US-Israel-Iran War Live News Updates: Trump Hits Out At Iran Amid Ceasefire; Iran Says Talks In Pakistan Suspended

Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and they reviewed the progress of Pakistan’s mediation efforts to achieve sustainable peace in the region, said a statement issued by the PMO.

It said the two leaders expressed satisfaction with the de-escalation achieved so far and stressed the need to maintain peace and a ceasefire by all parties.  They vowed to provide all support to the US and Iran to reach a peaceful settlement of their conflict.

They “appreciated the restraint demonstrated by all sides and reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to facilitate and provide all-out support to both sides to arrive at a peacefully negotiated settlement”.

Blocked roads leading up to Islamabad’s red zone, home to Parliament, key Government installations, luxury hotels, embassies and the offices of foreign organisations, as the Pakistani capital gears up to host the US and Iran for peace talks: Reuters

Underlining Iran's continued control of the Strait of Hormuz, a Botswana-flagged liquified natural gas tanker called the Nidi attempted to travel out of the Persian Gulf via a route ordered by the Revolutionary Guard but suddenly turned around and headed back, ship-tracking data showed.

On Thursday, four tankers and three bulk carriers crossed through the Strait of Hormuz, bringing the total number of ships passing through since the ceasefire to at least 12, according to the data firm Kpler.

However, other ships not transmitting their locations may have passed through as well. The strait typically saw well over 100 ships passing through it daily in peacetime.

(Source: AP)

Statement from Israel's Prime Minister's Office:

"Pakistan Defence Minister’s call for Israel’s annihilation is outrageous. This is not a statement that can be tolerated from any government, especially not from one that claims to be a neutral arbiter for peace." [sic]

 Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in a statement carried by Iran's state-run IRNA news agency denied launching attacks on Persian Gulf states after Kuwait's announcement. "If these reports published by the media are true, without a doubt it is the work of the Zionist enemy or America," the Revolutionary Guard said. However, the Guard also launched repeated attacks on civilian targets in the war and could also be using Shiite militias in Iraq to launch assaults, providing deniability for Iran ahead of the talks.

(Source: AP)

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a message on Telegram that Iran's decision to accept a ceasefire "is not a sign of weakness but a way to solidify Iran's proud victories." Despite disputes over the ceasefire, it appears to have halted weeks of missile and drone attacks by Iran on its Gulf Arab neighbours and Israel, with no new launches reported.

Saudi Arabia's state-run Saudi Press Agency, quoting an anonymous official, acknowledged a recent attack in the war that damaged its crucial East-West pipeline. That pipeline carries oil out to the Red Sea and avoids the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran maintains a chokehold on despite the pause in the fighting.

(Source: AP)

Kuwait has accused Iran and its proxies of launching drone attacks targeting it despite the two-week ceasefire in the Iran war, as Saudi Arabia said recent attacks damaged a key pipeline in the kingdom. The statement from Kuwait's foreign ministry, carried by the state-run KUNA news agency, put new pressure on the ceasefire ahead of planned talks on Saturday between the United States and Iran in Islamabad.

Kuwait's foreign ministry said the drone attacks "targeted some vital Kuwaiti facilities".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he authorised direct negotiations "as soon as possible" with Lebanon aimed at disarming Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants and establishing relations between the neighbours. Netanyahu's announcement came amid disagreement over whether the ceasefire deal included a pause in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, and a day after Israel pounded Beirut with airstrikes that resulted in the deadliest day in Lebanon since the war began on Feb. 28.

Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that time is running out for a ceasefire deal with the US and Israel, stating that a bilateral ceasefire or negotiations are unreasonable in the current situation. He cited three key clauses, including no backtracking on Lebanon and strong responses to ceasefire violations. 

US President Donald Trump says that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon because of him. In a post on Truth Social, he slammed Wall Street Journal and wrote, "The Wall Street Journal, one of the worst and most inaccurate “Editorial Boards” in the World, stated that I “declared premature victory in Iran.” Actually, it is a Victory, and there’s nothing “premature” about it! Because of me, IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON and, very quickly, you’ll see Oil start flowing, with or without the help of Iran and, to me, it makes no difference, either way. The Wall Street Journal will, as usual, live to eat their words. They are always quick to criticize, but never to admit when they’re wrong, which is most of the time! President DONALD J. TRUMP." [sic]

Iranian media has reported that talks in Pakistan have been suspended till Israel stops military offensive in Lebanon.

US President Donald Trump appears to be casting doubt on the effectiveness of the ceasefire that has halted the Iran war. "Iran is doing a very poor job, dishonorable some would say, of allowing Oil to go through the Strait of Hormuz," he wrote on his social media, adding, "That is not the agreement we have!"

The post came after Trump posted earlier that "There are reports that Iran is charging fees to tankers going through the Hormuz Strait – They better not be and, if they are, they better stop now!"

The White House supports reopening the strait as part of the ceasefire deal, but says that Trump opposes Iran's military, which continues to control the waterway, from seeking to raise revenue by charging tolls on passing ships.