The US and Israel on Feb 28 launched what they described as a “pre-emptive” joint strike against Iranian targets, with Trump announcing start of “major combat operations”
Pakistan hosted the first round of face-to-face talks between the US and Iran in 47 years in April; the talks ended without a breakthrough, but also without a breakdown
Islamabad stays in frame for hosting US-Iran deal signing ceremony
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has had a phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, according to Iran’s IRNA state news agency.
“During the call, Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan exchanged views on the latest regional developments, including the Zionist regime’s aggressive attacks on Lebanon,” IRNA reports.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has discussed regional developments in a phone call with his French counterpart, Jean-Noel Barrot, according to Iran’s IRNA state news agency.
“During the call, the two ministers exchanged views on the latest developments in the region, including Israeli military attacks against Lebanon and the consequences of these acts of aggression,” IRNA reports, noting that the conversation comes amid heightened tensions in Lebanon following continued Israeli strikes.
Energy prices have decreased amid easing tensions in the Middle East following US President Donald Trump’s statements related to Lebanon, according to Anadolu.
Brent futures, after exceeding $97 per barrel earlier today, have dropped to below $95, while West Texas Intermediate prices have fallen to $91.9 as of 1820 GMT.
An Israeli drone attack has targeted the town of Majdal in the Tyre district of southern Lebanon, while two Israeli air strikes have been reported on the town of Nabatieh al-Fawqa, according to Al Jazeera correspondents on the ground.
Iraqi security officials say a drone attack caused an explosion on a cargo ship about 74 kilometres southeast of Umm Qasr, the port city in southern Iraq, according to Al Jazeera.
Earlier, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported the ship was hit by an unknown projectile in the Arabian Gulf. The explosion caused a fire that was eventually brought under control. No casualties were reported.
US President Donald Trump says “all shooting will stop” between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, adding in a Truth Social post that he has spoken with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hezbollah.
“I had a very productive call with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel, and there will be no troops going to Beirut, and any troops that are on their way, have already been turned back,” he writes.
Trump says he spoke to Hezbollah through “highly placed representatives” and that the group agreed that “all shooting will stop — that Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel”.
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has condemned in the strongest terms Israel’s military incursion into Lebanon, denouncing strikes as a “flagrant violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty, international law, and international humanitarian law”.
“The [OIC] General Secretariat expressed its strong condemnation and denunciation of the continued attacks by Israeli occupation forces on Lebanon, which constitute a serious threat to security and stability in the region,” a statement reads.
“Reaffirming the OIC’s unwavering support for and solidarity with Lebanon, its sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, the General Secretariat calls upon the international community to take immediate action to halt this aggression.”
An Israeli attack on the buildings located opposite Jabal Amel University Hospital in Lebanon’s Tyre has killed two people and wounded 23, Al Jazeera reports citing the Lebanese National News Agency.
The United Nations has expressed alarm and called for all sides to respect the ceasefire as Israel expands its offensive into Lebanon, while negotiations to end the US-Iran war appear imperilled, according to AFP.
“We are deeply alarmed by the escalation in military activities across southern Lebanon and beyond,” Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, says. “We urge all actors to respect the cessation of hostilities and avoid further escalation.”
Saudi Arabia has condemned Israel’s aggression against Lebanon and branded its incursion into Lebanese territory a violation of sovereignty.
“The kingdom calls on the international community to assume its responsibility in putting an end to this aggression and halting Israeli military movements that aim to expand incursion into Lebanese territory,” the Saudi foreign ministry says in a statement.
Riyadh also stresses the importance of safeguarding Lebanese sovereignty and the safety of the public in accordance with the relevant international agreements.
“In this regard, the Kingdom reaffirms the importance of adhering to the Taif Agreement in a manner that ensures extending the Lebanese state’s authority over all its territory, and compliance with the decisions of the Lebanese government to restrict arms exclusively to the state and its legitimate institutions, thereby guaranteeing the restoration of security and stability for Lebanon and its brotherly people,” the statement adds.
A source close to Hezbollah tells AFP that the group will not stop targeting northern Israel, after Israeli threats to bomb Beirut’s southern suburbs if the fighters kept up attacks.
Hezbollah “has not committed to stop attacking” northern Israel, the source says, requesting anonymity and adding: “Why stop these attacks that hurt Israel while it is bombarding Lebanon?”
US President Donald Trump says he had not heard from Iran about their suspending talks with Washington, but he believes there has been too much talking and some silence would be good, according to Reuters.
“I think we’ve been talking too much if you want to know the truth. I think going silent would be very good, and that could be for a long time,” Trump says in an interview with NBC News.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, in a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, has stressed the importance of ensuring that the ceasefire with the US is “sustained”.
“FM Araghchi expressed serious concern over recent developments in the region, including ceasefire violations in Lebanon by Israel and the orders by the Israeli government regarding [a] potential attack in parts of Beirut,” the Foreign Office has said on X.
It adds that Araghchi expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s “constructive role in regional diplomacy” and requested Islamabad to continue its efforts to help facilitate de-escalation in the region and maintain the ceasefire.
“DPM/FM (Dar) conveyed Pakistan’s serious concern and emphasised the importance of ensuring that the ceasefire is sustained in order to prevent any breakdown of existing understandings,” the FO states.
Iran’s central military command, the Khatam al-Anbiya, has issued a warning to people living in northern Israel to evacuate the area “if they do not wish to be harmed”, according to semi-official news agency Tasnim.
The outlet quotes Brigadier General Ali Abdollahi, who has said, “In light of the repeated violations of the ceasefire by the regime, we warn the residents of the northern sectors and military settlements in the occupied territories that, should this threat be carried out, if they do not wish to be harmed, they should evacuate the area,” referring to the threat of Israeli strikes on the Lebanese capital Beirut.
Iranian politician and senior military officer Mohsen Rezaee has warned that military escalation in Lebanon will not be tolerated and that “The patience of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran has its limits.”
He adds that the Strait of Hormuz is under “Iran’s management” and that Tehran will not allow the continuation of the US maritime blockade.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his Egyptian counterpart, Dr Badr Abdelatty, have both stressed the need for sustained diplomacy in the Middle East during a phone conversation.
According to the Foreign Office (FO), the top diplomats discussed the latest regional developments and “emphasised the need for sustained diplomatic engagement to promote peace and stability, particularly at this stage”.
Ministers from Germany and Norway have called off a trip to Beirut as Israel continues its assault on the city, according to the ministers’ press services.
German Minister for International Development Reem Alabali Radovan and Norwegian counterpart Asmund Aukrust had to abort and head back to Berlin “for military reasons” as they approached Beirut airport owing to a “rapidly worsening situation,” a spokesperson for Alabali Radovan tells AFP.
The ministers had hoped to visit to show solidarity with the Lebanese people, but their German military aircraft finally had to land in Cyprus ahead of a return to Berlin, Norwegian daily VG reports.
A Norwegian government spokesman has confirmed to AFP that the trip had been scrapped.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) has reported an incident southeast of Umm Qasr in Iraq.
“A cargo vessel was transiting in the Arabian Gulf when a large explosion [occurred] following a hit from an unknown projectile on the starboard side,” the agency says in a statement, noting that it is “unaware of any environmental impact at this time” and that the incident is under investigation.
“Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO,” it adds.
Israel’s military has warned residents in Beirut’s southern suburbs of imminent strikes and called for them to evacuate, AFP reports.
“The Israel Defence Forces warns residents of the Dahiyeh area in Beirut and calls on them to evacuate to preserve their safety,” the military’s Arabic-language spokesman Colonel Avichay Adraee says on X.
“If the terrorist Hezbollah continues launching rockets toward Israeli cities and towns, the IDF will respond by targeting objectives in the southern Dahiyeh.”
Oil prices have surged after Iran said it suspended all exchanges with Washington following days of inconclusive talks to end the war, and the two nations again traded strikes, AFP reports.
At around 1330 GMT, the price of Brent North Sea Crude for August delivery was up 4.9 per cent at $95.60 a barrel, after briefly rising above 5pc. Its US counterpart, West Texas Intermediate crude for July delivery, was up 5.9pc at $92.55.
