Iran says latest mediation proposals to end war are 'unacceptable'
The Middle East conflict remains tense as diplomatic efforts continue alongside renewed Houthi attacks. Iran says it remains open to mediation, whi...
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr Albusaidi have discussed arrangements to ensure the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Iran's Foreign Ministry, Araghchi and Albusaidi exchanged views on mechanisms to safeguard navigation through the strategic waterway in line with the recent ceasefire agreement.
Oman's state news agency later said discussions would continue at both the technical and political levels.
The talks come as the United States seeks a public commitment from Tehran guaranteeing free and secure navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Senior U.S. officials said Washington wants Iran to publicly pledge that commercial vessels can transit the strait without attacks or additional restrictions.
CNN reported that Oman had proposed a framework allowing free navigation through the southern shipping corridor in Omani territorial waters. Vessels using the northern corridor in Iranian waters would require prior approval from Tehran without paying transit fees.
The White House and State Department did not immediately comment on the report.
Oman has played a central mediating role in efforts to end the conflict that began after U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran in February.
A senior Iranian source told Reuters that Iran, the United States, Qatar and Pakistan were seeking to arrange further negotiations while Araghchi was in Muscat.
However it was not immediately clear whether those talks had taken place.
No new attacks were reported on Friday (10 July) or Saturday, despite heightened tensions earlier in the week.
The latest diplomatic contacts follow attacks on commercial shipping that prompted U.S. strikes on Iranian targets and retaliatory Iranian attacks on U.S. military facilities in the Gulf.
Iran has denied responsibility for the attacks on commercial vessels, although analysts say such incidents have increased pressure on negotiations.
President Donald Trump said on Friday that Washington had agreed to continue talks with Tehran. He also declared the ceasefire "over", warning that future progress would depend on Iran's actions.
Despite losing his bloc's majority in Israel's 120-seat Knesset in a hotly contested election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has managed to remain in the lead after 70 per cent of votes were tallied on Wednesday. Figures are subject to change as counting continues.
Russia and Ukraine have begun a regional ceasefire to allow the start of a humanitarian effort in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky, both sides said on Tuesday, but they continue strikes elsewhere, including the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.
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 picked through mangled carriages on Thursday in a grim search for victims of Spain's second fatal high-speed train crash this year, as the death toll rose to 69 and hopes of finding further survivors faded.
At least 68 people have been killed after two high-speed trains collided in Spain on Wednesday, in the second deadly rail disaster in less than a year on a major route linking Madrid with the southern Andalusia region.
Leaders of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) are meeting in Ankara for their 13th summit, with Türkiye set to take over the rotating chairmanship from Azerbaijan as members seek closer economic, political and defence ties.
Rescuers picked through mangled carriages on Thursday in a grim search for victims of Spain's second fatal high-speed train crash this year, as the death toll rose to 69 and hopes of finding further survivors faded.
Russian drone strikes killed at least 19 people across Ukraine on Thursday, including 14 at a crowded railway station in Dnipro, three in Kremenchuk and two teenage girls in Chernihiv, Ukrainian officials said.
A six-day U.S.-brokered ceasefire near the Ukrainian city of Kherson has brought a rare respite from Russian attacks, offering war-weary residents a brief return to normality. But fears remain that the violence could erupt again at any moment.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 29 October 2026, exploring five global flashpoints where diplomatic efforts are colliding with growing military threats, from renewed hopes for peace in the Middle East and Ukraine to warnings of wider instability in Africa and Asia.
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