US-Israel War on Iran Day 27: Trump insists Iran is ‘begging’ to make a deal, not him

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The US Central Command has confirmed the death of Admiral Alireza Tangsiri even as the US military called on Iranians serving in the IRGC Navy to "immediately abandon their post and return home".

“US military strikes on the IRGC-N will continue. Therefore, we call on every Iranian serving in the IRGC-N to immediately abandon their post and return home to avoid further risk of unnecessary injury or death,” said US Admiral Brad Cooper, CentCom Commander.

Jordan has strongly condemned Iranian attack on United Arab Emirates, which resulted in the deaths of two individuals of Pakistani and Indian nationality. Several others were injured, including a Jordanian citizen, an Emirati national, and an Indian national, following fall of debris in Abu Dhabi.

Shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz are showing early signs of life again, with the US Department of the Treasury signaling a cautious rebound in maritime traffic — even as war tensions with Iran continue to dominate headlines.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said vessel movement in and out of the Arabian Gulf is now "increasing day by day", describing the shift as “the beginning” of a broader recovery.

"You're starting to see more and more movement in and out of the Gulf today, and this is more than yesterday, and this is the beginning."

US President Donald J. Trump announced a suspension of operations linked to targeting Iran's energy facilities for 10 days, effective until 6 April 2026. This move represents a 10-day extension of the current pause and comes as part of ongoing talks.

In a statement published on Truth Social, President Trump explained that the decision followed a request from the Iranian government. He noted that current discussions "are going very well," despite what he described as "erroneous statements to the contrary."

UN food and agriculture agency’s top economist Maximo Torero said markets will absorb the Iran war’s impact if the conflict ends in the next two weeks or so. But if it continues for three to six months it will not only impact food security and energy but other sectors as well because prices will rise.

And those rising prices, and the fall in remittances from overseas workers, will affect economic development and growth across the globe, the chief economist for the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization told a U.N. press conference Thursday.

He said an El Nino climate phenomenon, which tends to increase global temperatures, is also expected soon. A strong El Nino could significantly exacerbate the economic situation, he said.

“My message is, we need to find a way to resolve this problem as soon as possible,” Torero said in the video press conference. “Because, if not, the consequences … could be very dramatic, even worse that what happened in the Ukraine war.”

The Israeli army announced the death in combat on Thursday of a soldier in south Lebanon, just hours after reporting another death from its ranks.

"Sergeant Aviaad Elchanan Volansky, 21, from Jerusalem, a soldier in the 77th Battalion of the 7th Brigade, was killed in action in southern Lebanon," a military statement said.

Four Israeli soldiers have now been killed in fighting in south Lebanon since Hezbollah began launching rocket attacks against Israel on March 2 to avenge the killing of Iran's supreme leader.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that it was in the "interest" of all G7 nations to push for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz currently blocked by Iran.

"It's in their interest to help," Rubio said shortly before heading to France where he will attend a meeting of G7 foreign ministers outside Paris on Friday.

Rubio, who skipped the first day of G7 talks on Thursday, said there was "progress" in talks with Iran, but refused to speculate on when or how they might end.

"There are intermediary countries that are passing messages, and progress has been made," Rubio said, calling it an "ongoing process."

The Advocate General and Head of the Terrorist Crimes Prosecution in Bahrain announced that the Attorney General has ordered 14 defendants in four separate cases to be referred to the Criminal Court. Several of the accused, including a female defendant, are fugitives reportedly in Iran.

According to the Bahrain News Agency, the defendants are accused of working with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to plan hostile acts against Bahrain. Charges include providing funds and logistical support, receiving military training, sharing classified defence information, spreading false news to incite panic, and photographing sensitive sites for potential attacks.

The Prosecution said the defendants completed their tasks by sending data and images to the IRGC, which were used to target Bahraini buildings and facilities, highlighting a serious threat to national security.

The World Bank on Thursday said it was prepared to provide immediate financial assistance to countries in emerging markets dealing with the economic fallout of the conflict in the Middle East.

"We are ready to respond at scale - combining immediate financial relief with policy expertise and private sector support for the recovery of jobs and growth," the World Bank Group said in its first statement on the crisis.

The multilateral donor and development agency said a number of its clients in affected countries had reached out as the crisis has begun to impact commodity prices and logistics.

The World Bank said it would use a broad range of tools to help countries, including a "crisis response toolkit, and pre-arranged financing facilities."

"Clearly, this is an evolving situation and we cannot predict the full range of impacts," the statement said.

"As everyone has said, the longer this lasts, and the more damage there is to critical infrastructure, the more challenging this will be for our clients."

The G7 should collectively back a de-escalation of the war in the MiddleEast, Canada's foreign minister said Thursday, before a meeting of top diplomats from the group expected to be dominated by the conflict.

Anita Anand told AFP in an interview that she had spoken to all affected countries in the region and all G7 members "to ensure that we are all collectively advocating for de-escalation and for the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and for a path forwards for the Iranian people that preserves their lives."

"We must continue to use diplomatic channels to be sure there is a common view not just for a de-escalation but to mitigate the economic shock," said Anand, pointing to "problems in the global provisioning chain".

Warplanes could be heard overhead in northern districts of Tehran on Thursday, shortly before three loud explosions rang out, an AFP correspondent in the Iranian capital said.

The blasts were heard after dark, during rain, and it was not immediately possible to identify what had been hit.

Israel, which earlier said it had killed a senior Iranian naval commander, has announced it plans more "wide-scale" strikes against targets in the Islamic republic.

The total number of people killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon since the outbreak of the latest Israel-Hezbollah war has risen to 1,116, with 3,229 wounded, Lebanon’s health ministry said Thursday.

The death toll includes 121 children and 83 women. More than 1 million people have been displaced in Lebanon by the conflict.

Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency service says a man in his 30s was killed by shrapnel from a missile strike in Nahariya following a barrage from Lebanon.

It said medics treated a man in his 50s who was in moderate to serious condition, and three people who were lightly wounded.

Asked by a reporter how close he was to marshaling a coalition of partners to help protect tankers moving through the strait, Trump said the US has “so much oil — our country is not affected by this.”

The narrow waterway typically sees a fifth of the world’s oil exit the Arabian Gulf through it to reach customers worldwide, particularly in Asia, and blockages there have sent oil prices near $120 per barrel at times.

And although it’s true that the United States doesn’t get a massive percentage of its oil from resources moving through the strait, the price of oil is set on the global market.

Trump earlier this week cryptically said that Iran “gave us a present.” He revealed the gift during Thursday’s Cabinet meeting.

Trump said that Iranian officials, with whom the US is engaging in backchannel talks, are allowing “eight boats of oil” to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting it was an apparent act of good faith for negotiations.

“Well, I guess we’re dealing with the right people,” said Trump, who indicated the tankers are operating under Pakistani flags.

The announcement comes a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is expanding an area it controls along southern Lebanon’s border with Israel, as Israeli troops push through more villages in the area and fight with Iran-allied Hezbollah militants.

Israel has moved several thousand troops into southern Lebanon in recent weeks in what it says is a defensive move to protect its northern border communities from Hezbollah rocket and drone fire.

The Embassy of India in the UAE has expressed deep condolences over the death of an Indian national in an incident involving falling debris in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.

In a post on X, the embassy said it is closely coordinating with UAE authorities to provide all possible support and assistance.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that Iran, by restricting oil and natural gas shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, is “trying to take control of the global economy through a choke point that we believe does not exist.”

Bessent’s phrasing was misleading, as the Strait of Hormuz is critical for global shipments of oil and natural gas, especially for Asia, and energy prices have increased since the war with Iran began.

Still, Bessent said that more tankers are making it through the Strait of Hormuz.

“I am confident that shipping traffic will continue to increase on a daily basis, even before we secure” the strait, Bessent said.

Witnesses heard repeated explosions across most parts of Iran’s capital, along with the activation of air defense systems. Very large blasts are also being reported.

“This is stuff for the history books; This is stuff for legacy,” the US defence secretary said during a Cabinet meeting Thursday.

As part of his praise for the decision to engage in the conflict, Hegseth claimed that Iran had “a modern military” but that “never in recorded history has a nation’s military been so quickly and so effectively neutralised.”

The top Iranian envoy to UN institutions in Geneva has warned in an interview that any attempt by Israel and the United States to mount a ground invasion of Iran would be a “big” mistake.

Ali Bahreini says Iran is winning the war, and has forced the US and Israel to back off their initial goals. He says those have now been reduced to trying to keep the Strait of Hormuz open for shipments to countries dependent on oil from the Arabian Gulf.

 The US defence secretary said Thursday that the war in Iran is “unlike Iraq. This isn’t a tie. This is not parity. This is not chaos. This is success. Pure American success.”

Hegseth spoke as he sat next to Trump at a Cabinet meeting. Hegseth noted that the war’s objectives “remain clear: No nukes, no navy, and complete dismantling of their missile program and defence industrial base.”

Trump noted that the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil normally flows, remained effectively closed because of the war, although the president predicted the waterway will open up.

It was delivered through Pakistan as a framework for a possible peace deal. Witkoff indicated there’s a “strong possibility” an agreement can be reached.

It’s the first time the Trump administration has confirmed the 15-point plan.

Witkoff made the comment Thursday at a Cabinet meeting. He added that Trump directed Witkoff to “maintain confidentiality” as the administration reached out, citing sensitive diplomatic discussions.

“If a deal happens, it will be great for the country of Iran, the entire region and the world at large,” he said.

Addressing the Cabinet, Vance asserted that the “conventional military” in Iran has been “effectively destroyed” during the war.

Echoing Trump, Vance said Iran no longer has a navy and “they don’t have the ability to hit us like they could of even a few weeks ago.”

“And what that does is that gives us options,” Vance said. He did not go into detail about those options.

The top US commander in the Middle East on Thursday hailed an Israeli strike that Israel earlier said killed Iranian naval commander Alireza Tangsiri.

Adm. Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, said Tangsiri’s killing put Iran’s navy on a path toward “irreversible decline” after weeks of US and Israeli strikes that he said destroyed most of its larger ships and stripped it of much of its ability to project power.

He warned that the United States would keep striking naval targets in Iran. Though the US claims to have destroyed most of Iran’s naval capabilities, it has smaller boats capable of laying mines and anti-ship cruise missiles that can be launched from ashore.

Kuwait's Defence Ministry said on Thursday that armed forces detected six ballistic missiles over the past 24 hours that had all fallen out of the "threat zone," in addition to destroying one hostile drone in the same period.

According to Kuwait News Agency, this was announced by the Spokesman of the Ministry of Defence in a news briefing regarding the current developments amid the Iranian aggression on Kuwait.

He underlined that Kuwait's armed forces stand ready to safeguard the nation's security and stability, saying that they would do their utmost to protect the country from all threats.

The US President, speaking at the start of a Thursday cabinet meeting, said he wanted to “set the record straight” that he isn’t the one pushing for a deal.

“They’re begging to make a deal, not me,” Trump said.

Iranian officials have denied that they’re negotiating with the US as the war continues in its fourth week. Trump insisted they are.

“Anybody would know they’re talking,” he said. “They’re not fools, they’re very smart actually in a certain way. And they’re great negotiators. I say they’re lousy fighters but they’re great negotiators.”

Houthi leader Abdul Malik Al Houthi reiterated the group’s condemnation against the US-Israel war against Iran, describing it as “unjustifiable,” and called for solidarity protests on Friday in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital.

During a lengthy televised speech posted on Telegram on Thursday, the Iran-backed Houthi leader said the Iran war destabilised the region and impacted the global economy, accusing the US and Israel of ignoring such consequences.

Al Houthi didn’t mention whether the armed rebel group would fight alongside Iran but said “any developments in the fight that necessitate a military response will be met with complete trust in God and reliance upon Him.”

“Our position is clear and unequivocal against America and Israel, and hold no hostile intentions towards any Muslim country,” he added.

The stock market wavered Thursday as hopes for an end to the Iran war faded and oil prices surged, with the S&P 500 falling 0.4%, the Nasdaq dropping 0.6% and the Dow little changed. The moves were the latest in a week of volatile swings driven by shifting signals around ceasefire talks between the US and Iran.

A barrel of Brent crude oil climbed 3.8% to $100.93 as hopes dimmed for a potential return to normal for the strait. That’s up from roughly $70 before the war began. Benchmark US crude climbed 3% to $93.05 per barrel.

Rising energy prices have lifted oil and natural gas companies while worsening worries about inflation and weighing on sectors in which higher energy costs threaten to curb demand, including for steel and other industrial goods.

The Pakistan Embassy in the UAE expressed deep sorrow over the death of a Pakistani national in an incident involving falling debris on Sweihan Street, Abu Dhabi, on Thursday.

In a statement posted on X, the embassy said it stands with the bereaved family, offering heartfelt condolences and prayers. It added that officials are in close coordination with local authorities to provide all possible support and to ensure the earliest possible repatriation of the deceased.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Beirut on Thursday amid a swirl of diplomatic discussions about the Iran war.

Abdelatty said that, in shuttling messages between Iran and the United States, Egypt has noted a mutual “desire for calm, for the exploration of negotiations” on both sides. But he warned the talks have not yielded “specific conclusions.”

When asked about Egypt’s role in mediating between Israel and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, he told reporters that Egyptian diplomats were voicing to all parties their opposition to Israeli occupation and destruction of civilian infrastructure in southern Lebanon.

He said the goal was to prevent the region “from sinking into a state of chaos from which it cannot emerge.”

The Israeli military says Behnam Rezaei was a “central knowledge authority in maritime intelligence.”

Earlier Thursday, Israel said it had killed the commander of Iran’s navy, Alireza Tangsiri, in an overnight airstrike in Bandar Abbas. Israel said Tangsiri had been responsible for bombing operations that blocked the Strait of Hormuz.

But Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry did not confirm whether direct talks would take place in Islamabad later this week.

At a weekly news briefing, ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said details on the timing, venue and itinerary would be shared in due course. Asked whether Iranian or U.S. delegations were expected to hold talks in Islamabad later this week, he said, “We will let you know when these developments take place.”

He added that Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts are aimed at ending the conflict and emphasized that the initiative is not directed against any country.

An Iranian health official says the death toll from the war in Iran has reached at least 1,937 people.

Iran’s Deputy Health Minister Ali Jafarian gave the figure to the pan-Arab broadcaster Al Jazeera on Thursday. He said 240 of the dead were women and 212 were children.

More than 24,800 others have been wounded so far, he added.

Iran has not offered any official death toll figures in days.

On March 26, 2026, UAE air defences intercepted 15 ballistic missiles and 11 drones launched from Iran.

Since the beginning of Iran's blatant aggression, UAE air defenses have intercepted 372 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles, and 1,826 drones.

The booms could be heard in Tel Aviv, the central Israel city of Modiin and Jerusalem after the Israeli military warned of another wave of incoming missiles from Iran.

The barrage is the eighth such wave launched at Israel on Thursday.

Pakistan’s top diplomat says that indirect talks between the United States and Iran are still ongoing, even as Washington and Tehran offer opposing proposals.

The comment by Ishaq Dar mark the first time Islamabad has publicly acknowledged being the channel by which the two countries were negotiating.

“US-Iran indirect talks are taking place through messages being relayed by Pakistan,” Dar wrote on X.

He said Egypt and Turkey, as well as other countries, are working to back the talks.

Abu Dhabi authorities have confirmed the deaths of two individuals—a Pakistani and an Indian national—after falling debris from a successfully intercepted ballistic missile on Sweihan Street caused casualties and property damage. Earlier in the morning, officials reported that three others were injured and several vehicles were damaged.

The latest Abu Dhabi incident raises the UAE’s total death toll from missile and UAV debris to 11, with today’s strike claiming two lives and injuring three others. Previous attacks have caused casualties among both military personnel and civilians, including three UAE armed forces members martyred in the line of duty and six foreign nationals from Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Palestine killed in separate debris-related incidents. A total of 166 people have been injured across multiple incidents, with cases ranging from minor to severe.

Without offering a specific threat, Trump said on Truth Social that Iranian leaders should engage “before it is too late, because once that happens, there is NOT TURNING BACK.”

The post comes a day after Trump insisted a deal is near. He said again Thursday that Iran is “‘begging’ us to make a deal” after the US pitched a 15-point ceasefire plan that Iran rejected.

Israel said Thursday it killed Commodore Alireza Tangsiri, the head of Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s navy.

Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said Tangsiri had been killed along with other senior naval commanders in a strike overnight.

Katz said Tangsiri was responsible for bombing operations that have blocked ships from crossing the Strait of Hormuz. He said the strike should serve as a “clear message” to top Iranian military officials that the Israeli military would hunt them down.

Iran did not immediately acknowledge Tangsiri’s killing.

Iraqi officials had initially reported seven soldiers were killed and 13 wounded in Wednesday’s strike on a military clinic in western Iraq’s Anbar province.

Officials took journalists on a tour Thursday at the site of the destroyed clinic, where Iraqi Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Tahsin al Khafaj said the number wounded had risen to 23.

The defense ministry has condemned the attack as a violation of international law and affirmed its right to respond. Iraq’s caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to summon the Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Iraq.

Witnesses say they heard constant explosions from airstrikes Thursday afternoon in the western Iranian city of Kermanshah.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has briefed his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim about his discussions with Gulf countries and Iran to bring Washington and Tehran to talks.

Sharif thanked Ibrahim for supporting Pakistan’s peace efforts. Ibrahim informed Sharif of his own conversations with world leaders and emphasized an urgent need to end the conflict, Sharif’s office says in a statement.

Kuwait’s Minister of Defense Sheikh Abdullah Ali Abdullah Al Salem Al Sabah inspected Kuwait International Airport following a drone attack that targeted aircraft refuelling tanks and caused a fire.

The Ministry of Defence said the damage was limited to material losses with no injuries reported, while firefighters, supported by the Kuwaiti Army, National Guard and Kuwait Oil Company, brought the fire under control.

South Korea will roll out a $17 billion "wartime" supplementary budget and expand fuel tax cuts as the war in Iran pushes up energy prices, the government said Thursday.

"The government will draw up a supplementary budget worth 25 trillion won next month - funded by excess tax revenue - in response to the prolonged Middle East conflict," the government said in a statement.

The Iranian parliament is working on a draft bill that would impose a fee on vessels seeking safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

Fars, citing an unnamed lawmaker, said the plan would be finalised next week, and would legally recognise Iran’s oversight of Hormuz, a vital conduit which connects some of the world’s largest oil and gas producers in the Arabian Gulf with the wider world.

The narrow waterway has been all but closed since US and Israeli strikes on Iran began almost a month ago, and has become a focal point of the war. Only a trickle of ships have made their way through in the intervening weeks as Iran tightens control, most of them with Iranian or Chinese connections and a handful that have secured safe passage from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Dubai Media Office has urged residents and visitors to sidestep rumours and focus on verified information following a surge in false news circulating online.

In its latest advisory, the office confirmed that Dubai is operating as normal and warned the public not to be misled by fake news.

The United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Jordan renew their condemnation in the strongest terms of the blatant Iranian attacks, which constitute a flagrant violation of their sovereignty, territorial integrity, international law, international humanitarian law, and the Charter of the United Nations, whether carried out directly or through their proxies and armed factions they support in the region.

We stress, in particular, the attacks carried out by armed factions loyal to Iran from the Republic of Iraq against a number of countries in the region, as well as their facilities and infrastructure. These acts are a breach of international laws and conventions and a blatant violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution No. 2817 (2026), which explicitly demands that Iran immediately and unconditionally cease any attacks or threats against neighboring states, including through the use of proxies.

Authorities in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi responded to an incident on Suyahan Street caused by falling shrapnel after the successful interception of a ballistic missile by air defenses.

The incident resulted in the death of two unidentified individuals and the injury of three others, along with damage to several vehicles. Authorities have confirmed that updates will be provided as they become available.

The public is urged to rely only on official sources for information and to avoid circulating rumours or unverified reports.

UAE air defence systems were dealing with incoming missile and drone threats, with authorities urging residents to remain in safe places and follow official warnings and updates through government channels.

The Israeli military said air defences were responding to missile attacks from Iran on Thursday, with sirens activated across central Israel, parts of Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank.

In two separate statements about 20 minutes apart, the military said it had "identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel".

"Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat," the statements said.

After the first attack, the military said people were "now permitted to leave protected spaces in all areas of the country".

Israel's Magen David Adom emergency medical service said there were no reports of casualties.

A ship carrying more than 700,000 barrels of Russian crude oil has arrived in the Philippines, a source with knowledge of the matter told AFP Thursday, days after the country declared a national energy emergency over the Middle East war.

The Sierra Leone-flagged Sara Sky, bearing high-quality crude from Russia's ESPO pipeline arrived on Monday, with documents showing the consignee as Petron Corp, operator of the Philippines' sole oil refinery, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous as they were not authorised to speak to press.

President Ferdinand Marcos said Wednesday that the Philippines was casting a wide net in its search for fuel, with the country's dwindling stocks expected to last only another 45 days.

"We have not only gone to our...traditional oil suppliers, we have tried to explore other sources that are not affected by the war that is ongoing in the Middle East," he said in a press briefing addressing the state of emergency.

A month into the war, there has been a shift in the priorities and the psychology of consumption is becoming more revealing than ever. It’s not the urgency of crisis buying, But as UAE retailers explain, there’s also a new composure where people think a few steps ahead. And what they’re ordering offers a glimpse into what they’re really feeling beneath the surface.

People are thinking a few steps ahead, as retailers explain.

The UAE Ministry of Defence has given the all-clear to residents across the country, declaring the security situation stable following an alert earlier.

A mobile notification was pushed to phones nationwide, thanking the public for their cooperation and confirming that daily life could resume as normal.

Residents were nonetheless encouraged to stay alert, exercise caution, and continue monitoring official government channels for any further developments.

The UAE’s food supply system continues to hold firm despite regional tensions, supported by diversified sourcing, strong logistics and close coordination between authorities and retailers. Supply routes are being adjusted in real time, ensuring shelves remain stocked across the country, while costs are being managed to limit immediate impact on consumers. Experts say the system is designed to adapt quickly to disruption, keeping goods moving even when routes shift, though prolonged pressure may gradually push up prices in select categories.

Japan said it had started to release another part of its strategic oil reserves Thursday as it looks to temper the impact on the resource-poor nation from the surge in prices caused by the Middle East war.

Iran has virtually closed the vital Strait of Hormuz - through which a fifth of global crude and gas flows - since the United States and Israel began striking the country on February 28.

Japan is the fifth-biggest importer of oil, with more than 90 percent of it from the Middle East.

"The release (of national stockpile) started at 10:59 am (0159 GMT) to oil refiners," Kaname Morimoto, an official of the ministry of economy, trade and industry, told AFP.

China's top diplomat has said that a "glimmer of hope" for peace has emerged due to moves to stop the war in the Middle East, despite Tehran vowing to keep fighting.

China's foreign minister Wang Yi urged dialogue in separate calls with his Turkish and Egyptian counterparts, suggesting that both Tehran and Washington had shown signals they were willing to return to the negotiating table.

"With both the United States and Iran signalling a willingness to negotiate, a glimmer of hope for peace has emerged," Wang told Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, according to a Beijing readout published late Wednesday.

The statement came hours before Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that "so far, no negotiations have taken place, and I believe our position is completely principled".

"Speaking of negotiations now is an admission of defeat," he added.

Israel's military said Thursday its forces had carried out a wave of strikes across Iran, including in the central city of Isfahan.

A brief military statement said Israeli forces "completed a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime in several areas across Iran".

Kuwait National Guard (KNG) Duty Force intercepted and destroyed two hostile drones in the areas under their jurisdiction on Thursday early morning.

The measure falls in the framework of constant efforts to protect the national security and safeguard the vital sites against any potential threats, KNG Spokesman Brig. Jadaan Fadhel said in a press release.

The KNG, in collaboration with the Army, the police forces and Kuwait Fire Force, maintain the highest levels of preparedness in defence of the national security and stability against any potential threats, Brig. Al-Jadaan added.

As some of the UAE's largest private school groups seek regulatory approval to reopen campuses ahead of the April 3 distance learning deadline, they are laying out in detail what they have done to ensure the safety and wellbeing of students and staff amid the ongoing Iranian aggression on the country.

From emergency lockdown frameworks to transport contingencies, the measures being put in place paint a picture of schools preparing for a range of scenarios even as all of them confirmed that they will provide hybrid learning to support those who wish to continue online classes.

Dubai's education regulator, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), has confirmed that any institution seeking to return to in-person learning must submit a formal request with clear justification. Each application will be reviewed by the Ministry of Education on a case-by-case basis, with student safety the overriding criterion.

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defense announced Thursday the interception and destruction of 18 drones over the Eastern Province, with the military issuing four separate statements as successive waves were shot down.

Spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki Al Maliki confirmed the takedowns in successive briefings — five drones in the first statement, eight in the second, two in the third, and three in the fourth, all targeting the Eastern Province.

The latest attacks bring the total number of Iranian projectiles to have struck or targeted the Kingdom to 824 since the conflict began — comprising 58 missiles (51 ballistic, seven cruise) and 766 drones.

US President Donald Trump insisted that Iran was taking part in peace talks, suggesting Tehran's denials were because Iranian negotiators fear being killed by their own side. "They are negotiating, by the way, and they want to make a deal so badly. But they're afraid to say it, because they figure they'll be killed by their own people," Trump told a dinner for Republican members of Congress.

A widening credibility gap is emerging at the heart of the 2026 Iran war: as Washington and Tehran issue starkly contradictory narratives — raising fears that diplomacy is collapsing even as both sides publicly claim otherwise.

The White House insists that negotiations with Iran remain “productive,” downplaying reports that Iran regime authorties have rejected a sweeping US peace proposal aimed at ending the war. Officials say backchannel discussions — possibly via intermediaries such as Pakistan and Turkey — are still alive and could soon evolve into formal talks.

Iran's Abbas Araghchi has bluntly denied that any negotiations are taking place, stressing that reviewing proposals through mediators “does not mean talks.” An Iranian military spokesperson reportedly accused the US of “negotiating with itself,” while senior figures warn that past "betrayals" have destroyed any remaining trust.

UAE air defences are currently responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran. The UAE Ministry of Defence confirmed that the sounds heard are the result of the Air Defence Systems intercepting missiles and drones. ‏

The US military has reportedly escalated operations in the Strait of Hormuz. According to General Dan “Razin” Caine, A-10 "Warthogs" are now actively targeting Iranian fast-attack boats, including remote-controlled vessels laden with bombs that threaten oil tankers. AH-64 Apache gunships are also engaging drones and Iranian militia-linked threats. This marks a significant shift in Pentagon's strategy involving the use of military hardware for close-range battlefield control see combat action.

"A ceasefire is not enough. We need a decisive outcome that fully addresses the entire range of Iran’s threats: its nuclear capabilities, missiles, drones, terrorist proxies, and its siege on international maritime routes. The UAE stands strong and clear in the face of the Iranian threat," stated Yousef Al Otaiba, UAE Ambassador to Washington, in an article (The UAE stands up to Iran) he wrote for The Wall Street Journal.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated he welcomes Pakistan’s timely and constructive offer to host dialogue between the US and Iran. "I commend Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the leaders of other friendly nations for stepping forward at a moment of acute regional danger, following the earlier commendable efforts of the leadership of Oman and other friendly countries. Pakistan’s relationships with the relevant parties, and its standing as a credible voice in the Muslim world, place it in a strong position to help create the conditions for meaningful negotiations. Malaysia supports this initiative and encourages in particular the United States and Iran to respond in the spirit in which it was offered. I note with cautious hope the signals, however incomplete, that suggest some space for diplomacy may still exist."

US forces continue striking targets to degrade the Iranian regime's military infrastructure and capabilities that have threatened American troops and regional partners for decades, as per the US Central Command.

The Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior announced late on Wednesday that the Kuwait State Security Service has successfully thwarted a terrorist plot and dismantled a network that planned to carry out assassinations of State symbols and leaders and undermine the country's supreme interests.

The Ministry’s Spokesperson, Brigadier Nasser Abusulaib, said in a televised statement that following intensive surveillance and security investigations, the authorities dismantled a network consisting of five citizens and one non-Kuwaiti individual whose citizenship had been revoked.

Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), welcomed the unanimous adoption by the Human Rights Council (UNHRC) of the resolution titled "Effects of the Recent Military Aggression Launched by Iran."

The resolution was submitted by the Kingdom of Bahrain on behalf of the GCC states and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, receiving exceptional and broad support from more than 100 countries across various regional groups.

The State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Jordan renewed their condemnation in the strongest terms of the blatant Iranian attacks, "which constitute a flagrant violation of their sovereignty, territorial integrity, international law, international humanitarian law, and the Charter of the United Nations, whether carried out directly or through their proxies and armed factions they support in the region."

The group stated: "We stress, in particular, the attacks carried out by armed factions loyal to Iran from the Republic of Iraq against a number of countries in the region, as well as their facilities and infrastructure. These acts are a breach of international laws and conventions and a blatant violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution No. 2817 (2026), which explicitly demands that Iran immediately and unconditionally cease any attacks or threats against neighboring states, including through the use of proxies."

Asian countries are feeling the growing impact of the Middle East war thousands of miles away. South Korea has been grappling with fuel supplies, implementing a nationwide energy saving campaign while Thailand has also asked employees to ditch suits in offices and lower air conditioning.

As the knock-on effects of the fuel crunch unravels, dozens of petrol stations in Australia had reportedly ran out of supplies. The Philippines has become the first country to declare national emergency over Middle East war. Amid the tanker squeeze in the Hormuz Strait, certain fuel retailers in markets ranging from South Africa to Chile are already rationing fuel or running dry, Reuters reported.

In India, meanwhile, serpentine queues had been seen at fuel pumps, with police reportedly being deployed at Gujarat petrol stations amid panic over potential fuel shortages, as Iran’s blockade of Hormuz disrupts a route that carries over 40% of India’s crude imports.

Day 26: US preparing to deploy 1,000 troops to Middle East

Day 25: UAE intercepts threats from Iran ; 1dead, 5 hurt in Bahrain

Day 24: Netanyahu speaks with Trump, vows to protect Israel's interests

Day 23: Trump gives Iran 48 hours to reopen Strait of Hormuz

Day 22: Trump says US considering ‘winding down’ war

Day 21: UK to let US use bases for strikes on Iran threats

Day 20: Trump vows to destroy Iran gas field; UAE intercepts threats

Day 19: Iran warns of 'consequences' after gas field hit

Day 18: Iran confirms security chief Ali Larijani killed

Day 17:  Trump urges allies to secure Strait of Hormuz,

Day 16: Trump calls for allies on Strait of Hormuz security

Day 15: Trump threatens Iran’s oil infrastructure after US bombs Kharg