Regional officials have told The Associated Press that both the U.S. and Iran are sending their top negotiators to Pakistan for Round Two peace talks as a fragile ceasefire is set to expire.
But both sides have sent mixed messages, with U.S. President Donald Trump saying Tuesday that “I expect to be bombing” and Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf saying Tehran has “new cards on the battlefield” that haven’t yet been revealed.
Pakistan-led mediators have received confirmation that Qalibaf and U.S. Vice President JD Vance are expected to arrive in Islamabad early Wednesday, the regional officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters.
Here is the latest:
Israel’s military says it has replaced a crucifix in southern Lebanon after a soldier smashed it down
The Israeli military posted a photo on social media of the replacement crucifix, which appeared smaller but more ornate than the original statue that a soldier was photographed destroying in southern Lebanon. Israel says two soldiers involved in the episode will be held for a month in military detention.
Tuesday’s post on X said troops worked with the community in the Lebanese village of Debel to coordinate the replacement, which includes a metallic-sheened Jesus figure and four paintings of saints, one on each arm of the cross.
Christians are estimated to make up around a third of Lebanon's population of roughly 5.5 million people. Thousands of Christians were displaced from their homes in the country's south during the war.
EU diplomats agree to new sanctions targeted Iranians obstructing freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz
“Today we also reach the political agreement to widen our sanctions regime, to also target those responsible for breaches to freedom of navigation,” said the 27-nation European Union’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas after the Tuesday gathering in Luxembourg.
"Freedom of navigation is non-negotiable. Daily U-turns where the Strait of Hormuz is open or closed, are reckless. Transit through the strait must remain free of charge," she said, referring to Iran's charging for safe passage on the Strait of Hormuz.
Kallas said the EU’s maritime security mission would be “the quickest way” to ensure safe transit in the Persian Gulf after peace is settled.
Vance is still in Washington
The vice president was participating in policy meetings at the White House on Tuesday morning, according to a White House official who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The vice president’s office and the White House on Tuesday did not respond to messages inquiring about whether he still intends to travel to Pakistan for talks with Iran.
Iran-allied Yemeni rebels warn against escalation in the region
Even if the U.S.-Iran ceasefire holds and the current war ends, the leader of Yemen’s Houthi rebel group said “there is no doubt that further rounds of fighting are coming, as it is merely a truce within a continuous conflict with the enemy.”
In a televised speech Tuesday, Abdul Malik al-Houthi warned that escalation in the region is “possibly high” as the “fragile” ceasefire is nearing an end.
A Houthi missile attack on Israel last month raised concern that Iran’s ally in Yemen may again try to block Red Sea shipping routes, as it did during the war in Gaza.
Gulf shipping crews are stranded amid maritime attacks, UN agency warns
At least 10 seafarers have been killed and several more severely injured in a series of attacks on commercial vessels around the Persian Gulf since the start of the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, according to the International Maritime Organization, the United Nations agency responsible for regulating global shipping.
IMO spokesperson Natasha Brown said the agency has confirmed 25 attacks on commercial shipping since Feb. 28. Hundreds of ships have been stranded in the Persian Gulf since.
“Around 20,000 civilian seafarers remain aboard vessels in the Persian Gulf, facing dwindling supplies, fatigue and severe psychological stress,” Brown added.
Following an extraordinary council session in March, the IMO said it is working with “relevant states on the development of a safe passage framework” to evacuate stranded crews, while coordinating access to supplies.
Pentagon wants to spend billions for more crucial missile interceptors
U.S. military officials said Tuesday that the Pentagon’s budget calls for spending more than $30 billion to buy more critical munitions, including missile interceptors, whose stockpiles have become critically low during the Iran war.
The supplies under the most strain are the Patriot air defense systems and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, interceptors. The THAAD system is designed for defeating medium-range ballistic missiles, while the Patriot system is for taking down short-range ballistic missiles and crewed aircraft.
The $30 billion budget item will also purchase long-range Precision Strike Missiles and Mid-Range Capability missile systems that are used by the U.S. Army.
A new budget request from the Pentagon would triple spending on drone technology
The $1.5 trillion budget proposal detailed Tuesday by defense officials would allocate nearly $54 billion for military drones and related technology, as well as $21 billion for weapons systems designed to take down enemy drones.
Drones and other unmanned vehicles have emerged as a key weapon in wars in Ukraine and Iran, and top Pentagon officials say the U.S. must significantly increase its funding of both drones and counter-drone systems.
“Drone warfare is rapidly reshaping the modern battlefield,” Jules Hurst III, the acting undersecretary of defense, comptroller, told reporters during a budget briefing at the Pentagon.
“This budget is the largest investment in drone warfare and counter-drone technology in U.S. history.”
Israel disciplines 2 soldiers for destruction of Jesus statue
One of the soldiers photographed the other using what appears to be a sledgehammer to hack down the crucifix during military operations in the Lebanese village. The two will be held in military detention for 30 days.
“The soldiers’ conduct completely deviated from IDF orders and values,” said a military statement, using the acronym for the Israeli military.
The disciplinary measures come after the photo of the incident attracted worldwide attention and condemnations from Christian religious leaders. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar have also denounced the incident.
The military said that six other soldiers who stood by without intervening would be summoned for conversations with higher-ups and that military protocol for dealing with religious buildings and artifacts were re-emphasized to troops in the area.
Pakistan calls for Iran ceasefire extension in meeting with US diplomat
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister met U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker on Tuesday, urging that Washington and Iran extend the ceasefire and pursue diplomacy, the Foreign Ministry said.
In a statement, it said Ishaq Dar “underscored Pakistan’s consistent emphasis on dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable means to address challenges and achieve lasting regional peace and stability.”
Baker, in response, conveyed Washington’s appreciation for Pakistan’s constructive role in supporting regional peace and facilitating dialogue, the statement said.
More on the UAE as US weighs offering it a currency swap
The United Arab Emirates, an autocratically ruled federation of seven sheikdoms on the Arabian Peninsula that’s home to Dubai, became wealthy from its oil deposits. It pegs its currency, the dirham, to the U.S. dollar.
While it has been able to send some of its oil out via a pipeline to the Gulf of Oman, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has squeezed the country’s oil exports.
The UAE has an estimated $2.5 trillion in savings and sovereign wealth funds, but may be seeking the swap to “bolster investor confidence in the UAE’s financial position if the war were to drag on,” said Jason Tuvey, an analyst at Capital Economics.
Trump says administration is weighing currency swap for UAE
Trump confirmed in his CNBC interview that he’s considering a request from the United Arab Emirates Central bank for a currency swap to help secure dollar liquidity for the oil-rich economy that’s been rattled by the Iran conflict.
The president expressed surprise that the nation needs assistance, but made clear he was open to the prospect of making the move to help meet his ally’s concerns.
“I mean I’m surprised because they are really rich,” Trump said. He added, “You know, they’re very good for this country. So, yeah, if I could help them, I would.”
Trump says he doesn’t want to extend Iran ceasefire if talks with US progress
Trump was responding to a question during a live telephone interview Tuesday on CNBC, a business news network.
Asked if he would continue the ceasefire if there’s progress in the next round of Iran talks, Trump said, “Well, I don’t want to do that. We don’t have that much time.” He said Iran “had a choice” and “they have to negotiate.”
But it remained unclear when the ceasefire actually expires. Tuesday night was the deadline when the pause was announced two weeks ago, but Trump told Bloomberg News the ceasefire will expire Wednesday night.
Trump says he’s ready to resume Iran bombardment if talks don’t go well
In an appearance on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Trump was asked directly if he’d resume strikes if there isn’t progress in the coming talks in Islamabad.
“Well, I expect to be bombing because I think that’s a better attitude to go in with,” Trump said. “But, you know, we’re ready to go. I mean, the military is raring to go.”
Pakistan says it tests locally made anti-ship cruise missile
The navy says it successfully conducted a live firing of the Taimoor air-launched missile.
The announcement comes amid the Pakistani navy’s ongoing efforts to escort merchant vessels transiting key routes including the Strait of Hormuz.
US forces board oil tanker sanctioned for smuggling Iranian oil
The Pentagon on social media says U.S. forces “conducted a right-of-visit maritime interdiction” and boarded the M/T Tifani “without incident.” Ship-tracking data showed the Tifani in the Indian Ocean between Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
The announcement described the boarding as happening overnight. It added that “international waters are not a refuge for sanctioned vessels.”
Regional officials say US and Iran arriving Wednesday for Round Two
Neither the U.S. nor Iran have publicly confirmed the timing of talks. Iranian state television has denied any official is already in Pakistan’s capital.
Pakistan-led mediators received confirmation that the top negotiators, Vance and Qalibaf, will arrive in Islamabad early Wednesday, the officials told The Associated Press. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters.
A two-week ceasefire is due to expire.
— Munir Ahmed and Samy Magdy
Germany calls on Iran to head to Pakistan for talks
Germany’s top diplomat has called on Iran to come to Islamabad for negotiations with the U.S.
“We are now urgently calling on Iran to come to Islamabad and engage in constructive negotiations with the United States,” Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Tuesday on the sidelines of the European Union foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg.
Wadephul pointed out that Vance is ready to travel to Pakistan and that “Iran should now take this outstretched hand in the interest of its own people.”
He also called on the American side to continue to keep its openness to negotiate with Iran.
“I believe there is still a window of opportunity to end this war through negotiations,” Wadephul said.
The German foreign minister also called on Iran “to immediately restore free and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.”
‘Most severe energy crisis in a generation,’ U.N. chief says
The conflict in the Middle East has triggered “the most severe energy crisis in a generation,” U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said on Tuesday, speaking remotely from New York to a climate conference in Berlin.
The current crisis, he said, makes it clear that “fossil fuels are not just wrecking our planet, they are holding economies hostage.”
Guterres said that the energy crisis should be solved without exacerbating the climate crisis and that can be done by investing in homegrown renewables, developing the infrastructure to support them and providing financing for less developed economies to transition away from fossil fuels.
Climate change and fuel price chaos warning
The Iran war has locked the world in much higher fossil fuel costs for months and likely years to come, U.N. climate chief Simon Stiell said on Tuesday in Berlin.
“Fossil fuel driven stagflation is now stalking economies, driving up prices, driving down growth, pushing budgets deeper into the quagmire of debt and stripping away governments’ policy options and autonomy,” he said.
He referred to climate change and fuel price chaos as “twin reapers” and said that climate cooperation and faster investments in clean energy were needed to overcome this challenge.
15 bridges hit in Lebanon since war started
Lebanon’s public works and transport minister says 15 bridges have been damaged or destroyed during the latest war.
Fayez Rasamny told the local LBC TV channel on Tuesday that the government still doesn't have a final estimate for the damage caused by the almost seven-week Israel-Hezbollah war.
The latest Israel-Hezbollah war was halted by a 10-day ceasefire that went into effect last week.
Rasamny said that he believes that the losses could be worth between $7 billion and $8 billion. He said that the government was waiting until there is a permanent ceasefire before reaching out to donors.
Israeli strikes kill 5 in Gaza
Israeli strikes killed at least five people in the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, hospital authorities said.
Four suspected militants were killed when a drone strike hit a security point overnight in the southern city of Khan Younis, the Nasser hospital said.
Another man was wounded in the strike, it said.
Israel’s military didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The militant-manned point was around 4 kilometers (2½ miles) west of the so-called Yellow Line, separating the Israeli-controlled areas from the rest of Gaza, according to relatives of those killed.
In the northern town of Beit Lahiya, a 30-year-old woman was killed when the Israeli navy opened fire toward tents sheltering displaced people early Tuesday, the Shifa hospital said.
The Israeli military said that it wasn’t aware of attacks in Beit Lahiya.
The deaths were the latest among Palestinians in Gaza since a fragile October ceasefire deal took hold to halt a more than two-year war between Israel and Hamas.
No delegation from Iran in Islamabad, state TV says
Iranian state television on Tuesday issued an on-screen alert saying that “no delegation from Iran has visited Islamabad ... so far” as speculation about possible talks with the United States grows.
The on-screen alert likely reflects the internal debate ongoing within Iran’s theocracy as it weighs how to respond to the U.S. Navy’s seizure of an Iranian container ship over the weekend.
Iranian state television long has been controlled by hard-liners within Iran’s theocracy.
So far, no official has acknowledged that a delegation will be heading to Islamabad, where officials have been on standby for days now for the possible talks.
Vance is expected to lead an American team to the talks.
Iran has offered no word on who could lead its delegation.
Last time, Qalibaf led the Iranian side.
China says war is at ‘critical stage of transition’
China says that it hopes all parties can maintain the momentum for peace talks, as the two-week ceasefire in the Iran war is set to expire Wednesday.
“The current situation is at a critical stage of transition between war and peace. At such a moment, it is all the more necessary for all parties to show the utmost sincerity, remain committed to a political solution, maintain the momentum of the ceasefire and negotiations,” Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz on Monday.
While it’s not directly involved in ongoing mediation efforts, diplomats have said that China had pressed for Iran to attend the first round of negotiations.
Pakistan says China supports efforts to facilitate talks
China has expressed support for Pakistan’s efforts to facilitate engagement between the United States and Iran for peace and stability in the region and beyond, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
The ministry said Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong conveyed the message during a meeting with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in Islamabad, where both sides discussed the latest regional developments.
Dar reaffirmed the “all-weather” Pakistan-China strategic cooperative partnership, underscoring strong bilateral ties and the importance of continued high-level exchanges, the statement said.
Thousands of security personnel deploy in Islamabad
Security has been tightened across Pakistan’s capital, where authorities have deployed thousands of personnel and increased patrols along routes leading to the airport, as U.S. and Iranian delegations are expected to arrive this week for the second round of talks, witnesses and officials said Tuesday.
Security arrangements appear stricter than those put in place during the first round of talks held in the capital on April 11 and 12, following diplomatic efforts by Pakistan and regional countries, including China, to ease tensions in the region.
Pakistan hasn't announced final dates for the talks, however.
Analysts say the scale of the security measures suggests the possibility of high-level participation if negotiations make progress.
“The arrangements this time are markedly different from those during the first round,” said Syed Mohammad Ali, an Islamabad-based security analyst.
“Pakistan appears to be preparing for the possibility of visits by top U.S. and Iranian leaders if the talks advance to a stage where an agreement could be signed,” he told The Associated Press.
EU ministers meet on energy, jet fuel concerns
Transportation ministers from across the 27-nation European Union are meeting in Brussels Tuesday to discuss spiking energy prices because of the war in Iran, and how to protect consumers at home and at the pump after the head of the International Energy Agency warned that Europe has "maybe six weeks" jet fuel supplies remaining.
“This evolving geopolitical crisis in the Middle East has highlighted that Europe may have a short-term issue in supply of fuel,” said Cyprus Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades, who is chairing the virtual meeting.
He said that there is currently no crisis, but that the bloc must prepare for the possibility of shortages.
“If this ever happens, it will affect connectivity, it will affect every citizen in the union,” Vafeades said.
“We need to be ready to avoid queues at the gas stations if this ever happens.”
Pakistan and Egyptian foreign minister speak
Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday spoke with Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty to discuss the latest regional developments, as part of a diplomatic push linked to a possible second round of talks between the United States and Iran.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry in Islamabad said in a statement that both leaders emphasized the importance of dialogue and engagement for peace and stability and agreed to remain in close contact.
The statement gave no further details.
While Pakistani officials have expressed confidence that Iran will send a delegation late Tuesday, there has been no formal announcement from Tehran.
Trump said over the weekend that he's sending a U.S. delegation to Pakistan.
Russian authorities lift flight restrictions
Russia’s Transport Ministry has announced that Rosaviatsia, Russia’s civil aviation authority, “lifted recommendations for Russian airlines to temporary halt sales of tickets to flights to and from" the United Arab Emirates, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported.
Restrictions on flights via Iranian airspace have also been lifted, the report quoted the ministry as saying in an online statement.
Flights to Iranian airports and transit flights over the country will be carried out with recommendations from local aviation authorities taken into account, the report said.
Restrictions on flights to the Middle East were introduced in February.
Man hanged over January protests in Iran
Iran said Tuesday that it hanged a man convicted after being accused of setting fire to a mosque in northern Tehran during nationwide protests in January.
The judiciary’s Mizan news agency identified the man as Amir Ali Mir Jafari.
There was no immediate information about Jafari among activists who follow Iran.
Iran has been accused of repeatedly holding closed-door trials against suspects who can’t challenge the evidence against them.
Iran already has hanged people from the January protests, something that Trump had described as a red line before the recent war.
Asian shares mixed and oil prices slip
Shares are mixed in Asia and oil prices have slipped following the latest rise of U.S.-Iran tensions.
The lackluster start to trading Tuesday followed a modest retreat on Wall Street.
On Monday, the S&P 500 slipped 0.2% from its all-time high and the Dow industrials edged less than 0.1% lower. The Nasdaq composite fell 0.3%.
The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil remains above $95.
Trump attacked critics after a second round of talks with Iran was thrown into doubt by the U.S. Navy’s seizure of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship.
Financial markets have had vicious swings, both up and down, since the war began because of uncertainty about how long it may last.
The fear is that a long-term disruption could keep so much oil and natural gas off global markets that it creates a punishing wave of inflation for the global economy.
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