US-Iran war highlights: Obama backs 2015 nuclear deal with Iran; tensions flare in Hormuz

US-Iran war live updates: Lebanon will demand Israel cease fire at face-to-face talks in Washington on Thursday, a senior Lebanese official said, according to Reuters news agency.

The ceasefire is due to expire on Sunday. The talks between Lebanese and Israeli envoys will mark the sides' third meeting since hostilities began.

US-Iran war live updates: A ship anchored off the east coast of the United Arab Emirates has been seized and is heading toward Iranian waters, the British military said Thursday, according to the Associated Press.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said it received reports that the vessel was taken by unauthorized personnel while anchored 38 nautical miles (70 kilometers, 44 miles) northeast of the UAE port of Fujairah, near the Strait of Hormuz.

US-Iran war live updates: Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi claimed that the United Arab Emirates was directly involved in military operations against Iran, Reuters news agency reported citing Mehr.

Donald Trump China visit LIVE: The White House in its readout regarding the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, said the latter had expressed an interest in buying American oil.

There was no mention of purchasing oil in any of the Chinese summaries of the meeting published by state media.

US-Iran war live updates: Regional instability is a “lose-lose proposition for all sides, including the aggressors,” Iran foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said at the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting.

He said that those have pursued “reckless adventures” had done so thinking “it furthers their geopolitical interests. However, Araghchi alleged that consumers and “governments around the world now sense and understand” differently.

US-Iran war live updates: Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday urged countries at the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting to resist and oppose what he termed as US “bullying”.

“To virtually everyone in this room, our resistance against US bullying is not an unfamiliar battle. So many of us encounter slight variations of the same repugnant coercion,” Araghchi said, urging countries to “step up.”

“It is high time for us to jointly step up and work towards making clear that those practices belong in the dustbin of history. Today, our nations are closer to one another than ever before, and we cannot ignore the common and dangerous challenge we all face,” he said, according to a video by Reuters news agency.

US-Iran war live updates: US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreed during their meeting that Strait of Hormuz must stay open for free flow of energy, according to a White House readout of the summit on Thursday, Reuters news agency reported.

Both leaders also discussed building on progress in ending the flow of fentanyl precursor chemicals into the US, and the increase of Chinese purchases of US agricultural products.

US-Iran war live updates: The United States and China have agreed that Iran must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon, Reuters reported citing White House official.

The official also said both sides agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open, amid growing concerns over tensions around the strategic shipping route.

US-Iran war live updates: US President Donald Trump did not respond to reporters’ questions on Taiwan while touring the Temple of Heaven with Chinese President Xi Jinping after their talks in Beijing.

Reporters repeatedly shouted questions at Trump about Taiwan — a major point of tension in US-China ties — but the US president ignored them during the public appearance, reported news agency Bloomberg.

The White House had also not yet released an official readout of the Trump-Xi meeting at the time of the visit.

US-Iran war live updates: The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Thursday that a vessel was boarded by unauthorised personnel while at anchor and is now heading toward Iranian territorial waters.

The UKMTO said that it received the report of the incident 70 km (38 nautical miles) northeast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) port of Fujairah.

Donald Trump China visit LIVE: Apple CEO Tim Cook, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and other members of the US delegation stand before the welcome ceremony for US President Donald Trump, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday.

Donald Trump China visit LIVE: US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping began high-stakes talks in Beijing on Thursday.

Opening the meeting at the Great Hall of the People, Trump said he was looking forward to a “big discussion” with Xi and described the gathering as “maybe the biggest summit ever.”

“There are those who say this is maybe the biggest summit ever,” Trump said, adding: “When there were difficulties, we worked it out.”

“We’re going to have a fantastic future together,” he added during his three-day state visit to China.

Chinese state media reported that Trump repeatedly referred to Xi as a “great leader.” The first round of talks between the two leaders lasted for more than two hours.

Donald Trump China visit LIVE: US President Donald Trump described his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping as “great” while visiting the Temple of Heaven in Beijing.

“It’s great,” Trump said when asked by a reporter about his discussions with Xi.

The US president also praised the venue and the host country, saying: “Great place. Incredible. China’s beautiful.”

Donald Trump China visit LIVE: China President Xi Jinping on Thursday hailed a "new positioning" of bilateral ties with the United States after his summit with President Donald Trump, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Xi Jinping said both leaders agreed that building a constructive, strategically stable relationship will provide guidance for bilateral relations in the next three years and beyond, CCTV reported.

(via Reuters)

Donald Trump China visit LIVE: Taiwan remained one of the most contentious issues during talks between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, with Beijing saying that the “mishandling” could put ties in “great jeopardy”.

The Trump administration has approved an $11 billion weapons package for Taiwan, though deliveries have not yet begun, news agency AP reported.

The issue has gained added attention amid signs of greater ambiguity from Trump on Taiwan policy.

Donald Trump China visit LIVE: Picture shows China's President Xi Jinping (center) US President Donald Trump (left) and Eric Trump (right) visit the Temple of Heaven in Beijing on Thursday.

Donald Trump China visit LIVE: US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the Temple of Heaven following what Trump described as “great” talks between the two leaders in Beijing.

During the visit, Trump praised the host country, saying: “China is beautiful.”

Donald Trump China visit LIVE: Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said President Xi Jinping told US President Donald Trump that “trade wars have no winner,” while stressing that China-US economic ties are “mutually beneficial and win-win in nature.”

In a post on X, Mao said Xi told Trump that “where disagreements and frictions exist, equal-footed consultation is the only right choice.”

She added that economic and trade teams from both sides had produced “generally balanced and positive outcomes,” calling it “good news for the people of the two countries and the world.”

“The two sides should jointly sustain the good momentum that we have worked hard to create,” Mao said.

Donald Trump China visit LIVE: Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said President Xi Jinping told US President Donald Trump that the Taiwan issue remains “the most important issue” in US-China relations.

Posting on X, Mao said Xi warned that if the matter is handled properly, bilateral ties “will enjoy overall stability,” but otherwise “the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy.”

She added that “‘Taiwan independence’ and cross-Strait peace are as irreconcilable as fire and water,” and said maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is “the biggest common denominator” between China and the United States.

US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping wrapped up talks in Beijing on Thursday, AFP reported citing a White House official.

The talks, which lasted more than two hours, saw the pair tackle thorny issues including Taiwan.

Donald Trump China visit live updates: One of the key flashpoints during the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping was the “Taiwan issue”.

China considers Taiwan, a self-ruled democratic island of around 23 million people, to be part of its territory and has repeatedly vowed to bring it under Beijing’s control. Taiwan, however, governs itself separately under the name Republic of China.

Meanwhile, Washington acknowledges China’s claim over Taiwan but does not clearly state whether it supports or rejects it. At the same time, the US has continued to provide military assistance and arms sales to Taiwan to help it defend itself. This is a long-running dispute at the centre of tensions between Washington and Beijing.

The issue surfaced prominently in the Trump-Xi talks amid continuing US weapons sales to Taiwan, which Beijing regards as interference in its internal affairs. Xi warned that mishandling the Taiwan issue could push US-China ties toward “conflicts,” reported Chinese state media.

Donald Trump China visit live updates: Picture shows US President Donald Trump inspecting an honour guard during a welcome ceremony with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Thursday.

Donald Trump China visit live updates: Donald Trump praised Xi as Chinese leader warns US-China ties could slide into ‘conflict’ over Taiwan.

Trump struck a warm tone during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday, telling Xi that “it’s an honor to be your friend,” even as the Chinese leader warned that mishandling Taiwan could push the two powers toward confrontation.

The contrasting messaging highlighted deep differences between Washington and Beijing on key flashpoints including Taiwan, trade tensions and the ongoing Iran conflict.

According to a readout released by China’s official Xinhua news agency, Xi told Trump that if the Taiwan issue is handled properly, US-China ties “will enjoy overall stability.” However, he cautioned that failure to do so could lead to “clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy.”

Donald Trump China visit live updates: Chinese President Xi Jinping warned US President Donald Trump on Thursday that mishandling the Taiwan issue could push the two countries into conflict, according to Chinese state media.

Calling Taiwan “the most important issue in China-US relations,” Xi said the matter could place bilateral ties in a “highly perilous situation” if not handled carefully.

“If mishandled, the two nations could collide or even come into conflict,” Xi was quoted as saying by state broadcaster CCTV.

Donald Trump China visit live updates: A photo from Beijing shows Elon Musk gesturing as he leaves after attending the welcome ceremony for US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People on May 14, 2026.