April 26, 2026
Iranian state media report messages have been relayed by the foreign minister through Pakistan to the US on what Tehran is unwilling to agree to in terms of US demands.
“These messages concern some of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s red lines including nuclear issues and the Strait of Hormuz,” said the Fars News Agency, which is close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
“Informed sources emphasize Mr Araghchi is acting entirely within the framework of the specified red lines and the diplomatic duties of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
It added the messages relayed are “unrelated to negotiations” and are “considered an initiative by Iran to clarify the regional situation”.
19m ago (16:30 GMT)
Israeli army says soldier killed in southern Lebanon
The military says Sergeant Idan Fooks, 19, has been killed “during combat” in southern Lebanon.
“An officer and three additional soldiers were severely injured, along with a soldier who was moderately injured and a soldier lightly injured,” a military statement said.
Under the terms of a mid-April truce, which was recently extended, Israel said it reserves the right to respond to “planned, imminent or ongoing attacks” and has been striking what it says are Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon almost daily.
29m ago (16:20 GMT)
‘State of war’: Why Israel has escalated attacks in Gaza
By Mohammad Mansour
Israel has escalated its attacks on the Gaza Strip in the past week, and in the latest 24-hour reporting period, at least four Palestinians have been killed across the devastated enclave, including a 40-year-old woman in Khan Younis, amid daily violations of the October “ceasefire”.
Local health officials reported more than 25 Palestinians have been killed in the past week alone, taking the number of people killed by Israel’s military to more than 800 since the “ceasefire” began.
Ahmed al-Tanani, a political analyst in Gaza, said Israel is targeting police to eradicate any possibility of restoring stability and to push the enclave into internal chaos.
“It wants to make it an unliveable environment, forcing residents to seek displacement, which serves the strategic goal of this war,” al-Tanani said.
39m ago (16:10 GMT)
Araghchi’s return to Islamabad ‘nothing to do with nuclear talks’: Iran media
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s return to Pakistan has “nothing to do with nuclear talks”, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reports.
Araghchi arrived back in Islamabad after talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other officials on a “workable framework” to end the war over the weekend.
Tasnim said he’s now back to “continue his recent consultations”, but “negotiations have nothing to do with the nuclear issue”.
US President Donald Trump earlier claimed Iran made an “offer” aimed at satisfying his demands, which include ending its nuclear programme. On Saturday, Trump cancelled his envoys’ trip to Islamabad after Araghchi left the country for Oman.
49m ago (16:00 GMT)
Iran’s Quds Force leader vows to support Hezbollah in Lebanon fighting
Esmail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), says “cohesion across the Resistance Front” is stronger than ever before.
“Today the focus is on supporting Hezbollah and the other components of the Resistance Front,” said Qaani in a statement reported by Tasnim news agency.
“History bears witness that the Zionist regime has not ended any war in recent decades by achieving its objectives. The defeat in southern Lebanon is a continuation of this same historical fate,” he added.
Quds Force is an elite special unit responsible for extraterritorial military operations.
Commander of the Iran's Revolutionary Guard Quds Force, Gen. Esmail Qaani, mourns during the funeral ceremony of the late Revolutionary Guard Gen. Abbas Nilforushan, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut in late September, in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
General Esmail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) [Vahid Salemi/AP]
59m ago (15:50 GMT)
Houthi
Trump says Iran can call the US if it wants to negotiate
The US president says Iran can reach out to the United States if it wants to negotiate an end to the war between the two countries.
“If they want to talk, they can come to us or they can call us. You know there is a telephone. We have nice, secure lines,” Trump said in an inteview on the Fox News programme The Sunday Briefing.
Donald Trump said he believes the Iran war will come to an end “very soon” and the US will be the winner.
“Some people we are dealing with now on Iran are very reasonable, others are not. I hope Iran will be smart,” said the US president.
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1h ago (15:40 GMT)
Developing
UNIFIL honours slain Indonesian peacekeeper in Beirut
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) held a ceremony in Beirut honouring Indonesian soldier Corporal Rico Pramudia, who died in a Beirut hospital after being critically wounded by a projectile targeting his position last month.
The 31-year-old is the sixth UN peacekeeper killed in recent hostilities in southern Lebanon.
“You came here, far from home, to serve under the United Nations flag, to bring peace to this land, and here, in the south of Lebanon, you gave everything,” said Major-General Diodato Abagnara, head of mission and force commander.
Attacks on peacekeepers constitute war crimes under international law, said a UNIFIL statement.
Pramudia is the fourth Indonesian peacekeeper to “make the ultimate sacrifice in the service of peace” in Lebanon in less than a month, UNIFIL noted.
It remains unclear who fired the projectile at his base.
1h ago (15:30 GMT)
Israeli army says strikes hit Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon
The Israeli military says it carried out artillery and air strikes on Lebanon’s south despite the ongoing ceasefire.
The army claimed its forces targeted Hezbollah fighters and weapons sites, including rocket launchers and storage facilities, as fighting intensified in recent days despite the truce.
Earlier on Sunday, Hezbollah said it attacked Israeli troops inside Lebanon as well as the rescue force that came to evacuate them.
Developing
Araghchi briefs French foreign minister on diplomatic efforts
As we’ve been reporting, Iran’s foreign minister has been engaged in a flurry of diplomatic calls.
As well as conversations with regional actors, Araghchi also spoke to Jean-Noel Barrot, the foreign minister of France, about “developments related to the ceasefire”, emphasising “the importance” of European countries’ “constructive role” in the process, according to the Telegram account of the Foreign Ministry.
European countries are feeling the pinch from the standoff in the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments transit.
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1h ago (15:10 GMT)
Egypt’s foreign minister speaks with his Qatari and Iranian counterparts
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty has discussed efforts to relaunch negotiations between the US and Iran with his Qatari and Iranian counterparts, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.
In separate calls with the ministers, Abdelatty affirmed the importance of the diplomatic path to ensure the continuation of the ceasefire in a way that leads to an end to the war.
1h ago (15:00 GMT)
Iranian, Saudi top diplomats hold talks over the phone
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, have exchanged views on the latest regional and diplomatic developments in a telephone call, according to the former’s Telegram channel.
“In this conversation, the foreign minister of our country explained various aspects of the current situation in the region, especially developments related to the ceasefire, and informed his Saudi counterpart about the latest efforts and diplomatic moves of the Islamic Republic of Iran to end the war and reduce tensions,” said a statement on the channel.
1h ago (14:50 GMT)
Araghchi’s arrival in Pakistan a ‘significant development’
By Kimberly Halkett
Reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan
This is a significant development. In the last 12 to 18 hours, as we’ve been reporting, the Iranian Foreign Minister [Abbas Araghchi] has been in Oman. He’s been meeting there with officials, and the discussion has really centred around… building a framework to ultimately end the war. That has been assembled.
[He also spoke on the phone] with not only the Omani government officials, but also foreign ministers in Turkiye and Qatar, as well as Saudi Arabia. He is now coming back after consulting with those key regional players to have further discussions with the Pakistani prime minister, as well as the army chief.
Now, what’s significant in all of this is that … the US president had been talking about a revised proposal that he had received from Iran. We can’t confirm that these two are the same. But the fact that they’re being discussed and revealed around the same time is certainly significant.
What this does signal is exactly what Pakistan has been saying for days. And that is, the diplomacy channel has continued to progress. It has not been cut off.
2h ago (14:40 GMT)
Houthi
Death toll in Israeli attacks on Lebanon rises above 2,500 since March 2
The country’s Health Ministry reports that since March 2, the day open war was renewed between Israel and Hezbollah, at least 2,509 people have been killed and 7,755 wounded by Israeli attacks.
2h ago (14:30 GMT)
Houthi
Hezbollah rejects Israeli accusations it is undermining ceasefire
A statement from the group issued on Telegram condemns comments by Netanyahu, who accused Hezbollah of undermining the ceasefire in Lebanon and said Israel has the right to freedom of action militarily.
Hezbollah “strongly warns of the extreme danger of attempting to implicate the Lebanese authorities in a bilateral agreement that was solely between Washington and Netanyahu, to which Lebanon had no say or position”, the group said, referring to the ceasefire.
“The continuation of the resistance targeting the Israeli enemy’s gatherings on our occupied land, and bombing its settlements in northern occupied Palestine, is a legitimate response to its persistent violations of the ceasefire since the first day of the temporary truce declaration,” the statement said, implying that Hezbollah will continue fighting back against Israel’s frequent attacks on southern Lebanon.
“The extension of the truce for additional weeks was supposed, according to the Lebanese authorities, to lead to a real ceasefire during which the enemy would stop its violations and attacks, especially the bombing and destruction of homes in the south,” it continued.
“However, instead of doing so, it escalated its aggression and attacks, confirming its criminal nature, treachery, and disregard for all international laws and conventions.”
2h ago (14:10 GMT)
WATCH: Iranian economy under strain during war
Weeks of war have devastated Iran’s infrastructure and economy with more than 3,300 people killed and over 125,000 buildings damaged.
Key industries, including steel and petrochemicals, have been disrupted, causing price surges and leaving hundreds of thousands of people unemployed.
Despite a fragile ceasefire, the strain on daily life and livelihoods continues to intensify.
2h ago (14:00 GMT)
Strait of Hormuz will not revert to pre-war conditions: Iranian MP
Conditions in the Strait of Hormuz will not go back to the way they were before the war, a senior Iranian lawmaker says about the ongoing Iranian restrictions on shipping in the strategic waterway and a US blockade on Iran’s ports.
“We will by no means return the Strait of Hormuz to its previous state because this is an order from the leader of the Islamic revolution,” Ali Nikzad, second deputy speaker of the Iranian parliament, told the semiofficial Mehr News Agency.
Since the war initiated by the US and Israel against Iran began on February 28, Tehran has maintained control of the Strait of Hormuz. The US also imposed a naval blockade on April 13. Both actions have hit global energy supplies, affecting countries especially across Asia.
Washington and Tehran held talks in Islamabad two weeks ago but failed to reach an agreement to end the conflict.
The negotiations came after Pakistan brokered a two-week ceasefire, which began on April 8 and was later extended indefinitely by Trump. Efforts for another round of talks are under way.
2h ago (13:52 GMT)
Iran’s Araghchi back in Pakistan
Iran’s foreign minister is back in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, after visiting Oman, according to Reuters, which cited state media.
Araghchi’s return comes after he left Islamabad on Saturday, reporting on X that he had shared Iran’s position on a “workable framework to permanently end the war on Iran” with Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif and other top officials.
After he left, Trump said he had cancelled his envoys’ trip to Pakistan. Araghchi posted that he had “yet to see if the U.S. is truly serious about diplomacy”.
2h ago (13:50 GMT)
Months needed for oil market to recover after Hormuz blockade: Russian official
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak says he expects it will take several months for the oil market to recover to its previous level if the Strait of Hormuz is reopened.
Speaking in an interview with the Russian VGTRK broadcasting company, Novak said the crisis in the Middle East has led to a large global undersupply of energy resources that will not be easy to overcome in a short time.
“The crisis is very deep. A very large number of barrels of oil did not reach the market during this period, and a large number of ships have accumulated in the Strait of Hormuz,” Novak said.
“Therefore, of course, it will take some time to rebalance and recover to the previous level. In our view, that will be several months,” the official added.
3h ago (13:40 GMT)
Developing
Iranian FM Araghchi talks with Qatar’s PM about ‘diplomatic efforts’ to end war
Ahead of his return to Islamabad today, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke by phone with Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.
Araghchi said he’d discussed “developments related to the ceasefire and the challenges facing its consolidation”, informing Sheikh Mohammed about “diplomatic efforts of the Islamic Republic of Iran to end the war and reduce tensions”.
The future format of ceasefire talks between Iran and the US is currently unknown. Yesterday, US President Donald Trump cancelled his envoys’ trip to Islamabad after Araghchi’s departure from the city.
3h ago (13:30 GMT)
Starmer, Trump hold call on Strait of Hormuz
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Donald Trump discussed the urgent need to get shipping moving again in the Strait of Hormuz during a call on Sunday, a Downing Street spokesperson said.
“The leaders discussed the urgent need to get shipping moving again in the Strait of Hormuz, given the severe consequences for the global economy and cost of living for people in the UK and globally,” the spokesperson for Starmer’s office said in a statement.
“The prime minister shared the latest progress on his joint initiative with [French] President Macron to restore freedom of navigation,” the spokesperson added.
3h ago (13:15 GMT)
Analysis
Pressure from war being felt more on global stage than by the involved parties
Mark Kimmitt, former US assistant secretary of state, says that the United States and Iran aren’t feeling any particular pressure to engage in negotiations as they aren’t the parties most affected by the war.
The two parties involved in the negotiations are not bearing the brunt of the effects of the war; instead, there are others feeling the secondary and tertiary effects “of the lack of negotiation”, Kimmitt told Al Jazeera.
“The two nations that are most involved [in] the negotiation, the United States and Iran, are the ones most insulated from the effects of the blockade [of the Strait of Hormuz],” he said.
Iran may be feeling some pressure from China and Moscow, said Kimmitt, but “Iran has been holding its breath for 47 years, so there’s nothing you can throw at it that’s going to cause them to change their mind.”
The US, meanwhile, “is pretty self-sufficient in petroleum, so I think they’re going to wait to hear something from the Iranians as well”, he said.
The countries most affected by the blockade are the ones “looking for a near-term resolution,” noted Kimmitt, adding that the agricultural sector is the most affected, along with countries in Africa that depend on fertiliser, helium and petroleum shipments.
3h ago (13:00 GMT)
Houthi
Iran’s Araghchi leaves Muscat, heading back to Islamabad
By Abid Hussain
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has left the Omani capital of Muscat and is returning to Islamabad, Iran’s Foreign Ministry announced, confirming he will visit Pakistan again before travelling to Moscow
Araghchi is expected to arrive shortly at Nur Khan airbase on the outskirts of the Pakistani capital.
Al Jazeera understands his private plane, operated by Meraj, has taken off from Tehran and is expected to land at Nur Khan within two hours.
Part of his delegation, which had returned to Tehran after the first round of talks in Islamabad to seek guidance on issues related to ending the war, is also expected to rejoin him in Islamabad tonight.
During his previous stopover in Islamabad, Araghchi met Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The meetings focused on bilateral relations and regional developments.
Araghchi had earlier confirmed the trip in a post on X, saying he would travel to Islamabad, Muscat and Moscow as part of a diplomatic push to strengthen coordination with partner countries.
After a brief stopover in Islamabad, he is expected to travel onward to Moscow.
4h ago (12:45 GMT)
WATCH: Israel drops leaflets over southern Lebanon’s Tyre as strikes extend beyond ‘Yellow Line’
The Israeli military has dropped leaflets over the Tyre District in southern Lebanon, warning residents to avoid moving south of at least 20 villages and not to approach the Litani River, the Salhani Valley and Salkuki as Israeli forces say they plan to target what they call “Hezbollah sites” in those areas.
4h ago (12:30 GMT)
Britain preparing for impact on economy, security due to Iran war
The British government is stepping up contingency plans to protect households from the economic fallout of the war in Iran and the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
“We’re acting now to prepare for, and mitigate where possible, the impact on our economy and domestic security as a result of the conflict,” Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones said, according to Sky News.
In separate comments, Jones also told the BBC that “price pressure” was likely, with Britons facing higher energy, food and flight costs.
“Our best guess is eight-plus months from the point of resolution that you’ll see economic impacts coming through the system,” he said, adding, “So people will see higher energy prices, food prices … flight ticket prices as a consequence of what Donald Trump has done in the Middle East.”
According to the BBC, officials have already drawn up worst-case scenarios due to the war, including potential food shortages if the situation worsens.
4h ago (12:15 GMT)
Houthi
Israel continues deadly attacks on Lebanon
In the last hour, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency has reported several attacks on southern Lebanon:
One person was killed and three were wounded in an attack on Qalawiya.
Israeli forces blew up houses between Yaroun and Bint Jbeil.
Israeli warplanes targeted the outskirts of Nabatieh al-Fawqa.
Israeli forces attacked a roundabout in Kafr Tibnit. The news agency reported that an unspecified number of casualties resulted from this attack.
4h ago (12:00 GMT)
Low turnout for elections in occupied West Bank
By Nour Odeh
Reporting from Ramallah, occupied West Bank
Even by law, local councils don’t have a lot of power in terms of how people’s lives are affected. They don’t have control over education or the population registry, but they do provide services, roads, services to schools and so on, and they are important in local political life.
But what we can gauge from the numbers is that, first of all, over half of the councils in the occupied West Bank did not vote because there weren’t competing lists. The system of voting here is proportional representation, not individual candidates.
Major cities like Ramallah did not have competing lists. The biggest city, Hebron, had competition but turnout was about 23 percent.
The concern now about these elections is that they will serve as a blueprint for legislative, council and parliamentary elections. Elections haven’t been held since 2006 and the amendments to the election law have basically alienated most political parties and a lot of the active independents. The concern is that the elections will become mainstream and alienate very important sectors of society.
5h ago (11:45 GMT)
Netanyahu says Hezbollah ‘dismantling’ ceasefire with Lebanon
The Israeli PM says Hezbollah’s actions in Lebanon are “dismantling” the ceasefire agreed between Israel and Lebanon.
“It must be understood that Hezbollah’s violations are, in practice, dismantling the ceasefire,” Netanyahu said during a weekly cabinet meeting.
The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon was extended by three weeks on Thursday.
Hezbollah has dismissed accusations of breaking the ceasefire as “meaningless”, accusing Israel of violating the truce through continued strikes and territorial presence. The Lebanese group says its attacks are defensive retaliations against Israeli violations.
5h ago (11:44 GMT)
Iranian FM, sultan of Oman discuss war during Muscat visit
Iranian FM Araghchi met Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq during his visit to Muscat.
According to a Foreign Ministry statement, Araghchi “appreciated Oman’s responsible approach in supporting diplomatic processes and the country’s prudent stance regarding the imposed war by the US-Israel against Iran”.
“The experience of the 40-day imposed war against Iran showed that the US military presence in the region only causes insecurity and division, and it is expected that all regional countries adopt a constructive and responsible approach to establish endogenous collective security mechanisms free from US intervention,” Araghchi said.
For his part, the sultan expressed his hope for the “swift and definitive end of the war and the return of stability and security to the region, announcing the country’s readiness to provide any assistance in this regard”.
Omani FM Badr Albusaidi also attended the meeting, where discussions were held on the Strait of Hormuz and ongoing negotiations mediated by Pakistan.
5h ago (11:30 GMT)
China’s Hengli Petrochemical denies trade with Iran in response to US sanctions
One of China’s largest independent oil refiners, Hengli Petrochemical, has denied trading with Iran after the US imposed sanctions on one of its subsidiaries, accused of buying Iranian crude.
Hengli “has never engaged in any trade with Iran,” and all its crude oil suppliers “guaranteed that the origins of the crude oil supplied do not fall within the scope of U.S. sanctions,” the company said in a stock exchange filing.
The company said it has sufficient crude oil inventories to meet processing needs for more than three months, and its crude oil procurement activities have not been affected in any way.
The US sanctions on Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refinery lack a factual and legal basis, the company added and pledged to strive to lift relevant restrictions.
5h ago (11:15 GMT)
Analysis
‘Important’ for US, Iran to hold face-to-face meetings to negotiate end to war
Mohammed Elmasry, a professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, explained that the US is clearly trying to “bully Iran into a kind of surrender”, especially when you consider Washington’s 15-point list to end the war, which included a demand for Iran to dismantle nuclear facilities and suspend its ballistic missile programme.
“Several of them are completely untenable from the Iranian perspective; they cross the Iranian red lines. Now, to what extent will the Americans be willing to be flexible, I think that remains to be seen,” Elmasry told Al Jazeera.
“I think it’s important to get the two sides face-to-face for a sustained discussion. This discussion they had in Islamabad was 20 hours or so; the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] was negotiated over years,” he said.
Elmasry explained that the US’s ongoing blockade of Iran’s ports is one of Tehran’s red lines, adding that Washington will, at some point, have to “bend” on its stance to continue the blockade.
5h ago (11:00 GMT)
Iranian foreign minister’s return seen by Pakistani officials as ‘hopeful sign’
By Kimberly Halkett
Reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan
Pakistani officials are underscoring that the expected return of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to Islamabad is part of a process – in other words, this has never been about a collapse of talks but instead a continuation of a delicate diplomatic process.
What we know is that after the Iranian foreign minister left Islamabad, he travelled to Oman, where he was involved in consultations at a very high level. As a result of those discussions that he is now set to return to Islamabad on Sunday – at least that’s the expectation.
What we’re told from Pakistani officials is that on Monday, the Iranian foreign minister will likely meet again with the Pakistani prime minister as well as the army chief.
This is seen as a hopeful sign – in other words, what they hope is that this will in fact be something that can be incremental in the process and will advance forward.
6h ago (10:45 GMT)
In case you’re just joining us…
Let’s get you up to speed on the latest developments:
Iran’s top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, has met Oman’s sultan in Muscat to discuss regional developments and efforts to find a permanent end to the US-Israeli war.
Araghchi is expected to return to Islamabad, where he had high-level meetings yesterday with Pakistani officials and communicated Iran’s conditions for reaching a settlement.
Fighting continues in southern Lebanon, where the health ministry says Israeli attacks have killed at least seven people and wounded 24.
Despite the three-week extension of the “ceasefire” between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese group announced a drone attack on Israeli soldiers occupying large areas of southern Lebanon.
6h ago (10:30 GMT)
Developing
Israeli military issues forced evacuation threat for several Lebanese villages
The Israeli military has issued another forced evacuation threat concerning seven villages located north of the Litani River in southern Lebanon, saying it would act forcefully against Hezbollah over what it alleged were violations of the ceasefire.
6h ago (10:15 GMT)
Israeli attacks kill 7 in southern Lebanon, wound 24
At least seven people were killed in Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon yesterday, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reports.
According to the Health Ministry, 24 people were wounded in the raids, including three children.
6h ago (10:00 GMT)
Strait of Hormuz closure threatens humanitarian catastrophe as fertiliser supplies disrupted: UN
With the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the UN Office for Project Services has warned that the disruption of fertiliser supplies threatens a global humanitarian catastrophe.
The executive director of the agency, Jorge Moreira da Silva, warned that continued maritime disruptions could push millions into a cycle of hunger and famine.
He stressed that raw material prices for fertilisers had increased to record levels, which now required urgent diplomatic action to secure supply chains.
6h ago (09:50 GMT)
Hezbollah claims attack on Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon
Despite the recently renewed ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, Hezbollah says it used a drone to target and inflict casualties on a group of Israeli soldiers in the southern town of Taybeh.
7h ago (09:40 GMT)
Mystery continues to shroud US-Iran negotiations
By Kamal Hyder
Reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan
[The framework that Iran presented to Pakistan] may be speculative, given the fact that the Pakistanis are not divulging much, as most of the diplomacy is happening behind closed doors.
They’re very secretive about it, but there is no doubt that the messages that are conveyed to Pakistan are then conveyed to Washington, and Washington goes to Pakistan when they want to convey a message to the Iranians.
So far, indirect communication is happening via Pakistani mediators.
However, we are told that [Foreign Minister] Araghchi, who left Pakistan after he had come here with a delegation, held a round of talks with the chief of defence forces, Asim Munir, the prime minister and the foreign minister.
Araghchi is now expected to arrive back from Muscat. The delegation that had come with him is in Tehran.
They will also come to Pakistan because they will have instructions from the Iranian government. And that, of course, will give us a clear indication as to where these talks are going.
7h ago (09:26 GMT)
Israel, Hezbollah continuing attacks despite ceasefire
By Malcolm Webb
Reporting from Beirut, Lebanon
Since the beginning of the ceasefire, it has not involved either side stopping firing rockets or bombs missiles.
Israel had said it reserved the right to carry out what it said were defensive operations, and it has been systematically demolishing villages in the area that it occupies, using explosives, bulldozers and shelling in that area, which is what Hezbollah said initially it was responding to when it fired rockets.
Now, when Netanyahu published a statement yesterday, he said he was responding to Hezbollah’s rockets by returning fire deeper into Lebanon.
So it’s a ceasefire that certainly hasn’t involved the two sides stopping firing, and the direction of travel seems to be towards further escalation.
7h ago (09:10 GMT)
Iran’s near-total internet shutdown continues for 58th day
The internet watchdog NetBlocks says the near-total disruption in Iran is “now on its 58th consecutive day, continuing in its ninth week past the 1368 hour mark”.
The restrictions followed renewed antigovernment protests in early January and intensified after the start of the US-Israel war on Iran at the end of February.
The heavily restricted internet has affected jobs and businesses across the country.
7h ago (08:55 GMT)
Capture of ships by US, Iran violates international law, shipping body says
By John Power
A prominent shipping organisation has condemned the United States and Iran’s tit-for-tat capture of commercial ships and is calling for the immediate release of their crews.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, John Stawpert, marine director of the International Chamber of Shipping, said seafarers must be allowed to go about their business “freely and without persecution”.
Stawpert, whose organisation is the top trade association for merchant shipowners and operators worldwide, called the capture of the vessels an affront to freedom of navigation as enshrined in international law.
“All these people are doing is transporting trade. And really, we can’t have a situation where ships are being seized, ultimately for political ends, to prove a political point,” said Stawpert, whose organisation represents about 80 percent of the world’s merchant fleet.
“These are innocent (sea)farers, and they should be allowed to go about their jobs without fear of, essentially, imprisonment.”
8h ago (08:40 GMT)
LISTEN: How Israel targeted and killed Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil
Amal Khalil was killed while reporting on an Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon during a 10-day ceasefire. She is the ninth journalist killed in Lebanon this year.
As Lebanon mourns her and talks continue about extending the ceasefire, Al Jazeera’s The Take unpacks what her death says about the prospects for accountability.
Listen to the episode below:
8h ago (08:20 GMT)
Turkish FM holds phone call with US negotiators
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has discussed the latest developments in the Iran-US talks during a phone call with US negotiators, according to a Turkish Foreign Ministry source.
Turkiye has served as a diplomatic mediator between the US and Iran. It has also advocated for a ceasefire, calling the US-Israel strikes on Iran a violation of international law.
8h ago (08:10 GMT)
Israeli attacks across Gaza kill 4 people
At least four people have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza this morning.
According to health officials in the enclave, an air raid killed one person near the central village of al-Mughraqa, while Israeli gunfire and shelling killed two others near Gaza City.
Since a ceasefire was struck in October 2025, Israel has continued its near-daily attacks on the enclave, killing Palestinians, in a clear violation of the agreement.
8h ago (08:00 GMT)
More on Araghchi’s meeting with Oman’s sultan
We have more information about Araghchi’s meeting with Sultan Haitham.
During their meeting, the two men discussed “developments in the regional situation, mediation efforts, and endeavours aimed at ending conflicts”, reported Oman News Agency.
Araghchi listened to the sultan’s ideas on how to reach “sustainable political solutions and limit the repercussions of crises on the peoples of the region”, while the Omani leader stressed “the importance of prioritising the language of dialogue and diplomacy in addressing issues, contributing to the consolidation of the foundations of peace”.
Lastly, Araghchi “expressed his country’s appreciation” for Al Said’s efforts in “supporting dialogue efforts and enhancing endeavours for security and stability in the region, especially amid the current regional challenges”.
8h ago (07:50 GMT)
Israel drops leaflets in Tyre, warning residents against movement in several villages
The Israeli army has dropped leaflets from the skies in the Tyre district in southern Lebanon, warning residents about its military operation.
In videos published on social media, the army warned residents against moving south of several villages and their surroundings, confirming its positioning to confront what it described as “the ongoing terrorist activities” of Hezbollah.
The leaflets also prohibited residents from approaching the Litani River area, Salhani Valley, and Al-Salqouqi.
A video published on X by a Lebanese news outlet shows the incident:
Translation: A moment of the Israeli army dropping leaflets over the town of al-Mansouri, Tyre district.
9h ago (07:40 GMT)
Sultan of Oman and Iran’s foreign minister discuss mediation efforts
The Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, has met Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, in the capital Muscat to discuss the regional situation and mediation efforts aimed at ending the US-Israel war on Iran, Oman’s state news agency reported.
9h ago (07:30 GMT)
Houthi
Death toll from Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza rises
The Palestinian Health Ministry says at least 72,587 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel’s genocidal onslaught began in October 2023.
It added that 811 people have been killed since the October 11 “ceasefire” came into effect.
9h ago (07:20 GMT)
Infographic
Timeline of Iran’s nuclear programme
INTERACTIVE - TImeline of Iran nuclear programme JCPOA-1776853136
9h ago (07:10 GMT)
Trump puts onus on Iran’s authorities as they project hardened stance
By Maziar Motamedi
Reporting from Tehran
Amid a state-imposed near-total internet shutdown in Iran, nearing two months, officials and supporters of the Islamic Republic emphasise that they are united in opposing any concessions to Trump.
The US president said earlier this week he was in “no rush” to reach an agreement with the Iranian leadership, who he claimed, without evidence, were “fighting like cats and dogs” among themselves.
Since Trump highlighted the perceived fractures, military, security, judiciary and government authorities in Iran have been releasing synchronised messages with near-identical wording to proclaim absolute unity.
The messages, circulated through state media and even using similar graphics and fonts but with different colours, claim that everyone in the country is “revolutionary” and exercises “complete obedience” to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
9h ago (06:50 GMT)
What’s happening on day 58 as US-Iran talks stall?
Prospects for a diplomatic breakthrough in the US-Israel war on Iran appear to have dimmed, with negotiations to end the two-month conflict stalled as Tehran and Washington show little sign of easing their positions.
Trump cancelled a planned visit to Islamabad by his envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, dealing a blow to peace prospects, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Pakistan over the weekend. There, he presented mediators with a potential framework for ending the conflict.
The US president said Washington has received a new peace proposal from Tehran, but it has already been rejected.
The conflict has pushed energy prices to multiyear highs, stoked inflation and darkened global growth prospects.
10h ago (06:40 GMT)
Araghchi expected back in Islamabad, but face-to-face talks with US on hold
By Kamal Hyder
Reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan
The Iranians are not ready for face-to-face talks with the US because of several key differences. They consider the American position maximalist. Iran has demands which are considered unacceptable to the Americans.
However, despite the fact there was no breakthrough, Pakistan has continued to insist that it is ready to continue with the mediation, so the door is not closed on that.
[Iranian Foreign Minister] Abbas Araghchi will be arriving back in Islamabad later on Sunday evening on his way back from Oman. He’s likely to have more discussions with Pakistan.
The delegation which came with him has gone back to Tehran to seek instructions from the government there. They are likely to join him in Islamabad. So we shall see what happens within the next 24 hours.
The city [Islamabad] has now seen the barricades removed and the roads are open. So, for now, those face-to-face talks are definitely on hold.
10h ago (06:30 GMT)
Iran’s Araghchi expected back in Pakistan after Oman trip
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to visit Pakistan again after his Oman trip, and before travelling to Russia, Iran’s Mehr news agency reports.
Araghchi left Islamabad on Saturday without any sign of a breakthrough in peace talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior Pakistani officials over the US-Israel war on Iran.
10h ago (06:20 GMT)
Iran executes man convicted for attacking security forces
Iran has executed a man convicted of being a member of the Sunni armed group, Jaish al-Adl, and carrying out attacks on Iranian security forces, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reports.
Authorities identified the man as Amer Ramesh, saying he had been arrested in a counterterrorism operation in southeastern Iran and charged with armed rebellion, including being involved in bombings and ambushes targeting military personnel.
Jaish al-Adl is a Sunni Muslim armed group active in Iran’s poorest region, Sistan-Baluchestan.
10h ago (06:10 GMT)
What is the latest on the prospect of talks between US and Iran?
By Tohid Asadi
Reporting from Tehran, Iran
There is a certain level of secrecy when it comes to these negotiations.
We know that both sides have decided not to spill the beans when it comes to the details and technicalities.
However, we know that there are a couple points of contention, most important of which is the blockade by the Americans. The Iranians are demanding that this blockade should be removed. Meanwhile, there is a related matter and that is the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by the Iranian side.
This is not the only area in which we see points of contention. There are controversies when it comes to Iran’s nuclear dossier, specifically the issue of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. There are other issues such as war reparations, security, assurances, sanctions and frozen assets.
We’ve also heard Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian say that breaches of commitments [by the US] and lack of trust are among the main obstacles to this diplomatic engagement. We are also hearing the American side talking about being loaded, locked and loaded, and the Iranian side talking about fingers on triggers and being ready for any round of confrontation should negotiations fail.
Abbas Araghchi said on his X account that he had a very fruitful trip to Pakistan, “whose good offices and brotherly efforts to bring back peace to our region, we very much value”.
So it seems that at this point, what tops the list of priorities for Iran is a diplomatic engagement. But given the fragile nature of the situation, there is a possibility that diplomacy cannot work and we may see another scenario, such as another round of confrontation.
14h ago (02:00 GMT)
What are the sticking points in the US-Iran talks?
Let’s look at some of the main sticking points that remain in any deal being discussed between the US and Iran.
Iran’s nuclear programme: The US wants Iran to halt its nuclear programme altogether, but Tehran says any such restrictions must be for a limited number of years.
Iran’s uranium stockpile: Trump says the US wants to take custody of Iran’s stockpile of 400kg (880lbs) of highly-enriched uranium. Tehran has rejected the demand.
Strait of Hormuz: Iran insists it will maintain restrictions on shipping in the waterway until the US lifts its blockade on Iranian ports. But Trump says the blockade will remain in place until a deal is reached.
Frozen assets: Iranian officials are demanding sanctions relief and the unfreezing of assets worth $20bn as part of any lasting agreement.
War reparations: Iran is also demanding compensation for damages caused by US and Israeli attacks, amounting to about $270bn.
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15h ago (01:30 GMT)
Araghchi holds calls with his Egyptian and Turkish counterparts
The IRNA news agency is reporting that Araghchi and his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, “discussed and exchanged views on issues related to diplomacy and ceasefire, as well as the latest regional developments”.
It said Araghchi also held a call with Turkiye’s Hakan Fidan, but did not provide further details.
Turkiye’s Anadolu news agency, meanwhile, reported that the talks between Fidan and Araghchi “focused on the latest developments in the negotiation process between Iran and the US”.
It said Fidan also held a call with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on the same matter.
15h ago (01:15 GMT)
What’s next after Trump cancels envoys’ trip to Pakistan?
By Manuel Rapalo
Reporting from Wahington DC
President Trump did hint at the potential for something happening on Tuesday, but he did not provide any concrete details as to what exactly that might be.
If we want to talk about what we can expect without speculating too much regarding these negotiations, I believe that the burden, really, will fall on third-party mediators like Pakistan, who will be having to relay messages between Iran and Washington moving forward.
Militarily, the US is also going to continue to enforce its naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and… targeting of all maritime activity by Iran to continue to pressure Tehran militarily.
Economically, for now, there’s still no timeline, exactly, for when we can expect these talks to resume. We can expect mediators to be employing different diplomatic tools to encourage both sides to remain at the negotiating table and to continue the dialogue.
More than anything, right now, the focus, at least from US diplomats, is going to be to take advantage of this ongoing ceasefire to prevent anything that could threaten this delicate truce and that would lead these two countries to once again fall into open conflict.
15h ago (01:00 GMT)
Israel claims to kill 3 more Hamas fighters
The Israeli military says the fighters included a commander who had infiltrated Israel during the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023.
It said the others were a Hamas platoon commander, who “led numerous attacks” against Israeli forces in Gaza, and the third was an operative in the group’s military intelligence unit.
The statement did not specify where or when the men were killed.
There was no immediate comment from Hamas.
Israeli forces have killed at least 72,585 Palestinians in Gaza since launching their genocidal war on the territory in October 2023. The vast majority of the victims were women and children. Since the “ceasefire” agreement in October last year, at least 809 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza.
16h ago (00:45 GMT)
Iran calls for rebuilding of trust, end to blockade ahead of any talks with US
By Almigdad Alruhaid
Reporting from Tehran, Iran
President Masoud Pezeshkian and the foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, handed what was described as a workable framework to the mediator in Islamabad this morning, but we don’t know the details of the document yet.
But if we step back and look at the phone call between the president and the prime minister of Pakistan, we can see the stance of the Iranian officials.
Pezeshkian, in his fifth call with Shehbaz Sharif, said that the main issue right now is trust. He is also stressing that this blockade and pressure over the Strait of Hormuz and this military presence in the Sea of Oman is one of the main obstacles.
Actually, in the past few days, he described it as an act of war, as an act of violation of the last ceasefire, before it was extended again by Trump.
So there is a huge gap between the Iranians and Americans.
But we know that the Iranians right now are emphasising that the diplomacy is ongoing. They are open to dialogue, but they need a respectful environment before any progress can be made in the upcoming days.
16h ago (00:30 GMT)
UAE president and India’s national security adviser discuss regional stability
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has met with India’s national security adviser, Ajit Doval, in Abu Dhabi, according to the WAM news agency.
The two men discussed the situation in the Middle East and its implications for regional and international security, stability, and global energy security.
Translation: The president receives the national security adviser of India, and they discuss developments in the situation in the Middle East region and the serious repercussions it entails for regional and international security, and stability, and global energy security
16h ago (00:15 GMT)
Trump cancels envoys’ Islamabad trip, citing insufficient Iranian proposals
By Manuel Rapalo
Reporting from Washington, DC, US
President Trump abruptly cancelling this planned trip to Islamabad by his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, certainly casts doubt over this latest round of negotiations that was supposed to take place in Islamabad.
It began as a social media post by Trump on his Truth Social account, saying that this meeting had been cancelled, after which he spoke to reporters at great length. He spoke about the document that was reportedly left in Islamabad by Iranian negotiators for their American counterparts. He said that the Iranians offered something, but that it was simply not enough.
The president also said that this trip would take too long and there was no justification for sending his top negotiators for something that would not yield results favourable enough to the US interests.
President Trump reiterated that the US has all the cards, but has still left many questions here unanswered.
I think one of the things that’s very important to underscore here, however, is that even though these latest round of talks have stalled, it doesn’t mean that the diplomatic window has closed. On the contrary, President Trump, in his own words, quite literally said that if Iran wants to talk, all they have to do is pick up the phone and call.
16h ago (00:07 GMT)
WATCH: Trump cancels Pakistan talks as uncertainty surrounds US-Iran negotiations
Trump’s decision to cancel a planned delegation to Pakistan comes amid confusion over whether new talks with Iran will take place.
Tehran has repeatedly denied that any direct negotiations with Washington were planned, insisting that engagement would only happen through mediators.
16h ago (00:03 GMT)
A recap of recent developments
US President Donald Trump has cancelled his envoys’ visit to Pakistan for negotiations, saying Iran did not make a satisfactory offer.
Trump’s announcement followed the departure of Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, from Pakistan, where he presented mediators with a potential framework for ending the conflict.
Araghchi is now in Oman for discussions on regional developments, and Iranian media say he is expected to return to Islamabad before travelling on to Russia.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has told Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that Tehran will not enter into negotiations with the US under threats or siege.
US Central Command said a Navy helicopter is escorting the M/V Sevan, an intercepted ship affiliated with the Iranian “shadow fleet”, back to Iran.
Israel carries out more attacks in southern Lebanon after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders “forceful” strikes, accusing Hezbollah of sabotaging peace efforts.
- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has returned to Islamabad, Pakistan, after a brief stint in Oman, where he met with its sultan to discuss efforts to bring an end to the US-Israeli war on his country.
- Israel has carried out more deadly attacks in southern Lebanon after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered “forceful” strikes, accusing Hezbollah of sabotaging peace efforts.
- US President Donald Trump has cancelled his envoys’ visit to Pakistan for negotiations, saying Iran did not make a satisfactory offer for a peace deal.
- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has told Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that Tehran will not enter into negotiations with the US under pressure, threats or siege.
Iranian state media report messages have been relayed by the foreign minister through Pakistan to the US on what Tehran is unwilling to agree to in terms of US demands.
“These messages concern some of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s red lines including nuclear issues and the Strait of Hormuz,” said the Fars News Agency, which is close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
“Informed sources emphasize Mr Araghchi is acting entirely within the framework of the specified red lines and the diplomatic duties of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
It added the messages relayed are “unrelated to negotiations” and are “considered an initiative by Iran to clarify the regional situation”.
19m ago (16:30 GMT)
Israeli army says soldier killed in southern Lebanon
The military says Sergeant Idan Fooks, 19, has been killed “during combat” in southern Lebanon.
“An officer and three additional soldiers were severely injured, along with a soldier who was moderately injured and a soldier lightly injured,” a military statement said.
Under the terms of a mid-April truce, which was recently extended, Israel said it reserves the right to respond to “planned, imminent or ongoing attacks” and has been striking what it says are Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon almost daily.
29m ago (16:20 GMT)
‘State of war’: Why Israel has escalated attacks in Gaza
By Mohammad Mansour
Israel has escalated its attacks on the Gaza Strip in the past week, and in the latest 24-hour reporting period, at least four Palestinians have been killed across the devastated enclave, including a 40-year-old woman in Khan Younis, amid daily violations of the October “ceasefire”.
Local health officials reported more than 25 Palestinians have been killed in the past week alone, taking the number of people killed by Israel’s military to more than 800 since the “ceasefire” began.
Ahmed al-Tanani, a political analyst in Gaza, said Israel is targeting police to eradicate any possibility of restoring stability and to push the enclave into internal chaos.
“It wants to make it an unliveable environment, forcing residents to seek displacement, which serves the strategic goal of this war,” al-Tanani said.
39m ago (16:10 GMT)
Araghchi’s return to Islamabad ‘nothing to do with nuclear talks’: Iran media
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s return to Pakistan has “nothing to do with nuclear talks”, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reports.
Araghchi arrived back in Islamabad after talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other officials on a “workable framework” to end the war over the weekend.
Tasnim said he’s now back to “continue his recent consultations”, but “negotiations have nothing to do with the nuclear issue”.
US President Donald Trump earlier claimed Iran made an “offer” aimed at satisfying his demands, which include ending its nuclear programme. On Saturday, Trump cancelled his envoys’ trip to Islamabad after Araghchi left the country for Oman.
49m ago (16:00 GMT)
Iran’s Quds Force leader vows to support Hezbollah in Lebanon fighting
Esmail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), says “cohesion across the Resistance Front” is stronger than ever before.
“Today the focus is on supporting Hezbollah and the other components of the Resistance Front,” said Qaani in a statement reported by Tasnim news agency.
“History bears witness that the Zionist regime has not ended any war in recent decades by achieving its objectives. The defeat in southern Lebanon is a continuation of this same historical fate,” he added.
Quds Force is an elite special unit responsible for extraterritorial military operations.
Commander of the Iran's Revolutionary Guard Quds Force, Gen. Esmail Qaani, mourns during the funeral ceremony of the late Revolutionary Guard Gen. Abbas Nilforushan, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut in late September, in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
General Esmail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) [Vahid Salemi/AP]
59m ago (15:50 GMT)
Houthi
Trump says Iran can call the US if it wants to negotiate
The US president says Iran can reach out to the United States if it wants to negotiate an end to the war between the two countries.
“If they want to talk, they can come to us or they can call us. You know there is a telephone. We have nice, secure lines,” Trump said in an inteview on the Fox News programme The Sunday Briefing.
Donald Trump said he believes the Iran war will come to an end “very soon” and the US will be the winner.
“Some people we are dealing with now on Iran are very reasonable, others are not. I hope Iran will be smart,” said the US president.
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1h ago (15:40 GMT)
Developing
UNIFIL honours slain Indonesian peacekeeper in Beirut
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) held a ceremony in Beirut honouring Indonesian soldier Corporal Rico Pramudia, who died in a Beirut hospital after being critically wounded by a projectile targeting his position last month.
The 31-year-old is the sixth UN peacekeeper killed in recent hostilities in southern Lebanon.
“You came here, far from home, to serve under the United Nations flag, to bring peace to this land, and here, in the south of Lebanon, you gave everything,” said Major-General Diodato Abagnara, head of mission and force commander.
Attacks on peacekeepers constitute war crimes under international law, said a UNIFIL statement.
Pramudia is the fourth Indonesian peacekeeper to “make the ultimate sacrifice in the service of peace” in Lebanon in less than a month, UNIFIL noted.
It remains unclear who fired the projectile at his base.
1h ago (15:30 GMT)
Israeli army says strikes hit Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon
The Israeli military says it carried out artillery and air strikes on Lebanon’s south despite the ongoing ceasefire.
The army claimed its forces targeted Hezbollah fighters and weapons sites, including rocket launchers and storage facilities, as fighting intensified in recent days despite the truce.
Earlier on Sunday, Hezbollah said it attacked Israeli troops inside Lebanon as well as the rescue force that came to evacuate them.
Developing
Araghchi briefs French foreign minister on diplomatic efforts
As we’ve been reporting, Iran’s foreign minister has been engaged in a flurry of diplomatic calls.
As well as conversations with regional actors, Araghchi also spoke to Jean-Noel Barrot, the foreign minister of France, about “developments related to the ceasefire”, emphasising “the importance” of European countries’ “constructive role” in the process, according to the Telegram account of the Foreign Ministry.
European countries are feeling the pinch from the standoff in the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments transit.
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1h ago (15:10 GMT)
Egypt’s foreign minister speaks with his Qatari and Iranian counterparts
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty has discussed efforts to relaunch negotiations between the US and Iran with his Qatari and Iranian counterparts, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.
In separate calls with the ministers, Abdelatty affirmed the importance of the diplomatic path to ensure the continuation of the ceasefire in a way that leads to an end to the war.
1h ago (15:00 GMT)
Iranian, Saudi top diplomats hold talks over the phone
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, have exchanged views on the latest regional and diplomatic developments in a telephone call, according to the former’s Telegram channel.
“In this conversation, the foreign minister of our country explained various aspects of the current situation in the region, especially developments related to the ceasefire, and informed his Saudi counterpart about the latest efforts and diplomatic moves of the Islamic Republic of Iran to end the war and reduce tensions,” said a statement on the channel.
1h ago (14:50 GMT)
Araghchi’s arrival in Pakistan a ‘significant development’
By Kimberly Halkett
Reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan
This is a significant development. In the last 12 to 18 hours, as we’ve been reporting, the Iranian Foreign Minister [Abbas Araghchi] has been in Oman. He’s been meeting there with officials, and the discussion has really centred around… building a framework to ultimately end the war. That has been assembled.
[He also spoke on the phone] with not only the Omani government officials, but also foreign ministers in Turkiye and Qatar, as well as Saudi Arabia. He is now coming back after consulting with those key regional players to have further discussions with the Pakistani prime minister, as well as the army chief.
Now, what’s significant in all of this is that … the US president had been talking about a revised proposal that he had received from Iran. We can’t confirm that these two are the same. But the fact that they’re being discussed and revealed around the same time is certainly significant.
What this does signal is exactly what Pakistan has been saying for days. And that is, the diplomacy channel has continued to progress. It has not been cut off.
2h ago (14:40 GMT)
Houthi
Death toll in Israeli attacks on Lebanon rises above 2,500 since March 2
The country’s Health Ministry reports that since March 2, the day open war was renewed between Israel and Hezbollah, at least 2,509 people have been killed and 7,755 wounded by Israeli attacks.
2h ago (14:30 GMT)
Houthi
Hezbollah rejects Israeli accusations it is undermining ceasefire
A statement from the group issued on Telegram condemns comments by Netanyahu, who accused Hezbollah of undermining the ceasefire in Lebanon and said Israel has the right to freedom of action militarily.
Hezbollah “strongly warns of the extreme danger of attempting to implicate the Lebanese authorities in a bilateral agreement that was solely between Washington and Netanyahu, to which Lebanon had no say or position”, the group said, referring to the ceasefire.
“The continuation of the resistance targeting the Israeli enemy’s gatherings on our occupied land, and bombing its settlements in northern occupied Palestine, is a legitimate response to its persistent violations of the ceasefire since the first day of the temporary truce declaration,” the statement said, implying that Hezbollah will continue fighting back against Israel’s frequent attacks on southern Lebanon.
“The extension of the truce for additional weeks was supposed, according to the Lebanese authorities, to lead to a real ceasefire during which the enemy would stop its violations and attacks, especially the bombing and destruction of homes in the south,” it continued.
“However, instead of doing so, it escalated its aggression and attacks, confirming its criminal nature, treachery, and disregard for all international laws and conventions.”
2h ago (14:10 GMT)
WATCH: Iranian economy under strain during war
Weeks of war have devastated Iran’s infrastructure and economy with more than 3,300 people killed and over 125,000 buildings damaged.
Key industries, including steel and petrochemicals, have been disrupted, causing price surges and leaving hundreds of thousands of people unemployed.
Despite a fragile ceasefire, the strain on daily life and livelihoods continues to intensify.
2h ago (14:00 GMT)
Strait of Hormuz will not revert to pre-war conditions: Iranian MP
Conditions in the Strait of Hormuz will not go back to the way they were before the war, a senior Iranian lawmaker says about the ongoing Iranian restrictions on shipping in the strategic waterway and a US blockade on Iran’s ports.
“We will by no means return the Strait of Hormuz to its previous state because this is an order from the leader of the Islamic revolution,” Ali Nikzad, second deputy speaker of the Iranian parliament, told the semiofficial Mehr News Agency.
Since the war initiated by the US and Israel against Iran began on February 28, Tehran has maintained control of the Strait of Hormuz. The US also imposed a naval blockade on April 13. Both actions have hit global energy supplies, affecting countries especially across Asia.
Washington and Tehran held talks in Islamabad two weeks ago but failed to reach an agreement to end the conflict.
The negotiations came after Pakistan brokered a two-week ceasefire, which began on April 8 and was later extended indefinitely by Trump. Efforts for another round of talks are under way.
2h ago (13:52 GMT)
Iran’s Araghchi back in Pakistan
Iran’s foreign minister is back in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, after visiting Oman, according to Reuters, which cited state media.
Araghchi’s return comes after he left Islamabad on Saturday, reporting on X that he had shared Iran’s position on a “workable framework to permanently end the war on Iran” with Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif and other top officials.
After he left, Trump said he had cancelled his envoys’ trip to Pakistan. Araghchi posted that he had “yet to see if the U.S. is truly serious about diplomacy”.
2h ago (13:50 GMT)
Months needed for oil market to recover after Hormuz blockade: Russian official
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak says he expects it will take several months for the oil market to recover to its previous level if the Strait of Hormuz is reopened.
Speaking in an interview with the Russian VGTRK broadcasting company, Novak said the crisis in the Middle East has led to a large global undersupply of energy resources that will not be easy to overcome in a short time.
“The crisis is very deep. A very large number of barrels of oil did not reach the market during this period, and a large number of ships have accumulated in the Strait of Hormuz,” Novak said.
“Therefore, of course, it will take some time to rebalance and recover to the previous level. In our view, that will be several months,” the official added.
3h ago (13:40 GMT)
Developing
Iranian FM Araghchi talks with Qatar’s PM about ‘diplomatic efforts’ to end war
Ahead of his return to Islamabad today, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke by phone with Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.
Araghchi said he’d discussed “developments related to the ceasefire and the challenges facing its consolidation”, informing Sheikh Mohammed about “diplomatic efforts of the Islamic Republic of Iran to end the war and reduce tensions”.
The future format of ceasefire talks between Iran and the US is currently unknown. Yesterday, US President Donald Trump cancelled his envoys’ trip to Islamabad after Araghchi’s departure from the city.
3h ago (13:30 GMT)
Starmer, Trump hold call on Strait of Hormuz
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Donald Trump discussed the urgent need to get shipping moving again in the Strait of Hormuz during a call on Sunday, a Downing Street spokesperson said.
“The leaders discussed the urgent need to get shipping moving again in the Strait of Hormuz, given the severe consequences for the global economy and cost of living for people in the UK and globally,” the spokesperson for Starmer’s office said in a statement.
“The prime minister shared the latest progress on his joint initiative with [French] President Macron to restore freedom of navigation,” the spokesperson added.
3h ago (13:15 GMT)
Analysis
Pressure from war being felt more on global stage than by the involved parties
Mark Kimmitt, former US assistant secretary of state, says that the United States and Iran aren’t feeling any particular pressure to engage in negotiations as they aren’t the parties most affected by the war.
The two parties involved in the negotiations are not bearing the brunt of the effects of the war; instead, there are others feeling the secondary and tertiary effects “of the lack of negotiation”, Kimmitt told Al Jazeera.
“The two nations that are most involved [in] the negotiation, the United States and Iran, are the ones most insulated from the effects of the blockade [of the Strait of Hormuz],” he said.
Iran may be feeling some pressure from China and Moscow, said Kimmitt, but “Iran has been holding its breath for 47 years, so there’s nothing you can throw at it that’s going to cause them to change their mind.”
The US, meanwhile, “is pretty self-sufficient in petroleum, so I think they’re going to wait to hear something from the Iranians as well”, he said.
The countries most affected by the blockade are the ones “looking for a near-term resolution,” noted Kimmitt, adding that the agricultural sector is the most affected, along with countries in Africa that depend on fertiliser, helium and petroleum shipments.
3h ago (13:00 GMT)
Houthi
Iran’s Araghchi leaves Muscat, heading back to Islamabad
By Abid Hussain
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has left the Omani capital of Muscat and is returning to Islamabad, Iran’s Foreign Ministry announced, confirming he will visit Pakistan again before travelling to Moscow
Araghchi is expected to arrive shortly at Nur Khan airbase on the outskirts of the Pakistani capital.
Al Jazeera understands his private plane, operated by Meraj, has taken off from Tehran and is expected to land at Nur Khan within two hours.
Part of his delegation, which had returned to Tehran after the first round of talks in Islamabad to seek guidance on issues related to ending the war, is also expected to rejoin him in Islamabad tonight.
During his previous stopover in Islamabad, Araghchi met Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The meetings focused on bilateral relations and regional developments.
Araghchi had earlier confirmed the trip in a post on X, saying he would travel to Islamabad, Muscat and Moscow as part of a diplomatic push to strengthen coordination with partner countries.
After a brief stopover in Islamabad, he is expected to travel onward to Moscow.
4h ago (12:45 GMT)
WATCH: Israel drops leaflets over southern Lebanon’s Tyre as strikes extend beyond ‘Yellow Line’
The Israeli military has dropped leaflets over the Tyre District in southern Lebanon, warning residents to avoid moving south of at least 20 villages and not to approach the Litani River, the Salhani Valley and Salkuki as Israeli forces say they plan to target what they call “Hezbollah sites” in those areas.
4h ago (12:30 GMT)
Britain preparing for impact on economy, security due to Iran war
The British government is stepping up contingency plans to protect households from the economic fallout of the war in Iran and the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
“We’re acting now to prepare for, and mitigate where possible, the impact on our economy and domestic security as a result of the conflict,” Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones said, according to Sky News.
In separate comments, Jones also told the BBC that “price pressure” was likely, with Britons facing higher energy, food and flight costs.
“Our best guess is eight-plus months from the point of resolution that you’ll see economic impacts coming through the system,” he said, adding, “So people will see higher energy prices, food prices … flight ticket prices as a consequence of what Donald Trump has done in the Middle East.”
According to the BBC, officials have already drawn up worst-case scenarios due to the war, including potential food shortages if the situation worsens.
4h ago (12:15 GMT)
Houthi
Israel continues deadly attacks on Lebanon
In the last hour, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency has reported several attacks on southern Lebanon:
One person was killed and three were wounded in an attack on Qalawiya.
Israeli forces blew up houses between Yaroun and Bint Jbeil.
Israeli warplanes targeted the outskirts of Nabatieh al-Fawqa.
Israeli forces attacked a roundabout in Kafr Tibnit. The news agency reported that an unspecified number of casualties resulted from this attack.
4h ago (12:00 GMT)
Low turnout for elections in occupied West Bank
By Nour Odeh
Reporting from Ramallah, occupied West Bank
Even by law, local councils don’t have a lot of power in terms of how people’s lives are affected. They don’t have control over education or the population registry, but they do provide services, roads, services to schools and so on, and they are important in local political life.
But what we can gauge from the numbers is that, first of all, over half of the councils in the occupied West Bank did not vote because there weren’t competing lists. The system of voting here is proportional representation, not individual candidates.
Major cities like Ramallah did not have competing lists. The biggest city, Hebron, had competition but turnout was about 23 percent.
The concern now about these elections is that they will serve as a blueprint for legislative, council and parliamentary elections. Elections haven’t been held since 2006 and the amendments to the election law have basically alienated most political parties and a lot of the active independents. The concern is that the elections will become mainstream and alienate very important sectors of society.
5h ago (11:45 GMT)
Netanyahu says Hezbollah ‘dismantling’ ceasefire with Lebanon
The Israeli PM says Hezbollah’s actions in Lebanon are “dismantling” the ceasefire agreed between Israel and Lebanon.
“It must be understood that Hezbollah’s violations are, in practice, dismantling the ceasefire,” Netanyahu said during a weekly cabinet meeting.
The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon was extended by three weeks on Thursday.
Hezbollah has dismissed accusations of breaking the ceasefire as “meaningless”, accusing Israel of violating the truce through continued strikes and territorial presence. The Lebanese group says its attacks are defensive retaliations against Israeli violations.
5h ago (11:44 GMT)
Iranian FM, sultan of Oman discuss war during Muscat visit
Iranian FM Araghchi met Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq during his visit to Muscat.
According to a Foreign Ministry statement, Araghchi “appreciated Oman’s responsible approach in supporting diplomatic processes and the country’s prudent stance regarding the imposed war by the US-Israel against Iran”.
“The experience of the 40-day imposed war against Iran showed that the US military presence in the region only causes insecurity and division, and it is expected that all regional countries adopt a constructive and responsible approach to establish endogenous collective security mechanisms free from US intervention,” Araghchi said.
For his part, the sultan expressed his hope for the “swift and definitive end of the war and the return of stability and security to the region, announcing the country’s readiness to provide any assistance in this regard”.
Omani FM Badr Albusaidi also attended the meeting, where discussions were held on the Strait of Hormuz and ongoing negotiations mediated by Pakistan.
5h ago (11:30 GMT)
China’s Hengli Petrochemical denies trade with Iran in response to US sanctions
One of China’s largest independent oil refiners, Hengli Petrochemical, has denied trading with Iran after the US imposed sanctions on one of its subsidiaries, accused of buying Iranian crude.
Hengli “has never engaged in any trade with Iran,” and all its crude oil suppliers “guaranteed that the origins of the crude oil supplied do not fall within the scope of U.S. sanctions,” the company said in a stock exchange filing.
The company said it has sufficient crude oil inventories to meet processing needs for more than three months, and its crude oil procurement activities have not been affected in any way.
The US sanctions on Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refinery lack a factual and legal basis, the company added and pledged to strive to lift relevant restrictions.
5h ago (11:15 GMT)
Analysis
‘Important’ for US, Iran to hold face-to-face meetings to negotiate end to war
Mohammed Elmasry, a professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, explained that the US is clearly trying to “bully Iran into a kind of surrender”, especially when you consider Washington’s 15-point list to end the war, which included a demand for Iran to dismantle nuclear facilities and suspend its ballistic missile programme.
“Several of them are completely untenable from the Iranian perspective; they cross the Iranian red lines. Now, to what extent will the Americans be willing to be flexible, I think that remains to be seen,” Elmasry told Al Jazeera.
“I think it’s important to get the two sides face-to-face for a sustained discussion. This discussion they had in Islamabad was 20 hours or so; the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] was negotiated over years,” he said.
Elmasry explained that the US’s ongoing blockade of Iran’s ports is one of Tehran’s red lines, adding that Washington will, at some point, have to “bend” on its stance to continue the blockade.
5h ago (11:00 GMT)
Iranian foreign minister’s return seen by Pakistani officials as ‘hopeful sign’
By Kimberly Halkett
Reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan
Pakistani officials are underscoring that the expected return of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to Islamabad is part of a process – in other words, this has never been about a collapse of talks but instead a continuation of a delicate diplomatic process.
What we know is that after the Iranian foreign minister left Islamabad, he travelled to Oman, where he was involved in consultations at a very high level. As a result of those discussions that he is now set to return to Islamabad on Sunday – at least that’s the expectation.
What we’re told from Pakistani officials is that on Monday, the Iranian foreign minister will likely meet again with the Pakistani prime minister as well as the army chief.
This is seen as a hopeful sign – in other words, what they hope is that this will in fact be something that can be incremental in the process and will advance forward.
6h ago (10:45 GMT)
In case you’re just joining us…
Let’s get you up to speed on the latest developments:
Iran’s top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, has met Oman’s sultan in Muscat to discuss regional developments and efforts to find a permanent end to the US-Israeli war.
Araghchi is expected to return to Islamabad, where he had high-level meetings yesterday with Pakistani officials and communicated Iran’s conditions for reaching a settlement.
Fighting continues in southern Lebanon, where the health ministry says Israeli attacks have killed at least seven people and wounded 24.
Despite the three-week extension of the “ceasefire” between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese group announced a drone attack on Israeli soldiers occupying large areas of southern Lebanon.
6h ago (10:30 GMT)
Developing
Israeli military issues forced evacuation threat for several Lebanese villages
The Israeli military has issued another forced evacuation threat concerning seven villages located north of the Litani River in southern Lebanon, saying it would act forcefully against Hezbollah over what it alleged were violations of the ceasefire.
6h ago (10:15 GMT)
Israeli attacks kill 7 in southern Lebanon, wound 24
At least seven people were killed in Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon yesterday, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reports.
According to the Health Ministry, 24 people were wounded in the raids, including three children.
6h ago (10:00 GMT)
Strait of Hormuz closure threatens humanitarian catastrophe as fertiliser supplies disrupted: UN
With the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the UN Office for Project Services has warned that the disruption of fertiliser supplies threatens a global humanitarian catastrophe.
The executive director of the agency, Jorge Moreira da Silva, warned that continued maritime disruptions could push millions into a cycle of hunger and famine.
He stressed that raw material prices for fertilisers had increased to record levels, which now required urgent diplomatic action to secure supply chains.
6h ago (09:50 GMT)
Hezbollah claims attack on Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon
Despite the recently renewed ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, Hezbollah says it used a drone to target and inflict casualties on a group of Israeli soldiers in the southern town of Taybeh.
7h ago (09:40 GMT)
Mystery continues to shroud US-Iran negotiations
By Kamal Hyder
Reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan
[The framework that Iran presented to Pakistan] may be speculative, given the fact that the Pakistanis are not divulging much, as most of the diplomacy is happening behind closed doors.
They’re very secretive about it, but there is no doubt that the messages that are conveyed to Pakistan are then conveyed to Washington, and Washington goes to Pakistan when they want to convey a message to the Iranians.
So far, indirect communication is happening via Pakistani mediators.
However, we are told that [Foreign Minister] Araghchi, who left Pakistan after he had come here with a delegation, held a round of talks with the chief of defence forces, Asim Munir, the prime minister and the foreign minister.
Araghchi is now expected to arrive back from Muscat. The delegation that had come with him is in Tehran.
They will also come to Pakistan because they will have instructions from the Iranian government. And that, of course, will give us a clear indication as to where these talks are going.
7h ago (09:26 GMT)
Israel, Hezbollah continuing attacks despite ceasefire
By Malcolm Webb
Reporting from Beirut, Lebanon
Since the beginning of the ceasefire, it has not involved either side stopping firing rockets or bombs missiles.
Israel had said it reserved the right to carry out what it said were defensive operations, and it has been systematically demolishing villages in the area that it occupies, using explosives, bulldozers and shelling in that area, which is what Hezbollah said initially it was responding to when it fired rockets.
Now, when Netanyahu published a statement yesterday, he said he was responding to Hezbollah’s rockets by returning fire deeper into Lebanon.
So it’s a ceasefire that certainly hasn’t involved the two sides stopping firing, and the direction of travel seems to be towards further escalation.
7h ago (09:10 GMT)
Iran’s near-total internet shutdown continues for 58th day
The internet watchdog NetBlocks says the near-total disruption in Iran is “now on its 58th consecutive day, continuing in its ninth week past the 1368 hour mark”.
The restrictions followed renewed antigovernment protests in early January and intensified after the start of the US-Israel war on Iran at the end of February.
The heavily restricted internet has affected jobs and businesses across the country.
7h ago (08:55 GMT)
Capture of ships by US, Iran violates international law, shipping body says
By John Power
A prominent shipping organisation has condemned the United States and Iran’s tit-for-tat capture of commercial ships and is calling for the immediate release of their crews.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, John Stawpert, marine director of the International Chamber of Shipping, said seafarers must be allowed to go about their business “freely and without persecution”.
Stawpert, whose organisation is the top trade association for merchant shipowners and operators worldwide, called the capture of the vessels an affront to freedom of navigation as enshrined in international law.
“All these people are doing is transporting trade. And really, we can’t have a situation where ships are being seized, ultimately for political ends, to prove a political point,” said Stawpert, whose organisation represents about 80 percent of the world’s merchant fleet.
“These are innocent (sea)farers, and they should be allowed to go about their jobs without fear of, essentially, imprisonment.”
8h ago (08:40 GMT)
LISTEN: How Israel targeted and killed Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil
Amal Khalil was killed while reporting on an Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon during a 10-day ceasefire. She is the ninth journalist killed in Lebanon this year.
As Lebanon mourns her and talks continue about extending the ceasefire, Al Jazeera’s The Take unpacks what her death says about the prospects for accountability.
Listen to the episode below:
8h ago (08:20 GMT)
Turkish FM holds phone call with US negotiators
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has discussed the latest developments in the Iran-US talks during a phone call with US negotiators, according to a Turkish Foreign Ministry source.
Turkiye has served as a diplomatic mediator between the US and Iran. It has also advocated for a ceasefire, calling the US-Israel strikes on Iran a violation of international law.
8h ago (08:10 GMT)
Israeli attacks across Gaza kill 4 people
At least four people have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza this morning.
According to health officials in the enclave, an air raid killed one person near the central village of al-Mughraqa, while Israeli gunfire and shelling killed two others near Gaza City.
Since a ceasefire was struck in October 2025, Israel has continued its near-daily attacks on the enclave, killing Palestinians, in a clear violation of the agreement.
8h ago (08:00 GMT)
More on Araghchi’s meeting with Oman’s sultan
We have more information about Araghchi’s meeting with Sultan Haitham.
During their meeting, the two men discussed “developments in the regional situation, mediation efforts, and endeavours aimed at ending conflicts”, reported Oman News Agency.
Araghchi listened to the sultan’s ideas on how to reach “sustainable political solutions and limit the repercussions of crises on the peoples of the region”, while the Omani leader stressed “the importance of prioritising the language of dialogue and diplomacy in addressing issues, contributing to the consolidation of the foundations of peace”.
Lastly, Araghchi “expressed his country’s appreciation” for Al Said’s efforts in “supporting dialogue efforts and enhancing endeavours for security and stability in the region, especially amid the current regional challenges”.
8h ago (07:50 GMT)
Israel drops leaflets in Tyre, warning residents against movement in several villages
The Israeli army has dropped leaflets from the skies in the Tyre district in southern Lebanon, warning residents about its military operation.
In videos published on social media, the army warned residents against moving south of several villages and their surroundings, confirming its positioning to confront what it described as “the ongoing terrorist activities” of Hezbollah.
The leaflets also prohibited residents from approaching the Litani River area, Salhani Valley, and Al-Salqouqi.
A video published on X by a Lebanese news outlet shows the incident:
Translation: A moment of the Israeli army dropping leaflets over the town of al-Mansouri, Tyre district.
9h ago (07:40 GMT)
Sultan of Oman and Iran’s foreign minister discuss mediation efforts
The Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, has met Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, in the capital Muscat to discuss the regional situation and mediation efforts aimed at ending the US-Israel war on Iran, Oman’s state news agency reported.
9h ago (07:30 GMT)
Houthi
Death toll from Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza rises
The Palestinian Health Ministry says at least 72,587 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel’s genocidal onslaught began in October 2023.
It added that 811 people have been killed since the October 11 “ceasefire” came into effect.
9h ago (07:20 GMT)
Infographic
Timeline of Iran’s nuclear programme
INTERACTIVE - TImeline of Iran nuclear programme JCPOA-1776853136
9h ago (07:10 GMT)
Trump puts onus on Iran’s authorities as they project hardened stance
By Maziar Motamedi
Reporting from Tehran
Amid a state-imposed near-total internet shutdown in Iran, nearing two months, officials and supporters of the Islamic Republic emphasise that they are united in opposing any concessions to Trump.
The US president said earlier this week he was in “no rush” to reach an agreement with the Iranian leadership, who he claimed, without evidence, were “fighting like cats and dogs” among themselves.
Since Trump highlighted the perceived fractures, military, security, judiciary and government authorities in Iran have been releasing synchronised messages with near-identical wording to proclaim absolute unity.
The messages, circulated through state media and even using similar graphics and fonts but with different colours, claim that everyone in the country is “revolutionary” and exercises “complete obedience” to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
9h ago (06:50 GMT)
What’s happening on day 58 as US-Iran talks stall?
Prospects for a diplomatic breakthrough in the US-Israel war on Iran appear to have dimmed, with negotiations to end the two-month conflict stalled as Tehran and Washington show little sign of easing their positions.
Trump cancelled a planned visit to Islamabad by his envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, dealing a blow to peace prospects, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Pakistan over the weekend. There, he presented mediators with a potential framework for ending the conflict.
The US president said Washington has received a new peace proposal from Tehran, but it has already been rejected.
The conflict has pushed energy prices to multiyear highs, stoked inflation and darkened global growth prospects.
10h ago (06:40 GMT)
Araghchi expected back in Islamabad, but face-to-face talks with US on hold
By Kamal Hyder
Reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan
The Iranians are not ready for face-to-face talks with the US because of several key differences. They consider the American position maximalist. Iran has demands which are considered unacceptable to the Americans.
However, despite the fact there was no breakthrough, Pakistan has continued to insist that it is ready to continue with the mediation, so the door is not closed on that.
[Iranian Foreign Minister] Abbas Araghchi will be arriving back in Islamabad later on Sunday evening on his way back from Oman. He’s likely to have more discussions with Pakistan.
The delegation which came with him has gone back to Tehran to seek instructions from the government there. They are likely to join him in Islamabad. So we shall see what happens within the next 24 hours.
The city [Islamabad] has now seen the barricades removed and the roads are open. So, for now, those face-to-face talks are definitely on hold.
10h ago (06:30 GMT)
Iran’s Araghchi expected back in Pakistan after Oman trip
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to visit Pakistan again after his Oman trip, and before travelling to Russia, Iran’s Mehr news agency reports.
Araghchi left Islamabad on Saturday without any sign of a breakthrough in peace talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior Pakistani officials over the US-Israel war on Iran.
10h ago (06:20 GMT)
Iran executes man convicted for attacking security forces
Iran has executed a man convicted of being a member of the Sunni armed group, Jaish al-Adl, and carrying out attacks on Iranian security forces, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reports.
Authorities identified the man as Amer Ramesh, saying he had been arrested in a counterterrorism operation in southeastern Iran and charged with armed rebellion, including being involved in bombings and ambushes targeting military personnel.
Jaish al-Adl is a Sunni Muslim armed group active in Iran’s poorest region, Sistan-Baluchestan.
10h ago (06:10 GMT)
What is the latest on the prospect of talks between US and Iran?
By Tohid Asadi
Reporting from Tehran, Iran
There is a certain level of secrecy when it comes to these negotiations.
We know that both sides have decided not to spill the beans when it comes to the details and technicalities.
However, we know that there are a couple points of contention, most important of which is the blockade by the Americans. The Iranians are demanding that this blockade should be removed. Meanwhile, there is a related matter and that is the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by the Iranian side.
This is not the only area in which we see points of contention. There are controversies when it comes to Iran’s nuclear dossier, specifically the issue of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. There are other issues such as war reparations, security, assurances, sanctions and frozen assets.
We’ve also heard Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian say that breaches of commitments [by the US] and lack of trust are among the main obstacles to this diplomatic engagement. We are also hearing the American side talking about being loaded, locked and loaded, and the Iranian side talking about fingers on triggers and being ready for any round of confrontation should negotiations fail.
Abbas Araghchi said on his X account that he had a very fruitful trip to Pakistan, “whose good offices and brotherly efforts to bring back peace to our region, we very much value”.
So it seems that at this point, what tops the list of priorities for Iran is a diplomatic engagement. But given the fragile nature of the situation, there is a possibility that diplomacy cannot work and we may see another scenario, such as another round of confrontation.
14h ago (02:00 GMT)
What are the sticking points in the US-Iran talks?
Let’s look at some of the main sticking points that remain in any deal being discussed between the US and Iran.
Iran’s nuclear programme: The US wants Iran to halt its nuclear programme altogether, but Tehran says any such restrictions must be for a limited number of years.
Iran’s uranium stockpile: Trump says the US wants to take custody of Iran’s stockpile of 400kg (880lbs) of highly-enriched uranium. Tehran has rejected the demand.
Strait of Hormuz: Iran insists it will maintain restrictions on shipping in the waterway until the US lifts its blockade on Iranian ports. But Trump says the blockade will remain in place until a deal is reached.
Frozen assets: Iranian officials are demanding sanctions relief and the unfreezing of assets worth $20bn as part of any lasting agreement.
War reparations: Iran is also demanding compensation for damages caused by US and Israeli attacks, amounting to about $270bn.
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15h ago (01:30 GMT)
Araghchi holds calls with his Egyptian and Turkish counterparts
The IRNA news agency is reporting that Araghchi and his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, “discussed and exchanged views on issues related to diplomacy and ceasefire, as well as the latest regional developments”.
It said Araghchi also held a call with Turkiye’s Hakan Fidan, but did not provide further details.
Turkiye’s Anadolu news agency, meanwhile, reported that the talks between Fidan and Araghchi “focused on the latest developments in the negotiation process between Iran and the US”.
It said Fidan also held a call with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on the same matter.
15h ago (01:15 GMT)
What’s next after Trump cancels envoys’ trip to Pakistan?
By Manuel Rapalo
Reporting from Wahington DC
President Trump did hint at the potential for something happening on Tuesday, but he did not provide any concrete details as to what exactly that might be.
If we want to talk about what we can expect without speculating too much regarding these negotiations, I believe that the burden, really, will fall on third-party mediators like Pakistan, who will be having to relay messages between Iran and Washington moving forward.
Militarily, the US is also going to continue to enforce its naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and… targeting of all maritime activity by Iran to continue to pressure Tehran militarily.
Economically, for now, there’s still no timeline, exactly, for when we can expect these talks to resume. We can expect mediators to be employing different diplomatic tools to encourage both sides to remain at the negotiating table and to continue the dialogue.
More than anything, right now, the focus, at least from US diplomats, is going to be to take advantage of this ongoing ceasefire to prevent anything that could threaten this delicate truce and that would lead these two countries to once again fall into open conflict.
15h ago (01:00 GMT)
Israel claims to kill 3 more Hamas fighters
The Israeli military says the fighters included a commander who had infiltrated Israel during the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023.
It said the others were a Hamas platoon commander, who “led numerous attacks” against Israeli forces in Gaza, and the third was an operative in the group’s military intelligence unit.
The statement did not specify where or when the men were killed.
There was no immediate comment from Hamas.
Israeli forces have killed at least 72,585 Palestinians in Gaza since launching their genocidal war on the territory in October 2023. The vast majority of the victims were women and children. Since the “ceasefire” agreement in October last year, at least 809 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza.
16h ago (00:45 GMT)
Iran calls for rebuilding of trust, end to blockade ahead of any talks with US
By Almigdad Alruhaid
Reporting from Tehran, Iran
President Masoud Pezeshkian and the foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, handed what was described as a workable framework to the mediator in Islamabad this morning, but we don’t know the details of the document yet.
But if we step back and look at the phone call between the president and the prime minister of Pakistan, we can see the stance of the Iranian officials.
Pezeshkian, in his fifth call with Shehbaz Sharif, said that the main issue right now is trust. He is also stressing that this blockade and pressure over the Strait of Hormuz and this military presence in the Sea of Oman is one of the main obstacles.
Actually, in the past few days, he described it as an act of war, as an act of violation of the last ceasefire, before it was extended again by Trump.
So there is a huge gap between the Iranians and Americans.
But we know that the Iranians right now are emphasising that the diplomacy is ongoing. They are open to dialogue, but they need a respectful environment before any progress can be made in the upcoming days.
16h ago (00:30 GMT)
UAE president and India’s national security adviser discuss regional stability
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has met with India’s national security adviser, Ajit Doval, in Abu Dhabi, according to the WAM news agency.
The two men discussed the situation in the Middle East and its implications for regional and international security, stability, and global energy security.
Translation: The president receives the national security adviser of India, and they discuss developments in the situation in the Middle East region and the serious repercussions it entails for regional and international security, and stability, and global energy security
16h ago (00:15 GMT)
Trump cancels envoys’ Islamabad trip, citing insufficient Iranian proposals
By Manuel Rapalo
Reporting from Washington, DC, US
President Trump abruptly cancelling this planned trip to Islamabad by his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, certainly casts doubt over this latest round of negotiations that was supposed to take place in Islamabad.
It began as a social media post by Trump on his Truth Social account, saying that this meeting had been cancelled, after which he spoke to reporters at great length. He spoke about the document that was reportedly left in Islamabad by Iranian negotiators for their American counterparts. He said that the Iranians offered something, but that it was simply not enough.
The president also said that this trip would take too long and there was no justification for sending his top negotiators for something that would not yield results favourable enough to the US interests.
President Trump reiterated that the US has all the cards, but has still left many questions here unanswered.
I think one of the things that’s very important to underscore here, however, is that even though these latest round of talks have stalled, it doesn’t mean that the diplomatic window has closed. On the contrary, President Trump, in his own words, quite literally said that if Iran wants to talk, all they have to do is pick up the phone and call.
16h ago (00:07 GMT)
WATCH: Trump cancels Pakistan talks as uncertainty surrounds US-Iran negotiations
Trump’s decision to cancel a planned delegation to Pakistan comes amid confusion over whether new talks with Iran will take place.
Tehran has repeatedly denied that any direct negotiations with Washington were planned, insisting that engagement would only happen through mediators.
16h ago (00:03 GMT)
A recap of recent developments
US President Donald Trump has cancelled his envoys’ visit to Pakistan for negotiations, saying Iran did not make a satisfactory offer.
Trump’s announcement followed the departure of Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, from Pakistan, where he presented mediators with a potential framework for ending the conflict.
Araghchi is now in Oman for discussions on regional developments, and Iranian media say he is expected to return to Islamabad before travelling on to Russia.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has told Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that Tehran will not enter into negotiations with the US under threats or siege.
US Central Command said a Navy helicopter is escorting the M/V Sevan, an intercepted ship affiliated with the Iranian “shadow fleet”, back to Iran.
Israel carries out more attacks in southern Lebanon after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders “forceful” strikes, accusing Hezbollah of sabotaging peace efforts.
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