Iran, US-Israel War Highlights | Trump says US will have Strait of Hormuz 'open fairly soon'

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Hezbollah fires rockets at northern Israel, citing ceasefire breaches

Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah said Thursday it had fired rockets towards Israel in response to its "violation" of the US-Iran truce, reports AFP.

It came a day after the Lebanese group said it has a "right" to respond to a deadly wave of Israeli strikes across Lebanon.

"In response to the enemy's violation of the ceasefire agreement," Hezbollah targeted the Israeli kibbutz of Manara near the border with Lebanon "with a rocket barrage" early Thursday, Hezbollah said in a statement.

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | IMF, World Bank, World Food Programme warn of rising food prices due to Iran war

The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World Food Programme have said that the war in the Middle East has triggered one of the largest disruptions to global energy markets and will inevitably lead to rising food prices and food insecurity.

In a joint statement, the heads of the three organisations said the burden of rising food prices will fall most heavily on the world's most vulnerable populations.

(PTI)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | 'Planned talks unreasonable': Iran Parliament Speaker after Israel strike Lebanon

The Iranian Parliament speaker said planned talks were "unreasonable" because Washington broke three of Tehran's 10 conditions for an end to the fighting.

In a social media post, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf objected to Israeli attacks on Hezbollah, an alleged drone incursion into Iranian airspace after the ceasefire took effect and US refusal to accept any Iranian enrichment capabilities in a final agreement.

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Crude rises, stocks fall on fears over nascent Iran ceasefire

Oil prices climbed and stocks fell Thursday on fears over the nascent US-Iran ceasefire after Tehran threatened to resume hostilities after Israel launched a major bombardment of Lebanon, reports AFP.

Equity markets across the globe soared and crude plunged Wednesday after US President Donald Trump announced the two-week halt in the war, and the Islamic republic said it would reopen the Strait of Hormuz as peace talks took place.

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | UN chief warns Israeli strikes on Lebanon pose 'grave risk' to US-Iran truce: spokesman

The United Nations secretary-general on Wednesday warned that deadly Israeli strikes on Lebanon posed a "grave risk" to the fragile US-Iran truce, his spokesperson said in a statement, reports AFP.

"The ongoing military activity in Lebanon poses a grave risk to the ceasefire and the efforts toward a lasting and comprehensive peace in the region. The Secretary-General reiterates his call to all parties to immediately cease hostilities," UN chief Antonio Guterres's spokesman said.

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | All US ships and military personnel will remain in place around Iran until real agreement: Trump

US President Donald Trump said all US ships, ⁠aircraft, and military ⁠personnel would stay ‌in ​place in and around Iran until it fully complied with ​a ⁠deal.

"All U.S. Ships, Aircraft, and Military Personnel, with additional Ammunition, ⁠Weaponry, ‌and anything else that is appropriate ‌and necessary ⁠for the lethal prosecution and destruction of ‌an ‌already substantially degraded Enemy, ‌will remain in ‌place in, and around, Iran, until such ⁠time ⁠as the REAL AGREEMENT reached is fully complied with" Trump said in a post on ​Truth Social on ​Thursday.

He also warned of ‘bigger’ and ‘better’ shooting if Tehran fails to comply with the deal

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Tanker carrying 15,400 tonnes of LPG arrives at JNPA in Navi Mumbai

Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority on Thursday said it received an India-flagged vessel carrying 15,400 tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) that successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz amid the West Asia conflict.

JNPA described the development as notable in the backdrop of the war involving Iran, the United States and Israel.

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Chart shows Iran may have put sea mines in Strait of Hormuz: Report

Semiofficial news agencies in Iran published a chart Thursday suggesting the country's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard put sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz during the war, reports Associated Press.

The reports came from the ISNA news agency, as well as Tasnim, which is believed to be close to the Guard.

The chart showed a large circle marked "danger zone" in Farsi over the Traffic Separation Scheme, which was the route ships used to take through the strait. That was where the Guard allegedly put the mines.

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Oil prices rise again and Asian stocks retreat on the fragile Iran ceasefire

Oil rose again to above $97 a barrel and Asian stocks were trading lower Thursday on skepticism over a fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran, reports Associated Press.

Investors were closely watching whether a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran was already slipping after a round of deadly Israeli strikes on Lebanon that killed and injured hundreds. Iran again closed the Strait of Hormuz, in response to the attacks in Lebanon.

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Russia offers sanctioned LNG to Asia at discount of 40%: Report

Russia seeks to lure South ⁠Asian nations to ⁠buy shipments ‌from ​its U.S.-sanctioned facilities with large discounts, leveraging ​a ⁠global natural gas supply crunch, Bloomberg News ⁠said ‌on Thursday, citing people ‌familiar with ⁠the matter.

The shipments were ‌being ‌offered last week ‌at ‌a discount of 40% to spot prices ⁠via ⁠little-known intermediary companies based in China and Russia, it ​said.

(Reuters)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | UK to call for toll-free Strait of Hormuz, wants Lebanon in ceasefire deal

British Foreign ​Secretary Yvette Cooper will say on Thursday that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, ⁠which carries around a fifth of ⁠the world's oil and ‌gas, must be ​toll-free, countering a push by Iran to control the vital waterway.

Iran has said it wants to charge ​fees for ⁠ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Before the US-Israeli war with Iran, the strait was ⁠formally ‌treated as an international waterway.

(Reuters)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Iranian delegation to reach Islamabad Thursday, Iran's ambassador to Pakistan says

An Iranian delegation will ⁠arrive in Pakistani ⁠capital Islamabad ‌on Thursday ​night for talks to resolve conflict with ​the ⁠U.S. and Israel, Iran's ambassador to Pakistan said ⁠on ‌Thursday.

"Despite skepticism of Iranian ‌public opinion ⁠due to repeated ceasefire violations by ‌Israeli ‌regime ... Iranian delegation arrives ‌tonight ‌in Islamabad for serious talks based on ⁠10 ⁠points proposed by Iran," ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam said in a ​post on X.

(Reuters)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Indian oil minister to visit Qatar from Thursday

India's oil minister Hardeep ⁠Singh Puri ⁠will make ‌an official ​visit to Qatar on April 9 and ​10, ⁠authorities in New Delhi said on ⁠Thursday, ‌as the world's most populous ‌country reels ⁠from disruptions to LPG supply.

The ‌visit ‌follows Tuesday's news ‌of ‌a ceasefire between the United States and ⁠Iran, ⁠but Israel continues to pound Lebanon with its heaviest strikes.

(Reuters)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Israel's pounding of Lebanon is 'deeply damaging', UK foreign minister says

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said ⁠Israel's pounding of ⁠Lebanon was "deeply damaging" ‌and ​said that conflict must end to prevent ​the U.S.-Iran ceasefire ⁠from being destabilised.

"We want to see Lebanon ⁠included ‌in the ceasefire," she ‌told Times Radio on ⁠Thursday. "We want it extended ‌to cover ‌Lebanon, because otherwise that ‌will ‌destabilise the whole region."

"That escalation that we ⁠saw ⁠from Israel yesterday was deeply damaging, and we want to see ​an end to ​hostilities."

(Reuters)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Israel instructs Karish offshore natgas platform to reopen following ceasefire

Israel's ⁠energy ⁠ministry said ‌on Thursday ​that it ​had ⁠instructed Energean to begin resuming ⁠operations ‌at ‌the ⁠Karish natural gas ‌platform ‌off Israel's ‌Mediterranean ‌coast following the ⁠ceasefire ⁠with Iran. 

(Reuters)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | French FM condemns 'unacceptable' Israeli strikes on Lebanon

France's foreign minister on Thursday condemned "unacceptable" Israeli strikes on Lebanon, warning they could undermine the fragile US-Iran ceasefire, reports AFP.

"These attacks are all the more unacceptable as they undermine the temporary ceasefire reached yesterday between the United States and Iran," Jean-Noel Barrot told France Inter radio, a day after Lebanon reported Israeli strikes killed at least 182 people and wounded 890.

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Spain to reopen its embassy in Tehran

Spain is reopening its embassy ⁠in Tehran in ⁠hopes of ‌achieving ​peace in the US-Israeli war on Iran, Foreign ​Minister ⁠Jose Manuel Albares told reporters on Thursday.

"I've ⁠instructed ‌our ambassador in Tehran ‌to return, ⁠to take up his post again ‌and ‌reopen our embassy, ‌and ‌for us to join in this effort ⁠for ⁠peace from every possible quarter, including from the Iranian capital ​itself," Albares said.

(Reuters)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Israeli military says it has killed nephew of Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem

Israel ​said ⁠on Thursday it had killed the nephew ⁠of ‌Naim Qassem, the leader ‌of the ⁠Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, in ‌a ‌strike on Beirut ‌overnight.

"The ‌IDF struck in the Beirut area ⁠and ⁠eliminated Ali Yusuf Harshi, the personal secretary and nephew ​of Hezbollah Secretary-General ​Naim Qassem," ​the military ​said.

(Reuters)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Iran's envoy deletes post on delegation arrival in Islamabad for US talks

Iran's ambassador to Pakistan deleted a social media post saying an Iranian delegation would arrive in Islamabad on Thursday night, a move an embassy official later told AFP had been sent prematurely.

Ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam said in a post on X on Thursday morning that an Iranian delegation would arrive "tonight in Islamabad for serious talks based on 10 points proposed by Iran". The post was deleted shortly after.

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Saudi, Iranian FMs hold first call since start of war: Saudi ministry

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, the Saudi foreign ministry said Thursday, in the first official contact between the countries since Tehran launched strikes against its Gulf neighbours in retaliation for Israeli-American attacks, reports AFP.

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | US-Iran truce should extend to Lebanon, EU's top diplomat says

The ceasefire agreement between the United ⁠States and Iran ⁠should extend ‌to ​Lebanon, EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said on ​Thursday, adding ⁠that Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah must disarm.

"Israeli actions ⁠are ‌putting the U.S.-Iran ceasefire ‌under severe strain. The ⁠Iran truce should extend ‌to Lebanon," ‌Kallas said in a ‌post ‌on X.

"Israeli strikes killed hundreds last night, ⁠making ⁠it hard to argue that such heavy-handed actions fall within self-defence," she ​also said.

(Reuters)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Death toll from Israeli strikes on Lebanon rises to 203

The toll from simultaneous Israeli airstrikes on Beirut and other areas in Lebanon on Wednesday rose to over 200 dead and over 1,000 wounded, Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine said Thursday, reports AFP.

Before taking part in a cabinet meeting, Nassereddine said: "The death toll stands at 203 martyrs and more than 1,000 wounded in the aggression against Lebanon on Wednesday." The ministry had earlier reported 182 dead and 890 wounded in Wednesday's attacks.

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Protecting Tehran's right to enrich uranium necessary' for US talks: Iran nuclear agency chief

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Netanyahu says Israel will continue to strike Hezbollah 'wherever necessary'

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said Israel would keep hitting Iran-backed Hezbollah "wherever necessary", the day after deadly Israeli strikes pummelled Lebanon.

"We are continuing to strike Hezbollah with force, precision, and determination," Netanyahu said on his personal X account.

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Calls for truce to extend to Lebanon after Israeli strikes

Calls for the ceasefire between the US and Iran to be extended to Israel's war with Hezbollah, after a massive wave of Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed more than 200 people.

US President Donald Trump has claimed victory in the Middle East war after agreeing a two-week truce to allow talks to end a conflict that has killed thousands and plunged the global economy into turmoil.

But the future of the negotiations was in limbo after Iran denounced Israel's ongoing raids on Lebanon, and Tehran's ambassador to Pakistan deleted a social media post saying an Iranian delegation would arrive in Islamabad, which was set to host the talks. (AFP)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Italy PM suggests suspending EU spending rules over Iran war

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that the European Union should consider temporarily suspending its strict spending rules if the Iran war and the resulting energy shock worsens.

But Brussels cautioned that under EU rules a suspension was possible only if the 27-nation bloc was to experience a severe economic crisis - a condition currently not met. (AFP)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | South Korea foreign minister to send special envoy to Iran for discussion on Middle East situation

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | EU slams Hormuz toll idea, urges unrestricted freedom of navigation

The EU said that freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz must be ensured with 'no payment or toll whatsoever', after Iran suggested it could charge for letting ships through the vital Gulf waterway. (AFP)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Iran rules out restrictions on enrichment programme: Nuclear chief

The head of Iran's nuclear energy agency ruled out any restrictions on the country's enrichment of uranium, saying the demand by the United States and Israel "will not come true".

His remarks came with talks set to take place at the end of the week between Iran and the United States under Pakistani mediation. (AFP)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | US-Iran ceasefire under strain, top world leaders wants truce to include Lebanon

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Ceasefire violations carry explicit costs and strong responses: Iran's Parliament Speaker

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Ceasefire violations carry explicit costs, strong responses: Speaker of Islamic Republic of Iran’s Parliament

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Israeli strikes on Lebanon violate ceasefire agreement: Iranian President Pezeshkian

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Halt to Iran attacks means Netanyahu's corruption trial will resume on April 12

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Lebanon is 'inseparable part' of ceasefire: Iran Parliament Speaker

Iran's Parliament Speaker said that Lebanon was a key part of the two-week ceasefire with the United States, warning that violations would bring severe consequences, following massive Israeli strikes on Lebanon. (AFP)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Israel dismisses calls to add Lebanon to US-Iran ceasefire

Israel vowed more strikes against Hezbollah, dismissing mounting international demands that the fragile truce between the United States and Iran in the Gulf be expanded to cover the war in Lebanon.

At least 203 people were killed and 1,000 wounded in the latest strikes, the Lebanese health ministry said, and Iran's parliamentary speaker warned Tehran sees Lebanon as an "inseparable part of the ceasefire" and threatened "strong responses". (AFP)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | China denies reports of support to Iran's military during war

China's Defence Ministry denied reports that Chinese firms provided satellite imagery and semiconductor chip manufacturing equipment to the Iranian military in the midst of the US-Israeli war against Iran.

Defence Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang said that China firmly opposes the dissemination of speculative and insinuating disinformation targeting China by relevant parties. (PTI)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Iran will allow no more than 15 vessels per day to pass through Strait of Hormuz under ceasefire agreement

​Iran will allow no more than 15 vessels a ⁠day to pass through ⁠the Strait of ‌Hormuz under ​the ceasefire agreement it agreed with the United States, Russia's state TASS ​news agency ⁠quoted an unnamed senior Iranian source as saying on Thursday.

The Strait has been largely shut by Iran since the start of the conflict at the end ​of February, leading to ​a ​surge in global oil prices. (Reuters)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Any peace in the region must include Lebanon: Iran's Deputy foreign minister

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Lebanon PM asks Pakistan to confirm country's inclusion in West Asia conflict

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Israel military issues evacuation order for Beirut's southern suburbs

Israel's military warned residents of Beirut's southern suburbs, long a stronghold of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, of imminent strikes and called for them to evacuate. (AFP)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | IMF expects to provide Iran war-affected countries up to $50 billion in immediate support

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Russia condemns Israeli attack on Lebanon, calls for immediate ceasefire

Russia's foreign ministry strongly condemned ⁠an Israeli attack ⁠on Lebanon ‌and called for ​an immediate ceasefire.

It said that such aggressive actions threaten ​to ⁠derail a negotiation process that is underway and risk ⁠further ‌escalation in the region. (Reuters)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Israel lifts restrictions at holy sites in Jerusalem after fragile ceasefire announced

Worshippers were able to pray again at Jerusalem's holy sites after Israel lifted restrictions it imposed on large public gatherings throughout the war with Iran nearly six weeks ago.

Jerusalem's police said that they would lift restrictions on all holy sites and deploy hundreds of officers and volunteers in the city.

Access had been prohibited altogether, or restricted to a few dozen faithful at a time, at Christian, Jewish and Muslim sites during the now-paused conflict, when missile attacks from Iran often sent Jerusalem residents into shelters. (AFP)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Grieving families identify mangled bodies after Israeli strikes at Beirut hospital

Ambulances arriving at a Beirut hospital bypassed the emergency room and drove straight to the morgue, where exhausted medics unloaded a succession of bags of body parts for relatives to identify before burial.

Nearly 24 hours after Israel's deadliest strikes on the Lebanese ⁠capital in decades, rescuers were still working to recover mangled bodies from under the rubble of destroyed buildings.

More than 250 people were killed across ⁠Lebanon in strikes on central Beirut that came without warning. (Reuters)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | US, Israel deny extension of ceasefire to Lebanon as Israel issued new warning for attacks

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Israel wants to start peace talks with Lebanon 'as soon as possible': Netanyahu

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Negotiations will focus on disarming Hezbollah and establishing peace between Israel and Lebanon: Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he has given ⁠an instruction for Israel to begin peace talks ⁠with Lebanon that would also include ‌the disarming of ​Hezbollah.

An hour before Netanyahu’s ‌statement, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said that "the only solution ⁠to the situation in Lebanon is to achieve a ceasefire between ‌Israel and Lebanon, followed by direct ‌negotiations between them".

He said he was ‌working on a diplomatic track on ‌this matter that was starting to be seen “positively” by international actors. (Reuters)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Iranians pay tribute to slain supreme leader weeks after killing

Thousands of Iranians rallied in a tribute to former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, killed on the first day of the war with the United States and Israel, expressing criticism of talks expected in Pakistan this week.

Holding portraits of their deceased leader and waving the national flags of the Islamic republic, supporters of Khamenei took part in rallies across the country after he died in the US-Israeli attack on February 28.

The 40-day mourning period following a death is an important rite of passage for Muslims. (AFP)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | First Israel, Lebanon talks to take place in US next week: Report

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | First non-Iranian tanker transits Strait of Hormuz since ceasefire

The first non-Iranian oil tanker passed through the Strait of Hormuz after ceasefire between Iran and US was announced.

The MSG, a Gabon-flagged oil tanker passed went through the strategic waterway loaded with around 7,000 tonnes of Emirati fuel oil, and is headed to Aegis Pipavav, India. (AFP)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Over 300 killed in widespread Israeli strikes over Lebanon

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Hezbollah lawmaker says group rejects direct negotiations with Israel

Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Fayyad said on ⁠Thursday that the ⁠group rejected ‌direct negotiations with ​Israel and that the Lebanese government should demand ​a ceasefire ⁠as a precondition before any further steps are ⁠taken.

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Israel army warns Hezbollah may expand fire 'in the coming hours'

The Israeli army warned citizens on Thursday that launches of projectiles by Hezbollah, usually limited to the border area with Lebanon in the north, may expand to other parts of the country.

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Trump says Iran doing ‘very poor job’ of allowing oil through Strait of Hormuz

US President Donald Trump appears to be casting doubt on the effectiveness of the ceasefire that has halted the Iran war.

"Iran is doing a very poor job, dishonorable some would say, of allowing Oil to go through the Strait of Hormuz," he wrote on his social media site Thursday evening.

"That is not the agreement we have!" (AP)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Israeli military says Hezbollah launched missile at Israel, triggering sirens

Israel's military said on Friday that Hezbollah launched a missile at Israel, triggering ⁠air raid sirens in parts of the country, including ⁠in Tel Aviv.

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Iran's supreme leader says does not seek war in written message

Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei said in his latest written message the Islamic republic did not want war with the United States and Israel, but would protect its rights as a nation, state television reported Thursday, reports AFP.

"We did not seek war and we do not want it," he said in the message read out on state TV, weeks after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed on February 28, the first day of the war.

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Kuwait base hit by drone attack: Report

Associated Press reported that according to Kuwait’s National Guard one of its bases wait hit in the drone attack and sustained damage, though no one was hurt.

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | 'Can't be tolerated': Israel slams Pak Defence Minister's ‘cancerous state’ remark

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Trump slams right-wing commentators who oppose Iran war

US President Donald Trump on Thursday angrily lashed out at multiple well-known conservative commentators who have criticized his war against Iran, slamming his onetime allies as attention-seeking "NUT JOBS," reports AFP.

"They're stupid people, they know it, their families know it, and everyone else knows it, too!" Trump wrote in a nearly 500-word social media diatribe.

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Air raid sirens across Israel after rocket launches from Lebanon

Air raid alerts rang out across Israel early Friday, including in the commercial hub of Tel Aviv and in the southern coastal city of Ashdod following rocket fire from Lebanon, reports AFP.

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Indonesia urges 'thorough' probe on Lebanon peacekeeper deaths

Indonesia said Friday it had submitted a joint statement on peacekeeper security with dozens of allied nations to the United Nations after three of its blue helmets were killed in Lebanon, reports AFP.

In the joint statement, the countries urged the UN Security Council to conduct a thorough investigation into the incidents in Southern Lebanon that killed three Indonesian peacekeepers and wounded several others, including from France, Ghana, Nepal, and Poland.

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Pakistan announces visa-on-arrival for delegates and journalists travelling to country for talks

Read more

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Foreign Secretary Misri meets FBI director Kash Patel

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri discussed cooperation in countering terrorism, organised crime and narcotics in a meeting with Director of US security agency FBI, Kash Patel, in Washington. 

"Foreign Secretary Shri Vikram Misri met Director FBI Mr. Kash Patel today. Both had a useful exchange of views on the robust India-U.S. cooperation in countering terrorism, organized crime, and narcotics," the Indian Embassy in the US said in a social media post on Thursday night.

(PTI)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Kuwait blames Iran for drone strike

Kuwait has accused Iran and its proxies of launching drone attacks targeting it on Thursday despite the two-week ceasefire in the Iran war, as Saudi Arabia said recent attacks damaged a key pipeline in the kingdom, reported Associated Press.

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Zelensky urges Russian oil sanctions to be reimposed after Iran ceasefire

AFP reported that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged Russian oil sanctions to be reimposed after Iran ceasefire.

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Zelenskyy says Ukrainian forces shot down Shahed drones during Iran war

Ukrainian military personnel shot down Iranian-designed Shahed drones in multiple Middle Eastern countries during the Iran war, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, describing the operations as part of a broader effort to help partners counter the same weapons used by Russia in Ukraine, reports Associated Press.

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Dubai limits foreign flights until May 31

Dubai has restricted foreign airlines to just one daily flight to its airports until May 31 due to the Iran crisis, igniting revenue loss fears among Indian carriers that ⁠had planned more flights than airlines from any other country, letters show. 

(Reuters)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Spain called on Iran to negotiate in 'good faith': Foreign Minister

Spain's foreign minister said on Friday that he had spoken with his Iranian counterpart and urged him to negotiate in good faith during talks with the United States in Islamabad, reports AFP.

"I encourage Iran -- this is what I conveyed to the Iranian foreign minister -- to take part in those negotiations and to participate in good faith," Jose Manuel Albares told the press, adding that he had spoken with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, "the day before yesterday" and had also asked him to halt "all missile and drone launches".

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Pak minister reviews security arrangements ahead of key Iran-US talks in Islamabad

Pakistan's interior minister Mohsin Naqvi on Friday reviewed the security arrangements in Islamabad ahead of the arrival of the Iranian and US delegations for peace talks aimed to end the conflict in West Asia.

The US and Iran agreed to a two-week conditional ceasefire on Wednesday, followed by a face-to-face meeting in Islamabad to settle the differences and convert the ongoing truce into a lasting peace.

(PTI)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Lebanon to attend Washington ceasefire talks

Lebanon intends to take part ⁠in a ⁠meeting next ‌week ​in Washington with US and Israeli representatives ​to ⁠discuss and announce a ceasefire, a ⁠senior Lebanese ‌official told Reuters on ‌Friday, ⁠saying the exact date had ‌not ‌yet been confirmed.

The ‌official ‌said Lebanon's position was that a ⁠ceasefire was ⁠a precondition to further talks to reach a ​broader deal ​with Israel.

(Reuters)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Trump warns Iran on Hormuz tolls as energy crunch prompts Japan to release more oil

US President Donald Trump warned Tehran not to charge tolls on ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz, as a mounting global energy crisis prompted Japan on Friday to announce a further emergency oil release.

The Iran ⁠war has damaged Gulf energy production, stranded tanker traffic, and boosted oil prices by about 50% in the world's worst energy shock, with Asian ⁠buyers among the hardest hit.

"There are reports that Iran is charging fees to tankers going through the ‌Hormuz Strait," Trump wrote in a post on ​Truth Social. "They better not be and, if they are, they better stop now."

"That is not the agreement we have!," Trump said.

Opening the strait at the southern tip of the Gulf to free hundreds of stranded tankers and other vessels was a condition of the two-week ceasefire announced on April 7 after weeks of attacks that have damaged energy infrastructure across the Gulf.

A spokesperson for Iran's Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters' ​Union, Hamid Hosseini, had told the Financial Times ⁠newspaper that Iran would demand tolls in cryptocurrency during the ceasefire. (Reuters)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Concerned over civilian deaths in Lebanon, Embassy in touch with Indians: MEA

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Ministers visiting Gulf countries to secure India's energy security

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Qatar vows to remain reliable energy supplier to India amid West Asia tensions

Qatar will remain a "reliable energy supplier" to India, its Energy Minister Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi said during talks with Indian Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri in Doha, as both sides called for stability in global markets amid ongoing West Asia tensions.

Puri, on a two-day visit to Qatar from April 9-10, conveyed a message of solidarity from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Qatar's leadership, following the outbreak of conflict in the region, according to an Indian government statement on Friday.

Both sides welcomed the two-week ceasefire announced on April 8 and stressed the need for an early end to disruptions in global energy supplies.

They also emphasised the importance of "unimpeded freedom of navigation and the global flow of commerce" to maintain supply chains, the statement said. (PTI)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | If China gets involved in Iran, will complicate matters: America

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said ⁠on Friday that ⁠the United States ‌is ​trying to have a stable relationship with ​China, but if ⁠Beijing is going to be involved with ⁠Iran ‌in a way that ‌goes against U.S. ⁠interests, that would complicate matters.

In ‌an ‌interview on CNBC, ‌Greer said ‌he expected President Donald Trump to have ⁠a ⁠good meeting next month with Chinese President Xi Jinping but not ​every challenge with ​China is resolved. 

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Vance leaves for Iran peace talks, hopes for 'positive' outcome

US Vice President JD Vance said Friday he hoped for a "positive" outcome as he departed Washington for US-Iran peace talks being held in Pakistan.

"We're going to try to have a positive negotiation," he told reporters before take-off from Joint Base Andrews. "If the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we're certainly willing to extend the open hand. If they're going to try to play us, then they're going to find the negotiating team is not that receptive." (AFP)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Netanyahu accuses Spain of 'hostility' towards Israel after blocking it from Gaza truce centre (AFP)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | US to request Iran to free detained Americans, Wapo reports

US ⁠negotiators intend to ⁠request ‌the ​release of Americans ​detained ⁠in Iran as part ⁠of upcoming ‌talks aimed ‌at ⁠ending the war, ‌the ‌Washington ‌Post reported ‌on Friday, citing ⁠people ⁠briefed on the plans. (Reuters)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Lebanon says Israeli attack killed 13 state security personnel in Nabatieh

Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun said ⁠on Friday ⁠that ‌13 state ​security personnel were killed in an ​Israeli ⁠strike on a governmental building ⁠in ‌the southern city of ‌Nabatieh.

In ⁠a statement, Aoun condemned ‌continued ‌Israeli attacks ‌and said ‌targeting state institutions would not ⁠deter ⁠Lebanon from defending its sovereignty. (Reuters)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | US must include Lebanon in ceasefire, halt ⁠Israeli ​attacks: Iran FM

Iranian ​foreign ⁠minister ⁠Araqchi ‌said US ​must ⁠adhere ⁠to ‌commitments ‌to include ⁠Lebanon ‌in ‌ceasefire ‌and ‌to ⁠halt ⁠Israeli ​attacks ​against ​Lebanon, Iranian state ​media reported on Friday.

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Ceasefire in Lebanon, release of blocked assets: Iran's conditions for negotiation with US

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Trump warns of fresh strikes if Iran talks fail: NY Post

President Donald Trump said Friday that US warships are being reloaded with weaponry to strike Iran if talks in Pakistan fail to produce a deal, in an interview with the New York Post.

"We have a reset going. We're loading up the ships with the best ammunition, the best weapons ever made -- even better than what we did previously and we blew them apart," the Post quoted Trump as saying.

"And if we don't have a deal, we will be using them, and we will be using them very effectively."

In a brief and cryptic message on his Truth Social network earlier, Trump had spoken of the "WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL RESET!!!"

Vice President JD Vance headed to Islamabad on Friday to lead the US delegation in this weekend's talks with Iran, with a warning to Tehran not to "play" Washington. (AFP)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Iranians only alive to negotiate: Trump

President Donald Trump said Friday that Iran has "no cards" in upcoming talks with the United States -- apart from Tehran's effective stranglehold on the crucial Strait of Hormuz shipping channel.

"The Iranians don't seem to realize they have no cards, other than a short term extortion of the World by using International Waterways. The only reason they are alive today is to negotiate!" Trump said on his Truth Social network.

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | US-Iran talks in Islamabad are a 'make or break' for a permanent ceasefire, Pakistan PM says

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said late ⁠on Friday ⁠that the ‌US-Iran talks ​in Islamabad slated to begin on Saturday were ​a ⁠make or break to achieve a permanent ceasefire ⁠in ‌the weeks-long Middle East ‌conflict. (Reuters)

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | UK to convene more talks on Strait of Hormuz next week, official says

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Iranian delegation led by Parliament speaker arrives in Pakistan for talks with US, state TV says, AP reports

Iran, US-Israel War Live Updates | Trump says US will have Strait of Hormuz 'open fairly soon' (Reuters)