Kuwait’s military said on Monday that its air defence systems were actively intercepting what it described as hostile missile and drone attacks targeting the country.

In a statement published on X, the General Staff of the Kuwaiti Army said that explosion sounds reported by residents were caused by air defence units engaging incoming aerial threats.

“Kuwaiti air defences are currently confronting hostile missile and drone attacks,” the statement said.

The military urged citizens and residents to follow safety and security instructions issued by the relevant authorities while operations were ongoing.

Officials did not immediately provide details about the origin of the missiles and drones, nor was there any information on casualties or damage.

Kuwait has faced repeated security threats since the outbreak of the regional conflict, including attacks it has attributed to Iran and Iran-backed Iraqi militia groups.

Authorities have previously reported intercepting projectiles launched toward Kuwaiti territory.

In a separate development, Kuwaiti authorities earlier announced the capture of four suspected members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on an island off the country’s mainland coast.

Further details on the latest attacks were not immediately available.

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) claimed its air defence units successfully intercepted and destroyed a US MQ-1 Predator drone after it entered Iranian airspace over the Persian Gulf.

The IRGC Public Relations Department said in a statement on Sunday that the multi-mission, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle was tracked and targeted by advanced surface-to-air missiles shortly after crossing into Iranian skies.

The statement emphasised that the drone was neutralised before it could carry out any hostile action.

“Iranian airspace over our territorial waters is under full control of our air defence units,” the IRGC warned, adding that any unauthorised intrusion would be met with a decisive response.

The incident follows a similar event on Saturday, when Iran’s Army air defence units shot down an Orbiter drone near Qeshm Island.

The Army’s Public Relations Department described the drone as belonging to the “aggressor US-Zionist enemy” and said it was destroyed by integrated air defence systems operating under the country’s Joint Air Defence Headquarters.

These incidents highlight Tehran’s ongoing vigilance over its airspace and the Persian Gulf region.

Iranian lawmakers are pressing ahead with plans to turn a proposal on managing the Strait of Hormuz into law, with a senior MP insisting that decisions concerning the strategic waterway rest solely with Iran and Oman.

Speaking to Tasnim news agency, lawmaker Alireza Salimi said parliament had taken a firm decision to legislate the management of the Strait of Hormuz and would move to finalise and enact the proposal.

Salimi said the waterway falls within the shared territorial domain of Iran and Oman, adding that Tehran would not permit other countries to interfere in matters related to its territorial jurisdiction.

He also dismissed comments by US President Donald Trump and other foreign officials regarding the need to keep the Strait open, arguing that such decisions are for Iran to make and that parliament intends to establish a legal framework governing the waterway.

According to Salimi, Iran’s approach to managing the Strait of Hormuz is not a temporary or tactical measure but a long-term policy that will be formally codified through legislation.

The proposed law is expected to address a range of issues, including navigation, insurance and environmental regulations, he said.

Salimi added that all provisions of the legislation would be reviewed, approved and finalised exclusively by the Iranian Parliament before becoming law.

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Washington is close to reaching a “very good deal” with Iran, while emphasising that military options remain on the table if negotiations falter.

Speaking in a Fox News interview, Trump described the potential agreement as significant but warned that tougher terms were being considered.

According to US media reports, the president has sought revisions to a proposed framework aimed at ending the ongoing Middle East conflict, including stricter provisions on Iran’s nuclear material.

Officials familiar with the talks said the revised terms have been sent back to Tehran for consideration, though it remains unclear when a final agreement might be reached.

Trump also criticised what he called the “fake news media,” arguing that US successes are often underplayed.

“You have a big win in a battle, and they say you lost… it’s just a terrible thing for our country,” he said, calling negative coverage one of Iran’s “biggest assets.”

The ongoing negotiations follow a series of US and Israeli strikes against Iran that began on February 28.

Analysts say Trump’s proposed adjustments could extend discussions for several days as all parties weigh the modified framework before deciding whether the deal could formally end the conflict.

Iran’s highest operational military command on Saturday warned that any military interference in the Strait of Hormuz or attempts to disrupt the system imposed by Tehran would draw a forceful response from its armed forces.

In a statement, the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said Iran’s armed forces were exercising full authority over the management of the strategic waterway and would not tolerate any external interference.

The command said all commercial ships, vessels and oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz must use designated routes and obtain prior authorisation from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy before passage.

It stressed that compliance with Iranian regulations was mandatory and warned that vessels violating the rules could face risks to the safety of their transit.

The military command also issued a direct warning to foreign naval forces operating in the region, saying any military action to interfere with the management of the Strait of Hormuz or disrupt navigation would be met with a response from Iran’s armed forces.

“Any action by military vessels aimed at interfering in the management of the Strait of Hormuz or creating disruption in navigation will be targeted by the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the statement said.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, carrying roughly 20 to 30 per cent of globally seaborne petroleum and crude oil supplies.

Iran said it has restricted access to the waterway for the United States and allied countries that it says participated in or supported recent US and Israeli military actions against the Islamic Republic.

Tehran tightened its control over the strait after US President Donald Trump announced a blockade of Iranian vessels and ports, a move Iranian officials described as a violation of ceasefire terms previously declared by Washington. Iranian authorities say the blockade has since been lifted.

The statement follows a claim by the IRGC Navy on Thursday that it forced a US oil tanker to turn back after the vessel allegedly attempted to transit the Strait of Hormuz with its tracking system switched off.

Iran reiterated that the management and security of the Strait of Hormuz remain a core component of its national security policy and said it would not accept any outside interference in the waterway.

The IRGC Navy has also pledged to enforce what it described as a historic directive by Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, regarding the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran said on Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz has been operating under special security measures since March 1 and announced that it is working with Oman on a new framework to safeguard both regional security and international shipping.

Speaking in an interview with state broadcaster IRIB, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran and Muscat were coordinating closely to develop new procedures for the strategic waterway, one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes.

Baghaei said commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz are currently required to coordinate in advance with Iranian authorities as part of the special measures introduced following what he described as US and Israeli attacks.

He stressed that Iran and Oman, as the two coastal states overseeing the waterway, had acted responsibly to protect regional stability, national interests and global maritime commerce.

According to the Iranian spokesman, the new mechanism under discussion would seek to balance the national security requirements of both countries with the need to ensure the uninterrupted and safe flow of international shipping.

Baghaei also rejected what he described as ultimatums and coercive language from Western countries, saying Tehran does not accept demands framed as what it “must” or “should” do.

“Iran makes its decisions based on the interests and rights of its nation, not under pressure or threats,” he said.

The spokesman criticised the US naval blockade, calling it a clear violation of the ceasefire and the principle of freedom of navigation. He argued that ending the blockade would not constitute a diplomatic concession but rather the termination of an action that should never have been imposed.

Responding to comments by US President Donald Trump regarding Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles, Baghaei said Tehran’s immediate focus remained on ending the conflict.

Responding to comments by US President Donald Trump regarding Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles, Baghaei said Tehran’s immediate focus remained on ending the conflict. He said Iran was not discussing details related to uranium enrichment or enriched uranium at this stage.

Baghaei said any future arrangements agreed between Iran and Oman would be designed to preserve national security while ensuring the continued protection of international maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said a “true friendship” is developing between Washington and Islamabad, while praising the country’s military and political leadership for their role in efforts to secure a lasting end to the Iran conflict.

According to remarks released by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the organiser of the summit, Hegseth credited Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir for supporting ongoing peace efforts involving Tehran and Washington.

Speaking during a question-and-answer session at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore, Hegseth said relations between Washington and Islamabad were entering a new phase marked by growing trust and cooperation.

“I think it’s an unexpected development, the role that the Field Marshal and the Prime Minister [of Pakistan] are playing in the peace negotiations [with Iran],” he said.

“A true friendship is developing there,” the US defence secretary added.

The US defence secretary said recent developments reflected a positive and unexpected improvement in bilateral ties, helping strengthen confidence and cooperation between the two countries.

He also pointed to last year’s India-Pakistan tensions, noting that both countries accepted mediation efforts by US President Donald Trump aimed at reducing tensions and promoting peace. Hegseth described the development as another indication of improving relations between Islamabad and Washington.

His remarks come amid intensified diplomatic activity focused on securing a permanent end to the Iran conflict and promoting broader regional stability.

Pakistan and the US have experienced periods of strain and cooperation over the years. However, diplomatic engagement has gained momentum in recent months, particularly following Islamabad’s efforts to facilitate dialogue and support peace initiatives related to the Iran crisis.

Iran’s military has claimed that its air defence forces shot down an alleged hostile drone over Qeshm Island, the latest in a series of reported aerial incidents amid heightened regional tensions.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the Iranian military’s public relations department said air defence units successfully intercepted and destroyed a drone flying over Qeshm Island.

According to the statement, the aircraft was identified as a small Orbiter drone, which Iranian authorities described as an asset operated by the United States and Israel.

The military said the drone was detected by air defence systems and destroyed after entering the island’s airspace. It added that the operation was carried out by units operating under Iran’s integrated air defence command, responsible for protecting the country’s airspace.

The claim follows an earlier announcement on May 26 by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which said it had downed a US MQ-9 drone flying over the Persian Gulf.

The IRGC alleged that the drone had attempted to enter Iranian airspace as part of what it described as interventionist activities by the United States in the region.

Iranian officials said intelligence monitoring enabled air defence units to identify and engage the aircraft while defending the country’s airspace.

The IRGC also claimed that Iranian forces attempted to target an RQ-4 surveillance drone and an F-35 fighter jet that had allegedly approached Iranian airspace, but both aircraft reportedly turned back before entering the country.

Iranian authorities warned that any violation of the ceasefire or intrusion into the country’s airspace would receive a firm response.

The claims could not be independently verified, and there has been no immediate comment from US or Israeli officials.

Israel launched strikes across south Lebanon on Saturday after ordering evacuations from more than a dozen locations, a day after its premier said Israeli forces had pushed even deeper into Lebanese territory.

Lebanon’s army said a “targeted” Israeli strike wounded two soldiers in the south, just a day after military delegations from both countries held landmark security talks in Washington.

The military talks in the US capital came ahead of US-brokered negotiations early next week — the fourth round since the latest Israel-Hezbollah conflict erupted.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported Israeli several strikes in the south, including artillery fire near the mediaeval-era Beaufort castle.

Culture Minister Ghassan Salame had warned on Friday that Israeli attacks were putting Lebanese heritage sites in “serious danger”.

The Lebanese presidency announced in a statement that President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam had agreed “to intensify contacts to put an end to these condemned Israeli practices” ahead of the new round of talks with Israel scheduled for June 2 and 3.

Aoun and Salam discussed “Israeli attacks and their expansion to a number of southern cities and villages, especially in the districts of Tyre and Nabatieh, in addition to the continued bombing and bulldozing of houses, and the destruction of historical landmarks in the south”.

Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon’s second-in-command, called the latest discussions between Lebanon and Israel’s military delegations “productive”, but made no mention of a ceasefire, a key Lebanese demand.

‘Israeli drone’

Lebanon’s military said on Saturday its two soldiers “were seriously wounded as a result of being targeted inside a vehicle by a hostile Israeli drone” near the southern city of Nabatieh.

A truce to halt the fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah officially took effect on April 17, but has never been observed. Iran insists that Lebanon be included in any agreement with the United States to end the wider war that engulfed the Middle East region in February.

Both Israel and Hezbollah accuse each other of violating the ceasefire and justify their own attacks by the other’s alleged breaches.

The Israeli military’s evacuation warnings for Saturday included some villages near Nabatieh and some in the east of the country.

Also on Saturday, Hezbollah said it fired rockets at the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona.

The group said it also ambushed Israeli soldiers near Ghandouriyeh in southern Lebanon, saying it forced them to withdraw, and fired rockets at a military base in north Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Friday that Israeli forces had advanced beyond the Litani river that runs around 30 kilometres (20 miles) north of the Lebanon-Israel frontier.

“Our forces have crossed the Litani, they have moved up to the commanding terrain,” he said, adding Israel was “hitting Hezbollah head on”.

Israeli strikes on the south killed 11 people on Friday, according to the health ministry in Beirut.

The ministry says that Israeli attacks have killed more than 3,300 people since March 2, when Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war in support of its backer Iran.

Hezbollah said it attacked Israel in retaliation for the death of Iran’s supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes when the war erupted on February 28.

Iran has announced special trade and maritime concessions for China and Russia in the Strait of Hormuz, while senior officials intensified criticism of the United States, accusing President Donald Trump of undermining diplomatic efforts.

Speaking to reporters in Tehran, Ibrahim Azizi, chairman of the Iranian parliament’s National Security Committee, said Tehran had decided to provide special facilities to Chinese and Russian vessels transiting the strategic waterway.

Azizi said the decision was made in light of the current regional situation and reflected Iran’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with its key partners. He added that Tehran would continue prioritising cooperation with friendly countries to safeguard mutual economic and commercial interests.

Referring to recent consultations between Pakistan and Iran, Azizi described the diplomatic engagements as important and constructive.

He also dismissed reports suggesting that Iran had discussed transferring enriched uranium to another country during ongoing international negotiations.

Azizi said the issue had not been raised in any talks or messages exchanged with the United States and reiterated that Iran would not compromise on its nuclear rights.

Meanwhile, Mohsen Rezaei, a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader and former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), accused Trump of abandoning diplomacy in favour of confrontation.

In a statement posted on X, Rezaei said the US president was “betraying diplomacy for the third time” and argued that Washington’s continued maritime blockade and what he described as excessive demands in negotiations demonstrated a lack of commitment to a peaceful settlement.

He claimed the United States was pursuing objectives beyond diplomacy and questioned Washington’s intentions in ongoing backchannel contacts.

Rezaei previously warned that Iran would either break the blockade through negotiations or take direct action if talks failed. He also maintained that the United States had no alternative but to negotiate, warning that prolonging the conflict would have serious consequences.

The remarks come as intermittent talks continue between Tehran and Washington aimed at securing a permanent end to hostilities following months of heightened tensions in the region.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has reiterated Tehran’s readiness to reach a “dignified framework” to end the ongoing conflict with the US and ease regional tensions.

During a telephone conversation with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Pezeshkian said Iran remains committed to dialogue and a negotiated resolution, stressing that Tehran has consistently demonstrated its willingness to engage diplomatically.

He called on the other parties involved to show genuine political will and fulfil their international obligations in order to advance efforts toward a lasting settlement.

The remarks come amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to extend a ceasefire between Iran and the United States and its allies.

Earlier, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States stands ready to resume strikes on Iran if diplomacy fails, as negotiators from Washington and Tehran work ​to bridge major differences blocking a deal.

“Our ability ​to recommence if necessary…we are more than ⁠capable,” Hegseth said.

He added that Trump remains “patient” and is seeking a “strong deal” to ensure Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.

The US is ready to restart attacks on Iran if a deal cannot be reached, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth ​said on Saturday, as negotiators from Washington and Tehran worked ‌to bridge major differences blocking an agreement.

“Our ability to recommence if necessary…we are more than capable,” Hegseth said in Singapore.

“Our stockpiles are more than ​suited for that, both there and around the globe, ​so we’re in a very good place,” he added.

Hegseth, ⁠speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier forum for defence leaders, ​militaries and diplomats, said the US has not turned its back ​on the Asia-Pacific region despite being engaged in conflict with Iran.

“We can do two things at one time. We’re super-charging our defence industrial base so ​that we’re building 2X, 3X, 4X the munitions very soon ​to ensure that all of our (operations) plans are properly funded throughout the world,” ‌he ⁠said.

The Pentagon chief said President Donald Trump was “patient” and wants to make a “great deal” that ensures Iran does not get a nuclear weapon.

On Friday, Trump said he would meet in a secure ​White House room ​to make a “final ⁠determination” on a proposal to end the Iran war, which would extend an early-April truce for ​another 60 days, giving negotiators time to forge ​a ⁠permanent end to the conflict.

The war launched by the US and Israel on February 28 has killed thousands of people, mainly in ⁠Iran and ​Lebanon, and caused global economic pain ​by pushing up energy prices due to Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of ​Hormuz.

Iran and the United States are in discussions to extend their ceasefire so as to start negotiations on issues including Tehran’s nuclear programme, where Washington insists Iran must not be able to make a nuclear weapon.

While much of Iran’s uranium enrichment infrastructure was destroyed or badly damaged when Israel and the US bombed ​it in June, a large part of the highly enriched uranium it amassed is thought to have survived.

That is the biggest US concern ahead ‌of nuclear talks.

On Friday, Trump said in a social media post that Iran must agree that the enriched uranium buried underground after earlier US strikes be “unearthed” and destroyed in coordination with Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog.

What is highly enriched uranium?

One of two fissile materials, along with plutonium, with which one can make the core of a nuclear bomb.

While plutonium is usually extracted from the spent fuel ​of a nuclear reactor, requiring large and highly visible infrastructure, uranium can be enriched using centrifuges that have a much smaller footprint.

Two of Iran’s three enrichment sites ​that are known to have been operating when Israel and the US attacked in June were underground.

The above-ground one was clearly destroyed.

Uranium ⁠is highly enriched when it has reached 20% purity, and weapons-grade as of around 90%.

Modern reactors generally use fuel enriched to up to 5%, but some use fuel ​enriched to higher levels.

The ones that power US nuclear submarines reportedly use fuel enriched beyond 90%.

How much does Iran have?

Iran has not informed the UN nuclear watchdog of ​the fate of its enriched uranium since the June attacks or let its inspectors return to the sites where it was stored.

The International Atomic Energy Agency estimates Iran had these amounts when the first Israeli bombs fell on June 13:

- 440.9 kg enriched to up to 60%

- 184.1 kg enriched to up to 20%

- 6,024.4 kg enriched to up to 5%

- 2,391.1 kg enriched to up to ​2%

According to an IAEA yardstick, the amount at 60% is enough, if enriched further, for 10 nuclear weapons.

The 20% stock would be enough for one, and the ​5% could produce 12.

How much has survived is unclear. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi has said his agency believes “a bit more than 200 kg” of the 60% stock is stored at a tunnel complex ‌in Isfahan that ⁠appears to have been largely unharmed by the June attacks.

Some was also at the Natanz nuclear site, he said.

Why the concern?

US concern has been focused on the 60% material because that would be easiest and thus quickest to make a bomb with.

Washington wants it gone. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons.

As the enrichment level of uranium increases, it becomes exponentially easier to enrich further.

Getting from 60% to 90% is easier than getting from unenriched to 5%.

President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of a nuclear deal ​between Iran and major powers that kept ​Tehran at a far greater distance ⁠from being able to produce an atom bomb than it is at present.

The US withdrawal in 2018 caused the deal to unravel, and Iran quickly expanded its atomic programme.

Under that 2015 deal, Iran did not enrich beyond 3.67%.

Even at 90%, however, it takes ​more steps to produce the core of a bomb.

When it is enriched, the uranium is in gas form. It ​must then be turned into ⁠metal for use in a weapon.

Can you move it?

Yes. Iran moved enriched material between sites under IAEA monitoring before the June attacks.

Under the 2015 deal and a precursor to it, Iran’s stocks of uranium enriched to up to 20% were diluted or turned into reactor fuel plates and shipped out of the country.

Moving nuclear material like highly enriched uranium internationally is ⁠a sensitive but ​relatively routine procedure.

“It requires some precaution but it can be moved,” Grossi told PBS in March when ​asked about the 60% material.

Will Iran give it up?

Iran’s supreme leader has issued a directive that the 60% material should not be sent abroad, two senior Iranian sources said last week.

Iranian sources say Tehran might agree ​to send half of it to a third country, receiving uranium enriched to 5% in return, and dilute the other half inside Iran.

Iranian officials have said that exchanges of messages with the United States remain ongoing, but stressed that no final agreement has been reached and rejected any suggestion that Tehran would accept dictates from foreign powers.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told state television that Iran makes its decisions independently and in line with its national interests.

“We said goodbye to the language of ‘must’ 47 years ago,” Baghaei said.

“None of the Western parties can use the language of ‘must’ when they talk about the Islamic Republic of Iran. We make our own decisions based on the interests and rights of the Iranian nation.”

His comments came hours after US President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that the naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz was being lifted and that a decision on a potential agreement with Iran would be made soon.

Baghaei described the US maritime measures as “illegal from the start”, arguing that they violated both the ceasefire that took effect on April 8 and international principles governing freedom of navigation.

“We have to see in practice whether they will actually follow through on their words or if this is just a propaganda claim,” he said.

“If they do it, it means stopping a wrongful action they started weeks ago and should never have committed in the first place.”

Iran imposed restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz following what it described as US-Israeli aggression that began on February 28 and lasted 40 days.

Tehran tightened controls last month after Trump announced a blockade targeting Iranian vessels and ports.

Iranian officials maintain that the US measures violate the ceasefire agreement and say Washington later extended them unilaterally.

Indirect talks between Tehran and Washington, mediated by Pakistan and facilitated by Qatar, are continuing on the basis of Iran’s 14-point proposal. Iranian officials say the discussions aim to secure an end to the conflict, halt US maritime measures and facilitate the release of Iranian assets frozen abroad.

Baghaei also noted that the Strait of Hormuz lies within the territorial waters of Iran and Oman, underscoring the responsibility of both countries to ensure maritime security.

“Certainly Iran and Oman, as two responsible countries, must adopt mechanisms that preserve their national interests and security as coastal states and also give the international community assurance that shipping through this route is conducted safely,” he said.

He added that Iran’s immediate priority remains ending the conflict, while reiterating that there are currently no negotiations on the nuclear issue.

“Regarding the nuclear issue, we have no negotiations,” Baghaei said.

US President Donald Trump said he would soon make a “final determination” on a potential agreement with Iran that could extend the ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking on Friday, Trump announced he was meeting with advisers in the White House Situation Room to discuss the possible deal.

The White House later confirmed the meeting had concluded but provided no further details.

Several hours later, the White House said the meeting had concluded ⁠but did not provide any more information.

A White House official said the meeting in the Situation Room lasted about two hours, but ​did not address whether Trump had made a decision.

“President Trump will only make a deal that is good for America and satisfies his redlines. Iran ​can never possess a nuclear weapon,” the official said.

Despite the talks of a deal, significant mistrust persists between Washington and Tehran.

A senior Iranian source told Reuters an agreement was close but had ⁠not yet been approved.

However, Trump also said Iran would have to end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz and dismantle its capacity to make a nuclear weapon — ​two conditions that Tehran has not agreed to.

“Iran must agree that they will never have a Nuclear Weapon or Bomb. The Hormuz Strait must be immediately open, no ​tolls, for unrestricted shipping traffic, in both directions,” Trump said, adding that nuclear material would be “unearthed” by the US.

Iran’s top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated that Tehran would evaluate any deal based on concrete actions rather than promises.

In a post on his Truth Social platform ahead of the meeting, Trump outlined several conditions he said Iran would need to meet.

These include: refraining from developing nuclear weapons, keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and toll-free, removing any remaining mines from the waterway, and allowing the US to unearth and destroy Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles.

Trump added that no money would be exchanged “until further notice” and that other, “far less important” issues had already been agreed upon.

He described the US naval blockade as “amazing and unprecedented” and suggested that ships caught in the Strait could soon begin returning home.

Pakistan has expressed optimism that its mediation efforts will produce positive outcomes following talks between senior Pakistani officials and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, DC.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a “warm and cordial” meeting with Rubio, during which the US secretary of state acknowledged Islamabad’s diplomatic and mediation initiatives.

Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to promoting peace and stability, saying he was confident that the country’s “continued sincere efforts” in the region and beyond, supported by friendly nations, would “yield positive results”.

The two leaders expressed satisfaction over the positive progress in Pakistan-US relations and explored ways to further strengthen cooperation in priority areas, including trade, investment, security, and counter-terrorism.

Both sides agreed to advance the partnership through high-level exchanges and collaboration on regional peace, security, and prosperity.

The meeting took place amid Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to facilitate dialogue between the United States and Iran.

In recent days, senior Pakistani officials have travelled to Tehran as part of Islamabad’s diplomatic engagement aimed at easing regional tensions.

US President Donald ​Trump said in a social ‌media post that he would be meeting in the White House Situation ​Room on Friday to make ​a final decision on a ⁠deal with Iran.

He also listed ​what a potential deal would need ​to include: Iran agreeing not to develop a nuclear weapon, the reopening of ​the Strait of Hormuz, the ​removal of any sea mines, the lifting ‌of ⁠the US blockade on Iran and the removal and destruction by the US of Iran’s highly ​enriched uranium.

“No ​money ⁠will be exchanged until further notice. Other items, ​of far less importance, have ​been ⁠agreed to. I will be meeting now, in the Situation ⁠Room, ​to make a final ​determination,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

Iran said on Friday it ​was looking for actions, not words, from the United States after sources said President Donald Trump was weighing an initial US-Iranian ‌agreement to extend a ceasefire and open the Strait of Hormuz.

The comments by Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, were in line with previous defiant statements from Iran but added to questions over how such an agreement might unfold.

According to four sources familiar with the matter, a deal would extend the truce in place since early April for 60 ​days and allow oil and gas shipments through the strategic waterway while negotiators tackle difficult issues such as Iran’s nuclear program.

Trump has ​not yet approved the deal, the sources said, and Iran’s Tasnim news agency reiterated that the text had not been ⁠finalised, adding that it had undergone changes in recent days.

“We do not trust guarantees and words; only actions are the criterion. No action will ​be taken before the other side acts,” Qalibaf said in a social media post.

“The winner of any agreement is the one who is better prepared for ​war the day after.”

Oil falls on hopes for a deal

The conflict launched by the US and Israel against Iran on February 28 has killed thousands of people, mainly in Iran and Lebanon, and caused global economic pain by pushing up energy prices due to Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz to energy shipments.

Oil futures fell 2% on ​Friday and were on track for their steepest weekly decline since early April on the reports of a potential deal, which, if approved by Trump ​and leaders in Iran, would be the war’s biggest step towards peace.

The foreign minister of mediator Pakistan, Ishaq Dar, arrived in Washington on Friday for talks with US ‌Secretary of ⁠State Marco Rubio that were expected to include the latest developments in the negotiations.

The sources said on Thursday that a deal would specify unrestricted shipping through the strait and would require the US to lift its blockade of Iranian ports. The US. would also lift some sanctions on Iranian oil sales.

Washington imposed sanctions on some more vessels linked to Iran’s oil trade on Thursday and said it would stop Iran’s airlines from refuelling.

Trump has repeatedly said an end to ​the war is close since mid-March, ​though the two sides have shown ⁠little public movement toward common ground.

Iran has called for sanctions to be lifted, foreign assets to be unfrozen, and US forces to be withdrawn from the region. Washington has called for Iran to dismantle its nuclear program, which Tehran ​says is for peaceful purposes.

Iran says any peace deal must also end US ally Israel’s attacks in Lebanon, ​but that conflict shows ⁠no signs of flagging.

Israel has displaced hundreds of thousands of people with a push deep into Lebanon in pursuit of Iran’s main ally, Hezbollah.

The most urgent issue is the freeing of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, which carried a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments before the conflict.

No oil tankers transited ⁠the strait ​in the past 24 hours, although a Chinese-flagged vehicle carrier did cross, according to MarineTraffic data, which ​captures only vessels actively broadcasting their positions, as shown at 1200 GMT on Friday.

Several supertankers and LNG carriers departed earlier this week.

Iranian state television said 24 vessels had passed through the strait in ​the past 24 hours, reiterating that none would transit without authorisation from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.

A US ​judge on Friday temporarily ‌blocked President Donald Trump’s administration from setting up a ​nearly $1.8 billion fund to ​compensate victims of what ⁠Trump has called government “weaponisation.“

The ​order by US District ​Judge Leonie Brinkema of the Eastern District of Virginia blocks the ​Trump administration from “taking ​any further action” to set up ‌or ⁠operate the fund while the judge hears additional legal arguments.

The Justice Department ​announced the ​creation ⁠of an “Anti-Weaponisation Fund” last week as ​part of an agreement ​to ⁠settle Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service ⁠over ​the leak ​of his tax records.

Eleven children have been ​killed or injured on average every 24 hours in Lebanon ‌over the last week, the UN’s children’s agency said on Friday, as Israel has expanded strikes across the country despite a ceasefire.

Heavy Israeli strikes hit ​towns and villages in southern Lebanon overnight on Wednesday ​and into Thursday, after Israel declared a new swathe ⁠of the area a combat zone. It also struck a building ​in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Thursday.

A total of 77 ​children have been killed or injured in the last seven days, UNICEF said, citing figures provided by Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health. Since the ceasefire ​began on April 16, 55 children have been killed and ​212 injured, according to the agency.

UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires called for all parties ‌to ⁠fully respect the ceasefire.

“Under international humanitarian law, children and civilian infrastructure must be protected,” he said.

The ceasefire announced by Washington was meant to halt the fighting that has raged between Israeli ​troops and Iran-backed Hezbollah since March 2.

The ⁠UN’s World Health Organisation also said on Friday that the threat from the expansion of military ​activities raised grave health concerns for the Lebanese ​population.

Since the ⁠ceasefire took effect, a total of 27 attacks on healthcare facilities in Lebanon have been reported, resulting in 25 deaths and 42 ⁠injuries, ​according to the WHO. A total ​of 16 hospitals and 13 primary healthcare centres have been damaged in attacks, it ​added.

The US said on Thursday it has imposed new sanctions on Iran’s ​military oil trade, even as Washington and Tehran reached a ‌tentative agreement to extend their ceasefire and lift restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Treasury Department said it had sanctioned eight vessels involved in ​transporting Iranian crude oil and petroleum products to global markets. ​

The vessels included the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker Flora, the ⁠Comoros-flagged crude oil tanker Hauncayo and the Panama-flagged tanker Ill Gap.

“We ​will not allow the Iranian government to increase its oil revenue ​for the purpose of reconstituting its armed forces and military capabilities,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a release.

President Donald Trump has yet to approve the ceasefire deal ​on the war, which the US and Israel launched on February ​28.

The conflict has roiled global markets by closing the vital strait off Iran ‌and ⁠Oman through which 20% of the world’s oil and gas normally flowed.

The US also imposed sanctions on more than 15 entities, including Worth Seen Energy Limited in Hong Kong, Symphony Shipping and Maritime Management ​Inc in Dubai, ​and Mehdiyev ⁠Trading Co, also in Hong Kong.

The Treasury Department said some of the sanctioned Iranian entities also use the ​oil sales infrastructure of the Iranian armed forces ​to secure ⁠oil products from outside Iran.

It said Worth Seen, for example, procures refined petroleum products for the National Iranian Oil Company on behalf of ⁠Sepehr ​Energy Jahan, the oil sales arm of ​Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff, which the US has previously hit with sanctions.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Friday that Iran’s foreign policy is focused on expanding cooperation with Muslim and neighbouring countries across all areas of engagement.

In a post on social media, Pezeshkian said recent discussions with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had reinforced Tehran’s commitment to diplomacy.

He also expressed appreciation for Malaysia’s “humanitarian stance” and praised Pakistan for its initiative and “effective efforts” in supporting progress toward an agreement.

The remarks come as Pakistan continues to play a leading mediating role in talks between Tehran and Washington aimed at ending the ongoing conflict that began on February 28.

In recent days, senior Pakistani officials, including the army chief and interior minister, have visited Tehran for consultations, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has indicated hopes that Islamabad could soon host a fresh round of negotiations.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister  Ishaq Dar arrived in Washington on Friday for an official visit, the Foreign Ministry confirmed.

Dar was welcomed at the US capital by Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, along with senior officials from the Pakistani embassy.

During his brief stay, Dar is scheduled to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Discussions are expected to cover bilateral relations, regional developments, and enhancing cooperation in key sectors.

The talks will also touch upon Pakistan’s initiatives aimed at promoting regional peace and stability through dialogue and diplomacy.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 10am local time (7pm Pakistan time).

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, will also attend the talks.

Following the meeting, Dar is expected to address the media at approximately 9.15pm Pakistan time.

Following the meetings, Dar is set to return to Islamabad later the same day.

The visit comes amid Pakistan’s ongoing diplomatic efforts to mediate between Washington and Tehran, as hopes rise for a long-term peace arrangement aimed at de-escalating tensions in the region.

Pakistani officials have recently travelled to Iran as part of the mediation efforts, signalling Islamabad’s growing role as a diplomatic interlocutor in West Asia.

According to the foreign ministry, Dar and Rubio are expected to discuss bilateral relations as well as major regional and international developments.

“Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar will meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to review bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest,” a statement said.

The meeting occurs amid heightened geopolitical tensions, following military confrontations involving Iran, Israel, and the United States.

Analysts say the Dar-Rubio meeting could help both Washington and Islamabad to coordinate efforts toward de-escalation and potentially lay the groundwork for a broader US-Iran peace framework.

US forces deployed to ​war zones have been targeted using commercially available location data, according to reports fielded by military officials, an illustration of how ‌the global surveillance economy is shaping the battlefield.

In a letter shared with Reuters by US Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, US Central Command said it had “received multiple threat reports concerning adversary exploitation of commercial location data to target or surveil US personnel in theatre.“

The message, sent on April 14, offered no further specifics, but Centcom’s area of responsibility includes the Gulf, ​where US forces are facing off against the Iranian military over the Strait of Hormuz.

The disclosure was the first official confirmation that US forces ​had been targeted in an active war zone, Wyden and a bipartisan group of legislators said in a letter sent on ⁠Thursday to the Pentagon.

“Commercial location data can be used to identify where US troops congregate and their pattern of life, which can be exploited by adversaries ​to target attacks such as missiles, drones, and roadside bombs, as well as for counterintelligence purposes,” the letter warned.

Wyden said in a statement that it was ​time to “start treating the adtech industry as a national security threat.”

The Pentagon said in an email that it would respond directly to the lawmakers, but did not elaborate.

The lawmakers said in their letter that their efforts to obtain more information from military officials about the reported targeting had been unsuccessful.

Privacy concerns

Location data is widely used in digital ​advertising, which is a key source of revenue for many tech companies.

Such data is typically collected from smartphones or other devices by apps or ​service providers before being sold to data brokers who collate and resell the data, sometimes via complex networks of intermediaries.

Although the threat to privacy inherent in selling the details of ‌people’s day-to-day ⁠movements on the open market has long been a matter of public discussion, its potential as a national security risk has recently drawn concern as well.

As far back as 2016, one US defence contractor was able to leverage commercially available location data to track special operations forces from their bases in the United States to a sensitive staging post in Syria, according to an account first disclosed by the Wall Street Journal.

More recently, journalists at Wired and two German news outlets ​drew on billions of coordinates collected by ​a data broker to expose the granular ⁠comings and goings, opens new tab of people stationed at or around 11 US military and intelligence sites in Germany.

Two groups that represent digital advertisers, the Interactive Advertising Bureau and the Association of National Advertisers, did not return emails seeking comment.

The letter from ​US lawmakers to the Pentagon said that, given what military officials know about the trade in location data, ​they should have acted ⁠faster to protect their personnel, for example, by disabling the unique advertising ID attached to military-issued devices, automatically turning off location sharing on smartphones in the field, and steering staff away from Google’s Chrome web browser toward more privacy-focused alternatives.

One of the letter’s cosigners was US Representative Pat Harrigan, a North Carolina Republican who was formerly ⁠a US army ​special forces officer.

Harrigan said that browsers like Chrome “are built from the ground up to ​collect and share user data” and that every day they remain on government-issued devices “is another day we are handing our adversaries a weapon against our own troops.”

In a statement, Alphabet’s Google said that ​Chrome had “industry-leading security.”

The company added that it had “long advocated for stronger rules and safeguards against data brokers.”

President Donald Trump finds himself in a bind as he seeks to end the war against Iran: he is under pressure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and get US gasoline prices down, but at ​the same time faces a potential backlash from Iran hawks in his own party over any concessions to Tehran.

Trump’s dilemma became clear during a week of hectic diplomacy marked by word ‌of an emerging framework deal that, according to sources familiar with the matter, would extend a current ceasefire and release Iran’s stranglehold on the vital oil-shipping route while deferring discussions of its nuclear programme.

Such an interim agreement, if approved by Trump and Iran’s rulers, would amount to the most significant step toward peace since he joined with Israel in attacking Iran on February 28, and could ease the soaring energy prices the conflict has triggered.

But it could also draw the disapproval of a key segment of Trump’s base — ​influential Republicans clamouring for him to “finish the job” by resuming strikes to close Tehran’s path to a nuclear weapon, his main stated reason for going to war.

Earlier this week, some of Trump’s hardline anti-Iran ​allies responded to reports of a possible deal with criticism, even arguing that he might gain little beyond the 2015 Iran nuclear deal negotiated by former president Barack ⁠Obama and scrapped by Trump during his first term.

Senior Republicans rarely at odds with Trump, including Senators Lindsey Graham, Roger Wicker and Ted Cruz, urged the president not to compromise.

Trump pushed back, insisting he was in “no rush” ​and would only accept a “great” agreement.

Caught between the competing demands — a quick solution to high gas prices and an end to Iran’s nuclear ambitions — the president has little room to manoeuvre.

“Trump’s rhetorical swings and abrupt reversals of the ​past week suggest a president trying to park a wide war in a tight spot,” said Laura Blumenfeld, a Middle East expert at Johns Hopkins University.

A White House official said, “negotiations are proceeding nicely, and he has made his red lines clear.”

“President Trump will only make a good deal for the American people, which must ensure that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon,” the official said on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive internal matters.

Unanswered questions

Leaks to the media on Thursday about the terms of the “memorandum of understanding“ suggest ​the proposed deal leaves many of the thorniest questions unanswered.

Those include what the Strait’s long-term status will be, what will happen to Iran’s stockpile of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium and the details of potential sanctions relief.

The emerging framework, ​while averting military escalation, would at this stage fall far short of Trump’s earlier demand for “unconditional surrender” and his vow to dismantle Iran’s nuclear programme. Iran has insisted it is only for peaceful purposes.

“If these terms are accurate and if a deal ‌is concluded, ⁠the Islamic Republic appears to be getting more in the MOU than the US,” Jason Brodsky, policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran, a nonprofit policy organisation, said on X.

“A pledge for more nuclear talks? Be wary.“

Iran’s Tasnim news agency said the text of the agreement had not been finalised.

Trump has several times before said a deal was close, and there was no guarantee that the latest effort would succeed where others have not.

This week’s diplomatic flurry has played out against the backdrop of a fresh but limited exchange of strikes that has strained the fragile truce between the US and Iran.

Analysts say Trump appears to be trying to strike a balance between pressuring Iran to give ground on key issues while, in return, offering only limited compromises that will still allow him to frame the outcome as a win.

Getting the Strait reopened would be welcomed internationally, but Trump would just be regaining the free flow of shipping that existed before he started the war.

Meanwhile, the political and economic clocks are ticking for the president, whose public approval ratings have hit new lows.

Midterm elections are looming in November, with his fellow Republicans struggling ​to maintain control of Congress, and new assessments suggest that if the conflict continues, there will be serious damage to the global economy.

Trump dismisses midterms

Iran appears ​to be seeking some easing of ⁠sanctions up-front to boost its crippled economy, which Trump critics fear he may be unable to resist in pursuit of a war-ending deal.

But at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Trump seemed to respond to his critics by reiterating maximalist positions and insisting he didn’t care about the midterms.

His aides have privately expressed concern that high gasoline prices could damage Republicans’ electoral prospects.

Iran has shown it is confident it has the upper hand, having proved it can survive the military onslaught ⁠and throttle one-fifth of the world’s oil supplies, analysts say.

“The president gives every sign of wanting this over soon,” said Jon Alterman of the ​Centre for Strategic and International Studies think tank.

“That makes the Iranians dig in their heels.”

The past week’s whiplash was nothing new for a president who campaigned promising to stay out of unnecessary wars, only to take the US into a foreign entanglement without clearly articulating the rationale.

How ​he decides to end the conflict is expected to be a major factor in defining his second-term foreign policy legacy, analysts say.