Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters warned on Monday it would “soon respond” to what it described as “armed maritime piracy” after the U.S. Navy fired on an Iranian cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday, according to local media.
“The aggressor United States violated the ceasefire and committed maritime piracy by firing at an Iranian merchant ship in the waters of the Sea of Oman and landing a number of its terrorist marines on the deck of the vessel, disabling its navigation system,” Press TV quoted spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaghari as saying.
Meanwhile, Tehran rejected U.S. officials’ announcements, as well as media reports about a second round of negotiations in Islamabad on Tuesday, as “imprecise”, according to the state-owned Islamic Republic News Agency.
“The news published by the U.S. is their media game and is part of the "blame game" to pressure Iran,” the agency said.
On the eve of the reportedly scheduled talks, President Masoud Pezeshkian held a phone call with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday, exchanging views on the latest regional developments, the Islamabad negotiations, and ceasefire-related issues.
“The U.S. is after repeating the past patterns and betraying the diplomacy,” the President’s Office quoted him as saying, referring to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran last June and February this year, during ongoing negotiations.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also held a phone call with his Pakistani counterpart Muhammad Ishaq Dar to discuss regional developments and the fragile ceasefire, the ministry said in a press release.
He expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s “good offices” and mediation efforts, and cited the “bitter experience” of the past year marked by “repeated breaches of trust.”
Over the weekend, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in an interview with state broadcaster IRIB that Tehran’s 10-point plan for talks with the U.S. represented non-negotiable principles for both the Iranian Armed Forces and diplomats.
He led Iranian negotiators in inconclusive talks with the U.S. in Islamabad on 11 April.
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy...
A Chinese-made AI chip has matched Nvidia’s H200 in tests conducted by its developer, marking a potential breakthrough in China’s effor...
China’s GJ-21 carrier-based stealth reconnaissance and strike drone has completed its first take-off and landing on board the Sichuan, the co...
The Middle East conflict remains tense as diplomatic efforts continue alongside renewed Houthi attacks. Iran says it remains open to mediation, while the Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted a ballistic missile fired towards the kingdom.
Rescuers searched the wreckage of two high-speed trains in central Spain on Thursday as the death toll rose to a provisional 74, making it the country's second fatal high-speed rail disaster this year.
Evacuations and the provision of humanitarian aid in the Russian-occupied southern Ukrainian town of Oleshky have begun, a senior Ukrainian official said on Friday. In a statement on Telegram, David Arakhamia said a six-day ceasefire was holding, and that more details would follow.
Qatari mediators returned to Tehran on Friday as part of efforts to reach a deal between the U.S. and Iran, according to an official briefed on the talks.
UN human rights experts comprising a group including Special Rapporteurs and independent experts who are part of the UN Human Rights Council, have criticised French authorities over their handling of nationwide student protests.
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in London.
Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan surged by 330 per cent in 2026 despite a four-year ban, the United Nations said on Thursday. Afghan authorities disputed the findings, while Japan urged continued support for farmers seeking alternative livelihoods.
Central Asia could gain up to $640 million a year from closer energy cooperation, but strained electricity grids threaten to limit those gains, with Kazakhstan particularly exposed to regional power shortages and growing pressure on its network.
Georgia and Azerbaijan are stepping up efforts to boost trade, strengthen transport links between Asia and Europe and resolve a longstanding border dispute, as both countries seek to deepen their strategic partnership.
People travelling between Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan could soon be able to pay for purchases using their usual banking apps. Central banks from the five countries are working on linking their national payment systems.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment