US and Iran edge towards talks again as blockade standoff deepens

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that leaders of Israel and Lebanon will speak Thursday, after they held a high-level face-to-face meeting in Washington Tuesday - the first such negotiation since 1993.

"Trying to get a little breathing room between Israel and Lebanon. It has been a long time since the two leaders have spoken, like 34 years. It will happen tomorrow," Trump wrote without specifying who will be involved or offering further details.

Lebanon was pulled into the Middle East war on March 2 after Iran-backed Hezbollah attacked Israel, and more than 2,000 people have been killed by Israeli strikes since.

Amid escalating global conflicts and deepening inequalities, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for urgent dialogue and de-escalation to address 'profound geopolitical tensions.'

In a post on X, Guterres highlighted the gravity of the current global situation and said, "We are living through profound geopolitical tensions, widening inequalities, eroding trust & immense human suffering."

Emphasising the need for dialogue and de-escalation, he added, "This moment demands dialogue, de-escalation & full respect for international law."

Reaffirming the United Nations' commitment to global stability, Guterres urged continued efforts to " strengthen peace & ensure justice for all."

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday reiterated Islamabad's stance in promoting dialogue between the United States and Iran for a deal to achieve a complete end to the hostilities in West Asia, during his meeting with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah.

In a post on X, Sharif said he had the "pleasure and honour" of meeting the Saudi Crown Prince and conveyed Pakistan's solidarity with the Kingdom and also appreciated Saudi Arabia's "patience and restraint" under the Crown Prince's leadership during such times.

The Pakistan Prime Minister highlighted recent developments related to Islamabad's diplomatic outreach, stating that Pakistan's peace efforts contributed to facilitating a US-Iran ceasefire and initiating what he described as "historic peace talks" in Islamabad.

Sharif further reiterated Pakistan's firm commitment to encouraging both Washington and Tehran to move towards an agreement aimed at ensuring lasting peace and stability in the region.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart that opening the Strait of Hormuz was a unanimous demand from the international community.

Wang Yi told Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a phone call late Wednesday that Iran’s sovereignty, security, and legitimate rights should be respected as a littoral state of the Strait of Hormuz, but freedom of navigation and safety through the strait should be ensured.

Wang noted that the current situation had reached a critical juncture between war and peace and also said that the window of peace was opening .

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Wang Yi that his country was willing to continue to seek a rational and realistic solution through peaceful negotiations, the statement said.

The United States has clarified that a possible ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is not part of its negotiations with Iran, even as Washington steps up diplomatic efforts to ease tensions along Israel's northern border.

A senior administration official said the US had "not asked for" a truce in Lebanon and that it was "not part of the peace negotiations with Iran". However, the official added that President Donald Trump "would welcome the end of hostilities in Lebanon as part of a peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon".

The remarks come a day after rare direct talks between Israel and Lebanon were hosted at the State Department by Secretary of State Marco Rubio -- the first such engagement between the two countries in years.

The discussions were described by US officials as a step towards reducing tensions and potentially opening a pathway to a broader agreement.

Iran arrested four suspected Israeli spies, state media reported on Thursday.

"The four agents linked to the Mossad were apprehended in Gilan governorate" in northern Iran, IRNA reported, citing a statement from Iran's Revolutionary Guards.

The Mossad is Israel's foreign intelligence agency.

"The arrestees had provided Mossad intelligence officers with images and locations of some sensitive and critical military and security sites via the internet", it said.

The suspects have been handed over to judicial authorities, the report added.

The United States announced that it is tightening sanctions against Iran's oil industry as Tehran keeps up its closure of the Strait of Hormuz as part of the Mideast war.

The new punishment targets oil transport infrastructure by slapping sanctions on more than two dozen people, companies and ships that operate within the network of petroleum shipping magnate Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, the Treasury Department said.

"Treasury is moving aggressively with 'Economic Fury' by targeting regime elites like the Shamkhani family that attempt to profit at the expense of the Iranian people," US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement, alluding to a financial pressure campaign against Iran.

Hardliner Mohsen Rezaei, a top military adviser to Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, warned Wednesday that Iran would take ground-invading US soldiers hostage and sink American ships enforcing a military blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping waterway for oil, gas and other Gulf exports.

Battleships in the US armada "can definitely be exposed to our missiles and we can destroy them," Rezaei, a former commander-in-chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guards who was named as a military adviser by Khamenei last month, told state TV.

Rezaei added it would be "great" if Washington launched a ground invasion of Iran as "we would take thousands of hostages and then for each hostage we would get a billion dollars."

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said Wednesday that Iran will "for sure" participate in the 2026 World Cup despite the Middle East war.

"Iran is coming for sure. We hope that by then the situation will be a peaceful situation, that would definitely help," Infantino said on broadcaster CNBC.

"But Iran has to come they represent their people, they have qualified, the players want to play," he said of the team's upcoming matches scheduled in the United States in June.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has posted a video showing him welcoming Pakistan's Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, who is on a visit with his team to Iran. The Pakistani delegation arrived in Tehran bearing a new message from Washington after President Donald Trump indicated talks could resume "this week" following last weekend's failed negotiations in Islamabad.

"Delighted to welcome Field Marshal Munir to Iran. Expressed gratitude for Pakistan's gracious hosting of dialogue, emphasizing that it reflects our deep and great bilateral relationship. Our commitment to promoting peace and stability in the region remains strong—and shared."

A supertanker heading to Iraq has made a second attempt to pass through the Strait of Hormuz into the Arabian Gulf, even as Iran warned that Red Sea trade could grind to a halt as US naval blockade threatens the fragile ceasefire. The crude carrier Agios Fanourios I, which is not blacklisted by any jurisdiction, becomes the first crude tanker to move west through the Hormuz chokepoint since the US began a naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman on Monday. The Malta-flagged very large crude carrier (VLCC) was broadcasting a route to Basrah, Iraq, according to marine vessel-tracking data.

The US Central Command said that it turned back an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel that tried to slip past the US blockade after departing Bandar Abbas port, exiting the Strait of Hormuz and moving along Iran’s coastline. In a post, the military said the guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance “successfully redirected” the vessel, which was heading back toward Iran.

White House announced that the US is currently in discussions regarding the possibility of holding a second round of negotiations with Iran in Pakistan.

His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, and US President Donald Trump discussed the latest regional and international developments on Wednesday during a phone call, amid the rapid escalation in the region. The discussion focused particularly on the repercussions of recent tensions on the security of international navigation, the stability of energy markets, and global supply chains.

The United States said on Wednesday it was discussing a possible second round of peace talks with Iran in Pakistan and was optimistic about reaching a deal, as Tehran threatened to shut down Red Sea trade unless Washington lifted a naval blockade on its ports.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters further talks "would very likely" be in the Pakistani capital, saying: "Those discussions are being had" and "we feel good about the prospects of a deal."

Day 47: US optimistic about reaching peace deal with Iran

Day 46: 2 days to US-Iran talks in Pakistan? Trump thinks so

Day 45: US, Iran discuss 'another round' of direct talks

Day 44: US to begin 'blockade' of Iranian ports on Monday

Day 43: 3-way talks with the US and Iran begin in Pakistan

Day 42: Trump says Iran has 'no cards' as Vance heads for talks

Day 41: Kuwait condemns drone attacks, US warns vs Hormuz toll

Day 40: Trump agrees to suspend attack on Iran by two weeks