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”
Israel and Egypt are among the countries that have offered their support to the United Arab Emirates after a volley of Iranian attacks on Monday and Tuesday, Reuters reports.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to affirm Israeli solidarity, the Emirati state news agency WAM reports.
Egypt conveyed a similar message in a call between its foreign minister and his Emirati counterpart, the foreign ministry in Cairo says.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has emphasised that while his country is prepared to defend itself against any mischief, it remains serious and steadfast in the pursuit of diplomacy, according to state news agency IRNA.
Araghchi has met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in China, where they discussed strategic cooperation and regional stability.
Addressing regional tensions, Iran’s top diplomat has condemned US and Israeli aggression during the war and lauded Beijing’s “principled stance against the violation of the UN Charter”.
“He (Aragchi) expressed hope that China’s upcoming presidency of the UN Security Council would curb international lawbreaking,” IRNA adds.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has expressed his hope that the ceasefire between the United States and Iran can be made permanent.
Addressing a session of the Ulema Council, he said that Pakistan’s efforts had been directed towards securing direct negotiations and a ceasefire — “first it happened, then it was extended, then extended a second time, then a third time” that had “at least” stopped the deaths of several hundred people daily.
He said that the efforts of Pakistan were now geared towards making this ceasefire permanent.
US President Donald Trump has said in a new post on Truth Social, that the war could end if Iran agrees to a deal.
“Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary [Operation] Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be open to all, including Iran,” Trump writes.
He also warns that if Iran does not agree to fulfil its end of an agreement with Washington, “the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before.”
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has thanked captains and the owners of vessels in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman for cooperating with new Iranian regulations for transiting through the Strait of Hormuz, Al Jazeera reports.
“With aggressor’s threats neutralised and new protocols in place, safe, stable passage through SOH (Strait of Hormuz) will be ensured,” the IRGC says in a statement posted on X.
An Israeli strike in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa valley has killed four people, Lebanon’s health ministry says according to AFP, with local media reporting the attack took place before the Israeli army issued a warning to evacuate the area along with 11 other towns.
“An Israeli enemy raid on the town of Zellaya in West Bekaa resulted in four martyrs, including two women and an elderly man,” the ministry said.
Lebanese state media said the attack struck the house of the town’s mayor, killing him and three members of his family.
Oil prices have dropped, with international benchmark Brent sliding under $100 a barrel, on fresh hopes for an end to the Middle East war, AFP reports.
Brent North Sea crude slumped 9.3 per cent to $99.64 a barrel, while the main US oil contract, West Texas Intermediate, plunged 10.7pc to $91.33.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has noted Pakistan’s role in bringing the US and Iran to direct negotiations for the first time in 47 years.
Addressing the second session of the Ulema Council Conference in Islamabad, Dar said that Pakistan “played its full part” from February 28 until today in its response to the US-Iran conflict.
“After 47 years, we brought the US and Iran to sit down at the same table,” he added, contrasting it with the indirect negotiations that had taken place previously.
Israel’s army said Wednesday it had begun striking Hezbollah infrastructure in several areas of Lebanon, despite a truce with the neighbouring country intended to halt fighting with the group.
“The IDF has begun striking Hezbollah terror infrastructure sites in several areas in Lebanon,” a military statement said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed the hope that talks between the US and Iran would lead to lasting peace. He made the remarks while addressing the 6th International Paigham-e-Islam Conference in Islamabad.
In his remarks, he thanked the two countries for coming to Pakistan. The premier also thanked Saudi Arabia, China and Turkiye for playing their part in peace talks between the US and Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has emphasised the importance of cooperation among regional countries to prevent rising tensions in West Asia, IRNA reports.
Araghchi, who is currently in Beijing for talks with Chinese officials, held a phone conversation with his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, to discuss the recent regional developments.
During the call, the two top diplomats reviewed the latest developments in the region, underlining the need to continue diplomatic efforts and strengthen regional coordination to avoid the outbreak or escalation of tensions, IRNA said.
Russia will buy foreign currency on the market in the coming month for the first time since before the start of the war in Ukraine, according to a Finance Ministry statement, as windfall revenues start to arrive from high oil prices triggered by the US-Israeli war on Iran, Reuters reports.
The Finance Ministry said it will buy 110.3 billion roubles ($1.46 billion) worth of forex, mostly Chinese yuan, from May 8 to June 4 for the National Wealth Fund, which is used to stabilise the budget. The move should also prevent the rouble from excessive strengthening.
Smoke rises from southern Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the Israel-Lebanon border, in northern Israel on May 6, 2026. — Reuters
People look at destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the Israel-Lebanon border, in northern Israel on May 6, 2026. — Reuters
Buildings lie in ruin in southern Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the Israel-Lebanon border, in northern Israel on May 6, 2026. — Reuters
United Nations’ post in southern Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the Israel-Lebanon border, in northern Israel on May 6, 2026. — Reuters
US news outlet Axios has reported that Washington and Tehran are close to agreeing on a one-page memorandum of understanding to end the war and “set a framework for more detailed nuclear negotiations”.
The report, citing US officials and sources, says the US expects Iran’s response on several key matters in the next 48 hours.
It further states that the deal “would involve Iran committing to a moratorium on nuclear enrichment, the US agreeing to lift its sanctions and release billions in frozen Iranian funds, and both sides lifting restrictions around transit through the Strait of Hormuz”.
“Many of the terms laid out in the memo would be contingent on a final agreement being reached, leaving the possibility of renewed war or an extended limbo in which the hot war has stopped but nothing is truly resolved,” the report says.
South Korea’s presidential office says it has suspended a review of whether to participate in a US operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz after President Donald Trump put the mission on hold, Reuters reports.
A Blue House official also said it was still unclear if a South Korean-operated vessel that suffered an explosion and caught fire on Monday had been attacked in the strait.
“After checking additional information, it seems to be unclear whether the vessel was attacked,” Wi Sung-lac, South Korea’s presidential national security adviser, told a briefing.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has thanked US President Donald Trump for announcing a pause in the operation in the Strait of Hormuz.
“I am grateful to President Donald Trump for his courageous leadership and timely announcement regarding the pause in Project Freedom in the Strait of Hormuz,” PM Shehbaz said in a social media post on X.
“President Trump’s gracious response to the request made by Pakistan and other brotherly countries, particularly the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and my dear brother Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia H R H Prince Mohammed bin Salman, will go a long way towards advancing regional peace, stability and reconciliation during this sensitive period.”
The prime minister maintains that “Pakistan remains firmly committed to supporting all efforts that promote restraint and a peaceful resolution of conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy”.
He expressed hope that “the curent momentum will lead to a lasting agreement that secures durable peace and stability for the region and beyond”.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has called for an end to hostilities in the Middle East and for the United States and Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz “as soon as possible”, during talks with his Iranian counterpart, AFP reports.
“China considers that a complete cessation of fighting must be achieved without delay, that it is even more unacceptable to restart hostilities, and that continuing to negotiate remains essential,” he said, according to a statement from his ministry after the talks with Abbas Araghchi in Beijing.
A container ship owned by French shipping company CMA CGM was the “target of an attack” in the Strait of Hormuz, the major shipping firm said, AFP reports.
“The CMA CGM San Antonio was the target of an attack yesterday while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in injuries among crew members and damage to the vessel,” the shipping firm told AFP, adding those injured had been evacuated for treatment.
“We will do our best to protect our legitimate rights and interests in the negotiations,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in Beijing after a meeting with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi, Iranian media reported, according to Reuters
“We only accept a fair and comprehensive agreement.”
He did not directly address Trump’s offer of a pause in the US operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
