Latest war news. Trump: Iran has requested a meeting, which will take place tomorrow in Doha

Despite Iran’s statements to the contrary (see post below), a source familiar with the negotiations between the United States and Iran told Al Jazeera today that “the technical teams working on the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding will meet in Doha in the coming days”.

The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied reports that Iranian and US technical teams were due to meet in the coming days to discuss the implementation of the agreement aimed at ending the conflict in the Middle East. “No technical meetings of the working groups are scheduled for this week,” said Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi – as quoted by state television – referring to the Iranian week ending on Friday.

Iran has announced that the first meeting with Oman on the management of the Strait of Hormuz took place, following the agreement reached with the US. “During the visit to Muscat, the first meeting of the Joint Hormuz Committee was held with Abdulaziz Al-Hinai, Oman’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. During the discussion on current issues relating to the Strait, we exchanged views on the future management of the Strait within the framework of paragraph five of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding and the sovereign rights of coastal states,” wrote Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, on X.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has stated that Qatar will unfreeze $6 billion of Iranian assets, whilst negotiations with the United States have been severely strained by this weekend’s attacks in the Persian Gulf. Pezeshkian is the most senior Iranian official to have referred to the unfreezing of funds held by Qatar, a key mediator in the negotiations with Pakistan. So far, US officials say that no frozen Iranian assets have been unfrozen.

“Iran does not seek to build nuclear weapons.” This was stated by Iranian President Mahsoud Pezeshkian. “We assure the international community that Iran’s nuclear activities will be carried out in accordance with the country’s needs and within the framework of the policies announced by our country,” he emphasised, according to the IRNA news agency.

“The recent agreement with the United States has been a significant achievement and a great victory for the Iranian people,” I consider the fact that, thanks to this, “sanctions on the oil and petrochemical sectors have been lifted” and “six billion dollars of the 12 billion dollars of our funds frozen in Qatar will be released and returned to the country”. This was stated by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during a visit to the holy city of Qom. “We will continue to work to recover the remaining frozen Iranian funds,” he added, stating that, as “the late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, used to say, we do not intend to acquire nuclear weapons and we continue to reaffirm this position”. Addressing the international community, the Iranian president added that “our nuclear activities will be proportionate to the country’s needs”.

“I think Rutte said some things that were wrong, but he later corrected himself, because Italia has always complied with international treaties and has never provided bases for American attacks against Iran. We have authorised the use of our bases in accordance with the treaties we have with the United States, namely for logistical purposes only and not for military operations. This is what we have done; Rutte certainly cannot know what is going on, not least because it was not an activity involving NATO. Therefore, I repeat, we are fully in compliance with the rules; we also made this clear to the Iranian government during a lengthy conversation I had with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, explaining that no American bombers have ever taken off from Italia to strike Iran”. The Foreign Minister made these remarks on Radio 24Mattino, hosted by Simone Spetia, referring to the comments by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who spoke of 500 flights departing from US bases in Italia. “I believe Tehran has fully understood – we have stated this officially – that Italia has never been at war with Iran,” Tajani continued. “So much so that our embassy in Tehran is still operational. Once the American bombing had ended, it was reopened, so we are active there. Rutte’s statements were incorrect; they have nothing to do with reality, and even the figures are completely inaccurate. Far fewer flights were used, and the landings made by the Americans – including those for technical stopovers – were far fewer, so that is not the case; he did not tell the truth; he was misinformed.”

- The Iranian Foreign Ministry has announced that it held its first meeting with Oman on the management of the Strait of Hormuz since Tehran and Washington signed the preliminary agreement to end the conflict in the Middle East. “The first meeting of the Joint Committee on Hormuz took place during a visit to Muscat,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on X. “Whilst examining current issues relating to the strait, we exchanged views on its future management,” he added.

“There will be ‘tensions’ in Iran ‘until a final agreement is reached, but the announcement of an additional ceasefire is a positive development; it means that the dialogue is moving forward’.” This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in an interview with Radio24.

Iran has announced that the first meeting with Oman on the management of the Strait of Hormuz took place, following the agreement reached with the US. “During the visit to Muscat, the first meeting of the Joint Hormuz Committee was held with Abdulaziz Al-Hinai, Oman’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. During the discussion on current issues relating to the Strait, we exchanged views on the future management of the Strait within the framework of paragraph five of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding and the sovereign rights of coastal states,” wrote Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, on X.

“There will be tensions between the US and Iran until a final agreement is reached. The announcement of the additional ceasefire alone – the fact that there will be no new attacks – is a positive development. The dialogue continues.” This was stated by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in an interview with Radio24. “It is not clear,” he added, “why Iran attacked Kuwait and Bahrain, countries that have nothing to do with US-Iran relations. There are American bases there, it is true, but countries uninvolved in the conflict were targeted.” Regarding the Rutte case, according to Tajani, the NATO leader “said the wrong things and then corrected himself”. He gave “completely inaccurate figures. There were far fewer landings, such as technical stopovers. He did not tell the truth; he was misinformed”. Italia, on the other hand, “has always respected international treaties” and has “never provided bases for attacks, but only for what is provided for in the treaties: logistical use, not military operations”. Moreover, “Rutte cannot know what was happening; it did not concern NATO. We have everything in order; I also told the Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi this: no bombers have ever taken off from our bases. I believe Iran has understood this clearly; we have officially stated that we have never been at war with them”, so much so that “the embassy remains open”.

The United States and Iran are set to suspend the mutual attacks that had marked a resumption of hostilities following the signing of their memorandum of understanding. “Technical discussions on all points of the memorandum of understanding are expected to continue. Both sides will cease (the attacks) for the time being and ships will be able to move freely” within and around the Strait of Hormuz, a US official told AFP, whilst declining to confirm reports in the American media regarding a meeting between Iranian and US officials scheduled for Tuesday in Qatar, with the Strait of Hormuz on the agenda.

An adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader has issued a “serious warning” to Bahrain, threatening to respond with greater force in the event of provocation, following the attacks on a US Navy base in the Gulf kingdom. “A serious warning is being issued to the Bahrainis so that they know their limits and do not play with their own fate, nor force Iran to take drastic measures,” said Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. Iran has claimed that the attacks on the US base in Bahrain, which took place on Friday and Saturday, were in retaliation for American attacks on its territory. Tehran has accused Washington of using military bases in the Gulf states to launch operations against Iran, an accusation which the Gulf states reject.

- Flights between Tehran and Dubai are set to resume tomorrow, just a few weeks after Iran carried out drone and missile attacks on targets in the United Arab Emirates. This has been reported by Iranian and Emirati media. “The necessary measures have been taken to reopen the Tehran–Dubai route at Imam Khomeini Airport,” said Ramin Kashefazar, the director of Tehran Airport, according to Iranian state television. Tickets were already available for purchase today on the website of the Iranian airline Sepehran for tomorrow’s flight to Dubai at 10.40 am local time.

- The United States and Iran have agreed to suspend attacks against each other in the Strait of Hormuz and to hold a meeting on Tuesday in Doha. Axios reports this, citing a senior US official.

The Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament and Hezbollah ally, Nabih Berri, has stated that the trilateral framework agreement between Lebanon, Israel and the United States will not be approved as it does not guarantee Lebanon’s rights. “This agreement will not be passed and will not be implemented in its current form,” Berri said in a statement issued by his party, the Amal Movement, and reported by local media, adding that it is “an agreement based on impositions, not one that safeguards Lebanon’s rights”.

The agreement paves the way for peace between Lebanon and Israel and makes Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon conditional on Hezbollah’s disarmament. Hezbollah has rejected the agreement, warning that it could trigger a civil war.

The Lebanese group Hezbollah has accused the Israeli army of violating the ceasefire in Lebanon by launching several attacks in southern areas last Sunday.

Hezbollah has claimed that Israeli fighter jets targeted residential buildings in the southern town of Nabatieh and the nearby town of Mayfadoun. Among other incidents – according to Al Jazeera – an Israeli drone strike was carried out in open areas in the town of Froun and the district of Bint Jbeil, whilst explosions hit residential buildings in Taybeh and Haddatha. “We are monitoring and observing these violations (of the ceasefire agreement) and reserve the right to defend our homeland and our people,” the statement reads.

An adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader has warned Bahrain that Tehran would strike the country with greater force if provoked. “A serious warning is being issued to the Bahraini people so that they know their limits and do not toy with their own fate, nor force Iran to take drastic measures,” said Ali Akbar Velayati, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

According to Al Jazeera, Iran attacked a US Navy base in Bahrain on Friday and Saturday in response to American attacks. Tehran claims that the United States is using military bases in the region to launch attacks on its territory. The Gulf states deny this claim, and Manama has condemned the latest attacks, stating that they violate its sovereignty and undermine “opportunities for de-escalation and stability in the region”.