US-Iran War highlights: Trump says final details of Iran deal being discussed, ‘will be announced shortly’

US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran said on Saturday that the nuclear issue was not part of an initial framework it was drafting to end the war with the United States.

"At this stage, we will not discuss the details of the nuclear issue... we have decided to prioritise an urgent issue for all of us: ending the war on all fronts including Lebanon," foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told state television.

He added that the nuclear file will be "subject to separate discussions" at a later stage.

via AFP

US-Iran war news LIVE: Moderator Pakistan said that negotiations over the last 24 hours have resulted in ‘encouraging progress towards a final understanding.' This comes after Pakistan army chief Asim Munir met top Iranian leadership in Tehran over the weekend.

US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran said on Saturday it has included the ending of a weeks-long US naval blockade and arrangements on the strategic Strait of Hormuz in a draft framework for a deal with the United States.

"The issue of the Strait of Hormuz is among the subjects addressed in this 14-point memorandum of understanding but more importantly, ending the piracy carried out by the United States against international navigation," said foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei.

via AFP

US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran on Saturday said that it is in the final stages of drafting a framework for US peace deal. This comes amid a series of positive progress in diplomatic efforts to end the war between US and Iran. While moderator Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir met top Iranian leadership over the weekend, Pakistan termed his trip as short but highly productive. US secretary of state Marco Rubio also indicated that good progress was being made over Iran and it could agree to a deal in a few days time or as soon as today.

US-Iran war news LIVE: The ceasefire between Iran and the US is likely to be extended by 60 more days, the Financial Times reported, citing moderators. This comes amid Pakistan army chief Asim Munir's trip to Iran where he met top Iranian leadership over the weekend.

US-Iran war news LIVE: Pakistan army on Saturday said that Field Marshal Asim Munir concluded a ‘short but highly productive’ official visit to Iran.

US-Iran war news LIVE: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there was a chance Iran would accept a deal to end the Middle East war as soon as Saturday.

"There is a chance that, whether it's later today, tomorrow, in a couple days, we may have something to say," Rubio was quoted as saying by AFP, adding he hoped for “good news”

US-Iran war news LIVE: US secretary of state Marco Rubio in India said there has been some progress made in terms of peace deal with Iran. "Even as I speak to you now, there's some work being done...This issue needs to be solved, as the President said one way or the other. Iran can never have nuclear weapons. The straits need to be opened without tolls. They need to turn over their enriched Iranian, they need to turn over the highly enriched uranium. If we need to address that issue, we need to address the issue of enrichment. These are the President's points consistently. His preference is always to deal with it in a diplomatic way. The President's preference is always to solve problems such as these through a negotiated diplomatic solution. That's what we're working on right now...We hope it's done through the diplomatic route. That's what we're working on..."

US-Iran war news LIVE: US secretary of state Marco Rubio has said that Iran may accept peace deal as soon as today. This comes after Pakistan army chief Asim Munir left Iran after meeting top leadership there on Saturday. “Chance that we may have something to say… later TODAY, tomorrow, in couple days,” Rubio said.

US-Iran war news LIVE: At least 25 vessels successfully navigated through the strategic Strait of Hormuz over 24 hours, according to a statement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, as reported by Iran's semi-official Fars news agency.

The passage of these maritime vessels occurred amid rigorous supervisory protocols maintained over the critical global energy channel.

"In the past 24 hours, 25 ships, including oil tankers, container ships, and other commercial vessels, passed through the Strait of Hormuz after obtaining permission with the coordination and security of the IRGC Navy," the IRGC statement detailed.

These latest figures follow a separate announcement by the IRGC Navy on Friday, which noted that 35 vessels, encompassing oil tankers, container ships, and various cargo craft, had crossed the waterway during the prior 24 hours under its direct security and coordination oversight, Fars News Agency reported.

US-Iran war news LIVE: The US has so far redirected 100 Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the US Central Command said on Saturday. “American forces began implementing the blockade April 13 against commercial ships entering and exiting Iranian ports, in accordance with a presidential proclamation,” it said. It further added that over the past six weeks, more than 15,000 soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen have redirected 100 vessels, disabled four, and allowed 26 humanitarian aid ships to pass.

US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran's top negotiator, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, told Pakistani army chief Asim Munir during talks in Tehran on Saturday that the U.S. was not an honest party in negotiations to end their war and Iran would not compromise on its national rights, state television reported.

A regional mediation push led by Pakistan aims to narrow differences between Iran and the U.S. after weeks of war that have left the vital waterway of the Strait of Hormuz closed to most shipping despite a nervous ceasefire, upending global energy markets.

Iranian state media reported that Munir had also met President Masoud Pezeshkian in the presence of Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, with whom he had two meetings, before flying out.

The talks reportedly centred on a 14-point document proposed by Iran, which it considers the main framework for the discussions, and messages exchanged between the two sides.

Qalibaf said Iran would pursue its "legitimate rights", both on the battlefield and through diplomacy, but added that it could not trust "a party that has no honesty at all", an allegation Iran has made several times before.

He said Iran's armed forces had rebuilt their capabilities during the ceasefire and that, if the United States "foolishly restarts the war", the consequences would be "more forceful and bitter" than at the start of the conflict.

via Reuters

US-Iran war news LIVE: Israel warned the residents of 10 villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate their homes immediately to avoid planned air strikes against alleged Hezbollah targets.

"In light of the terrorist Hezbollah's violation of the ceasefire agreement, the IDF is compelled to act forcefully against it. The IDF does not intend to harm you," military spokesman Avichay Adraee said.

"For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately and move away from the villages and towns by a distance of no less than 1,000 meters into open areas."

The communities listed by Adraee in a social media post cover a large area of southern Lebanon, and lie on both the north and south banks of the Litani river.

Hezbollah and Israel accuse each other on a daily basis of violating the truce that came into effect on April 17.

At least ten people, including six rescue workers and a girl, were killed Friday in a series of Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

According to the Israeli military, these strikes targeted Hezbollah fighters travelling by motorcycle and weapons-manufacturing infrastructure.

via AFP

US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Saturday said Iran has ‘rebuilt’ its armed forces during the ceasefire with the US that came into effect from April 8.

US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Saturday vowed 'crushing' response if Trump resumes war. "Our armed forces have rebuilt themselves during the ceasefire period in such a way that if Trump commits another act of folly and restarts the war, it will certainly be more crushing and bitter for the United States than on the first day of the war," he posted on social media," Ghalibaf said in a post on social media.

US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran's top negotiator and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Galibaf met Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir in Tehran as part of ongoing diplomatic efforts over regional tensions, Iranian state media reported on Saturday.

Munir also held meetings with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in the presence of Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi during his visit to Iran.

via Reuters

US-Iran war news LIVE: U.S. arms sales to Taiwan take years to process and are unrelated to the war with Iran, a source familiar with the matter said, after a senior U.S. official suggested there was a pause due to the need to have enough arms for the conflict.

Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, has been waiting for the U.S. to approve an arms sale that Reuters reported could be worth up to $14 billion.

U.S. President Donald Trump sowed uncertainty in Taipei by saying, after meeting China's President Xi Jinping this month, that he was undecided on whether to approve the package.

On Thursday, acting U.S. Navy Secretary Hung Cao told a Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing that there was a pause on arms sales to Taiwan to make sure the U.S. had the munitions needed for the Operation Epic Fury attack on Iran.

The source familiar with the matter noted that Trump has said he would decide on the Taiwan arms sales soon.

"These sales take years to process and are unrelated to Operation Epic Fury," the source said, referring to the war the U.S. and Israel launched in February. "The United States military has more than enough munitions, ammo, and stockpiles to serve all of President Trump's strategic goals and beyond."

The U.S. is bound by the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, and has said since Trump met Xi that its policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged.

via Reuters

US-Iran war news LIVE: Over 1.5 million pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia from outside the kingdom for the upcoming hajj, according to a Saudi official, exceeding the number of international visitors last year despite the war in the Middle East.

The conflict triggered by the US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February saw Tehran order waves of strikes on targets in Saudi Arabia and across the Gulf, prompting widespread air traffic disruptions and causing travel costs to surge.

Major Gulf airlines in the UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain have worked to quickly restore much of their operational capacity after weeks of airspace closures and flight cancellations.

Despite the complications, pilgrims have continued to flock to Saudi Arabia to participate in this year's hajj.

"The total number of pilgrims arriving from abroad has reached 1,518,153," Saleh Al-Murabba, the commander of Saudi Arabia's Hajj Passport Forces, told a press conference late Friday.

These figures are expected to rise further over the next two days as pilgrims continue to arrive from abroad ahead of the formal rituals that mark the beginning of the hajj on Monday.

Last year, the total number of pilgrims at the hajj reached 1,673,320, including 1,506,576 from outside Saudi Arabia.

via AFP

US-Iran war news LIVE: Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi spoke to Omani counterpart, Badr Albusaidi, on Saturday over phone amid intensified regional diplomacy aimed at reducing tensions and securing a possible peace agreement between Iran and the United States, according to the Iranian semiofficial Tasnim news agency.

According to the Tasnim news agency, the discussions took place during a flurry of diplomatic activity continuing from Friday evening into Saturday morning.

The news report said the foreign ministers discussed "the latest regional developments and the ongoing diplomatic efforts to prevent escalation of tensions and end the war, exchanging views and opinions."

Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir, with the two sides exchanging views on the security situation in West Asia.

The talks, which continued late into Friday night, included discussions on the ongoing Iran conflict, reported Tasnim News Agency.

According to the news report, both sides also discussed the latest diplomatic efforts and initiatives aimed at preventing further escalation of tensions in the region. The discussion additionally focused on issues related to stability and security across West Asia.

via ANI

US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran Guards have said that 25 ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz after obtaining permission from Iran in the last 24 hours, Fars news reported.

via Reuters

US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran's Defence Ministry spokesperson Reza Talaei-Nik on Saturday said that the United States must accept Iran's demands to avoid further escalation, warning that continued confrontation would result in "further losses" for Washington and its allies, according to the Iranian state media Tasnim news agency.

According to the Iranian news agency, Talaei-Nik said, "The only way out of the third imposed war for the American-Zionist enemy, on both the battlefield and in diplomacy, is to secure the demands of the Iranian people."

He further warned that Washington's refusal to recognise Iran's "rights" would lead to further setbacks for US President Donald Trump and the broader American position in the region.

" While accepting Iran's proposal, Trump should also be mindful of preventing further losses and costs in the continuation of the war for the American people and the international community," he added.

via ANI

US-Iran war news LIVE: Pakistan's Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir has held talks with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to end the West Asia conflict and establish lasting peace in the region, the Iranian government said on Saturday.

Munir flew to Tehran on Friday for a crucial visit to expedite efforts for a peace deal between the US and Iran, said the Pakistan Army, adding that the visit was "part of ongoing mediation efforts".

Munir was received in Tehran by Iran's Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi -- believed to be close to Munir -- was already in Tehran and engaging in talks with top Iranian officials when the field marshal arrived, according to the Army.

US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told AntOnio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, that Washington's "excessive demands" are the main obstacle to ongoing peace negotiations, Al Jazeera reported.

Araghchi, in a telephonic conversation with Guterres, said the US had repeatedly undermined diplomacy through broken promises, contradictory positions, and military aggression, but Iran is engaging in the truce talks.

Guterres rejected the use of force against any state's sovereignty and called for diplomacy to restore stability in the region, according to Al Jazeera's sources.

US-Iran war news LIVE: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there was “slight progress” in mediated negotiations with Iran, as the prospect of a deal to turn a fragile ceasefire into a lasting peace agreement remains uncertain.

“I don’t want to exaggerate it, but there’s been a little bit of movement, and that’s good,” Rubio said at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Sweden, on Friday.

Tehran is considering the latest proposal submitted by the US through Pakistan, but has given no indication of when it will formally respond. The status of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial conduit for global energy supplies, and Iran’s nuclear program remain major sticking points.

Iran’s ambassador to France, Mohammad Amin-Nejad, told Bloomberg on Wednesday his country is discussing with Oman some form of a permanent toll system in the strait, something the US has said is unacceptable.

US-Iran war news LIVE: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir, with the two sides exchanging views on the security situation in West Asia.

The talks, which continued late into Friday night, included discussions on the ongoing Iran conflict, reported Tasnim News Agency.

According to the report, both sides also discussed the latest diplomatic efforts and initiatives aimed at preventing further escalation of tensions in the region. The discussion additionally focused on issues related to stability and security across West Asia.

As diplomatic engagement continues amid heightened tensions, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that Washington's "excessive demands" remain the primary obstacle to ongoing peace negotiations, Al Jazeera reported.