Talks between the United States and Iran opened in Islamabad on Saturday (11 April) as the two sides sought to turn a fragile temporary ceasefire into a lasting agreement, amid disputes over Lebanon and sanctions relief.
Amid fragile calm, António Guterres urged constructive U.S.- Iran talks, while Pope Leo XIV warned violence is spreading. Lebanon's President said an Israeli strike killed 13 security personnel in Nabatieh.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Khamenei has declared a “decisive victory” over the U.S. and Israel, signalling a “new phase” in Tehran’s control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Caricatures of U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are on display in a metro station in downtown Tehran. The cartoons mock the two leaders for what Tehran says is their failure in waging a war on Iran.
The U.S. and Iran are meeting in Pakistan under a fragile ceasefire but remain deeply divided over Tehran’s nuclear programme, sanctions and regional security. With fighting in Lebanon escalating, the talks face mounting pressure.
A fragile two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran showed further strain on Friday, a day before they are to negotiate in Pakistan, as Washington accused Tehran of breaching promises on the Strait of Hormuz and Israel struck Lebanon with attacks that Iran has claimed violate the ceasefire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has given an instruction for Israel to begin peace talks with Lebanon that would also include the disarming of Hezbollah.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry has condemned continued Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon, which have left hundreds dead - mostly civilians - over the past 48 hours, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has instructed his cabinet to begin direct peace talks with Lebanon.
Memorial events were held in Tehran’s main squares on Wednesday (8 April) to mark the 40th day since the killing of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died during U.S.-Israeli attacks on 28 February.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Thursday (9 April) that restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is a vital interest for both Italy and the European Union, pledging coordination with international partners to ensure safe passage.
Israel pounded Lebanon with its heaviest strikes yet on Wednesday, killing hundreds of people and drawing a threat of retaliation from Iran, which suggested it would be "unreasonable" to proceed with talks to forge a permanent peace deal with the United States.
Israel carried out its heaviest strikes on Lebanon since the conflict with Hezbollah broke out last month, killing more than 250 people on Wednesday, as the Iran-aligned group resumed rocket attacks on northern Israel after a brief pause under the two-week U.S.-Iran ceasefire.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Iran and the United States, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate two-week ceasefire covering all areas, but Israel says the deal excludes Lebanon. Tel Aviv says the U.S. is committed to achieving shared goals in upcoming negotiations.
As global attention centres on the conflict between Iran and the U.S., violence in Lebanon is intensifying, with Israeli strikes hitting residential areas, causing mounting civilian casualties and deepening an already severe humanitarian crisis.
International air travel remains severely disrupted despite the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran announced on Wednesday (8 April), leaving many passengers unable to reach their destinations after conflict-related cancellations at major Middle Eastern hubs including Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah said it had stopped firing on northern Israel and Israeli forces on Wednesday as part of a two-week ceasefire in the Middle East brokered between the United States and Iran. However, a Hezbollah lawmaker warned that the pause could collapse if Tel Aviv does not adhere to it.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he had agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran, less than two hours before his deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face U.S. attacks on its civilian infrastructure.
Financial markets experienced a monumental shift as crude valuations tumbled and equity indices surged worldwide.
World leaders have welcomed a two-week ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. announced on Wednesday, following a tense day marked by threats from U.S. President Donald Trump to wipe out Iranian civilisation if a deal was not reached.
UK's Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has welcomed a ceasefire between Iran and the United States, that was reached overnight, as he travels to the Gulf to support diplomatic efforts to sustain the agreement and stabilise the region.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) announced on Wednesday that ceasefire negotiations with the U.S. are scheduled for Friday (10 April) in Islamabad, stressing that it will enter into two weeks of talks “out of total distrust”.
Iran said on Monday it wanted a lasting end to the war with the U.S. and Israel, and pushed back against pressure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while U.S. President Donald Trump warned the country could be "taken out" if it did not meet his Tuesday night deadline to reach a deal.
The UN Security Council has failed to back a Bahraini resolution aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, after China and Russia used their vetoes on Tuesday (7 April). The draft resolution called for coordinated "defensive measures" to ensure freedom of navigation in the strait.
The UN Security Council has failed to back a Bahraini resolution aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, after China and Russia used their vetoes on Tuesday (7 April). The draft resolution called for coordinated "defensive measures" to ensure freedom of navigation in the strait.
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