Diplomatic efforts to end the Iran war suffered a setback on Saturday as U.S. President Donald Trump cancelled a planned envoy visit to Pakistan for talks, even as parallel regional diplomacy continued and military tensions escalated in Lebanon.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military had been instructed to intensify strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. Lebanese state media reported four people killed in Israeli strikes on Saturday, while Israel said Hezbollah fired rockets into its territory, further straining the ceasefire.
The Israeli military said it targeted rocket launchers and fighters across southern Lebanon, including sites linked to the group’s elite Radwan forces.
Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday he had spoken with Masoud Pezeshkian about the evolving regional situation, as diplomatic efforts intensify around the Iran conflict.
In a post on X, Sharif said Pakistan remains committed to acting as an “honest and sincere facilitator,” working to advance durable peace and long-term stability in the region.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he has cancelled a planned trip by his representatives to Islamabad, Pakistan, where they were expected to meet Iranian officials as part of mediation efforts.
In a post on his social media account, he cited “too much time wasted on traveling” and “tremendous infighting and confusion” within Iran’s leadership, adding that “nobody knows who is in charge.”
Trump also said the United States holds leverage in the negotiations and claimed Iran could resume talks by contacting Washington directly.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday that efforts remain focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, warning that prolonged disruption could trigger global shortages.
Speaking alongside Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens, Macron said the aim is to restore full navigation in line with international law and without tolls, allowing markets to stabilise.
Four people were killed on Saturday in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, Lebanon’s state news agency reported, as violence continues despite the recently extended ceasefire.
The latest deaths follow Friday’s toll of six, marking the deadliest day since the truce was prolonged.
Over the past week, the U.S. has repeatedly played down suggestions that it is under pressure to quickly end the war.
On Friday, Donald Trump told Reuters in a phone call that Iran was “making an offer, and we’ll have to see,” adding that he did not yet know what the offer was. This followed earlier comments reported by Fox News that Trump felt “no time pressure” to end the war and would wait for a “good deal”.
His position has been echoed by Pete Hegseth, who said on Friday that “we have all the time in the world and we’re not anxious for a deal.” Meanwhile, Dan Caine said the military was “postured and prepared” to recommence action in Iran if the ceasefire ends.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi delivered Tehran's negotiating demands, as well as its reservations about U.S. demands, to Pakistani officials during his visit to Islamabad, a Pakistani source involved in the talks told Reuters on Saturday.
Earlier, Iranian Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said that Iran had no plans to meet with the U.S. in the Pakistani capital, despite Araqchi's visit.
“No meeting is planned to take place between Iran and the U.S.,' Baqaei wrote on X.
It comes as Iran's top military command said U.S. forces would face a reaction from Tehran if they continue their naval blockade, Iranian state TV reported.
Iran has detained 16 people, including a person alleged to have spied for Israel, and members of terrorist organisations, the Iranian Intelligence Ministry has said.
The arrests, reported on Iranian television, were carried out in five provinces following surveillance, the Ministry said in a statement.
The alleged spy for Israel was found to have sent "sensitive information" to Mossad, the Israeli foreign intelligence agency, the Ministry said.
Other people were arrested for terorist activities in Zahedan, in the east of the country, Gilan province in the north, and western regions.
Türkiye could take part in demining operations in the Strait of Hormuz following a potential peace agreement between Iran and the United States, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said.
Speaking to reporters in London on Friday evening, Fidan said a technical team would be expected to carry out mine-clearing work in the strait after any agreement. He added that Türkiye viewed such efforts positively in principle, describing them as a humanitarian duty.
Fidan said any demining operation would be conducted by a multinational technical team formed after a possible Iran-U.S. peace deal. He said Türkiye would have “no problem” participating under those conditions.
However, he cautioned that Ankara would reassess its position if any future technical coalition became involved in renewed conflict.
Fidan also said he believed issues related to Iran’s nuclear programme could be resolved at the next round of talks in Pakistan.
Iran has executed a man accused of working for Israel and carrying out sabotage during recent nationwide protests, according to the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency.
Tasnim reported that the individual was convicted of acting as an agent for Israel and of involvement in activities linked to unrest across the country.
Iranian authorities have carried out a series of executions in recent months targeting individuals accused of espionage or links to Israel, amid heightened regional tensions and ongoing domestic protests.
Human rights groups have criticised the executions, raising concerns over due process and the use of capital punishment in cases related to protests and national security.
Iran has not requested talks with the U.S., despite the White House's Press Secretary indicating that it had, an Iranian source has said, according to Azerbaijan's Report news agency, citing Iran's IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency.
"Leavitt's statements are a blatant lie. Iran has not requested talks from the Americans and, on the contrary, has so far completely rejected American demands for talks due to their excessive demands," the source noted.
Earlier, American news website Axios said that another round of talks between Iran and the U.S. would take place in the Pakistani capital Islamabad on 27 April.
Leavitt said that U.S. Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and the U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, would fly to Islamabad on Saturday for talks with the Iranian side.
A spokesperson for Iran’s Defence Ministry said a substantial part of the country’s missile capabilities has yet to be used, according to Iran’s IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency.
General Reza Talaei-Nik said a “significant portion of the missile capabilities remains unused”.
He added that Iranian forces had maintained the upper hand throughout the conflict with the U.S. and Israel.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has detained two commercial cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz, citing unauthorised operations and alleged links to Israel, according to state-aligned Mehr News Agency.
The vessels were identified as MSC Francesca and Epaminondas, both operating under the MSC shipping line.
Iranian authorities said the ships had breached maritime regulations, interfered with navigation systems, and endangered other vessels in the waterway.
They added the ships were attempting to pass through the strait undetected before being intercepted and escorted into Iranian territorial waters.
Iran has reiterated that no meeting is planned with the United States during Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s visit to Islamabad.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said: “No meeting is planned to take place between Iran and the U.S.”
He added that Tehran would convey its observations to Pakistan, and that Araghchi would meet senior Pakistani officials as part of ongoing mediation efforts.
On Friday, Araghchi said he would also travel to Muscat and Moscow to discuss bilateral relations and regional developments.
FormeFormer Cuban President Raúl Castro has been indicted in the United States, according to a senior Trump...
A major international conference on “The Role of Youth in Urban Development during Decolonisation Processes” has opened in Baku,...
Day four of the World Urban Forum (WUF) in Baku brings a packed agenda on sustainable cities and the global housing crisis, with sessions on green ...
The red carpet had barely been rolled up after Donald Trump’s departure before Beijing was laying it out again. Vladimir Putin arrived in the...
Passenger rail services between Baku and Tbilisi are expected to resume in 2026, after being suspended in 2020 ...
FormeFormer Cuban President Raúl Castro has been indicted in the United States, according to a senior Trump administration official. The move marks a significant escalation in Washington’s pressure campaign against Cuba’s communist leadership.
A major international conference on “The Role of Youth in Urban Development during Decolonisation Processes” has opened in Baku, bringing together young leaders and experts from around the world as part of the 13th session of the UN World Urban Forum.
Day four of the World Urban Forum (WUF) in Baku brings a packed agenda on sustainable cities and the global housing crisis, with sessions on green housing, smart cities, public spaces and urban rights taking place on Wednesday (20 May) at Baku Olympic Stadium in Azerbaijan.
The red carpet had barely been rolled up after Donald Trump’s departure before Beijing was laying it out again. Vladimir Putin arrived in the Chinese capital on Wednesday for talks with Xi Jinping, just days after Trump’s own high-profile visit.
United Nations World Urban Forum 13 continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 19 May with sessions and roundtable discussions focused on strengthening dialogue and advancing cooperation in urban development. Organisers say there are nearly 3 billion people globally who face some form of housing inadequacy.
Azerbaijan and Georgia have agreed to resume daily passenger train services on the Baku-Tbilisi-Baku route from 26 May, 2026, marking a major step in restoring regional rail connectivity after services were suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Day four of the World Urban Forum (WUF) in Baku brings a packed agenda on sustainable cities and the global housing crisis, with sessions on green housing, smart cities, public spaces and urban rights taking place on Wednesday (20 May) at Baku Olympic Stadium in Azerbaijan.
Pakistan has deployed around 8,000 troops, fighter jets and air defence systems to Saudi Arabia under a mutual defence agreement, according to security officials and government sources familiar with the arrangement.
Russia is considering the possibility of joint projects with the United States and China, Kirill Dmitriev, Head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, (Russia's sovereign wealth fund), was quoted as saying by state media on Wednesday.
Two Chinese tankers laden with oil exited the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, shipping data showed, brightening hopes that the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran may soon be resolved after positive comments from the U.S. President and his Deputy.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran remained committed to reaching a diplomatic settlement with the U.S. while continuing to strengthen its defensive capabilities amid ongoing regional tensions.
Finance ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) have urged the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank to increase support for countries hardest hit by the conflict in the Middle East.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that he had paused a planned attack on Iran after Tehran sent a peace proposal to Washington. He said there was now a “very good chance” of reaching a deal to limit Iran’s nuclear programme.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and German counterpart Johann Wadephul said Monday that Ankara and Berlin are both keen to deepen strategic cooperation.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment