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Iran says death toll of US-Israeli strikes reaches 1,230.
Iran's IRGC official says will burn any ship trying to pass through Strait of Horm.
A tense clash in the Strait of Hormuz between the United States and Iran on Thursday has put their fragile ceasefire at risk, with US President Donald Trump again threatening Iran with more strikes if it does not sign a deal "fast".
The US Central Command said that US forces "intercepted unprovoked" Iranian attacks and "responded with self-defense strikes" as US Navy guided-missile destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz to the Gulf of Oman on Thursday.
"Iranian forces launched multiple missiles, drones and small boats as USS Truxtun (DDG 103), USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115), and USS Mason (DDG 87) transited the international sea passage. No US assets were struck," CENTCOM said in a statement.
It said it eliminated "inbound threats" and targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking US forces, including missile and drone launch sites, command and control locations, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance nodes.
The White House shared a social media post of Trump who said, "three world-class American destroyers" transited, "very successfully", out of the Strait of Hormuz under fire.
"There was no damage done to the three destroyers, but great damage done to the Iranian attackers … just like we knocked them out again today, we'll knock them out a lot harder, and a lot more violently, in the future, if they don't get their deal signed, FAST!" Trump said in a post on the Truth Social platform.
He later told reporters the ceasefire remained in effect and played down the exchange.
However, Iran's Tasnim News Agency, citing informed sources, said in a Friday report that three US destroyers near the Strait of Hormuz came under attack by the Iranian Navy late on Thursday.
The destroyers belonging to the "terrorist US force" were retreating toward the Gulf of Oman after Iran's attack, the sources were quoted as saying.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said it carried out a large-scale combined operation against US military vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, accusing the US forces of ceasefire violations.
The United Arab Emirates' defense ministry said on Friday that the country's air defenses were dealing with missile and drone attacks originating from Iran, and confirmed that the sounds heard in the country were the result of the UAE air defense systems intercepting ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones.
Meanwhile, China confirmed on Friday that a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker carrying Chinese crew members was attacked near the strait, adding that no casualties have been reported so far.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian made the statement while responding to reports regarding an attack on a Chinese-owned oil products tanker.
Vital waterway
Lin noted that the Strait of Hormuz is a vital waterway for international navigation and expressed deep concern over the impact of the conflict on commercial shipping and crew safety. He called on all parties to take concrete measures to prevent further deterioration of the situation.
Meanwhile, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar said he had requested Singapore's support in facilitating the repatriation of 11 Pakistani and 20 Iranian seafarers aboard vessels seized by US authorities near Singaporean waters.
Separately, an oil tanker that passed through the Strait of Hormuz has arrived in South Korea, the first such vessel to reach the country by transiting the strait amid Iran's blockade, AFP reported.
The Malta-flagged Odessa was spotted near a mooring facility off the coast of Seosan. According to the report, the arrival of the vessel and its cargo of an estimated 1 million barrels of crude oil will likely ease concerns in South Korea about energy security.
Ji Haisheng in Beijing contributed to this story.
Contact the writers at jan@chinadailyapac.com.
Understandings have been reached to ease the United States' naval blockade in exchange for the gradual reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, Al Arabiya reported on Thursday citing sources, after US President Donald Trump said a deal to end the war between the US, Israel and Iran was "very possible".
Discussions are ongoing regarding the situation in the strategic waterway, the Riyadh-based media outlet said, although there was no immediate confirmation from Iran or the US.
It came as Tehran on Thursday denied attacking a South Korean cargo ship in the strait earlier this week. The Iranian embassy in Seoul said it "firmly rejects and categorically denies" allegations that its armed forces were behind a blast on Monday aboard the Panama-flagged HMM Namu, with 24 crew members on board. Trump later claimed Iran had "taken some shots" at the vessel and urged South Korea to join the so-called Project Freedom initiative to reopen the vital waterway.
Despite the incident, hopes for progress have emerged after weeks of deadlock as Trump suspended the short-lived military operation.
"We've had very good talks over the last 24 hours, and it's very possible that we'll make a deal," Trump told reporters on Wednesday. But he warned earlier that if Iran fails to honor any agreement, bombing would resume "at a much higher level and intensity".
Launched by the US and Israel in late February, the conflict has seen Iran launch retaliatory strikes across the region.
Despite Trump's upbeat tone, Iran has yet to formally respond to Washington's new proposal. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the US aims to force Tehran to surrender through "a naval blockade, economic pressure and media manipulation designed to destroy the country's cohesion".
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed that the US proposal remains under review, adding that Tehran will relay its official stance to mediator Pakistan once internal deliberations are finalized, Iran's ISNA News Agency reported.
US media outlet Axios, citing unnamed officials, reported on Wednesday that both sides were close to reaching a one-page memorandum of understanding to end hostilities and set a framework for future nuclear negotiations.
Washington appears more serious about striking a peace deal with Iran, yet major questions remain over the concessions it is prepared to make, said Mohamad Elmasry, a professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies in Qatar.
Demands omitted
The draft memorandum omits several long-standing US demands that Iran has repeatedly rejected, including curbs on Tehran's missile and nuclear programs. Elmasry told Al Jazeera: "That may be seen as a negative sign — the proposal fails to address some of Iran's core concerns in an acceptable way."
Prospects of a potential detente buoyed the global markets. Tokyo's Nikkei index surged more than 4 percent on Thursday, leading broad gains across Asian equities.
Meanwhile, global oil prices slid to a two-week low on Wednesday, with benchmark Brent crude falling around 11 percent to nearly $98 a barrel at one stage.
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Wednesday his country is ready to pursue diplomatic paths to end the war, while insisting on safeguarding the nation's rights.
Meanwhile in Lebanon, Israel pummeled southern parts of the country on Thursday, state media and AFP correspondents said, a day after it targeted a Hezbollah commander in its first strike on Beirut's southern suburbs since a truce sought to end weeks of fighting.
The Israeli army said Thursday that the strike on the southern suburbs killed "the Commander of Hezbollah's 'Radwan Force' Unit", an elite unit within Hezbollah.
A ceasefire in the fighting between Hezbollah and Israel began on April 17, but combat has largely not stopped in southern Lebanon. Wednesday's strike near the capital, however, came as a shock in Lebanon.
Contact the writers at cuihaipei@chinadaily.com.cn.
WASHINGTON -- The US military on Thursday carried out strikes on Iran's Qeshm Port and the city of Bandar Abbas, said a Fox News report, citing US officials.
TEHRAN -- Iran's main military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said Thursday night the US army attacked two Iranian vessels near the Strait of Hormuz and concurrently carried out airstrikes on civilian areas in the southern Iranian province of Hormozgan and Qeshm Island in cooperation with some regional states.
The attacks by the US "aggressive and terrorist" army violated the ceasefire between Iran and the United States, said Ebrahim Zolfaghari, the headquarters' spokesman, according to Iranian media.
One of the targeted vessels was an oil tanker sailing from Iran's territorial waters near Jask toward the Strait of Hormuz, and the other was entering the waterway near Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, Zolfaghari said, adding that the targeted civilian areas were located in Bandar-e Khamir and Sirik, both in Hormozgan province.
He noted that Iran's armed forces immediately retaliated by attacking US military vessels east of the Strait of Hormuz and south of Iran's Chabahar port, causing significant damage to them.
He said the United States and those countries supporting it should know that Iran will give a crushing response to any aggression without any hesitation.
Iranian media reported Thursday night several explosions in Iran's southern cities and the capital Tehran.
The official news agency IRNA reported that two massive sounds were heard west of Tehran, followed by the activation of air defense for several minutes.
The semi-official Mehr news agency reported a US and Israeli attack on a naval base in Minab County in Hormozgan province early Friday.
It quoted Minab's Governor Mohammad Radmehr as saying that no one was killed or wounded in the attack.
Iran, the United States, and Israel reached a ceasefire on April 8 after 40 days of fighting that started with US and Israeli attacks on Feb 28.
TEHRAN -- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Thursday the country has not yet reached a conclusion on the US peace proposal and has not responded to Washington.
In an interview with the official news agency IRNA, he noted that Iran is still reviewing the messages exchanged via Pakistani mediation.
Baghaei said Iran's latest discussions with Pakistan have focused on Tehran's 14-point proposed plan to end the war with the United States and Israel, which has been delivered to Washington through Islamabad.
He added that the United States has shared its views on Iran's proposal in the form of a plan.
The foreign ministry spokesperson noted that Iran is reviewing the US proposal and will convey its response to Pakistan once a conclusion is reached. Based on these exchanges of messages, the next step will be decided, he said.
Baghaei's remarks came after Al Arabiya reported earlier in the day, citing a Pakistani source, that Iran could send its response to the US peace proposal through Pakistan on Thursday.
Al Arabiya also quoted sources as saying that understandings have been reached regarding easing the US naval blockade in exchange for the gradual reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran, the United States and Israel reached a ceasefire on April 8 after 40 days of fighting that started with US and Israeli attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities on Feb 28.
Following the truce, Iranian and US delegations held one round of peace talks in Pakistan's capital Islamabad on April 11 and 12, which failed to yield an agreement.
Over the past weeks, the two sides have reportedly exchanged several proposed plans outlining conditions for ending the conflict through Pakistan.
Tensions were reignited in the Middle East on Tuesday as the United States and Iran traded charges over the Strait of Hormuz and the United Arab Emirates came under Iranian missile and drone attacks, threatening a fragile ceasefire that has held for more than three weeks.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of Iran's parliament, accused the US of undermining regional security and the security of global shipping and energy transit with its moves to end Iran's hold on the strait.
Ghalibaf warned that Tehran will respond to such provocations. "We know full well that the continuation of the status quo is intolerable for America, and we have not even started yet," he said in a social media post.
The latest escalation came after the UAE reported Iranian attacks on Monday for the first time since the truce was declared on April 8. The close US ally confirmed it was targeted by 12 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles and four drones — all launched by Iran.
"These attacks constitute a dangerous escalation and unacceptable violation, posing direct threats to the UAE's security, territorial stability and civilian safety," the UAE's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
One Iranian missile hit an energy facility in the constituent emirate of Fujairah, leaving three Indian nationals injured, while a drone attack targeted a tanker operated by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co, a state-owned oil giant, authorities said.
A senior Iranian military official did not deny the strikes, but emphasized that the Islamic republic had "no preplanned program to attack the oil facilities in question".
"US officials must end their ugly behavior of using force in a diplomatic process and stop military adventurism in this sensitive oil region, which affects economies around the world," the official was quoted as saying by Iranian state television.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei accused the UAE of backing and cooperating with the "aggressors" against Iran, saying that all regional countries have hopefully "learned the necessary lessons from the developments that occurred during these 50 days".
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly demanded that Iran fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic maritime corridor through which about one-fifth of global crude supplies were transported before US and Israeli forces launched strikes against Iran on Feb 28.
Iran has, however, vowed not to relinquish control of the strait, which is its core geopolitical leverage.
Trump claimed that US forces had "shot down" seven small Iranian military boats. A US admiral earlier said that six such vessels were destroyed, but Iran denied it all. Instead, it said a US naval frigate was hit, a claim that has been denied by the US military.
Authorities in South Korea confirmed on Monday that its cargo vessel HMM Namu suffered an engine room explosion and fire while navigating the strait, but said no crew members were injured.
Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that the ongoing events in the strait prove "there is no military solution to this political crisis", and he praised Pakistan's sustained mediation efforts.
"The US should be wary of being dragged back into a quagmire by ill-wishers. So should the UAE. Project Freedom is Project Deadlock," he wrote on social media, referring to the plan announced by Trump to "guide" stranded ships from "neutral countries" out of the Persian Gulf.
Saudi Arabia joined calls for de-escalation of the Middle East situation on Tuesday, urging diplomatic means to reach a settlement. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Tehran to return to the negotiating table and stop weaponizing regional energy transit, echoing appeals from French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Oil prices retreated slightly on Tuesday after surging on Monday. Brent crude, the international standard, fell $1.14 to $113.30 per barrel. Before the Iran war began in late February, it was trading near $70.
The Strait of Hormuz is a thoroughfare for global supplies of not just oil, but also fertilizers and other commodities. As it has remained virtually closed since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran, global prices have continued to rally.
WASHINGTON -- The US military has sunk six Iranian small boats in the Strait of Hormuz, Brad Cooper, chief of US Central Command, said Monday.
The Iranian boats were struck by US Apache and MH-60 Seahawk helicopters, Cooper told a news conference.
US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the United States will begin guiding ships out of the Strait of Hormuz on Monday morning, Middle East time.
Cooper dismissed that there are "escorts" of commercial ships by the US Navy in the strait, but said the Pentagon offers "multiple layers" of protection for them.
"If you're escorting a ship, you're playing kind of one-on-one. I think we have a much better defensive arrangement in this process, where we have multiple layers that include ships, helicopters, aircraft, airborne early warning, electronic warfare," he said.
"We have a much broader defensive package than we would have ever if you're just escorting," said Cooper.
Iran later rejected the claim by the United States military that it had sunk several Iranian boats, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported Monday, citing a senior military official.
Cooper skipped whether the current ceasefire between the United States and Iran will hold, as both sides are reporting new use of munitions.
"I wouldn't go into details of whether the ceasefire is over or not," said Cooper. "I think the key thing is for us is we're merely there as a defensive force and to give a very thick layer of defense to commercial shipping to allow them to proceed out of the (Persian Gulf)."
Earlier on Monday, Iran also dismissed a statement from the US Central Command that two US-flagged commercial vessels successfully passed through the strait.
Trump says there is possibility of restarting strikes on Iran
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Thursday that the world is "confronting the specter of a global recession" as disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz persist, urging all parties to "let the global economy breathe again".
Speaking at UN headquarters, Guterres listed three scenarios tied to the duration of the Middle East crisis, now in its third month. Even in the best case — where restrictions are lifted immediately — global growth would still fall from 3.4 percent to 3.1 percent this year, with inflation rising to 4.4 percent, he said.
Should the crisis extend through midyear, an estimated 32 million people could be pushed into poverty and a further 45 million face extreme hunger. If it continues through the end of the year, global growth could fall to 2 percent and inflation could exceed 6 percent.
"These consequences are not cumulative. They are exponential," Guterres said, adding that developing countries will be hit hardest.
He urged all parties to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2817. "Open the Strait. Let all ships pass," he said.
In a further appeal on Friday, Guterres cautioned on X that the fallout from the crisis is worsening "with each passing hour", calling for dialogue and urgent steps "to pull us back from the brink" and open a pathway to peace.
The warning came as US President Donald Trump signaled restarting the war, asserting that Iranian leaders "want to make a deal badly".
Iran has delivered a new proposal for talks with the US via mediator Pakistan, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported on Friday, without elaborating.
"Global recession, as emphasized by the UN secretary-general, poses a major threat," said Deniz Istikbal, an assistant professor and economics researcher at Istanbul Medipol University in Turkiye.
Rising inflation could reignite the crises that followed the pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine, he said.
"If the cost of war leads to job losses and high energy prices, the normalization of the global economy may take a long time," he said. "Less developed and developing countries, in particular, may be more adversely affected."
The crisis "must be resolved quickly" and "diplomatic channels should be actively utilized", he added.
Separately, the World Bank said on Tuesday that overall commodity prices are projected to rise by 16 percent this year, driven by soaring energy and fertilizer prices and record highs in several key metals.
Economic ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations said in a joint statement on Thursday that developments in the Middle East are increasingly affecting people and businesses across the region, particularly micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, with significant implications for overall economic growth.
They said rising energy and transport costs "are cascading into food systems, particularly the increased fertilizer prices and potential disruptions in fertilizer supply chains", affecting affordability and timely access for farmers ahead of key planting seasons, potentially leading to lower agricultural productivity and disruptions to essential food supply.
Policy responses
"We, therefore, underscored the urgent need to alleviate the impact on the people through timely, targeted and inclusive policy responses, including enhanced regional cooperation on fertilizer availability, access and supply chain information," the statement said.
On Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the US-Israel war on Iran was costing the European Union almost 500 million euros ($590 million) a day, raising fuel prices and fears of jet fuel shortages within weeks, The Associated Press reported.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the US naval blockade amounts to an extension of military operations against a nation "paying the price for its steadfastness and independence", calling the approach "intolerable".
The administration of Donald Trump is facing intensified scrutiny after asserting that US hostilities with Iran have "terminated", a position that has raised legal and political questions in Washington over presidential war powers and congressional oversight.
In a letter to congressional leaders, Trump said, "The hostilities that began on Feb 28, 2026, have terminated," citing a ceasefire that took effect in early April. At the same time, he acknowledged that "the threat posed by Iran to the United States and our Armed Forces remains significant", signaling that US military involvement in the region could continue.
The assertion effectively allows the administration to bypass a May 1 deadline under the War Powers Resolution, which requires congressional authorization for military action extending beyond 60 days. The White House has argued that the deadline does not apply because active hostilities have ceased.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing that the ceasefire effectively pauses the timeline.
"We are in a ceasefire right now, which our understanding means the 60-day clock pauses or stops," he said in his testimony on Thursday.
Hegseth argued that the administration could continue operations despite the Vietnam-era law requiring congressional approval after 60 days of hostilities. He declined to say whether the administration would seek such approval, deferring the question to the White House.
However, the administration's interpretation has drawn criticism from lawmakers and legal experts, who argue that the law does not provide for suspending the deadline under a ceasefire.
During the same hearing, Senator Tim Kaine rejected the argument, saying he did not believe "the statute would support that".
Legal experts echoed those concerns. "Nothing in the text or design of the War Powers Resolution suggests that the 60-day clock can be paused or terminated," said Katherine Yon Ebright of the Brennan Center.
Some lawmakers pointed to ongoing US military activity in the region as evidence that hostilities have not fully ended. Senator Adam Schiff said that "ceasing to use some forces while using others does not somehow stop the clock", referring to continued deployments despite the halt in direct strikes.
The debate comes as Congress has taken limited action to assert its authority. Lawmakers left Washington ahead of the deadline after the Senate rejected, for a sixth time, a resolution aimed at halting US involvement in the conflict.
Within the Republican Party, most lawmakers have deferred to the president, though some have signaled interest in greater congressional involvement. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he did not plan to bring forward a vote to authorize the use of force.
"I'm listening carefully to what the members of our conference are saying, and at this point I don't see that," he said.
Others have taken a more cautious approach. Senator Lisa Murkowski said she would consider introducing a limited authorization measure if the administration does not present a "credible plan", adding that "Congress has a role".
Senator Susan Collins also emphasized limits on executive authority. "The president's authority as commander in chief is not without limits," she said, adding that the 60-day deadline is "not a suggestion, it is a requirement".
Similarly, Senator John Curtis said he would not support continued funding for the conflict without congressional approval, calling for joint decision-making "in league with one another, not in conflict".
Conversely, some Republican lawmakers have expressed less concern about the deadline. Senator Roger Wicker said he has "not been too concerned" about the 60-day requirement, reflecting broader support within the party for the administration's approach.
Democrats, however, have raised concerns about both the legal justification and the strategic direction of the conflict. Senator Mark Kelly said the situation shows limited progress, stating, "This war is stuck. The Strait of Hormuz is closed. The Iranian regime is in place."
Despite the ceasefire, tensions in the region remain. Iran continues to maintain control over the Strait of Hormuz, while US naval forces are enforcing measures aimed at restricting Iranian oil shipments, according to Associated Press reporting.
TEHRAN -- Iran has delivered a new proposal for peace talks with the United States to Pakistan, which is mediating the negotiations, the official IRNA news agency reported Friday.
The report said Iran submitted its latest negotiating proposal to Pakistan on Thursday night as part of efforts to end the conflict involving the United States and Israel.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said in an interview with state-run IRIB TV on Thursday night that ending the war and establishing lasting peace are Tehran's priorities in talks with the United States.
On Feb 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities, killing Iran's then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior commanders and civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. bases and assets in the Middle East.
A ceasefire was reached between the warring sides on April 8, followed by peace talks in Islamabad on April 11 and 12, which ended without an agreement.
TEHRAN -- Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on Thursday that the "bright future" of the Gulf will be one without the US presence and at the service of the progress, comfort, and welfare of the regional nations.
Khamenei said in a message that despite a massive military campaign, the United States has admitted an "ignominious" defeat in its plan against Iran and the region, and a new chapter in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz is unfolding.
WASHINGTON - The US aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford will leave the Middle East and begin sailing for home in the coming days, the Washington Post reported Wednesday.
The move is "an expected relief for roughly 4,500 sailors who have been deployed for 10 months -- but a loss of significant firepower as peace talks between the United States and Iran stagnate," said the report.
The Ford Carrier Strike Group began its latest deployment on June 24, 2025, departing from the US state of Virginia for the US European Command area of responsibility, later deploying to Latin America for counter-narcotics operations and then to the Middle East as tensions with Iran escalated.
It is one of three carriers operating in the Middle East region, alongside USS George H.W. Bush and USS Abraham Lincoln.
US President Donald Trump is set to receive a briefing on new plans for potential military action in Iran on Thursday from the US Central Command (CENTCOM), online media Axios reported on Wednesday.
"The briefing signals that Trump is seriously considering resuming major combat operations either to try to break the logjam in negotiations or to deliver a final blow before ending the war," said the report.
CENTCOM has prepared a plan for a "short and powerful" wave of strikes on Iran -- likely including infrastructure targets -- in hopes of breaking the negotiating deadlock, it said, citing three sources with knowledge.
US military prepared plan for "short and powerful" strike waves on Iran -- report
NEW YORK -- Crude futures saw prices rise over 5 percent in the morning session on Wednesday amid reports that US President Donald Trump told aides and energy companies to prepare for an extended blockade of Iran's ports.
As of 10 am Eastern Time (1400 GMT), West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures for June delivery reached as high as 105.04 US dollars per barrel, up 5.11 dollars or about 5.11 percent from the settlement on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Brent crude oil futures for June delivery saw a high of 117.15 dollars per barrel, up 5.89 dollars or 5.29 percent from the settlement in the previous session.
"Iran can't get their act together. They don't know how to sign a nonnuclear deal. They better get smart soon!" Trump said in a post on social media early Wednesday.
Earlier, media reports said that Trump had instructed his administration to prepare for an extended blockade of Iran as the ceasefire remains in place amid stalled talks.
"The ongoing stalemate in US-Iran negotiations makes any near-term normalization of flows through Hormuz increasingly unlikely," said Linh Tran, an analyst with online trading platform XS.com. "The market is no longer simply pricing in risk, but rather a prolonged period of supply disruption."
WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump on Tuesday claimed on social media that Iran wants the United States to open the Strait of Hormuz.
In a social media post, Trump also claimed that Iran has said it was in a "state of collapse." However, it remained unclear how Trump got the message from Iran.
RIYADH -- The first in-person meeting of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders since the recent US-Israel-Iran war kicked off in Saudi Arabia's port city of Jeddah on Tuesday, Saudi media Al Arabiya News reported.
The exceptional meeting aims to enhance Gulf integration and coordination to contain the fallout from the war, and ensure that any crisis solutions serve the interests of the GCC and bolster regional security and stability, Al Arabiya reported.
Hopes for diplomatic rapprochement between the United States and Iran faded further, as face-to-face talks to end their two-month conflict remain deadlocked, with both sides firmly clinging to their respective preconditions.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif via phone on Saturday night that Tehran will never accept "imposed negotiations" conducted under military threats and a maritime blockade, according to an official Iranian statement. He said Washington should first remove "operational obstacles" to clear the way for a new round of substantive talks.
The deadlock deepened over the weekend as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrapped up weekend consultations with Pakistan's military and civilian leaders, while US President Donald Trump scrapped a planned Islamabad visit by his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, delivering setbacks to fledgling peace efforts.
Araghchi described his one-day working visit to Pakistan as "very fruitful".
"I shared Iran's position on a viable framework to secure a permanent end to the conflict. It remains to be seen whether the US demonstrates genuine diplomatic sincerity," he said on social media.
On Sunday, Araghchi traveled to Oman, a key regional mediator that has facilitated past US-Iran dialogue across the Strait of Hormuz. In Muscat, he held talks with Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, with the two sides discussing regional developments, ongoing mediation initiatives and joint efforts to deescalate tensions, Oman News Agency reported. Araghchi was scheduled to return to Islamabad before heading to Russia.
Islamabad authorities, meanwhile, have rolled back stringent security restrictions imposed amid days of heightened alert ahead of the stalled US-Iran negotiations.
Trump, who was safely evacuated from the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday following an on-site shooting incident, said the episode would not weaken his resolve in the Iran conflict, while adding there appeared to be no direct link between the violence and the conflict.
Trump earlier canceled his envoys' trip, arguing the proposed journey involved excessive travel and expense for what he called an insufficient Iranian offer. After the pullout, Iran "offered a lot, but not enough", he said, indicating the ball was now in Iran's court.
"If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!" Trump wrote on social media.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt earlier said the US had seen some progress from the Iranian side and that Vice-President JD Vance, who led an unsuccessful first round of talks in Islamabad this month, was ready to travel to Pakistan again.
Mark Pfeifle, a former senior national security adviser to former US president George W. Bush, told Al Jazeera that Trump's last-minute trip cancellation marked a retreat from diplomatic engagement and a return to Washington's longstanding "pressure campaign".
"The US seeks to cripple Iran through economic coercion, while Iran leverages its control over the Strait of Hormuz to pressure the West," he said. "The two sides are locked in a protracted standoff, each testing the other's endurance to see which side concedes first."
The conflict, in which a ceasefire is in force, began with US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran on Feb 28.
Iran has since struck Israel and US targets in neighboring Gulf states. Since the war began, at least 3,375 people have been killed in Iran and at least 2,496 people in Lebanon, where new fighting between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah broke out in March.
Regional tensions have escalated further since Saturday, as another fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was shaken with cross-border exchanges of fire. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to launch intensified strikes against Hezbollah targets across Lebanon.
The Israeli military dropped warning leaflets over Lebanon's Tyre district on Sunday, alerting local residents to incoming large-scale military operations in southern Lebanon.
cuihaipei@chinadaily.com.cn
WASHINGTON - US military forces continue to enforce "US sanctions and fully implement the blockade against ships entering or departing Iranian ports," US Central Command said on social media Saturday.
In a post on X, the US Central Command said that 37 vessels have been redirected since the start of the blockade, noting a merchant vessel named Sevan, intercepted in the Arabian Sea earlier Saturday by the US forces, is currently "complying with US military direction to turn back to Iran under escort."
US President Donald Trump announced on April 12 that the US Navy would begin blocking ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz. His decision came after the first round of US-Iranian talks on April 11 and 12 in Islamabad, Pakistan, failed to produce a peace deal.
In response to Trump's announcement, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has warned that "any threat against the security of the Strait of Hormuz will have large-scale consequences for global trade."
On Saturday, Iran's main military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, reiterated its pledge to react if the United States continues its "blockade, banditry and piracy" in the West Asia region.
Trump announced earlier Saturday that he has canceled the trip of US representatives going to Islamabad this weekend for talks with the Iranian side.
TEHRAN -- Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi is expected to visit Pakistan again after the end of his trip to Oman and before traveling to Russia, the semi-official Mehr News Agency said on Saturday, citing a plan announced by Iran's Foreign Ministry.
