-4 1-6 6-3 victory over Austria’s Julia Grabher.

But Katie Swan, Yuriko Miyazaki, Ella McDonald, Ranah Akua Stoiber, Amelia Rajecki and Katy Dunne all lost their respective matches.

Swan lost 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (8-6) to Spain’s Leyre Romero Gormaz, while Miyazaki forced a third set but eventually fell 6-4 4-6 6-2 to Russian Oksana Selekhmeteva.

McDonald lost 4-6 7-5 6-1 to Latvia’s Darja Semenistaja, Stoiber was beaten by Poland’s Katarzyna Kawa 5-7 6-4 6-1 and Rajecki exited in a 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-2) defeat by Belarusian Iryna Shymanovich.

Dunne, meanwhile, lost out 6-4 6-3 to experienced French player Alize Cornet, who came out of retirement this year.

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JoJo Siwa ‘stepping into something new’ as she reveals ‘tough’ part of Chris Hughes romance

As she enters a “new era” in her life and career as a result of her relationship with Chris Hughes, celebrity Big Brother star JoJo Siwa has posted about “stepping into something new” in her life and career.

JoJo Siwa shared a message with fans after an interview about her life and career was released(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Former child star JoJo Siwa has said that “it’s time to find the woman” that she’s becoming. She’s teased that she is navigating a “new era” of her life, with the singer telling fans this week that she’s now “stepping into something new”.

JoJo, 22, rose to fame on shows like Dance Moms before appearing in a host of Nickelodeon projects. She’s also pursued a career in music, with her debut single released when she was 12 and then four years later she’s said to have become the youngest person to headline the O2 Arena.

In more recent years, the reality TV star has ditched the colourful outfits and signature bow ties that she was once associated with. Then, earlier this year, she was a finalist on Celebrity Big Brother and her relationship with co-star Chris Hughes, 32, has continued to make headlines since.

JoJo Siwa, in a blue top and pink jacket, in 2017.
JoJo Siwa, pictured in 2017, rose to fame as a child star, appearing on shows like Dance Moms(Image: Getty Images)

JoJo opened up about her life and career in an interview with YOU magazine that published last week. It included her discussing navigating work as she gets older, her sexuality and her relationship with former Love Island star Chris.

JoJo stated to fans that she is looking forward to a future away from “living inside a sparkly little bubble” after the interview was released and during a reflection on a photo shoot that followed. However, she suggested that it be “a little scary.”

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JoJo’s photos showed her wearing less colorful clothing than she had worn earlier in her career. The singer was posing in a white vest and brown skirt, with pink and blue lighting visible behind her against a gray background.

She wrote on Instagram yesterday: “Stepping into something new… and a little scary. These photos are different. They’re bold. They’re grown. They’re me. For the longest time, I lived inside a sparkly little bubble – and while I love her, it’s time to find the woman I am becoming #JoJoSiwa #NewEra.”

JoJo continued, “This shoot pushed me,” in a follow-up post. To feel and pose differently as well. letting go of restraint To stop pondering, “Is this what people want from me?” and begin to inquire, “Is this me?” Yes, I say that. So, to the discomfort, good things always live there. #Fearless #AdultJoJo #OutOfMyComfortZone.

JoJo Siwa, in a black jacket and white shirt, in 2025.
She’s since ditched her signature look and posted this week about it being ‘time to find the woman’ that she’s ‘becoming’(Image: Variety via Getty Images)

Addressing fans, she wrote in a third post: “To anyone afraid to change… I get it. But we don’t grow inside the lines. mess it up, try it anyway, and let the world see you. Here I am. Love her, fear her, or try to figure her out – this is me.”

JoJo addressed the interview’s own discussion of how to grow professionally as a result. She continued, “As of right now, I couldn’t sell out an arena.” I mean, obviously, the goal is to return, but you get older, change, and behave differently, so I’m not doing the same thing.

She suggested that she betrayed her earlier self and wondered if she had been “more successful” than she is now. JoJo, however, added that she is proud of what she accomplished as a teenager and that she has “got to give it up” for her.

Chris Hughes, in a blue hoodie, and JoJo Siwa, in a black top, cuddled up together in a selfie.
It comes after JoJo, pictured with Chris Hughes, spoke about her life and career in a new interview(Image: Instagram/itsjojosiwa)

She also recalls making the confession that she was gay when she was 17 in the interview. JoJo claimed that she then “boxed” herself by revealing her gender. She suggested that she had felt “pressure,” but JoJo now describes herself as queer, according to the outlet.

Continue reading the article.

In the interview, the singer from the US, who claimed that she views sexuality as being “fluid,” also spoke about her relationship with UK-born Chris. She remarked, “I’ve previously had a long-distance relationship, and it’s difficult, obviously, but you make it work.” She did, however, claim that they are “lucky” because of their “control” careers.

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‘Duckett would’ve infuriated me as a bowler – he’s one of world’s best’

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Nothing can compare to the drama and tension of Headingley Miracle, which was filmed in the Ashes in 2019.

However, England’s 371-run victory over India in the first Test on the same ground is unmatched in terms of pure run chase.

Here, there are some unique things.

Stokes’ victory and the famous 1981 Ashes comeback victory, which were both inspired by Ian Botham and Bob Willis’ iconic performances, are the most memorable.

That day, Butcher batted like a god.

He told me that he has never played like it before when we had dinner with him this week. It was an innings once in a lifetime.

In contrast, Duckett simply batted like Duckett and recorded 149, which is the second-highest score by an England opener in the fourth innings.

Many of the other great fourth-innings centuries are defensive in nature because they attempt to save the game.

Duckett’s attack was flawlessly controlled despite his excellent control.

The 30-year-old makes the most of his shortness, his size, by adjusting bowlers’ lengths, and plays those cuts, pulls, and sweeps. Ravindra Jadeja’s reverse-sweep for six off was simply extraordinary.

When I bowled Duckett, I would have found him enraging. You assume as a bowler that he will eventually nick one behind, but somehow he doesn’t because he leaves the ball so rarely outside off the stump.

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It’s not hard to dispute the fact that he is one of the best batters currently playing all different types of baseball.

He benefits from having a few more expansive shots in the shortest format, which makes him switch between formats more easily, as he does in a T20.

Given his difficult first Test debut, his success is made even more cheery.

After he looked out of his depth in those four Tests in India and Bangladesh in 2016, a number of people who I respect greatly advised me to keep an open mind about Duckett.

Although Duckett had a 15.71 on average, I was instructed to believe.

You would want to have him in your team because he is now one of the key players in England’s XI and has benefited from Stokes and Brendon McCullum’s new start in 2022.

Duckett never backs away from the fight, standing there with his chest puffed out, and never takes a backseat.

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Zak Crawley deserves a lot of praise for this incredible victory, especially since he more than contributed to the opening stand of 188 with Duckett, which provided the platform for England to finish their second-highest Test run ever.

Because of how much control they displayed, I think their partnership is so highly regarded.

The refined version of England’s attacking strategy has been discussed a lot. It was in top condition here.

Although India’s attack lacks other than the exceptional Jasprit Bumrah, Crawley and Duckett batted with control rather than being reckless as they did in the terrible winter defeats of Rawalpindi and Hamilton.

Avoid the enormous pressure of leaving with such a target.

We have been yelling for England to display some common sense, which they did in a modern sense.

At no point did it seem like a wild assault despite the batsmen’s four or five runs per over. They tossed the ball around in an effort to get rid of the bad shots.

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After scoring seven wickets in the match, Josh Tongue deserves praise. India should have buried England with a 600-run first-innings score from 430-3.

Given how under Stokes, they have struggled to do so under his leadership, and having the Tongue twice now should make their next choice easier, is a big plus for England.

Jofra Archer has been the subject of a lot of speculation, but I’m hoping that is all that is true now that England are taking on Edgbaston with a win.

There is no reason to rush Archer back after a first-class match, despite all the heartache, careful planning, and both sides’ patience.

You can bowl as many overs in the nets as you like and play as many T20s as you like, but you won’t be ready for Test cricket until you have bowled spell after spell and backed it up once more.

On Sunday, Sussex will play in the Sussex County Championship.

If England want to make a change, let Archer play in that and he will then be ready for the third Test at Lord’s.

One of their best performances in recent memory was at Headingley, and they deserve a lot of credit. Stop being so silly right now.

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‘I raced rock stars to see who could snort longest line of coke before my crash’

QI host and one of the new Celebrity Traitors has had his fair share of ups and downs, but Sir Stephen Fry reveals it was his raging cocaine addiction which triggered a bipolar breakdown

Back Row L-R Stephen Fry, Ben Elton, Hugh Laurie and Robbie Coltrane.  Front Row L-R Siobhan Redmond and Emma Thompson.
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Stephen Fry, Ben Elton, Hugh Laurie and Robbie Coltrane, Siobhan Redmond and Emma Thompson. were the bright young things of the comedy circuit in the 1980s(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

National treasure Sir Stephen Fry has shared shocking stories about his rock ‘n’ roll years – when he indulged in cocaine races with rockstars in late night Soho cafes.

Speaking during Pride month, the TV personality – who will soon be joining Celebrity Traitors – has also spoken about an extraordinary friendship with the late author John Le Carre, who once sent him a “spy letter”.

And he has told how his overindulgence triggered a bipolar breakdown that left him feeling like a “failure” and desperate to escape his car crash of a life.

Reflecting on his charmed, but flawed life, QI host, writer and author Stephen, 67 – who is now happily married to Elliot Spencer, 38 – reflects: “When I was introduced to the Devil’s dandruff (cocaine), I found that it made me like parties.

“There was an all night cafe (in Soho)… some unbelievably famous rock stars and actors and things would gather there, and you’d have the longest line (of cocaine) competitions.”

Stephen Fry was made a Knight Bachelor in the New Year Honours list, for services to mental health awareness in December 2024(Image: PA)
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Describing his “coke fiend impulse,” he adds: “I would stay up late and get up late and felt like I kind of belonged to London’s nightlife. But then a crash came.”

As his life unravelled, Stephen famously fled the UK to Belgium in the middle of appearing in a West End play in 1995, leaving a suicide note that sparked an international search.

Explaining his desperate feelings, he says: “I had failed at everything that mattered, I had failed in love, I had failed in being a proper person, I had failed in self-control, I had failed to understand myself.”

Hitting rockbottom, he left a note, adding: “It said ‘I’m a failure and I’m so sorry and you’re to forget all about me’ and that sort of thing.’”

Luckily, his suicide attempt failed, so he decided to drive as far away from his old life as possible.

Wall of the new celebrity traitors pictures
Stephen is one of the 18 celebs joining The Celebrity Traitors along with Kate Garraway, Charlotte Church, Jonathan Ross and Tom Daley(Image: PA)

“I caught a ferry from Folkestone to Zeebrugge in Belgium, and drove until I reached Germany,” he says.

Hoping to eventually “sit on a rock and write poetry,” be forgotten and reinvent his life, he reached a railway station in Hanover when he realised everyone was looking for him. “I was on the front page of a whole line of British newspapers,” he says.

Tracked down by his dear friend and comedy partner Hugh Laurie – who he met at Cambridge University – he told him to “come the f*ck home.’”

Stephen hadn’t realised everyone was so worried, but his anxious dad flew out to meet him and they dodged the world’s media by taking private flight back to the UK.

Instead of being greeted by disdain, Stephen says: “People were unbelievably kind.

“The novelist John Le Carre arranged an escape for me. He wrote me this fabulous letter, like a spy letter, just telling one how to do these secret things.

“He told me how to get to the West Indies, where he knew someone who had a boat, who knew someone who would take me to an island. I didn’t take him up on the offer.”

But Stephen did take Monty Python legend John Cleese up on his offer of a safe haven of his house in Santa Barbara for six months.

Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, John Bird and Jane Booker standing around a piano in a sketch from the BBC television series 'A Bit of Fry and Laurie', April 15th 1994
Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, John Bird and Jane Booker in a sketch from the BBC television series A Bit of Fry and Laurie in April 1994(Image: Getty Images)

And, back in London, he was diagnosed with the psychiatric condition bipolar disorder.

“That set me on a path to at least forgiving myself for the ridiculousness of my behaviour,” he says, acknowledging it is “an illness, not a moral failing.”

A non-sporty, “completely uncoordinated child,” Stephen says, even as a youngster, he never felt good enough.

Expelled from several schools, at 17, he was held on remand for three months for credit card fraud – an astonishing start for someone who, later in life, would befriend King Charles and be knighted.

But Stephen’s life has been full of twists, turns and surprises.

He laughs recalling his role as Lord Melchett in Blackadder and how it was filmed next door to Only Fools and Horses at the BBC.

The casts of both hilarious comedies would compete to find out whose live audiences had laughed the least!

Sir Stephen Fry is made a Knight Bachelor by King Charles III at Windsor Castle
Sir Stephen Fry is made a Knight Bachelor by King Charles III at Windsor Castle(Image: PA)

He says: “We’d have competitions with David Jason and Nick Lyndhurst and say, ‘No, our audience hates us more than your audience.’”

After years at the top of his game, Stephen’s voice is instantly recognisable.

But, with the advent of AI, this has presented a unique set of problems, according to the star, who says it was scraped from the Harry Potter books to make documentaries without his knowledge.

“One of the most frightening things about AI is that nobody knows how it works. They know how to set it up, but they don’t know what it is doing,” he says.

This is just one of the perils of fame – which Stephen is very glad he didn’t achieve overnight.

“When I was a teenager, if I’d ever thought I was going to be famous, I would have wriggled with joy at the idea,” he says. “I was very lucky in that I slowly leaked into the public consciousness, you know, rather than waking up to find myself famous. I think that can be rather difficult to cope with.

“I always say it’s a picnic being well-known, really. You get lovely tables at lovely restaurants and meet your heroes. But like a lot of picnics, you know, there will be wasps.… like social media and paparazzi.”

Stephen Fry and Elliott Spencer attend a Bafta after-party in 2015
Stephen Fry and Elliott Spencer attend a Bafta after-party in 2015(Image: Getty Images Europe)

And he says there is no room for being moody in public.

If the public see you in a bad mood, he says they will tell people: “I saw that Stephen Fry, what a misery.’”

Dating someone famous also be demanding, says Stephen, who married Elliot three years after they met in 2015.

He says: “I always think the worst thing is to be a spouse or partner of a well-known person, because you get elbowed out of the way and that can be rude.”

Despite the 30-year-age gap, the couple have recently marked their tenth anniversary.

But before meeting Elliott, Stephen spent 16 years celibate.

Patsy Byrne, Rowan Atkinson, Stephen Fry and Miranda Richardson in a scene from popular BBC TV sitcom Blackadder in 1985
Patsy Byrne, Rowan Atkinson, Stephen Fry and Miranda Richardson in a scene from popular BBC TV sitcom Blackadder in 1985(Image: Getty Images)

“From university onwards, I was also completely celibate, afraid of relationships,” he confesses. “When I left university in 1981 people started talking about this strange gay illness that had arrived from America, which became known as AIDS

“I started going to funerals of friends and seeing their parents devastated.”

As well as being scared by AIDS, Stephen felt he was undesirable.

“Friends would say, “Let’s go to Heaven (London gat club),” he says. “And you go through the door, and all you see are eyes raking you up and down, and then turning away. You just feel so rejected.

“I just thought, ‘No-one is going to be even vaguely interested in me. I can’t dance, and I’m wearing a tweed jacket.’”

As well as his openness about his sexuality, his struggles with mental illness and his problems with drugs, Stephen is open about his Jewishness in the face of growing antisemitism because of the conflict in the Middle East.

Stephen presents a Pride of Britain Special Recognition award to the Oxford Vaccine team in 2021
Stephen Fry presents a Pride of Britain Special Recognition award to the Oxford Vaccine team in 2021(Image: Daily Mirror/Andy Stenning)

“My Jewishness is not my religion. It’s not anything other than the fact that my grandfather and grandmother were Jewish on my mother’s side only,” he says, recalling distressing approaches that were made to him by “some organisation saying that they had seen my name in a right-wing magazine along with Ben Elton and all kinds of writers, saying this is a list of Jews.”

As well as making threats, he says he was asked if he wanted security advice.

This has all been a shock for Stephen, whose grandparents considered themselves to be “assimilated in English.”

He says: ”My grandfather used to wear tweed jackets and shoot in the countryside.

“So, for me, being Jewish was just having family with slightly odd accents.”

And while Stephen doesn’t wear his tweed jacket to gay clubs any more, as a knight of the realm, his grandfather would agree that, not only is he “assimilated,” but his talent and honesty have made earned him both respect and love.

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The BBC DJs who WANT things to go wrong at Glastonbury and their tips of who to watch

The Glastonbury festival that went wrong is remembered by radio DJs and TV hosts Jo Whiley and Steve Lamacq, and it should be played again in 2025.

Glastonbury will be covered by the BBC.

Jo Whiley and Steve Lamacq are gearing up to head to Glastonbury with the BBC and whilst they admit some things will go wrong on screen and radio – they don’t care.

The seasoned professionals, who had their own show together in the Nineties, are part of the BBC team covering the massive festival where the BBC will offer 90 hours of performances with its live streams of the five main stages as well as huge radio coverage too.

Steve, 60, said: “I’m getting to the point where I’m looking forward to the first for the first cockup because then it’s out the window.” You know, you have to appreciate how live it is in a truck because of our coverage, so it doesn’t matter anymore. Or we’ve occasionally walked around the site in backpacks.

“So one year and we had planned a show that would have invited visitors from all over the site to walk and meet, and it was the year of the electrical storm.” They then canceled the backpacks out of fear that lightning would strike us. We had to travel the entire show in a truck while trying to locate the people who were supposed to be there.

Jo Whiley
Jo Whiley is back for Glastonbury(Image: Good Relations)

There is a small cut through from the backstage to the other stage, according to the BBC, which is located just behind the main stage. And when I looked down, I discovered a tree stump in the path. And I believed that at some point, someone will start to get upset about that.

Continue reading the article.

“And it was certain enough, after the site was covered in mud and the heavens opened on Saturday.” Sure enough, I sat straight face down in the mud in the dark! And I’m not sure what I thought, but you know what I thought when I tried to soak up the mud: there was a lot of straw everywhere. I then tried to use the straw to remove the mud, but it just stuck to the mud. And I can recall entering the BBC headquarters’ backstage area and witnessing everyone’s expressions of horror. And when I look at myself, I resemble Worzel Gummidge, a straw sticking out everywhere. You never know what will occur.

Jo, who will host radio programs on-site and on TV, agrees with Steve. When everything goes wrong, she said, “I love it.” Also, do those who watch or listen listen.

BBC presenters covering Glastonbury Festival 2025
Some of the BBC presenters covering Glastonbury Festival 2025(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC)

“There was the year when, I think it was that Radiohead year, I was doing the radio show and Chris Moyles handed over to me, and I’d got Ricky from the Kaiser Chiefs, so who were supposed to be playing, and, literally, Chris handed over to me. I said about two words, and suddenly we were taken off air because there was a storm, a lightning storm going on. And there were these engineers literally holding electric cables in the air to try and keep them out of the water and the mud. And we were taken off air. I couldn’t do my show. I literally, I just had to phone in my show, walking around the site with Ricky from the Kaiser Chiefs. So yeah. I mean, anything can happen.”

Wet Leg, Fat Dog, Lucy Dacus, and indie band The Big Moon are just a few acts to watch for Steve, who has a weekly 6 music show.

He will be attending her third Glastonbury as well as his young daughter, which means juggling work and family time.

He continued, “I enjoy the Avalon tent’s atmosphere. I frequent Billy Bragg’s Left Field stage because I enjoy it, and there is now the BBC Introducing stage, which is undoubtedly dedicated to young or emerging artists. And this year’s BBC introducing stage features a decent bill. So, is there still a balance, then? You want to see a little bit of everything because that is what you want to see.

“I bought a ticket for my wife, and obviously my daughter’s only eight, so she’s coming along as well. This will be her third time. And you know, she loves it and looks forward to it, and it’s a wonder world, isn’t it? I mean, it reduces adults to children, but for children, just the sights that you see.”

Jo acknowledges that despite her best efforts, she may not be able to watch many full-length performances from artists. She stated, “Honestly, I’m doing the TV coverage, and I think I’m going to be really busy this year.” It’s important to catch as many glimpses of people as possible. And you know that they frequently make you feel extremely frustrated and let down before playing that final song. I really make an effort to visit all of the different locations, and I particularly enjoy visiting the circus tent fields in Cabaret and seeing all of Glastonbury’s other locations as well because I enjoy everything. Charlie XCX is a really exciting movie. I anticipate that her program will be sensational.

Continue reading the article.

* From June 25 through June 29th, the BBC will broadcast Glastonbury on BBC iPlayer, radio, and BBC Sounds.

Is the 12-day Israel-Iran war really over – and who gained what?

Since Sunday, the Middle East has lurched from escalating war to fragile ceasefire. A truce seems to be holding, and what US President Donald Trump called “The 12 Day War” between Israel and Iran seems to be over – for now.

Meanwhile, Trump, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iran’s leaders have all claimed that the pause in the conflict happened on their terms.

So, what’s the truth? What did Israel achieve? Did Iran manage to defend its strategic assets? And is the truce a pathway to peace?

How did events unfold?

Late on Saturday night, at Israel’s behest, the US entered the Israeli-Iranian war with strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, “completely obliterating” them, in Trump’s words.

On Monday, Iran struck back, firing missiles at the largest US airbase in the Middle East, Al Udeid in Qatar.

It appeared as though the Middle East was poised for a broader, longer war.

But within hours, Trump announced on Truth Social, his social media platform, “It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE.”

Trump called it “the 12 Day War … that could have gone on for years and destroyed the Middle East”.

Four hours after the ceasefire was supposed to take effect, Israel launched a strike against Iran in retaliation for what it said were two ballistic missiles entering its airspace, launched from Iran. Both were intercepted. Israel’s retaliation destroyed a radar station near Tehran.

Trump was furious. “I’m really unhappy that Israel went out this morning,” he told reporters.

“We’ve got two countries that have been fighting so hard and for so long, that they don’t know what the f*** they’re doing.”

Iran said it did not fire those missiles. By 11:30 GMT the ceasefire was back in effect. Trump spoke to Netanyahu.

“ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly ‘Plane Wave’ to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

What did Israel achieve?

Israel has long claimed that Iran is its number one existential threat, but it has never before struck Tehran’s nuclear facilities.

On June 13, it crossed that red line, bombing the surface installations of the Natanz fuel enrichment plant and the Isfahan nuclear technological complex. Iran retaliated by launching drones and missiles at Israel.

Israel had struck nuclear installations in Syria and Iraq before, but it has now proved it can carry out a complex mission much further afield.

It also withstood international accusations that its mission wasn’t legal. Israel claims it was anticipatory self-defence, but not everyone agrees that Iran is developing a nuclear bomb, or that it planned to use it against Israel imminently.

“I speak with world leaders and they are very impressed by our determination and the achievements of our forces,” Netanyahu said on June 18.

Finally, Israel proved it can convince the US to enter a limited Middle Eastern offensive it has started. In previous wars in 1967 and 1973, the US had provided material support to Israel when it was attacked, but had not assisted it with direct operational involvement.

Netanyahu thanked Trump for “standing alongside us”.

Operation Rising Lion against Iran took place in the wake of conflicts that Israel has waged against Iran’s regional allies – the Houthis in Yemen, Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Hamas and Hezbollah have been weakened over the past two years.

Did Iran manage to defend its nuclear programme?

Israel managed to significantly damage surface targets in Iran, and the US claims to have destroyed underground nuclear facilities.

But while satellite photography shows that their missiles hit their mark, there is no independent confirmation available to verify what was destroyed. That will need on-site inspections.

“At this time, no one – including the IAEA – is in a position to have fully assessed the underground damage at Fordow,” said Rafael Grossi, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations nuclear watchdog, on Monday, after the US strikes. “Given the explosive payload utilized, and the extreme vibration-sensitive nature of centrifuges, very significant damage is expected to have occurred,” he said.

Also unknown are the whereabouts of 400 kilogrammes (880 pounds) of highly enriched uranium that the IAEA has said Iran now possesses.

Mohammad Eslami, the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation, suggested the nuclear programme would emerge unscathed. “Preparations for recovery had already been anticipated, and our plan is to prevent any interruption in production or services,” he said on Tuesday in a statement carried by the semi-official Mehr news agency.

Meanwhile, confusion lingers over the source of two ballistic missiles that hit Israel on Tuesday morning, three and a half hours after the ceasefire began. Iran’s government officially denied having launched the missiles.

So who did? And were they fired accidentally – like the Iranian missile that accidentally brought down a Ukrainian passenger plane in 2021, killing 176 people?

How likely is another strike on Iran?

What Israel and Iran have agreed to is a ceasefire. They haven’t made peace.

On Iran’s nuclear programme, experts say that there are – broadly speaking – two possible future paths.

Renewed UN inspections of Iranian nuclear facilities and a new treaty with Iran, perhaps resembling former US President Barack Obama’s Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action of 2015, might help Tehran ease global pressure on its programme, though it was Trump who pulled out of the JCPOA, not Iran.

This is where European powers can play a role. Three of them, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on June 20, along with the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, in an effort to avert US strikes. That bid failed, but although the EU cannot alone leverage Iran into a compromise, it can act as a counterpoint to US-Israeli hard power.

“Iran will try to involve the Europeans diplomatically by proposing enhanced monitoring and making commitments in its nuclear programme,” Ioannis Kotoulas, an adjunct lecturer in geopolitics at Athens University, told Al Jazeera.

“The US could accept a peaceful nuclear programme – [US Secretary of State Marco] Rubio has already said so. The likelihood is that the US won’t try to force regime change,” he said. “Europe is now Iran’s only way out. Russia is unreliable.”

But Israel has previously tried to scupper any nuclear deal between the West and Iran, and is unlikely yo accept a fresh agreement.

And will Iran even be open to a compromise, after the US pulled out of its previous nuclear deal with Tehran, then changed goalposts during recent talks, and finally joined Israel in bombing Iranian nuclear facilities while they were supposed to be negotiating an agreement?

“That really depends on dynamics within the country and how any climbdown is phrased, but there have already been calls to cease uranium enrichment from activists within the country,” Ali Ansari, a professor of Iranian history at St Andrews University, told Al Jazeera.

So far, Iran sounds unyielding in the pursuit of its nuclear programme.

On Monday, the national security committee of Iran’s parliament approved a bill pushing for the full suspension of Tehran’s cooperation with the IAEA if approved in a plenary session.

Meanwhile, Trump emphasised on Tuesday on social media that he would not allow Iran’s nuclear programme to resume.