U.S. and Iranian negotiators held their highest-level talks in half a century in Pakistan on Saturday in an effort to end their six-week war, as President Donald Trump said the U.S. military had begun the process of clearing the Strait of Hormuz.
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French President Emmanuel Macron said that he had spoken with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, and had highlighted to him the importance of de-escalating the current situation through the ceasefire talks in Pakistan.
A fresh round of trilateral talks between the U.S., Iran and Pakistan resumed in Islamabad late Saturday, sources in the Pakistani government told Anadolu.
Earlier during the first two rounds, the two sides first engaged in indirect talks, which led to face-to-face negotiations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed Israel will continue fighting Iran and its allies, in a post that also criticised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
“Israel under my leadership will continue to fight Iran’s terror regime and its proxies,” Netanyahu wrote in a post on X.
Iranian semi-official Tasnim reported that the Strait of Hormuz remains a key point of “serious disagreement” in the Islamabad talks, with discussions continuing despite what it described as excessive U.S. demands.
It added that Iran insists on preserving its position and what it views as its strategic gains, even as negotiations remain ongoing.
The U.S. military said that two of its warships sailed through the Strait of Hormuz as part of a plan to start removing mines from the vital conduit for the global oil trade.
Sending the ships through the strait was aimed at "setting conditions for clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz," U.S Central Command posted on X.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Saturday postponed his planned visit to the U.S., citing the ongoing domestic conditions.
“In light of the current internal situation, and in order to fully carry out my duty to safeguard the security and unity of the Lebanese people, I have decided to postpone my trip to the United Nations and the United States to follow up on government work from Beirut,” he said.
French President Emmanuel Macron said that he had spoken with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, and had highlighted to him the importance of de-escalating the current situation through the ceasefire talks in Pakistan.
"I stressed the need for Iran to restore freedom of navigation and security in the Strait of Hormuz as quickly as possible, to which France stands ready to contribute. I insisted on the importance of fully respecting the ceasefire, including in Lebanon," Macron said in a post on X.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he has revoked the residency status of several individuals linked to Iran’s former Vice President for Women and Family Affairs, Masoumeh Ebtekar.
In a post on X, Rubio announced he terminated the visas of Ebtekar’s son, Eissa Hashemi, along with his wife and son, saying they “should never have been allowed to benefit from the extraordinary privilege of living in our country”.
The individuals are currently in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), pending their deportation, Rubio said.
At least 11 people have been killed since early Saturday in a fresh wave of Israeli attacks on Lebanon, the Lebanese state-run media reported.
An Israeli airstrike on the town of Toul in Lebanon’s Nabatieh killed three people, including a health authority member, and wounded three others, including a paramedic, the National News Agency (NNA) reported, citing the Lebanese Health Ministry.
Two Chinese supertankers passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, shipping data on LSEG showed, likely the first vessels to exit the Middle East Gulf since the U.S.-Iran ceasefire deal was struck earlier this week.
Very Large Crude Carriers Cospearl Lake and He Rong Hai, both chartered by Unipec, the trading arm of Asia's largest refiner Sinopec 600028.SS, entered and exited 'Hormuz Passage trial anchorage' that bypasses Iran's Larak Island on Saturday, the data showed.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday posted that the United States military has started to clear the Strait of Hormuz and that all of Iran's minelaying ships have been sunk.
"We're now starting the process of clearing out the Strait of Hormuz," Trump wrote in a social media post.
Iran has been in touch with Lebanon to make sure ceasefire commitments were being respected on all fronts, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson told state TV.
Lebanese officials close to Hezbollah told Reuters on Friday (10 April) that the group was supportive of the Pakistan dialogue, and said it was the right approach instead of a separate set of talks in Washington next week.
French President Emmanuel Macron said that he had discussed the Iran ceasefire talks and the situation in Ukraine with Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan.
"We initially discussed the situation in the Middle East, and called for all parties to respect the ceasefire and to make sure this applies to Lebanon, and for all parties to respect the freedom of navigation in the Straits of Hormuz, and we highlighted the importance of getting a strong and lasting diplomatic solution," wrote Macron on X.
Saudi Ministry of Defence said on Saturday that a Pakistani military contingent, including fighter jets, has arrived at the King Abdulaziz Air Base as part of a defence cooperation agreement between the two countries.
In a statement, the ministry said the deployment is aimed at strengthening joint defence ties and enhancing coordination in support of regional and international security and stability.
The White House has denied a report claiming that the United States has agreed to unfreeze Iranian assets held abroad, pushing back on suggestions that any such deal has been reached.
The clarification comes after a senior Iranian source told Reuters that Washington had agreed to release frozen funds held in Qatar and other foreign banks as part of broader diplomatic discussions.
The same source also linked any potential financial movement to regional security concerns, including ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route.
Mohammad Reza Aref has said the outcome of ongoing high-level negotiations in Islamabad will depend on whether the United States prioritises an “America First” approach.
In a post on X, Aref said a mutually beneficial agreement would be possible if U.S. representatives focused on their own national interests. However, he warned that any shift towards what he called an “Israel First” agenda would derail progress.
He said such a scenario would lead to “no deal” and claimed Iran would “inevitably continue our defence even more vigorously than before,” adding that this would impose “greater costs” on the world.
JD Vance is holding talks with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the White House says.
"Prime Minister expressed the hope that these talks would serve as a stepping stone toward durable peace in the region," Sharif's office said.
A senior Iranian source told Reuters that the United States has agreed to release Iran’s frozen assets held in Qatar and other foreign banks, in a potential step toward broader de-escalation.
Neither Washington nor Doha has officially confirmed the agreement.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has told his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul, that Iran is entering negotiations with the U.S. in a state of “complete distrust”, according to the Mehr News Agency.
Araghchi said Iran “will fight with full authority to secure the interests and rights of the Iranian people”, citing repeated breaches of promises and what he described as “betrayals of diplomacy” by the United States.
Mojtaba Khamenei is recovering from severe facial and leg injuries sustained in an airstrike that killed his father, three sources close to his inner circle told Reuters.
The strike hit the leadership compound in central Tehran on 28 February, reportedly killing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several family members. Reuters has not independently verified the accounts.
The sources say Mojtaba Khamenei’s face was disfigured and he may have lost the use of one leg, though he remains mentally sharp and continues to take part in state decisions via audio link.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance has arrived in Pakistan as part of efforts to advance negotiations with Iran, according to officials familiar with the visit.
The trip comes as Washington and Tehran prepare for talks aimed at reducing tensions following six weeks of conflict that has destabilised parts of the Middle East and raised global economic concerns.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner have arrived in Islamabad as part of a high-level American delegation due to hold talks with Iran, according to a Pakistani source cited by Reuters.
The visit comes as Washington and Tehran prepare for negotiations aimed at stabilising a fragile ceasefire after six weeks of conflict that has spread across the Middle East and triggered widespread instability.
U.S. intelligence suggests China may be preparing a possible shipment of weapons-related materials to Iran, CNN reports, citing sources familiar with the assessment.
The report says the activity appears cautious and limited, focusing on components rather than large-scale arms transfers, as tensions remain high following a fragile ceasefire between Iran and the United States.
Beijing has not commented on the claims. China has previously denied providing military support that would escalate regional conflict, saying it supports de-escalation.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace said on Friday it faces no funding constraints and that all requests have been met “immediately and in full”.
The statement followed a Reuters report citing sources that said the Gaza reconstruction plan had received only a small fraction of the $17 billion pledged by donors, potentially slowing implementation of the U.S.-backed initiative.
The board rejected claims of a cash shortfall, saying funding is released as needed and that operations are continuing as planned.
An Israeli airstrike hit a police checkpoint in the Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip early Saturday, killing at least six people and injuring several others, according to medics.
Emergency responders said it was not immediately clear whether all those killed were members of the Hamas-led police force or whether civilians were among the victims at the checkpoint at the time of the strike. Rescue and recovery efforts are continuing as medical teams transport the wounded to nearby facilities.
There has been no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the reported strike.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency reports that if Tehran’s preconditions are accepted, negotiations with the United States will begin on Saturday afternoon in Islamabad.
Israel has rejected ceasefire talks with Hezbollah but agreed to begin formal peace negotiations with Lebanon on Tuesday, according to Israel’s ambassador to the United States.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that the United States expects to have the Strait of Hormuz “open fairly soon”, signalling confidence in restoring stability to the vital shipping route.
The United States and Lebanon have asked Israel to agree to a temporary “pause” in its attacks against Hezbollah, according to a report by Axios citing two sources.
The request comes ahead of expected direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon next week, with both Washington and Beirut seeking to create space for diplomatic efforts. The White House has not yet commented on the report.
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