US President Donald Trump on Saturday cancelled a trip by two US envoys to Pakistan, stating that he no longer plans to send a US delegation to Pakistan this weekend, blaming 'infighting' in Iran for derailing potential talks and saying the trip would have been “too much work.”
The US military said on Tuesday it had seized a tanker linked to Iran in international waters, its latest apparent action to enforce a blockade, with time running out on a ceasefire and the prospect of last-ditch further peace talks still up in the air, reported Reuters.
Tensions have escalated again in the Strait of Hormuz as Iran said it was tightening control over it warning mariners that the energy lifeline was again closed, as shipping sources said at least two vessels came under fire while trying to transit the waterway. It said this was in response to a continued US blockade of Iranian ports.
Israel's war with Iran incurred 35 billion shekels ($11.52 billion) in budgetary expenses, with 22 billion shekels of that going to defence, the Finance Ministry said on Sunday, citing a preliminary estimate.
US delegation led by Vice President JD Vance met directly with Iranian officials in Pakistan on Saturday — a significant moment for two countries that have typically held high-level talks through intermediaries, a CNN report said.
The US military conducted strikes on military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island, the Axios news outlet reports, citing an unidentified senior US official. Several blasts have been reported on the Island, a vital oil export terminal for the country, stated Iranian media, adding a rail bridge has been struck in central Iranian city.
Iran said on Monday it wanted a lasting end to the war with the US and Israel, and pushed back against pressure to swiftly reopen the Strait of Hormuz under a temporary ceasefire as US President Donald Trump warned the country could be "taken out" if it did not meet his Tuesday night deadline to reach a deal.
Two US warplanes were downed over Iran, said media reports, with two pilots rescued and a third still missing and being hunted by Tehran's forces. The incidents show the risks still faced by US jets over Iran despite assertions from President Donald Trump that their forces had total control of the skies.
The heads of the International Energy Agency, International Monetary Fund, and World Bank on Wednesday said they will form a coordination group to maximise their response to the significant economic and energy impacts of the war in the Middle East.
The risk of an expanded Iran war grew as Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis on Saturday launched their first attacks on Israel since the start of the conflict, as additional US forces reached the Middle East. The first of two contingents of Marines arrived on an amphibious assault ship.
