Hormuz is key sticking point as US-Iran talks continue into early Sunday

UN agencies have expressed alarm at “sustained violations of the rules of war” and urged all warring parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.

“We are alarmed by the sustained violations of the rules of war and international humanitarian law,” the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, which is made up of numerous UN agencies and humanitarian partners, said in a statement.

“We strongly condemn all attacks on civilians, including humanitarian and health workers, as well as civilian objects,” said the committee, noting that thousands of civilians have been killed and injured across the Middle East in the last month alone. [Al Jazeera]

The campaign against Iran “is not over,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement on Sunday.

“But we can already say clearly — We have historic achievements,” he added.

Moving to a map of the Middle East with the Iranian axis highlighted in red, Netanyahu says that “they wanted to strangle us, and we are strangling them.”

“We hit them, we still have more to do,” he says. [Times of Israel]

President Donald Trump told CNN on Sunday that China will have “big problems” if it ships weapons to Iran.

Asked by CNN’s Betsy Klein about US intelligence that suggests China potentially aiding Iran, he indicated that Beijing will face consequences.

“If China does that, China will have big problems, OK?” he said as he left the White House for Florida. [CNN]

On Friday, The Washington Post also reported that the “Trump administration intends to request the release of Americans detained in Iran” as part of the negotiations.

It is unclear whether there has been any discussion on the release of detainees in the Islamabad talks, or whether that has anything to do with the surprise Iranian plane landings. [Al Jazeera]

At least three planes from Tehran have landed in Rawalpindi’s Nur Khan airbase in the last hour, where both the Iranian and the US delegations arrived.

The planes belong to Pouya Air, which is an Iranian cargo airline considered to be affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), specifically supporting the Quds Force and Aerospace Force.

The airline operates out of Mehrabad International Airport, which was recently bombed in US-Israeli attacks.

It is not immediately clear why the planes have arrived in Pakistan, or who has flown in – considering Iran already has an at least 70-person-strong contingent present in Islamabad. [Al Jazeera]

The Iranian source warned that if US negotiators do not take what he called a “realistic outlook,” the strait will remain closed.

The source also claimed Iran has demonstrated its ability to enforce such a closure, calling the situation “a repetition of a miscalculation” that would be “to America’s detriment.” [CNN]

The status of the Strait of Hormuz will remain unchanged until Iran and the United States reach a “common framework” for continuing negotiations, an Iranian security source told CNN.

The source said “excessive demands” by the American side on multiple issues — including the vital waterway — have so far prevented the two sides from agreeing on a shared basis to move talks forward.

“Iran is in no hurry,” the source said, adding that Tehran has conveyed to the US that until a common framework is reached, “the status of the Strait of Hormuz will remain unchanged,” and that “even the number of ships that had been agreed upon will not be able to pass.” [CNN]

US President Donald Trump told reporters at White House that it makes no difference to him whether a deal is reached with Iran, as US and Iran engaged in negotiations in Pakistan.

“Regardless what happens, we win,” Trump said as he departed the White House for Florida, later adding: “Whether we make a deal or not, makes no difference to me.”

“We’ve totally defeated that country and so let’s see what happens,” Trump said.

He repeats previous assertions the US has taken out Iran's air force, navy and leadership, and is now working to open up the Strait of Hormuz, which he says the US is doing on behalf countries who are either "afraid or weak or cheap".

"We were not helped by Nato," he says.

Coming back to the talks, Trump says: "Let's see what happens, but from my standpoint I don't care." [BBC]

The US military said on Saturday that it had started “setting conditions" for clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz, with two US warships passing through the key waterway.

In a post on X, the US Central Command said the USS Frank Peterson and USS Michael Murphy transited the Strait of Hormuz "as part of a broader mission to ensure the strait is fully clear of sea mines previously laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps." [Read More]

Three supertankers passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, shipping data showed, marking what appeared to be the first vessels to exit the Gulf since the US-Iran ceasefire deal and as peace talks got underway in Pakistan.

Tehran's blockade of the strait, a chokepoint for about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, since the start of the Iran war at the end of February has disrupted global energy supplies and sent oil prices soaring.

The Liberia-flagged Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) Serifos and China-flagged VLCCs Cospearl Lake and He Rong Hai, entered and exited the "Hormuz Passage trial anchorage" that bypasses Iran's Larak Island on Saturday, LSEG data showed.

Each vessel is capable of carrying 2 million barrels of oil. [Read More]

UN agency chiefs on Saturday demanded an end to impunity for widespread international law violations in the Middle East, as casualties pile up six weeks into the war unleasped by US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

In a joint statement, the heads of multiple United Nations agencies said they were "alarmed by the sustained violations of the rules of war and international humanitarian law" in the region.

"Even wars have rules, and these rules must be respected," the statement from the UN Inter-Agency Standing Committee said. [AFP]

The Israeli military said Saturday it had struck more than 200 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon within the last 24 hours, among them rocket launchers.

"In the last 24 hours, the IDF struck more than 200 Hezbollah terror targets in Lebanon. The Israeli air force continues to strike Hezbollah infrastructure and aid the ground forces operating in southern Lebanon," the military said.

On Friday, Lebanon's presidency said that a meeting would be held with Israel in Washington next week to discuss a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war and the potential start of negotiations between the neighbours. [AFP]

Iran’s IRIB broadcaster has cited a senior military official as denying that any US vessel crossed the Strait of Hormuz.

The denial follows a report in US news site Axios citing a US official as saying several US naval ships crossed the waterway, and after Trump claimed the US was working to clear the strait of mines. [Al Jazeera]

The United States has started "clearing out" the Strait of Hormuz, US President Donald Trump said Saturday, as US-Iran negotiations toward a deal to end the Middle East war got underway.

The comment came as US media outlet Axios reported that several US navy ships had crossed the Strait on Saturday in a move not coordinated with Iran. A senior Iranian military official -- quoted by state television -- denied the report.

"We're now starting the process of clearing out the Strait of Hormuz," Trump said on his Truth Social platform, calling it "a favor" to countries such as China, Japan and France that "don't have the Courage or Will to do this work themselves." [AFP]

Senior Iranian and American officials began negotiations in Pakistan on Saturday, Iranian media reported, in a bid to bring to an end the Middle East war which plunged the region into violence and sent shockwaves through the world economy.

According to Iranian media reports, the Iranian delegation decided to begin talks with their US counterparts after meeting with their Pakistani host, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who also sat down with US Vice President JD Vance.

The Iranian delegation is led by parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Vance was accompanied by White House envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. [AFP]

Delegations are expected to remain in Islamabad for a day, but lower-level discussions are set to continue beyond today, according to sources.

These delegate-level talks, involving experts, will focus on finalising conditions, with the Iranian side fielding multiple expert committees.

Diplomats said negotiations are most effective behind closed doors, and details will only emerge once negotiators conclude their meetings. [Al Jazeera]

French President Emmanuel Macron said he has discussed the situation in the Middle East with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a recent call.

In a post on X, Macron said he reiterated his full support for the ceasefire, which “must be fully respected and extended without delay in Lebanon”.

“We discussed the need to restore fully free and safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz as quickly as possible,” Macron said.

He added that he and Prince Mohammed agreed to remain in close contact to contribute to de-escalation, freedom of navigation and the conclusion of an agreement to “ensure lasting peace and security in the region” amid the ongoing discussions in Islamabad. [Al Jazeera]

Iranian media said on Saturday that negotiations with the United States to end the Middle East war had begun in Islamabad, though the format of the talks remained unclear.

The Fars and Tasnim news agencies said "it was decided to begin negotiations" following "progress made during preliminary talks and the reduction of attacks by the Zionist regime in southern Beirut in Lebanon", referring to Israel.

Iranian agencies Mehr and Isna also announced the start of negotiations, after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's office said the peace talks had "commenced". [AFP]

The Iranian Foreign Ministry said it is ⁠in touch with Lebanon to make sure ⁠ceasefire commitments are being respected on ⁠all fronts, the ministry spokesperson has told Iranian state TV from Islamabad, where talks involving senior US and Iranian officials are taking place.

Lebanese officials close ⁠to Hezbollah told the Reuters news agency on Friday that the ⁠group was supportive of ⁠the Pakistan ⁠dialogue, and said it was the right approach instead ‌of a separate set of talks in Washington ‌next ‌week. [Al Jazeera]

Iran's Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghadam on Saturday said the talks in Islamabad are aimed at helping “end an illegal war against the Iranian nation”

“[A] war that is not only a blatant crime against the Iranian nation and civilization, but also has endangered the security of the region and the world,” he posted.

“It remains to be seen whether the US honours the mediation efforts of the host in good office or…?!” questioned Moghadam, who is with the Iranian delegation. [Al Jazeera]

French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday said he has discussed the ceasefire talks with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“We initially discussed the ‌situation in the Middle East, and called for all parties to respect the ceasefire and to ⁠make sure this applies ⁠to Lebanon, and for all parties to respect ⁠the freedom of navigation in ⁠the Straits ⁠of Hormuz, and we highlighted the importance of getting a ‌strong and lasting diplomatic solution,” Macron posted ‌on ‌X. [Al Jazeera]

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday met the Iranian delegation, with the Iranian side led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

In a statement, Sharif’s office said he “appreciated Iran’s engagement” as he affirmed Pakistan’s “sincere resolve to continue playing its role as a mediator to help build momentum towards achieving meaningful results in the interest of regional and global peace and stability”.

Sharif has held bilateral meetings with both Iranian and US delegations on Saturday, with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, army chief Asim Munir and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also attending. [Al Jazeera]

Lebanon's health ministry said 10 people including three emergency workers were killed by Israeli strikes on south Lebanon on Saturday, as state media reported raids on more than a dozen locations.

The ministry said three deadly strikes hit locations in the Nabatiyeh district, with the dead including a member of the Lebanese civil defence and two paramedics from the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Committee, decrying what it said was Israel's "systematic" targeting of emergency workers. [AFP]

The Saudi finance minister was in Islamabad in a show of "economic support", a source familiar with the matter told AFP on Saturday, days after Pakistan said it would return billions in loans to Riyadh's ally-turned-rival the UAE.

Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan had met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif a day earlier, according to the premier's office, which said Islamabad was committed to expanding cooperation "in trade, investment, and economic development".

Jadaan's visit comes as Islamabad hosts US-Iran talks aimed at ending the Middle East war, which he is not attending. [AFP]

A ⁠US official has denied reports ⁠that Washington ⁠has agreed to unfreeze Iranian assets.

Reuters news agency ‌reported earlier in the day that the US had ⁠agreed to release Iranian ⁠frozen assets held in ⁠Qatar and ⁠other ⁠foreign banks, quoting a senior Iranian source. [Al Jazeera]

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met US Vice President JD Vance in Islamabad on Saturday, the former's office said, adding that peace talks to end the Middle East war had "commenced".

"As the Islamabad Talks commenced today, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with His Excellency JD Vance, Vice President of the United States of America," the statement said.

The meeting was confirmed by a US vice presidential pool report, which said Vance was accompanied by top US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. [AFP]

Iran’s first vice president Mohammad Reza Aref on Saturday said the outcome of the high-stakes negotiations in Islamabad rests entirely on US priorities.

He posted on X that a mutually beneficial agreement is probable if US representatives focus on their “America First” interests.

He issued a warning against any pivot towards an “Israel First” agenda. [Al Jazeera]

A senior Iranian source said on Saturday the US had agreed to release Iranian frozen assets that were held in Qatar and other foreign banks, welcoming the move as a sign of "seriousness" in reaching a deal with Washington in talks in Islamabad.

The United States has not made any public comments on the issue of unfreezing assets.

The source, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, told Reuters that unfreezing the assets was "directly linked to ensuring safe passage through Strait of Hormuz", which is expected to be a key issue in the talks. [Reuters]