President Donald Trump said Iran is keen to reach a deal with the United States, claiming Washington had paused engagement to allow funeral ceremonies for late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz used U.S. Independence Day on Saturday to underscore the strength of U.S.-Israel ties, saying the two countries were working together to build a "safer and better Middle East."
Katz said the allies remain united in defending freedom and defeating what he called "forces of terror," describing the U.S.-Israel partnership as "unbreakable" and "stronger than ever."
Iranian state media has published a message from Ali Azmaei identifying him as the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy. The announcement marks the first public indication that Azmaei has succeeded Alireza Tangsiri, who was reportedly killed during the war in March.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, has said that delegates from more than 70 countries attended the funeral of Ali Khamenei, including what he described as Iran’s “loyal Arab brothers," in a post on X.
India has withdrawn an order imposing curbs on gas suppliers as supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) has resumed from the Middle East, it said in a notification issued on Saturday.
India in March invoked emergency measures to divert gas supplies from non-priority sectors to key users after the disruption of LNG shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. President Donald Trump said in an interview with Axios on Saturday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had asked him for a meeting at the White House, and that it could take place as early as next week after the NATO summit in Türkiye.
Exiled former Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi criticized foreign representatives who travelled to Tehran for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's funeral, saying in a post on X that "Iran is not mourning him."
Pahlavi said Iranians were instead mourning "more than 40,000 sons and daughters" killed during past crackdowns, accused the authorities of staging a "propaganda spectacle" with public funds, and said the country was filled with "righteous anger" that would ultimately bring down the Islamic Republic.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has accused Israel of trying to undermine the recently signed U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), saying Ankara remains committed to supporting efforts aimed at securing peace in the region.
Speaking during a joint press conference with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Istanbul, Erdoğan said the mediation process leading to the agreement had been difficult but emphasised the importance of preserving its progress.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry has released a statement saying it will seek justice against the U.S. and Israel. It added that the presence of international delegations at the farewell ceremony for the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was evidence of his importance.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Saturday called on his U.S. President Donald Trump to "continue standing by" Lebanon.
According to the presidency, in a message to Trump marking the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, Aoun wished the U.S. president and the Americans "continued prosperity."
"There is no doubt that the relationship between Lebanon and the United States is longstanding and deeply rooted, as enduring as the humanitarian and social principles and values that have united our visions.
"Today, it is regaining momentum thanks to your determination and tireless efforts to restore stability and security in the Middle East in general, and in Lebanon in particular," Aoun stated.
Expressing Beirut's appreciation for the U.S. president's efforts, he added: "We call on you to continue standing by Lebanon's legitimate and just causes, as well as its institutions, armed forces and people, so that we may turn the page on war, and open a new chapter of hope, peace and stability."
Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said Iran's influence over the Strait of Hormuz gives it strategic leverage comparable to a "nuclear weapon," warning that Tehran could also disrupt shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait if the regional conflict escalates.
Speaking after talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran, Medvedev also condemned recent U.S. strikes on Iran as "completely unprovoked," said negotiations remained preferable to conflict despite the difficulty of reaching a final agreement, and backed Tehran's proposal for closer coordination among countries under sanctions.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said his country stands with Iran as he attended the funeral of the Islamic Republic's former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated in a US-Israeli bombing on Feb. 28.
"Paid my respects and conveyed deepest condolences on behalf of the government and people of Pakistan to the government and brotherly people of Iran at the funeral ceremony of the late Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Shaheed Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei," Sharif said in a post on US social media company X.
"As a brotherly neighbor, Pakistan stands with Iran in this time of grief," he added.
Sharif, along with a high-level delegation that includes Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, arrived in Tehran on Friday to attend Khamenei's funeral ceremony.
"The late Supreme Leader’s wisdom, leadership and profound influence on Iran and the wider region will be remembered for generations," he further said.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi on Saturday said the Strait of Hormuz "is not a stage for extra-regional powers to display military force," warning against "any military activity" in the key waterway.
"The Strait of Hormuz is not a stage for extra-regional powers to display military force."
"As a responsible power and the guarantor of security in the strait, Iran warns against any military activity in this sensitive waterway," Gharibabadi wrote on US social media company X.
His remarks came in a post in which he shared a UK-France joint statement on the Strait of Hormuz, saying the two countries "stand ready to deploy the wider Multinational Military Mission to support freedom of navigation" in the waterway.
In response, Gharibabadi said the strait's security "rests with the littoral states."
"Those who create crises will bear responsibility for the consequences of their adventurism. This is a serious warning," he added.
U.S. officials tried to warn Iran this spring that they were concerned Israel might assassinate Iranian negotiators during talks, the New York Post reported Friday, citing two US officials.
According to the officials, the U.S. feared Israel could target Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker and a lead figure in talks with Washington, or Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who has also played a visible role in the negotiations.
The officials said the warnings were passed along through intermediaries.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office denied a New York Times report on the matter, saying on U.S. social media company X that the story was “fake news” and “a complete fabrication of reality.”
Reuters
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen will respond firmly and with "unprecedented force" to any attempts to target the Kingdom, it said in a statement on Saturday.
The statement came hours after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis warned that they would target "Saudi airports and vital interests on land and sea" if the Saudis continued their violations of Yemeni airspace.
A Palestinian man says Israeli settlers have taken over a house he was building for his family in the occupied West Bank, raising fears of further land seizures in the area.
Mohammad Salameh said the unfinished two-storey home was intended for his recently engaged son, but settlers moved onto the property before construction was completed. Video verified by Reuters showed several settlers on the roof of the building earlier this week.
The Israeli military said soldiers were deployed after receiving reports about the incident and dispersed a gathering at the site, but Salameh said settlers remained at the property. The military said enforcement against Israeli settlers in the West Bank falls under the responsibility of police.
The incident took place near the village of Jalud, where local officials say settler attacks and land seizures have increased. Palestinians and rights groups have long cited settlement expansion and settler violence as major obstacles to peace efforts in the occupied territory.
Iranian Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf has responded to U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks that Iran needs imports such as corn, wheat and soy, accusing Washington of ignoring its own social challenges.
In a post on X, Qalibaf said, “Consider that in your own country, more than 40 million of your citizens are dependent on food stamps. Yet you accuse another country of being in a deficit.”
He added that the United States was projecting its own problems onto others and said Iran would determine its future using its own resources, while urging Trump to focus on food insecurity issues within the United States.
Speaking at Mount Rushmore, Trump said Iran was “dying to settle” and wanted an agreement with the United States following months of tensions between the two countries.
The U.S. president also said Washington had given Tehran “a week off for a funeral” following the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed earlier in the conflict during a joint U.S.-Israeli attack.
The U.S. military announced that it has completed a new wave of strikes against Iranian military targets under U.S. President Donald Trump's orders. T...
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The U.S. military announced that it has completed a new wave of strikes against Iranian military targets under U.S. President Donald Trump's orders. The operation targeted command centres, air defence systems, missile and drone facilities, and coastal surveillance sites across multiple locations.
Two British hackers who carried out a cyberattack on Transport for London (TfL) that cost the transport authority £29 million to remediate have been jailed for a total of 11 years.
Officials from more than 20 oil-producing countries have agreed on a roadmap to strengthen international cooperation in the oil industry during a meeting in Azerbaijan. The plan aims to deepen collaboration across key areas, including markets, technology, investment and regulation.
As the 2026 Fifa World Cup tournament draws to a close, there’s much to anticipate and yet so much to look back at.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced the reimposition of a U.S. naval blockade on all Iranian ports and warned that power plants and bridges could be targeted next week unless Tehran returns to negotiations.
The United States carried out a third consecutive night of airstrikes against Iran, targeting military capabilities around the Strait of Hormuz as Donald Trump announced the reinstatement of a blockade on Iranian shipping and proposed a 20% fee on cargo passing through the strategic waterway.
The death toll from the fire at a live music pub in Bangkok has climbed to 32 after two more victims died from their injuries, according to Thailand's Police Hospital.
Ukraine and Russia exchanged fresh attacks on Tuesday, with Kyiv targeting shipping and energy infrastructure inside Russia while Moscow launched another large-scale missile and drone assault on Ukrainian cities.
The U.S. military announced that it has completed a new wave of strikes against Iranian military targets under U.S. President Donald Trump's orders. The operation targeted command centres, air defence systems, missile and drone facilities, and coastal surveillance sites across multiple locations.
The U.S. military announced that it has completed a new wave of strikes against Iranian military targets under U.S. President Donald Trump's orders. The operation targeted command centres, air defence systems, missile and drone facilities, and coastal surveillance sites across multiple locations.
The U.S. has launched fresh strikes on Iran after Tehran targeted a container ship and said it had again closed the Strait of Hormuz. Iran also claimed to have expanded attacks on U.S. military facilities across the Gulf.
Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has promised to avenge the killing of his father, while U.S. President Donald Trump said Tehran and Washington had agreed to continue talks despite an escalation of hostilities this week.
Iran planned to assassinate U.S. President Donald Trump, according to intelligence shared with Washington by Israel, the Wall Street Journal has reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
The U.S. military said on Wednesday it launched fresh strikes on Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping, triggering Iranian attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain in the latest escalation to derail efforts to end the war.
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