US Iran war highlights: Trump notes ‘positive development’ in Iran talks, says ‘good chance’ of nuclear deal

US Iran news LIVE: The Israeli military ran a second covert installation in Iraq’s western desert, a new report by The New York Times has alleged.

The site was located near al-Nukhaib and was allegedly used for operational support, including air assistance, refuelling, and medical services. It further claims that in an effort to conceal the facility, Israeli forces killed a local shepherd, identified as 29-year-old Awad al-Shammari, along with an Iraqi soldier.

The newspaper, citing regional officials, said the installation existed prior to the 12-day conflict involving Israel and Iran in June last year and may have been used during that period. It also suggested that the United States was aware of the site’s existence.

The report describes this facility as separate from another previously reported covert outpost, which was said to have been established shortly before the conflict and allegedly functioned as a logistical base for Israeli special forces and air operations.

There has been no official response from Iraqi authorities regarding these claims. Earlier on Sunday, Iraqi armed forces spokesperson Sabah al-Numan stated that Iraq would not permit its territory to be used as a “launching pad” for attacks against other countries, underscoring Baghdad’s concern over regional escalation.

US Iran news LIVE: UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese has asked Mediterranean states to protect the Global Sumud Flotilla and called for support to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza Strip.

In a post on X, she called on states to “protect the civilian vessels that are trying to break Israel’s genocidal siege on Gaza,” and to “end complicity with apartheid,” and “make justice happen.”

Her appeal came as activists reported spotting a military vessel near the convoy, while Israeli media said authorities are preparing to intercept the flotilla.

US Iran news LIVE: Israel's military is on high alert and preparing for the possibility of renewed hostilities with Iran, potentially alongside the United States, the country's media reports say.

Public broadcaster Kan cited an unnamed security official as saying Israel would join any new US strikes and could target Iranian energy infrastructure. The report came after a phone call between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Channel 12 also reported that the Israeli military has been placed on high alert amid “preparations for renewed fighting in Iran,” and said Israel expects to be informed by the US ahead of any strike, though timing remains unclear.

The broadcaster added that Trump is reportedly under pressure, including from China, to avoid further escalation and pursue a negotiated settlement instead.

US Iran news LIVE: Israeli forces are reportedly preparing to intercept the Global Sumud Flotilla, a 54-ship convoy attempting to break the blockade of Gaza Strip. Activists on board said they spotted a military vessel near the convoy, which is expected to reach Gaza waters within two days.

Israeli media reports, including Israel Hayom and Yedioth Ahronoth, say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held security consultations ahead of the flotilla’s arrival. An Israeli source was quoted as saying forces would “control them” and take them to a “floating prison.”

The flotilla organisers say the mission is just to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza.

US Iran news LIVE: A senior Iranian official has warned the US over its maritime pressure on Iran. He said the country is prepared for escalation if the situation continues.

Mohsen Rezaei, a member of Iran’s Expediency Council, said on state television that the US should end its “siege” of Iranian ports. “We advise the US military to end the siege before the Sea of Oman becomes your graveyard,” he said

He described the US blockade as an “act of war” and said Iran considers confronting it a legitimate response. Continued pressure would have global consequences, he said.

Rezaei also said negotiations depend on trust: “It is America that must prove itself now,” while insisting that “our armed forces have their finger on the trigger, and, at the same time, diplomacy continues.”

US Iran news LIVE: Iran says the Strait of Hormuz is now under expanded military control by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Authorities insist that all shipping through the key waterway must be coordinated with Iranian military forces.

Reporting from Hormuz Island, Al Jazeera said IRGC naval units claim authority over the strait and warn that military vessels will not be allowed to pass, while ships from “friendly countries” may be permitted and those from adversaries could be blocked.

US Iran war LIVE: Oil prices have surged to a two-week high after a drone attack on the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant.

Brent crude rose above $111 a barrel and US WTI climbed above $107, driven by fears that prolonged war on Iran could disrupt energy supplies, especially around the Strait of Hormuz. Markets also reacted to reports that Trump is expected to discuss possible military options on Iran. (Reuters)

US Iran war LIVE: Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute says negotiations between the US and Iran remain stalled because US President Donald Trump is focused on shaping a “narrative of victory” that denies Iran any face-saving outcome.

He told Al Jazeera that Washington wants any agreement to be seen as Iran “caving” to US pressure, especially to Trump, even if it requires American concessions.

Parsi said both sides want to claim victory, but argued the deadlock persists because Trump is trying to ensure a “narrative of victory that negates the other side’s narrative of victory,” making it difficult for either side to agree to a compromise.

US Iran war LIVE: The US has reportedly presented a set of demands to resume stalled peace talks with Iran. These include Iran handing over 400 kg of enriched uranium, limiting its nuclear programme to a single facility, not receiving war reparations, and restricting access to frozen assets.

These demands came after Tehran submitted its peace proposal which was ‘garbage’, according to Trump. Iranian media said the US is seeking concessions it failed to secure during the war.

US Iran war LIVE: Three Palestinians were killed when Israeli forces struck a kitchen in the Gaza Strip that was providing meals to displaced people, according to local reports.

At least 871 people have been killed since the so-called “ceasefire” began last October, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said, amid continued violence in the area.

US Iran war LIVE: Former US defence secretary and ex-CIA director Robert Gates has recalled a 2009 meeting in which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Iran would quickly collapse if attacked militarily.

Speaking on CBS’ Face the Nation, Gates said Netanyahu claimed the Iranian government was fragile and would “crumble at the first attack.” The view was strongly rejected by Gates. He told him he was “dead wrong” and underestimated “the resilience of the Iranians.”

Gates suggested Netanyahu’s assessment was shaped by earlier Israeli strikes on regional targets. This included Iraq’s Osirak reactor in 1981 and Syria’s suspected nuclear facility in 2007, which faced limited retaliation. He argued these experiences may have led to an “unrealistic position” about how Iran would respond.

US Iran news LIVE: The Barakah is the United Arab Emirates’ first and only nuclear power station and the first nuclear plant in the Arab world.

It was built in partnership with South Korea at a cost of around $20bn and began full commercial operation in 2021. The plant supplies roughly 25% of the UAE’s electricity and is considered a major part of the country’s plan to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

The UAE operates it under an agreement with the United States, which allows it to import nuclear fuel rather than develop domestic uranium enrichment or reprocessing capabilities. It is often cited as a model for a “safe and peaceful” civilian nuclear energy programme.

The plant was targeted in a drone attack that caused a fire at an electric generator, though UAE authorities said there was no radioactive leak and no risk to the public.

US Iran news LIVE: Yemen’s Houthis have repeated their support for Palestinian armed groups in Gaza following the reported Israeli killing of a senior Hamas commander.

In a condolence message on Telegram, Houthi military figure Yusuf Hassan al-Madani described the death of commander Izz al-Din al-Haddad as a major loss for the Palestinian movement and the wider region.

Al-Madani said the Houthis would continue joint efforts with Hamas and allied factions “until victory is achieved.”

US Iran war LIVE: Jean-Luc Melenchon, the leading figure of France’s left-wing La France Insoumise party, has accused Europe of enabling the US-Israeli strikes on Iran. The attacks, he says, have now boiled over to a wider regional conflict.

In a post on X, he said: “La France Insoumise” sees “Trump and Netanyahu’s crude threats to destroy Iran” as being possible only due to “European complicity,” and described global peace as reduced to the interests of “Trump and Netanyahu’s colonialism.”

He also asked French voters to reject “France’s alignment with these criminals” and to “break the leash” in the 2027 presidential election.

US Iran war LIVE: Esmaeil Baghaei shared a clip from the 2024 biopic The Apprentice in an apparent swipe at Donald Trump.

The scene features Roy Cohn, Trump’s mentor in the film, outlining “rules for winning”, including “claim victory and never admit defeat” and being “willing to do anything to anyone”.

The post comes as Iranian officials and affiliated accounts continue to mock Trump over the widely criticised US attacks on Iran. Baghaei has previously referenced figures such as Aime Cesaire and Farid al-Din Attar in commentary on US policy.

US Iran war LIVE: US President Donald Trump is “seriously considering taking additional military action” against Iran, Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute, told Al Jazeera.

Parsi said the situation shows the US administration recognises “that not only was the previous war a failure, but also that the blockade … which was supposed to break the Iranians and avoid this scenario – was also a failure”.

He warned that both sides increasingly believe “that one more round of fighting will give them the benefits, the advantage in future negotiations”.

On the Iranian side, he added, “those who had made that argument earlier on believe that they were proven right, given how this war has been conducted.”

US Iran war LIVE: A Spanish activist aboard one of the vessels heading to Gaza to challenge Israel’s blockade said the flotilla had encountered a possible military threat at sea.

Pablo Quesada Martin wrote on X that “what appeared to be a military vessel” had been spotted near the convoy, prompting security protocols to be activated. The flotilla is part of an activist effort to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza despite Israel’s naval blockade.

Israel has previously intercepted and detained activists attempting similar missions. Last month, Israeli forces stopped 22 vessels near the Greek island of Crete.