U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that there is a good chance” of reaching a deal with Iran, but warned that Washington would resume military operation if negotiations fail.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has arrived in Washington, where he said Iran will be the top issue in his talks with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Netanyahu said the discussions will focus on Israel's security and efforts to address the Iranian threat.
Iran's Health Minister Mohammad Reza Zafarghandi said 60 people were killed and around 670 injured during 10 to 12 days of recent U.S. attacks in southern Iran, according to Iranian media.
Speaking on Monday, Zafarghandi said the casualties occurred during the latest escalation and represent Iran's most recent official toll from the attacks.
The UN human rights chief said on Monday that his office has documented large-scale violations of international humanitarian law in Lebanon, some of which may amount to "war crimes."
“My office has recorded large-scale violations of international humanitarian law, some possibly amounting to war crimes, and under certain circumstances they may also constitute crimes under international law,” Volker Türk told a news conference in Beirut.
Since March 2, more than 4,300 people have been killed and 12,200 injured in Lebanon, according to figures from Lebanese authorities, Türk said.
He added that more than 135 health care workers, as well as many journalists and media workers, were among those killed.
Israel launched a new offensive in Lebanon early March following Hezbollah's retaliation to the Iran war.
Despite an initial announcement of a cessation of hostilities in April and several rounds of negotiations aimed at de-escalating the conflict, “the Israeli military continues to kill and injure people in Lebanon amid continued airstrikes and ground operations,” Türk said.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have stressed the need to uphold the U.S.-Iran ceasefire and resume negotiations towards a comprehensive settlement.
During talks in Amman, they discussed regional developments and efforts to address the fallout from the recent escalation, while calling for guarantees of freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz in line with international law.
Pakistan has strongly condemned the recent drone attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, describing them as “provocative” and warning they pose a serious threat to regional peace and stability.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry reaffirmed Islamabad’s “unwavering support” for Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, adding that Pakistan will continue to support efforts aimed at ensuring lasting peace and stability in the region.
Afrah al-Zouba, the Foreign Minister Designate of Yemen’s internationally recognised Saudi-backed government said the Houthis were seeking to replicate Iran's model of trying to impose control on international shipping around the Strait of Hormuz in the Bab el-Mandeb.
The group had been emboldened by what she called an insufficiently serious international response to attacks on commercial shipping over the past years, al-Zouba told a small group of journalists including Reuters on Monday.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that there is a good chance” of reaching a deal with Iran, but warned that Washington would resume military operation if negotiations fail.
“They want to meet, and we are meeting. We'll what happens. There is a chance we can make a deal,” Trump told reporters.
“Without what we did, they wouldn’t even be talking to us,” he added.
“We’re talking with Iran right now,” he said. “We are having good talks. So, we'll see what happens. There is a good chance something can happen.”
“If it doesn't, then we go back to doing what we were doing two days ago,” he said, without elaborating.
“They would not have requested the meeting if we were doing poorly. The only reason they want to meet is because we’ve been hitting them very hard,” Trump said.
Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters warned Monday that U.S. actions aimed at imposing a naval blockade would be considered “an expansion of the war in the region.”
In a statement carried by Fars News Agency, the military command accused Washington of threatening Iranian vessels, commercial ships and oil tankers in Iran’s coastal and territorial waters during the past three days.
“This U.S. action will be regarded as an expansion of the war in the region,” it warned.
“As the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran have demonstrated on the battlefield, they will not leave any threat or hostile action by that country’s terrorist military unanswered and will confront it,” the command said.
Oil prices plunged on Monday as hopes for successful U.S.-Iran diplomacy eased concerns over supply disruptions in the Middle East.
Brent crude fell more than 10% to around $88 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate dropped 8% to about $82. Brent had briefly topped $100 last week amid fears that tensions could disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Prices retreated after U.S. President Donald Trump paused military strikes on Iran on Friday and said Washington was holding "good talks" with Tehran, while warning attacks could resume if negotiations fail. Iran said it had suspended retaliatory operations and entered talks with Oman over navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Supply also improved as exports resumed through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal on Russia's Black Sea coast. However, markets remained cautious after Yemen's Houthis claimed attacks on Saudi Aramco-linked facilities in Jizan and Yanbu, though neither Saudi authorities nor Aramco confirmed the claims.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that the U.S. has been having "very friendly" talks with Iran.
"You can't bribe them. You've got to beat them, and we'll beat the hell out of them. But we'll see how it turns out," he said at rally in Michigan. "Right now, there are very friendly negotiations going on."
Iraq said it will not allow its territory to be used to launch attacks against neighbouring countries, following reports of drone attacks targeting Saudi Arabia.
In a statement, the Iraqi prime minister's media office reaffirmed Baghdad's commitment to preventing any party from using Iraqi territory to threaten regional security or carry out cross-border attacks.
The comments come amid heightened tensions in the region and growing concerns over attacks on Saudi targets.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he plans to ask Russian President Vladimir Putin about reports that Russian satellites may be helping Iran direct strikes in the Middle East.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said: "I'll ask Putin about it. We'll find out."
The comments come amid ongoing tensions in the region and growing scrutiny of potential foreign support for Iranian military operations. Trump did not provide further details or evidence regarding the allegations.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington is engaged in "very deep talks" with Iran but warned that he is prepared to pursue "strong military action" if diplomatic efforts fail.
Speaking to Axios on Monday, Trump suggested the window for negotiations was limited.
"Not much time. Either it goes fast or not at all," he said when asked how long he was willing to allow talks to continue.
The comments come as the United States and Iran continue diplomatic contacts amid ongoing tensions and military activity across the region.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it has now redirected 17 commercial vessels, disabled two and boarded two others as part of efforts to enforce the blockade.
The military did not provide further details on the vessels involved or the circumstances of the actions. The update comes amid heightened tensions in the region and continued efforts by U.S. forces to monitor and control maritime traffic.
U.S. President Donald Trump has warned he is willing to take "strong" military action if the latest round of diplomacy with Iran isn't a success.
Speaking to American news website Axios, Trump said he was "ready for strong military action," if talks with Iran failed.
Asked how much time he was willing to give diplomacy, Trump said, "either it goes fast or not at all."
Iran’s Ambassador to Russia has branded a Ukrainian attack on a ship in the Caspian Sea a “criminal act," saying the vessel was civilian and carrying no military cargo in remarks to Iran's state news agency IRNA.
Wall Street's main indexes have opened higher after the U.S. and Iran paused hostilities, boosting risk appetite ahead of a week of major earnings, economic data and an interest rate decision.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 226.2 points, or 0.44 per cent, at the open to 5,2173.42. The S&P 500 rose 52.2 points, or 0.70 per cent, at the open to 7,464.2, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 260.4 points, or 1.04 per cent, to 25,236.185 at the opening bell.
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have said they've targeted a number of sensitive crude oil supply and transport sites linking eastern Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea city of Yanbu.
The group's Military Spokesperson Yahya Saree said the action was in response to what he described as Saudi drone incursions into Yemeni airspace.
Saudi Arabia's air defences intercepted and destroyed drones launched from Iraq that attempted to target oil facilities in the kingdom's Eastern Province and Riyadh, the Saudi Defence Ministry has said.
The Ministry said the drones were launched by Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei says political and technical discussions with Oman are continuing, with progress reported during a visit by an Omani delegation to Tehran on Friday and Saturday.
The talks are focused on arrangements for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials say messages are still being exchanged through mediators, but insist that there are no direct negotiations with the United States.
Iran continues to maintain its position on controlling the strategic waterway while rejecting direct talks with Washington.
Oman is reportedly proposing the creation of a regional consortium to oversee the strait and ensure maritime security, allowing ships to pass without paying fees.
However, Iran opposes the proposal and continues to support a system under its own control that would require vessels to pay a “service fee”.
Despite Tehran’s positive comments on progress, there are few signs that Iran is changing its position on the future management of the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran has summoned the French ambassador over the detention of two French diplomats by Iranian security forces earlier this month.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson told reporters that France must stop what Tehran described as interference in Iran’s internal affairs “under misleading labels”.
Esmaeil Baghaei said the diplomats’ actions were carried out “under the pretext of engaging with civil society”.
The two diplomats were detained and questioned for several hours on 19 July before being allowed to return to the embassy. One of them said he had been physically assaulted.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot described the incident as “an extremely serious act of intimidation”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has left for the United States for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump.
According to an Israeli statement, Netanyahu is travelling to Washington at Trump’s invitation to discuss “issues of mutual interest to Israel and the U.S.”.
Netanyahu said on Sunday that he plans to attend the UN General Assembly, despite calls from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for his arrest.
Mamdani last week described Netanyahu as a “war criminal” and called on the U.S. government to enforce an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against him if he enters the country.
Trump, however, said Netanyahu “will not be arrested” during his visit to the United States.
The ICC issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Jordan's armed forces said they intercepted and downed two drones on Monday morning, adding that there were no casualties or material damage.
The statement did not identify who launched the drones.
Iran has not asked to resume talks with the United States to end the war, and the situation in the Strait of Hormuz has not changed, Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, said on Monday.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia is strengthening military cooperation with Iran, as well as North Korea and China.
In an interview with Sky News, Zelenskyy said North Korea could send up to 30,000 troops to support Russia, while Iran may provide additional missiles.
Asked whether he was concerned about a possible Iranian attack on Ukraine, Zelenskyy said Tehran was already involved in the war by supplying weapons to Moscow.
“We cannot trust these people because, from the very beginning, without any escalation from our side, the Iranians provided weapons,” he said.
“We must do everything to prevent the opening of a new front … [but] Iranians and North Koreans have already attacked us,” Zelenskyy added.
Iran’s army has warned that it will deliver a “more severe” response to any future attacks by its adversaries.
In a statement marking the anniversary of Operation Mersad, a key battle in the final stages of the Iran-Iraq War, the military said it remained “more vigilant than ever” and prepared to counter “any threat or enemy plot”.
The army said it would continue to safeguard Iran’s “independence and territorial integrity” and would respond with greater force to any aggression, according to a statement published by Tasnim news agency.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran primarily holds the U.S. responsible for military action against the country but alleged that some regional states also participated.
He did not identify any countries, saying only that Iran expects them not to continue cooperating with the U.S. in actions against Tehran.
Iran and Oman held talks on Friday and Saturday on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei saying there were “useful discussions” on managing traffic.
He added the strait “remains closed” and insisted the negotiations “have nothing to do with the U.S.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Washington believed “Iran would collapse in three days and surrender” after the start of the U.S.-Israeli war, but claimed the U.S. is now “stuck in this place and they are proud of its crimes”.
Speaking in Tehran, he also said Washington returns to the negotiating table when global energy prices rise.
Saudi Arabia and Oman have held talks on rising Gulf security tensions amid the war involving Iran, with both sides discussing ways to "ensure the safety and freedom of maritime navigation in the Strait of Hormuz", according to the Saudi Press Agency.
Oman also met Iranian officials over the weekend, with Tehran saying maritime navigation was discussed and "progress was made" during the meetings.
The U.S. dollar slipped against its major peers on Monday after the U.S. paused its bombing campaign against Iran, sending Brent crude down 4.2% to $92.74 a barrel while the euro climbed 0.3% and the yen strengthened 0.2%.
Iran's state broadcaster IRIB says six ships attempted to use an "illegal and unsafe" route through the Strait of Hormuz after switching off their navigation systems.
One vessel reportedly suffered an accident, while the others returned to the Gulf under what Tehran described as "decisive Iranian management".
Shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait fell to its lowest level in months after Houthi attacks on Saudi oil facilities, while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz also remained subdued despite a pause in U.S.-Iran strikes.
Markets continue to monitor the impact on global energy supplies.
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Iran and the United States remain at loggerheads over efforts to agree a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, according to a senior Iranian source who said there had been no progress in talks to revive the interim deal agreed in June and define a timeframe to implement it.
U.S. President Donald Trump has called for Iran to pay compensation for decades of deaths and damage, adding a new demand to peace talks as Tehran seeks compensation and sanctions relief before reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Disruption in the Strait of Hormuz has increased the strategic importance of Bab al-Mandab, raising fears that instability in both waterways could trigger a wider global energy and trade crisis.
A criminal court in Damascus has sentenced former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia for premeditated murder, torture, arbitrary detention and crimes against humanity, according to Syria’s state news agency SANA.
Millions of people across Spain and Iceland are preparing on Wednesday to witness a rare total solar eclipse, when the moon will pass directly between Earth and the Sun, briefly turning daylight into darkness along a narrow path.
Iran and the United States remain at loggerheads over efforts to agree a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, according to a senior Iranian source who said there had been no progress in talks to revive the interim deal agreed in June and define a timeframe to implement it.
Iran said it was nearing a final pact with Oman defining new shipping lanes between them through the Strait of Hormuz but repeated that the U.S. must meet other conditions.
A deal on a new route for vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is "very close," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said, while warning that the reopening of the waterway depends on the U.S. meeting other conditions, including paying compensation to Iran.
An agreement between Iran and the U.S. to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is expected "soon," a U.S. official has said. The deal would result in the resumption of commercial shipping through the sea passage and the lifting of an American naval blockade on Iranian ports.
U.S. President Donald Trump said negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz are progressing and suggested an agreement with Iran could be reached “soon”.
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