Middle East crisis live: Trump says Iran talks could resume ‘over next two days’; Lebanon and Israel enter negotiations

William Christou

Direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon have just begun in Washington DC, marking the first time the two countries have had direct diplomatic contact since the 1990s.

Both countries’ ambassadors to the US are meeting in the US capital in the presence of US secretary of state Marco Rubio for what is being described as a ‘preparatory’ meeting for further talks.

As the meeting began, Israel bombed Tyre, one of the largest cities in south Lebanon. Despite the peace talks, fighting did not stop between Hezbollah and Israel. Israeli troops were on the verge of completely taking Bint Jbeil – a key city in south Lebanon – while Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel at a higher rate than usual on Tuesday. Israeli strikes killed 35 people in Lebanon on Tuesday alone.

Expectations for the talks were low. Lebanon came to the table with little leverage, as it cannot control the actions of Hezbollah and has few cards to offer Israel. It is also unclear how much space the Lebanese government has to negotiate as the country is sharply divided over whether to speak directly with Israel.

Much of Lebanon’s population is deeply skeptical of the talks as they see little guarantee that a diplomatic agreement will stop Israeli strikes on the country, which have been virtually continuous since 8 October 2023. Similarly, many Lebanese do not see a scenario in which Hezbollah agrees to give up its arms.

Hezbollah’s secretary general Naim Qassem called on the Lebanese government to stop negotiations on Monday night, while Wafiq Safa, a high-ranking official, told the Associated Press that the armed group would not respect the outcome of the negotiations.

Despite its lack of leverage, the Lebanese government will likely ask for an immediate ceasefire as a preconditions for further peace talks. Its ultimate demand will include the withdrawal of Israeli troops, which claim to control territory up to six miles in Lebanese territory.

Israel is coming to the table with two demands: The complete disarmament of Hezbollah and a ‘lasting’ peace with Lebanon. It is unlikely to agree to an immediate ceasefire in the short term absent immense US pressure, and is similarly not likely to accept withdrawal of the territory it now occupies in south Lebanon.

Talks would continue for now, as Iran forced Hezbollah to allow the Lebanese government to participate in them and the US forced Israel to negotiate. The atmosphere for negotiations, however, were not positive.

US president Donald Trump has said that talks with Iran could resume in Pakistan over next two days, according to an interview with the New York Post. “You should stay there, really, because something could be happening over the next two days, and we’re more inclined to go there,” Trump was quoted as saying.

US secretary of state Marco Rubio said Israel-Lebanon talks in Washington were a “historic opportunity”.He said that while every complexity would not be resolved in coming hours, he hoped the parties would begin to move forward.

Three Iran-linked tankers have passed through the strait of Hormuz on the first full day of the US blockade of Iranian ports, Reuters has reported, citing shipping data. The news agency reported that the three vessels were not heading to Iranian ports, and so they were not covered by the blockade.

UK prime minister Keir Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron will co-host a summit in Paris on Friday focused on efforts to reopen the strait of Hormuz, Downing Street said. A spokesperson said: “The summit will advance work towards a coordinated, independent, multinational plan to safeguard international shipping once the conflict ends.”

Foreign ministers from 17 countries, including the UK, Tuesday urged Israel and Lebanon to “seize this opportunity” ahead of talks between the two nations in Washington. Britain’s foreign ministry posted the ministers’ joint statement saying “direct negotiations can pave the way to bring lasting security for Lebanon and Israel as well as the region”.

Lebanon’s president expressed hope that direct talks on Tuesday in Washington with Israel would lead to an end of his country’s suffering after war erupted again between Israel and Hezbollah last month. “I hope that the meeting in Washington… will mark the beginning of the end of the suffering of the Lebanese people in general, and those in the south in particular,” president Joseph Aoun said in a statement, adding that “stability will not return to the south if Israel continues to occupy its lands”.

Macron said on Tuesday he had spoken with Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian and Trump on Monday and called for talks to restart between Washington and Iran and for a halt of any possible escalation. He added in a post on social media platform X that the strait of Hormuz must be reopened unconditionally as soon as possible.

As the Iranian-linked militia Hezbollah urges Lebanon to pull out of talks with Israel later today, Reuters has some more details, including the news that US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, will attend. Talks will be held in Washington at 11am ET (3pm GMT, 4pm BST) between the Israeli ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, and his Lebanese counterpart, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, officials say.

Trump criticised Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, a political ally, in an interview published on Tuesday for her unwillingness to help in the Iran war. “I’m shocked at her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong,” he told Italian daily Corriere della Sera.

The marine intelligence platform Windward has detected a “new potential blockade breaker” in the strait of Hormuz. In a post on X, Windward said a Comoros-flagged bulk carrier has appeared in the waterway after being “dark” – had its communications turned off to hide its exact location – since the start of the war on 28 February.

Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt will meet Turkey’s top diplomat this week in Turkey for talks on regional matters, a ministry source told AFP on Tuesday. “This is the third meeting of the four countries to discuss regional affairs, not specifically Hormuz,” said the source, who wished to remain anonymous.

Hezbollah said it targeted 13 northern Israeli towns with rockets shortly after the start of Lebanese-Israeli talks in Washington. In a statement, the group said it targeted Kiryat Shmona, Metula and 11 other towns “with simultaneous rocket salvos” at 6.15pm.

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“I hope that the meeting in Washington… will mark the beginning of the end of the suffering of the Lebanese people in general, and those in the south in particular,” president Joseph Aoun said in a statement, adding that “stability will not return to the south if Israel continues to occupy its lands”.

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“The only solution lies in the Lebanese army re-deploying up to the internationally recognised border, and so being solely responsible for the security of the area and the safety of its residents, without the partnership of any other party,” Aoun added.

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US president Donald Trump has said that talks with Iran could resume in Pakistan over next two days, according to an interview with the New York Post.

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“You should stay there, really, because something could be happening over the next two days, and we’re more inclined to go there,” Trump was quoted as saying.

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Trump also said Pakistan’s army chief, field marshal Asim Munir, was doing a “great job” on the talks.

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“He’s fantastic, and therefore it’s more likely that we go back there,” Trump said.

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Three Iran-linked tankers have passed through the strait of Hormuz on the first full day of the US blockade of Iranian ports, Reuters has reported, citing shipping data. The news agency reported that the three vessels were not heading to Iranian ports, and so they were not covered by the blockade.

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UK prime minister Keir Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron will co-host a summit in Paris on Friday focused on efforts to reopen the strait of Hormuz, Downing Street said. A spokesperson said: “The summit will advance work towards a coordinated, independent, multinational plan to safeguard international shipping once the conflict ends.”

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Macron said on Tuesday he had spoken with Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian and US president Donald Trump on Monday and called for talks to restart between Washington and Iran and for a halt of any possible escalation. He added in a post on social media platform X that the strait of Hormuz must be reopened unconditionally as soon as possible.

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As the Iranian-linked militia Hezbollah urges Lebanon to pull out of talks with Israel later today, Reuters has some more details, including the news that US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, will attend. Talks will be held in Washington at 11am ET (3pm GMT, 4pm BST) between the Israeli ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, and his Lebanese counterpart, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, officials say.

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The marine intelligence platform Windward has detected a “new potential blockade breaker” in the strait of Hormuz. In a post on X, Windward said a Comoros-flagged bulk carrier has appeared in the waterway after being “dark” – had its communications turned off to hide its exact location – since the start of the war on 28 February.

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International humanitarian groups said they had sent emergency relief through overland routes to Iran, some of their first deliveries of aid since US-Israeli strikes began in late February. Aid workers say needs are high in the wake of six weeks of strikes, but stocks of emergency humanitarian supplies became stuck in Dubai warehouses as shipping and air routes were blocked by the expanding conflict.

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The Egyptian foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty, is heading to Washington to meet US secretary of state Marco Rubio to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East, the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement on its website. Egypt joined Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to form a four-nation bloc that seeks to de-escalate the US-Israel war on Iran.

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The Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, announced she was suspending Italy’s defence agreement with Israel. “In light of the current situation, the government has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of the defence agreement with Israel,” she said on the sidelines of an event in Verona, according to Italy’s Ansa news agency, without giving further details.

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The International Energy Agency (IEA) said it expects the steepest quarterly decline in demand for crude oil since the Covid-19 pandemic slashed fuel consumption. The IEA noted that its forecasts assume a “base case” of oil shipments resuming in May through the strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed since the start of the war on 28 February.

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The UK chancellor, Rachel Reeves has said she was “very frustrated and angry” over what she said was the United States’ failure to have a clear exit plan or objectives for the war in Iran, according to the Mirror newspaper. “This is a war that we did not start. It was a war that we did not want. I feel very frustrated and angry that the US went into this war without a clear exit plan, without a clear idea of what they were trying to achieve,” the British finance minister told the newspaper.

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China said it will impose “countermeasures” after Donald Trump threatened new tariffs on its goods entering the US if Beijing provided military assistance to Iran. “If the US insists on using this as an excuse to impose additional tariffs on China, China will definitely take resolute countermeasures,” the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, told a news conference, according to AFP news agency.

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The marine intelligence platform Windward has detected a “new potential blockade breaker” in the strait of Hormuz.

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In a post on X, Windward said a Comoros-flagged bulk carrier has appeared in the waterway after being “dark” – had its communications turned off to hide its exact location – since the start of the war on 28 February.

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“Its last traceable port call was Bandar Imam Khomeini (BIK), Iran, and its recent history includes transporting grain from Russia-occupied Ukrainian ports to Iran and Syria,” Windward said.

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“Despite the current blockade, this vessel is back on the grid and navigating this high-stakes corridor.”

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The US Central Command said yesterday that it would seek to stop only vessels transiting to or from Iranian ports, but how it will enforce the blockade remains to be seen.

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News agencies reported a handful of ships have transited the strait towards the Gulf of Oman today (see post at 09:02), but they noted that, as the vessels were not heading to Iranian ports, they were not covered by the blockade. Windward said their movements “provide a critical test of blockade enforcement and corridor dynamics”.

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The Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, announced she was suspending Italy’s defence agreement with Israel.

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“In light of the current situation, the government has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of the defence agreement with Israel,” she said on the sidelines of an event in Verona, according to Italy’s Ansa news agency, without giving further details.

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The Italian Corriere della Sera newspaper reported that the agreement, first launched in 2005 and automatically renewed every five years, was designed to promote trade deals between Italy and Israel, particularly in the defence sector, and to facilitate military research and development.

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In further comments, Meloni responded to Donald Trump’s lengthy tirade on his Truth Social app against Pope Leo XIV, in which he accused him of being “weak on crime”. Meloni said such statements were “unacceptable”, adding: “I have expressed and continue to express my solidarity with Pope Leo.”

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UK prime minister Keir Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron will co-host a summit in Paris on Friday focused on efforts to reopen the strait of Hormuz, Downing Street said.

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A spokesperson said: “The summit will advance work towards a coordinated, independent, multinational plan to safeguard international shipping once the conflict ends.”

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Macron has previously said the countries participating in the initiative would work on a “strictly defensive mission, separate from the warring parties to the conflict” which “is intended to be deployed as soon as circumstances permit”.

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The announcement came as the US began its naval blockade of Iranian ports, with White House officials defending it as a just response to Iran effectively shutting the strait of Hormuz.

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Still, reports suggest there could be a path for a second round of negotiations between the warring parties, with Reuters news agency citing Iranian sources as saying talks could resume in Pakistan later this week or early next week. Associated Press also reported the same, quoting US officials as saying discussions were still underway about a new round of talks, which could happen on Thursday.

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Talks will be held in Washington at 11am ET (3pm GMT, 4pm BST) between the Israeli ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, and his Lebanese counterpart, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, officials say.

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As well as Rubio, the US ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa, and the state department’s counsellor, Michael Needham, would attend, a department official said.

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Lebanon, Israel and the US have issued conflicting statements on what the talks would cover.

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Lebanon’s presidency has said the talks would focus on announcing a ceasefire and setting a start date for bilateral talks. A ceasefire was the only substantive issue Moawad is authorised to discuss, Lebanese Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh said on Sunday.

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Israel would not discuss a ceasefire during the talks, which would focus on disarming Hezbollah and establishing peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon, Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said on Monday.

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Three Iran-linked tankers have passed through the strait of Hormuz on the first full day of the US blockade of Iranian ports, Reuters has reported, citing shipping data.

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The news agency reported that the three vessels were not heading to Iranian ports, and so they were not covered by the blockade.

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They were:

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Panama-flagged Peace Gulf, a medium-range tanker that was heading to Hamriyah port in the UAE. The vessel typically moves Iranian naphtha, an oil product that is used for making plastics and chemicals.

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US-sanctioned tanker, Murlikishan, that was sailing to Iraq to load fuel oil. The vessel, formerly known as MKA, has transported Russian and Iranian oil.

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Rich Starry, a US sanctioned and Chinese flagged vessel, which would be the first to pass the strait of Hormuz. It is carrying about 250,000 barrels of methanol, which it loaded at its last port of call, the UAE’s Hamriyah. The New York Times reported the vessel picked up the methanol from an unspecified port in the Persian Gulf and was bound for China.

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It’s 9.30am in Tehran, 9am in Tel Aviv and 2am in Washington DC – and if you’re just joining today’s live coverage of the US-Israel war on Iran, here’s a summary of the latest to bring you up to speed.

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The US blockade of ships using Iranian ports in the Gulf began on Monday, turning the six-week-old conflict between the US-Israeli coalition and Iran into a test of economic endurance.

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Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, warned that any threat to the strait of Hormuz would have “widespread consequences for the world”, according to Iranian media. Pezeshkian reportedly told French president Emmanuel Macron yesterday that the US’s “excessive demands” had thwarted an agreement during the weekend talks in Pakistan.

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US Central Command said the blockade would apply to any ships entering or departing Iranian ports or coastal areas, while ships using non-Iranian ports would not be impeded.

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Donald Trump claimed at the White House that “we’ve been called by the other side”, which would “like to make a deal very badly”. He insisted the US would not agree to any deal that would permit Iran to have a nuclear weapon, saying: “We can’t let a country blackmail or extort the world.” News reports indicated US officials were continuing talks with Tehran.

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Oil prices plunged and stocks rose on Tuesday on hopes for a deal to end the war.

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Iran criticised the US blockade around its ports on Monday as a “grave violation” of its sovereignty amid the fragile ceasefire. The “unlawful” blockade also “constitutes a serious violation of the fundamental principles of the international law of the sea”, Iran’s ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, wrote to UN secretary general António Guterres in a letter.

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US vice-president JD Vance accused the Iranian government of engaging in an “act of economic terrorism” by blocking traffic through the Hormuz strait.

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Talks are expected in Washington between Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the US. It will be the first time in decades that envoys from Lebanon and Israel, which do not have diplomatic relations, will meet face-to-face in direct talks. Lebanese officials are looking to broker a ceasefire with Israel.

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Hezbollah would not abide by any agreements that may result from the Lebanon-Israel talks – negotiations the Lebanese militant group firmly opposes, senior Hezbollah official Wafiq Safa said. Hezbollah’s leader, Naim Qassem, urged Lebanon to pull out of the talks.

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The Israeli military said one of its soldiers was killed in combat in southern Lebanon and three others injured.

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Iran proposed suspending its uranium enrichment for up to five years after the US sought 20 years at the talks in Pakistan, the New York Times reported, saying the Trump administration rejected the five-year offer.

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A tanker sanctioned by the US travelled through the strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, shipping data on LSEG showed, testing the US naval blockade. The tanker Rich Starry is Chinese-owned and has Chinese crew onboard, Reuters cited the data as showing.

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A tanker sanctioned by the US travelled through the strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, shipping data on LSEG showed, testing the US naval blockade.

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The tanker Rich Starry is Chinese-owned and has Chinese crew onboard, Reuters cites the data as showing.

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Bloomberg reported earlier in the day that the medium-range tanker – earlier known as Full Star – was blacklisted by Washington in 2023 for helping Tehran evade energy sanctions. It was not clear on this occasion whether it visited Iranian ports before its transit or was carrying cargo.

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The report continued:

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This exit from the Persian Gulf is a second attempt for the carrier in less than 24 hours. Just as the blockade came into effect, Rich Starry was making its way into the narrow waterway near Iran’s Qeshm Island and turned back – only to restart its exit just hours later, broadcasting that it has a Chinese owner and crew. This is a safety mechanism frequently used by vessels, but will test US resolve to challenge vessels tied to the world’s largest oil importer.

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The global shipping community and energy traders have been on edge since Trump announced a naval blockade of Iran beginning on Monday at 10 a.m. New York time, leaving them scrambling to understand the fine print. Most of those reached by Bloomberg across the Middle East and Asia said they would pause moves until the detail of the US blockade – intended to restrict Iran’s capacity to sell its oil – was clear.

n

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Iran has proposed suspending its uranium enrichment for up to five years after the US sought 20 years at the weekend talks in Pakistan, the New York Times is reporting.

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It said the Trump administration rejected the five-year offer, citing Iranian and US officials.

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The report could not be immediately verified.

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The Times said that while the US and Iran traded proposals for suspending Iranian nuclear activities during the weekend negotiations, the countries remained far apart on the length of any agreement, according to the officials.

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But it said the discussions “suggested that there may be a path to a peace deal”, even as the US began blockading Iranian ports.

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Iran criticised the US blockade around its ports on Monday as a “grave violation” of its sovereignty amid the fragile ceasefire.

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“The imposition of a maritime blockade constitutes a grave violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Iran’s ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, wrote to UN secretary general António Guterres.

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The “unlawful” blockade also “constitutes a serious violation of the fundamental principles of the international law of the sea”, Iravani added in the letter, seen by Agence France-Presse.

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UN envoy Amir-Saeid Iravani speaks during a security council meeting last week”,”caption”:”Iran’s UN envoy Amir-Saeid Iravani (front) during a security council meeting last week. “,”credit”:”Photograph: Sarah Yenesel/EPA”}},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Donald Trump ordered a blockade of ships entering or leaving Iranian ports and coastal areas in the Gulf that came into force at 1400 GMT Monday, despite the US and Iran agreeing last week to a two-week ceasefire.

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Trump warned that any Iranian attack boats that challenged the blockade would be destroyed.

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Guterres on Monday called on “all parties” to respect freedom of navigation in the Hormuz strait.

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Mediator Pakistan and the gulf state Qatar have continued calls for the truce to be respected as diplomatic efforts continue.

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The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah will not abide by any agreements that may result from direct Lebanon-Israel talks in the US, negotiations it firmly opposes, a senior Hezbollah official has said.

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Wafiq Safa, a high-ranking member of Hezbollah’s political council, spoke on the eve of talks expected in Washington between Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the US.

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It will be the first time in decades that envoys from Lebanon and Israel, which do not have diplomatic relations, meet face-to-face in direct talks.

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“As for the outcomes of this negotiation between Lebanon and the Israeli enemy, we are not interested in or concerned with them at all,” Safa told the Associated Press.

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Safa, a senior Hezbollah political council member, gestures during the AP interview in Beirut”,”caption”:”Wafiq Safa, a senior Hezbollah political council member, during the interview with AP in Beirut. “,”credit”:”Photograph: Hussein Malla/AP”}},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Separately, the leader of Hezbollah urged Lebanon to pull out of the talks with Israel. Naim Kassem spoke in a televised address on the eve of the scheduled meeting.

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The latest round of fighting was sparked by Hezbollah firing rockets into northern Israel on 2 March, after the US and Israel attacked Iran.

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At least 2,055 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon, the health ,inistry says, among them 252 women, 165 children and 87 medical workers, while 6,588 others were wounded. More than 1 million people have been displaced.

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Lebanon’s government – which says it is committed to disarming Hezbollah – had called for direct talks early on in the war. Last week, Israel announced its approval of talks.

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Welcome to the Guardian’s continuing coverage of the crisis in the Middle East.

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The US blockade of ships using Iranian ports in the Gulf began on Monday, turning the six-week-old conflict between the US-Israeli coalition and Iran into a test of economic endurance.

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US Central Command (Centcom) made no formal announcement of the start of the blockade but had said it would take effect at 5.30pm Iranian time on Monday, and would apply to any ships entering or departing Iranian ports or coastal areas. Ships using non-Iranian ports would not be impeded.

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Donald Trump claimed that 34 ships had passed on Sunday through the strait of Hormuz, the gateway to the Gulf, but gave no supporting evidence. Speaking to reporters at the White House, the president also claimed: “We’ve been called by the other side,” who he said would “like to make a deal very badly”.

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In other key developments:

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n
Trump said the blockade would be on all Iranian ports along the strait from Monday onward. About 20% of the global oil and gas supply moved through the waterway before the war. Seafarers as well as the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations received advisories indicating Trump’s blockade would apply to all ship traffic, regardless of the vessel’s flag.

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ships in the Gulf near the strait of Hormuz last month, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah in the UAE”,”caption”:”Cargo ships in the Gulf near the strait of Hormuz last month, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah in the UAE.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Reuters”}},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

n
Trump claimed that Iran wanted to reach a deal. He insisted the US would not agree to any deal that would permit Iran to have a nuclear weapon. “We can’t let a country blackmail or extort the world,” he said at a last-minute press conference at the White House on Monday.

n
After receiving a McDonald’s delivery at the beginning of the presser, Trump invoked bellicose language in discussing Iran. “Iran will not have a nuclear weapon, and we’re going to get the dust back. We’ll get it back, either we’ll get it back from them, or we’ll take it,” he said. At one point, when questioned about some sort of prior ultimatum regarding Iran, Trump said: “I don’t want to comment on that but it won’t be pleasant.”

n
Talks are expected in Washington between Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the US. It will be the first time in decades that envoys from Lebanon and Israel, which do not have diplomatic relations, will meet face-to-face in direct talks. Lebanese officials are looking to broker a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war.

n
There were reports indicating US officials were continuing talks with Tehran. One official told CNN: “There is continued engagement between the US and Iran and forward motion on trying to get an agreement.” Meanwhile, some administration officials were having internal talks about how a second sit-down with Iranian officials might look should the opportunity arise, the network reported.

n
Trump blasted Pope Leo XIV on social media in response to the pontiff’s call for an end to the war. The president claimed the pope was trying to appease the “radical left”. The pope said he had “no intention to debate” Trump over Iran but would continue to advocate for peace. US vice-president JD Vance urged the Vatican to “stick to matters of morality”.

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The day so far

US president Donald Trump has said that talks with Iran could resume in Pakistan over next two days, according to an interview with the New York Post. “You should stay there, really, because something could be happening over the next two days, and we’re more inclined to go there,” Trump was quoted as saying.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio said Israel-Lebanon talks in Washington were a “historic opportunity”.He said that while every complexity would not be resolved in coming hours, he hoped the parties would begin to move forward.
Three Iran-linked tankers have passed through the strait of Hormuz on the first full day of the US blockade of Iranian ports, Reuters has reported, citing shipping data. The news agency reported that the three vessels were not heading to Iranian ports, and so they were not covered by the blockade.
UK prime minister Keir Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron will co-host a summit in Paris on Friday focused on efforts to reopen the strait of Hormuz, Downing Street said. A spokesperson said: “The summit will advance work towards a coordinated, independent, multinational plan to safeguard international shipping once the conflict ends.”
Foreign ministers from 17 countries, including the UK, Tuesday urged Israel and Lebanon to “seize this opportunity” ahead of talks between the two nations in Washington. Britain’s foreign ministry posted the ministers’ joint statement saying “direct negotiations can pave the way to bring lasting security for Lebanon and Israel as well as the region”.
Lebanon’s president expressed hope that direct talks on Tuesday in Washington with Israel would lead to an end of his country’s suffering after war erupted again between Israel and Hezbollah last month. “I hope that the meeting in Washington… will mark the beginning of the end of the suffering of the Lebanese people in general, and those in the south in particular,” president Joseph Aoun said in a statement, adding that “stability will not return to the south if Israel continues to occupy its lands”.
Macron said on Tuesday he had spoken with Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian and Trump on Monday and called for talks to restart between Washington and Iran and for a halt of any possible escalation. He added in a post on social media platform X that the strait of Hormuz must be reopened unconditionally as soon as possible.
As the Iranian-linked militia Hezbollah urges Lebanon to pull out of talks with Israel later today, Reuters has some more details, including the news that US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, will attend. Talks will be held in Washington at 11am ET (3pm GMT, 4pm BST) between the Israeli ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, and his Lebanese counterpart, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, officials say.
Trump criticised Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, a political ally, in an interview published on Tuesday for her unwillingness to help in the Iran war. “I’m shocked at her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong,” he told Italian daily Corriere della Sera.
The marine intelligence platform Windward has detected a “new potential blockade breaker” in the strait of Hormuz. In a post on X, Windward said a Comoros-flagged bulk carrier has appeared in the waterway after being “dark” – had its communications turned off to hide its exact location – since the start of the war on 28 February.
Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt will meet Turkey’s top diplomat this week in Turkey for talks on regional matters, a ministry source told AFP on Tuesday. “This is the third meeting of the four countries to discuss regional affairs, not specifically Hormuz,” said the source, who wished to remain anonymous.
Hezbollah said it targeted 13 northern Israeli towns with rockets shortly after the start of Lebanese-Israeli talks in Washington. In a statement, the group said it targeted Kiryat Shmona, Metula and 11 other towns “with simultaneous rocket salvos” at 6.15pm.

UN secretary-general António Guterres has said it is “highly probable” that talks between the US and Iran will resume.

He added that while “nobody expects today’s talks between Israel and Lebanon to resolve the conflict, it is very important to create the conditions for change”.

The US blockade of ships using Iranian ports has come into force but several Iran-linked tankers have passed through the strait of Hormuz since it began.

The blockade is designed to put pressure on Iran, whose economy is dependent on oil and gas exports.

It comes after peace talks between Washington and Tehran at the weekend ended without a deal.

Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s diplomatic editor, Patrick Wintour…

Trump and Iran in battle of the blockades – The Latest

Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt will meet Turkey’s top diplomat this week in Turkey for talks on regional matters, a ministry source told AFP on Tuesday.

“This is the third meeting of the four countries to discuss regional affairs, not specifically Hormuz,” said the source, who wished to remain anonymous. The top diplomats are due to hold talks on the margins of an annual diplomacy forum in southern Turkey that opens on Friday.

Hezbollah said it targeted 13 northern Israeli towns with rockets shortly after the start of Lebanese-Israeli talks in Washington.

In a statement, the group said it targeted Kiryat Shmona, Metula and 11 other towns “with simultaneous rocket salvos” at 6.15pm.

The Israeli military had warned it expected a rise in Hezbollah attacks as Washington hosted Israeli and Lebanese officials for their first direct talks in decades.

Deborah Cole

Israel’s envoy to Germany has criticised a far-right Israeli cabinet member who made historically charged accusations against the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, saying the attack “[eroded] the memory of the Holocaust”.

In a rare rebuke of a top Israeli official by an active ambassador, Ron Prosor said he wished to “unequivocally condemn” Bezalel Smotrich’s tirade against Merz, in which he made reference to the Nazi regime and said: “You will not force us into ghettos again.”

The row, which erupted after the chancellor raised objections to settlements in the occupied West Bank, marks the latest clash between Berlin, seen as Israel’s closest ally in Europe, and Benjamin Netanyahu’s government over its actions toward Palestinians.

Merz’s office released a statement late on Monday after telephone talks with Netanyahu, saying he had urged Israel to stop military attacks on southern Lebanon and expressed “deep concern about developments in the Palestinian territories”. A “de facto annexation” of the West Bank must not be allowed, he added.

In response, Smotrich, the Israeli finance minister, invoked the Nazis’ murder of 6 million Jews during the second world war.

“On the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day [on Tuesday], the German Chancellor should bow his head and apologize a thousand times on behalf of Germany, rather than daring to preach morality to us on how to conduct ourselves against the Nazis of our generation,” he said on X, apparently equating the Hamas-led attackers of 7 October 2023 with all Palestinians.

William Christou

Direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon have just begun in Washington DC, marking the first time the two countries have had direct diplomatic contact since the 1990s.

A drone struck an Iranian Kurdish group on Tuesday wounding three people, a party official told AFP, in the first such attack in northern Iraq since a fragile ceasefire took effect in the region.

Commander Mohammed Hakimi from the exiled Komala party blamed the attack on “Iran and its affiliated militias.”

“A drone struck at 4.45pm Camp Sordash” which belongs to the Komala party, Hakimi told AFP.

“Three Iranian Kurdish refugees were wounded, including a woman who is in a critical condition,” Hakimi added.

The camp is located 40 kilometres west of the city of Sulaimaniyah.

Another opposition group, the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), told AFP that a drone attack targeted its camp in the Koysinjaq district near Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan region, with no casualties reported.

Lebanon president hopes Israel talks ‘beginning of the end’ of country’s suffering

Meanwhile, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said Israel-Lebanon talks in Washington were a “historic opportunity”.

He said that while every complexity would not be resolved in coming hours, he hoped the parties would begin to move forward.

“This is a historic opportunity. We understand we’re working against decades of history and the complexities that have led us to this unique moment and the opportunity here,” Rubio said at the state department as he welcomed the ambassadors of the two countries.

“The hope today is that we can outline a framework upon which a current and lasting peace can be developed,” he added.

Trump says Iran talks could resume over next two days, NY Post reports

US president Donald Trump has said that talks with Iran could resume in Pakistan over next two days, according to an interview with the New York Post.

“You should stay there, really, because something could be happening over the next two days, and we’re more inclined to go there,” Trump was quoted as saying.

Trump also said Pakistan’s army chief, field marshal Asim Munir, was doing a “great job” on the talks.

“He’s fantastic, and therefore it’s more likely that we go back there,” Trump said.

The US blockade of Iranian ports involves more than 10,000 US military personnel, more than a dozen warships and dozens of aircraft, US Central Command said on Tuesday.

No ships have made it past the the blockade, while six merchant ships have complied with direction from US forces, it added.

Serbia will jointly make combat drones with Israel, populist president Aleksandar Vučić was reported as saying, as the Balkan country seeks to boost its military and weapons production.

Vučić said that “we will have the best drones in this part of the world,” according to the Tanjug news agency.

He added that the drones won’t be cheap but will be highly efficient in destroying armored vehicles the report said.

Vučić didn’t specify details of the future production, according to the report.

“We don’t know how to make drones as Israel does,” he said. “I am proud of that [plan] we will do it together, it will be half-half, 50-50.”

Foreign ministers from 17 countries, including the UK, Tuesday urged Israel and Lebanon to “seize this opportunity” ahead of talks between the two nations in Washington.

Britain’s foreign ministry posted the ministers’ joint statement saying “direct negotiations can pave the way to bring lasting security for Lebanon and Israel as well as the region”.

US president Donald Trump criticised Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, a political ally, in an interview published on Tuesday for her unwillingness to help in the Iran war.

“I’m shocked at her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong,” he told Italian daily Corriere della Sera.

Trump said she did not want Italy to be involved in the war, which began with Israeli-US attacks on Iran, even though it gets much of its oil from the region.

The interview was published less than 24 hours after Meloni condemned as “unacceptable” Trump’s criticism of Pope Leo, after the pontiff’s repeated calls for an end to the war in the Middle East.

He told Corriere that it was she who was “unacceptable”, alleging she did not care if Iran had a nuclear weapon.

Middle East crisis live: Trump says Iran talks could resume ‘over next two days’; Lebanon and Israel enter negotiations

The day so far

Lebanon president hopes Israel talks ‘beginning of the end’ of country’s suffering

Trump says Iran talks could resume over next two days, NY Post reports

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