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
US allies in Gulf reportdrone attacks as IRGC warns against attacks on Iranian ships
Trump rejects Iran’s response to latest US proposal that would stop the fighting but leave the most contentious issues unresolved for now
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expresses gratitude to Iraq’s top Shia religious authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, for supporting Iran during the recent aggression.
In a social media post on X, Pezeshkian said, “I extend the highest expressions of gratitude for the generous support extended by Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani toward the Islamic Republic of Iran and those affected by the recent aggression, while appreciating the solidarity of the brotherly Iraqi people.
“The religious authority has always remained an impregnable fortress and a steadfast pillar for the oppressed,” he said.
An Israeli drone fired a guided missile at a car in the town of Doueir this afternoon, which killed two people, Al Jazeera reports, citing Lebanon’s National News Agency.
The strike targeted a vehicle on the road, adding to a series of attacks across southern Lebanon, which earlier killed at least one person at a health centre
President Donald Trump has said the US-Iran ceasefire is on “massive life support” as the two sides failed to agree on terms to start talks on ending their war, AFP reports
“The ceasefire is on massive life support, where the doctor walks in and says, ‘Sir, your loved one has approximately a one per cent chance of living,’” he told reporters during an event at the White House.
US President Donald Trump has again slammed Iran’s peace proposal, calling it “stupid”, while suggesting Iran’s military power was significantly depleted.
During a maternal healthcare event at the White House, in comments broadcast by Fox News, the president said of the Iranian proposal, “It’s a stupid proposal and nobody would take it — although Obama would have taken it, Biden would have taken it. What they took was far worse.”
“They had 159 ships, and right now they have zero, other than the little speedboats they go around that got taken out eight a day by us,” he added, adding that Iran also had “no air force”.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has highlighted Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts for regional peace and stability in a meeting with the UN chief’s envoy, the Foreign Office says.
In a statement, the FO said, “Jean Arnault, UN chief’s personal envoy for the Middle East conflict, called on FM Dar today”
“Arnault conveyed the UN secretary general’s deep appreciation for Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts for regional peace and stability, and expressed UN’s continued support in that regard,” the FO stated.
FM Dar discussed latest regional developments with Arnault and highlighted “Pakistan’s ongoing efforts and continued engagement with the parties,” it added.
“He also conveyed his deep gratitude to the UN’s secretary general for his invaluable contributions and consistent support for Pakistan over the years,” the FO said.
The EU’s foreign policy chief says the bloc will boost ties to the GCC countries of Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE amid the war, Al Jazeera reports.
“We will accelerate our work regarding the strategic partnership agreements with all six Gulf countries … and we are ready to frontload our security and defence cooperation,” Kallas told reporters.
She said the ceasefire is “under heavy strain” in the Strait of Hormuz amid Iranian firings on countries in the region.
Iran’s “grip on the world’s most important energy shipping line is untenable”, said Kallas, adding that the EU “is expanding its Iran sanctions tools to include those responsible for obstructing freedom of navigation”.
Britain has sanctioned 12 individuals and entities linked to Iran, accusing them of involvement in hostile activity including plotting attacks and providing financial services to groups seeking to destabilise the UK and other countries, Reuters reports.
Those targeted by the sanctions include alleged members and associates of what the British government described as the Zindashti criminal network, as well as several exchange houses and financial operators.
The government said the network was involved in Iranian-backed hostile activity, including threatening, planning or conducting attacks against people and assets in Britain and elsewhere.
According to the notice, some individuals were sanctioned for directly participating in hostile acts, while others were accused of providing financial services or other material support to facilitate such activity.
Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi has met the International Maritime Organisation’s Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez and discussed the current maritime navigation challenges in the region and the Strait of Hormuz, according to Al Jazeera.
According to the foreign ministry, Al-Busaidi affirmed the necessity of abiding by international law and the law of the sea “as well as the endeavours being made to address them through amicable and peaceful means in cooperation with all relevant parties”.
Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, Iran’s ambassador to China, says Tehran has shown its readiness to support President Xi’s four-point proposal for peace in the Middle East, Al Jazeera reports.
Iran’s support for the Chinese plan, Fazli wrote, is “aimed at establishing lasting security and shared development in the Persian Gulf region, an issue that was also emphasized during the meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries”.
Earlier, in a meeting with UAE President Zayed Al Nahyan in Beijing, President Xi had proposed a four-point plan for upholding and promoting peace and stability in the Middle East.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud has appreciated Pakistan’s “constructive role” in promoting regional peace and stability, the Foreign Office says.
In a statement, the FO said, “Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke today with Saudi FM on evolving regional situation and matters of mutual interest.”
“The Saudi foreign minister appreciated Pakistan’s constructive role and reiterated support for Islamabad’s efforts aimed at promoting regional peace and stability, particularly in the context of ongoing engagement between Iran and the United States,” it stated.
The FO added that both leaders also exchanged views on the importance of safeguarding maritime security, including in the Strait of Hormuz, and agreed to remain in close contact on regional and international developments.
Gold prices have fallen as US President Donald Trump’s swift rejection of Iran’s response to a peace proposal stokes inflation concerns and weighs on the outlook for interest rates, Reuters reports.
Spot gold was down 0.5 per cent at $4,692.49 per ounce, as of 8:45am EDT (5:45pm PKT). US gold futures lost 0.6pc to $4,701.30.
“Inflation concerns have risen after the United States rejected Iran’s response, while constraints in the Strait of Hormuz are adding to these pressures and working against gold, as elevated inflation could keep interest rates higher,” said Jim Wyckoff, market analyst at American Gold Exchange.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has discussed the latest diplomatic processes between Iran and the United States, mediated by Pakistan, in a telephonic conversation with his Saudi counterpart, Faisal Bin Farhan, Iran’s IRIB says.
Lebanese leaders have urged the US ambassador to Beirut to pressure Israel to halt its attacks as it pounded the country from the air despite a truce in the Israel-Hezbollah war, AFP reports.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met separately with Ambassador Michel Issa in preparation for a third direct meeting between Lebanese and Israeli representatives set to take place in Washington on Thursday and Friday.
Salam said he asked Issa to “exert pressure on Israel to stop the ongoing attacks and violations, in order to consolidate the ceasefire”. The appeal followed a weekend of intense Israeli strikes that stretched beyond the country’s south and reached as close as 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the capital, Beirut.
Iranian authorities have announced the seizure of six properties allegedly linked to the former captain of the national football team, Ali Karimi, who now lives in exile and is vehemently critical of the country, AFP reports.
Karimi, who played for Bayern Munich during his career and was dubbed the “Asian Maradona” for his wizardry on the pitch, has in social media posts backed protests against the authorities and also voiced support for the monarchy ousted by the Islamic revolution.
The Iranian judiciary’s Mizan news agency described Karimi as “one of the traitors to the homeland who has been extensively active in supporting the enemy in recent years”.
It said two commercial units and four residential units belonging to Karimi “have been identified and seized by judicial order for the benefit of the people”.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has stressed that the “victory” achieved by the armed forces on the battlefield must be complemented in the field of diplomacy, and the rights of the Iranian nation must be established from a position of dignity and authority, IRNAreports.
“While distrusting the enemy, we consider negotiation possible from a position of dignity, wisdom, and expediency, and if an agreement is reached, taking into account the concerns of the Supreme Leader and the interests of the Iranian nation, we will adhere to our promise,” he was quoted as saying.
On Iran’s future course of action, he said: “We now have various options: either we enter into negotiations with dignity, authority, and the preservation of national interests and realise the rights of the Iranian people, or we remain in a state of neither war nor peace, or we continue on the path of war and confrontation.”
He emphasised: “The rational, logical and national interest-based preference is that the victory achieved by the armed forces on the battlefield is also completed in the field of diplomacy and the rights of the Iranian people are established from the standpoint of honour and authority.”
He made the remarks during a meeting with the commander-in-chief and a group of senior Faraj commanders, who presented a report on the performance of the force during the war.
Tehran Housing Foundation’s director general has said that across the county, more than 8,000 war-damaged housing units faced minor damage, “of which more than 4,000 units have so far been repaired and delivered”, Tasnim reports.
A second Qatari LNG tanker is transiting the Strait of Hormuz days after the first such cargo crossed under an arrangement involving Iran and Pakistan, highlighting how cargoes are crossing the waterway on a case-by-case basis amid ongoing conflict risks, Reuters notes.
The vessel, Mihzem, with capacity of 174,000 cubic metres, departed Ras Laffan and is heading northeast toward Karachi’s Port Qasim, where it is expected to arrive on May 12, according to LSEG shipping data.
This would be the second successful passage through Hormuz for a Qatari LNG tanker since the start of the Iran war.
US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie A. Baker has called on Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who expressed “hope that ongoing diplomatic efforts would contribute to peace and stability in the region and beyond”, Foreign Office says.
Baker and Dar discussed the “evolving regional situation and the broader Pakistan-US bilateral relationship” the FO said in a statement.
Dar highlighted Pakistan’s role in facilitating communication between the US and Iran.
“He also appreciated ongoing US assistance in the repatriation of Pakistani and Iranian seafarers through Singapore,” the FO added.
Israeli air attacks in southern Lebanon have killed at least four more people and wounded five, Al Jazeera reports.
An air raid on the village of Abba in Nabatieh killed a 78-year-old woman and her 11-year-old grandson, and destroyed their home, according to the country’s National News Agency. Four people were also wounded in the attack.
Another attack on Jarjouaa, a municipality in Nabatieh, also killed two brothers and wounded another person.
Israel’s Iron Dome has been nearly 99 per cent effective against missiles from Hamas and Hezbollah and has knocked out most missiles from Iran, the chairman of state-owned Iron Dome maker Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd said, according to Reuters.
Rafael’s Yuval Steinitz told a conference of the Jerusalem Centre for Security and Foreign Affairs that since October 2023, Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon combined have fired some 40,000 rockets at Israel.
“Iron Dome intercepted most of them with success rates that (are) not 100pc but close to 100pc. It’s around 98pc, even 99pc, so it’s not perfect, but almost,” Steinitz said.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will visit Qatar tomorrow for talks on the Iran war, its impact on the Gulf and efforts to ensure navigational safety in the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reports, citing a Turkish diplomatic source.
Fidan, who last visited Doha in March and held two separate calls with Iran’s foreign minister over the weekend, will repeat Turkiye’s support for its ally Qatar against attacks from Iran, the source said.
He will voice Ankara’s expectation for navigational safety to be ensured on the Strait of Hormuz and point to the critical need of doing so for regional security and economic stability, the source said.
Fidan is expected to “state that permanently resolving the conflict in the Gulf is the most urgent priority and exchange views on diplomatic initiatives to achieve this”, the source added.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during the “ADF Host Talk” at Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Turkiye on April 17, 2026. — X/MFATurkiye/File
Asked about Trump’s upcoming visit to China, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei says Iran’s FM Abbas Araghchi conveyed Tehran’s views during his visit to Beijing last week, Al Jazeera reports.
“China is fully aware that this was a war of necessity. It was a war imposed on Iran. It was not an emergency incident, yet it is a continuation of unilateral actions of the United States, which continues to violate international laws and regulations,” Baqaei said.
“To China, stability and security in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Far East are of top priority, and the Chinese would seize the opportunity to warn of any incalculable measures or unlawful acts by the United States, which would continue to undermine not only the regional security and stability but the global economic security,” he added.
