Israeli attacks kill 56 Palestinians in Gaza, Iran leader warns US of resuming war

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The Trump administration briefed Congress in a closed-door session following reports that recent US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities may have been less effective than initially claimed.

Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) said officials failed to present compelling evidence that Iran’s nuclear program had been significantly degraded.

“To me, it still appears that we’ve only set back the Iranian nuclear program by a handful of months,” Murphy told reporters, adding that he couldn’t elaborate further due to the classified nature of the briefing.

“There’s no doubt the program sustained damage,” he said. “But claims that we’ve obliterated it don’t seem to hold up under scrutiny.”

Two infants have died in Gaza due to severe malnutrition and the lack of essential supplies, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Wafa reported that five-month-old Nidal died from hunger and the unavailability of infant formula, citing his uncle. The second victim, 10-day-old Kinda, reportedly succumbed to malnutrition and a lack of medication, her father told the agency. Both children were taken to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.

Aid access to Gaza has been drastically restricted by Israel in recent months, with most supplies rerouted through the contentious Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

The killing of seven Israeli soldiers from Combat Engineering Battalion 605 in a Hamas ambush in Khan Younis on Tuesday has triggered widespread public anger and raised serious questions about the Israeli army's readiness nearly two years into its war on Gaza.

The incident, in which two armoured personnel carriers were targeted by the al-Qassam Brigades, has exposed major vulnerabilities in the military's operations, with criticism mounting over troop exhaustion, outdated vehicles, and leadership failures.

According to the Hebrew Yedioth Ahronoth, the ambush coincided with Israel's ramped-up operations in Khan Younis following a ceasefire with Iran.

The army and political leadership are now weighing whether to launch a broader ground campaign in Gaza or pursue a comprehensive prisoner exchange deal with Hamas that could lead to a prolonged truce and troop withdrawal.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday firmly denied speculation Iran is preparing to resume nuclear negotiations with the United States, after the end of a 12-day war with Israel.

"Some speculations about the resumption of negotiations should not be taken seriously," Araghchi said on state television. "I would like to state clearly that no agreement, arrangement or conversation has been made to start new negotiations. No plan has been set yet to start negotiations."

A Super Bowl halftime show performer was charged Thursday with two misdemeanors, about 4 1/2 months after he ran across the field at the Superdome waving a flag that included the words “Sudan and Free Gaza,” Louisiana State Police said.

Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, 41, turned himself in to authorities to face of charges resisting a police officer and disturbing the peace by interrupting a lawful assembly, police said. He surrendered in coordination with his attorney and was booked into the Orleans Parish Justice Center.

Nantambu revealed the flag and ran on the field during rapper Kendrick Lamar's halftime performance on Feb. 9. He was detained on the field after his demonstration but not charged. The NFL said at the time he would be banned for life from league stadiums and events.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday that damage from the 12-day war with Israel was "serious", as the Islamic republic begins assessing the impact of the conflict.

"A detailed assessment of the damage is being carried out by experts from the Atomic Energy Organization (of Iran)," he told state TV, adding "the discussion of demanding damages" was now high on the government's agenda.

The United States said Thursday it has approved its first direct funding to support a controversial Israeli-supported relief effort in the Gaza Strip and urged other countries to follow suit.

"We have approved funding for $30 million to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. And we call on other countries to also support the GHF, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, and its critical work," State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott told reporters.

Despite Donald Trump’s suggestion that talks with Iran could take place next week, his campaign now says no meeting is currently scheduled.

"There isn’t anything scheduled as of now," Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said when asked about the potential talks. However, she added that the administration remains "on a diplomatic path" with Tehran.

Leavitt confirmed that members of Trump’s team, including special envoy Steve Witkoff, are in ongoing communication with Iranian officials.

Pressed on delays in arranging a formal meeting, Leavitt urged patience: "We just had this strike on Saturday night. The president secured a ceasefire. A lot has happened in the last week... we’ll get there."

Israel claims it struck a Hezbollah-linked facility in the southern Lebanese village of Houla late Wednesday, saying the building was used by the group for military purposes.

Tel Aviv has accused Hezbollah of re-establishing its presence in southern Lebanon, allegedly breaching the ceasefire deal brokered in November last year.

Lebanese authorities, however, accuse Israel of routinely violating the same agreement, citing near-daily military actions across the border.

Donald Trump is "very open" to a potential visit from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to his campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, amid reports the Israeli leader may travel to Washington in the coming weeks.

Leavitt clarified that no date has been set, but confirmed that Netanyahu has "expressed interest" in meeting the former US president.

Netanyahu was notably the first foreign leader to visit Trump at the White House following his inauguration in January 2017, a symbol of the close ties between the two leaders during Trump’s presidency.

A second meeting, if it happens, would mark a renewed show of support as Trump campaigns for a return to office in November.

Poland has assumed the responsibilities of several European Union missions in Tehran after a wave of diplomatic evacuations triggered by rising tensions between Iran and Israel.

Warsaw’s foreign ministry confirmed on Wednesday that its embassy in Tehran would now represent the interests of EU countries that have withdrawn their staff, including Portugal, Ireland, and Germany, who temporarily relocated their diplomats abroad last week.

Bulgaria also shuttered its embassy and evacuated its diplomatic personnel and their families to neighbouring Azerbaijan.

"As the country holding the EU presidency, we are taking over their duties," said a spokesperson for Poland’s foreign ministry.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday he saw an opportunity to "enlarge peace accords" after the end of a 12-day war against Iran.

"We have fought with determination against Iran and achieved a great victory. This victory opens the path to dramatically enlarge the peace accords," he said in a video address.

His comment was an apparent reference to the Abraham Accords, US-sponsored agreements struck by Israel to normalise relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco.

Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, has openly stated that the military would have assassinated Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during the recent 12-day military escalation, had the opportunity presented itself.

In remarks to Israel’s Kan public broadcaster, Katz said: "I estimate that if Khamenei had been in our sights, we would have taken him out."

Katz claimed that Khamenei "understood this" and subsequently "went underground to very great depths", severing contact with commanders following the killing of key Iranian figures.

The statement is one of Israel’s most explicit acknowledgements that its campaign against Iran extends beyond conventional military targets. While Israel has publicly framed its operations as focused on dismantling Iran’s nuclear capabilities, the rhetoric increasingly points to ambitions of strategic decapitation and possible regime change.

Just days earlier, Katz issued a direct threat to Iran’s leadership, warning that Israeli strikes were aimed at a "broad range of targets" intended to "shake" Tehran’s ruling elite.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked a court on Thursday to postpone his testimony in his long-running corruption trial, after US President Donald Trump called for the case to be cancelled altogether.

In a filing to the tribunal, Netanyahu's lawyer Amit Hadad said the premier's testimony should be delayed in light of "regional and global developments".

"The court is respectfully requested to order the cancellation of the hearings in which the prime minister was scheduled to testify in the coming two weeks," the filing said.

It said Netanyahu was "compelled to devote all his time and energy to managing national, diplomatic and security issues of the utmost importance" following the conflict with Iran and during ongoing fighting in Gaza where Israeli hostages are held.

Trump on Wednesday described the case against Netanyahu as a "witch hunt".

The Iranian presidency said Thursday that Azerbaijan has denied reports it allowed Israel to use its airspace to launch strikes during the 12-day war with Iran.

The remarks came during a telephone call between President Masoud Pezeshkian and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev, the president's office said.

Pezeshkian urged Azerbaijan to investigate reports that Israel had launched "drone and microlight attacks into Iranian skies through the airspace of the Republic of Azerbaijan," the presidency said.

It added that Aliyev had denied the reports, saying "the Azerbaijani government would not in any way allow its skies to be used against the friendly and brotherly country."

A readout of the telephone call from the Azerbaijani side did not mention that part of the discussion.

Leaders from the European Union's 27 member countries called on Thursday said discussions would continue on a report on Israel's compliance with the terms of an agreement with the bloc.

The EU's diplomatic service said last week there were indications that Israel had breached its human rights obligations under the terms of a pact governing its ties with the bloc, over Israeli conduct in Gaza.

"The European Council takes note of the report on Israel's compliance with Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and invites the Council to continue discussions on a follow-up, as appropriate, in July 2025, taking into account the evolution of the situation on the ground," the leaders wrote.

Leaders from the European Union's 27 member countries called on Thursday for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

"The European Council calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the unconditional release of all hostages, leading to a permanent end to hostilities," the leaders said in written conclusions after a discussion on the Middle East in Brussels.

Shipping costs for the Gulf have fallen in the past two days after a ceasefire was reached between Israel and Iran, although rates could rebound if tensions increase, shipping and insurance industry sources said on Thursday.

The conflict had raised concerns that Iran could close Hormuz, the strait between Iran and Oman through which around 20% of global oil and gas demand flows amid broader fears that oil could soar to $100 a barrel.

Shipping rates for supertankers, which can carry 2 million barrels of oil, jumped over the past week before the ceasefire - more than doubling to over $60,000 a day. Rates were quoted around $50,000 a day on Thursday, freight data showed. "Tanker rates ... have been pulling back following the halt to hostilities between Israel and Iran," Jefferies analyst Omar Nokta said in a note.

War risk insurance premiums for Gulf shipments softened to between 0.35-0.45%, from a peak of 0.5% on Monday, sources said. This compares with levels of around 0.3% in recent months.

Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpile remains largely intact following U.S. strikes on its main nuclear sites, European capitals believe, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.

The newspaper, citing two people briefed on preliminary intelligence assessments, said European capitals believe Iran’s stockpile of 408 kilogram of uranium enriched close to weapons-grade levels was not concentrated in Fordow, one of its two main enrichment sites, at the time of last weekend’s attack.

Poland's embassy in Tehran has taken over the duties of EU countries that have evacuated their posts, the Polish Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

Portugal, Ireland and Germany last week temporarily relocated their embassy staff in Tehran abroad due to the current threat situation, while Bulgaria closed its embassy in Tehran and evacuated diplomatic staff and their families to neighbouring Azerbaijan.

"We, being the country of the (EU) presidency, take over their duties," the Polish ministry's spokesperson Pawel Wronski told Reuters.

The Polish Foreign Ministry said minister Radoslaw Sikorski held talks with his Iranian counterpart, Seyed Abbas Araqchi, urging Iran to uphold the ceasefire in its conflict with Israel and the United States.

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi said all flights to and from the United Arab Emirates on Thursday were cancelled, following a Wizz Air Group decision announced on Tuesday to cancel all flights to and from the country until June 30.

A 12-day war between Iran and Israel this month prompted international airlines to halt flights to some Middle East destinations due to air space closures and safety concerns. A ceasefire took effect on Tuesday.

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi is a joint venture between Hungary's Wizz Air and the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund (ADQ).

The U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Thursday it had not received an official communication from Iran about a parliamentary bill to suspend cooperation with it that according to media reports earlier in the day had received final approval.

"We are aware of these reports. As of now, the IAEA has not received an official communication from Iran on this matter," the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement.

The World Health Organisation has delivered its first medical shipment into Gaza since 2 March, its chief said Thursday, adding, though, that the nine truckloads were "a drop in the ocean".

"Nine trucks carrying essential medical supplies, 2,000 units of blood, and 1,500 units of plasma" crossed into the Palestinian territory, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X, adding that the supplies would be distributed to priority hospitals within days.

US President Donald Trump said nothing was moved from an Iranian nuclear facility, echoing his defence secretary, who earlier on Thursday said he was unaware of any intelligence suggesting Iran had moved its uranium to shield it from US strikes over the weekend.

"The cars and small trucks at the site were those of concrete workers trying to cover up the top of the shafts. Nothing was taken out of facility. Would take too long, too dangerous, and very heavy and hard to move!" Trump, without providing evidence, wrote on his social media platform.

The Iranian body tasked with vetting legislation approved a bill to suspend cooperation with the United Nations nuclear watchdog on Thursday, citing recent US and Israeli strikes.

"The government is required to suspend all cooperation with the (International Atomic Energy Agency) to ensure full respect for the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran," Guardian Council spokesman Hadi Tahan Nazif told the official IRNA news agency.

He said the move was prompted by the "attacks... by the Zionist regime and the United States against peaceful nuclear facilities."

The bill, which will now be submitted to President Masoud Pezeshkian for final ratification, would allow Iran "to benefit from all the entitlements specified under... the Non-Proliferation Treaty especially with regard to uranium enrichment," Nazif said.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday said he was unaware of any intelligence suggesting Iran had moved any of its highly enriched uranium to shield it from U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear programme over the weekend.

"I'm not aware of any intelligence that I've reviewed that says things were not where they were supposed to be, moved or otherwise," Hegseth said.

Asked about comments made by Iran's supreme leader on Thursday that US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities have not destroyed the country's nuclear programme, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said "Iran will have to say a lot of things to bolster its image."

A committee representing influential families in Gaza on Thursday rejected Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's accusation that some aid entering the war-torn Palestinian territory was being looted by Hamas.

A statement from Gaza's higher committee for tribal affairs - a non-Hamas affiliated committee created during the war - on Thursday rejected Israeli claims that Hamas was stealing aid.

"Gaza's tribal leaders affirmed that all aid is fully secured under their direct supervision and is being distributed exclusively through international agencies," the committee representing influential families said.

"The securing of aid has been carried out purely through tribal efforts," it added.

The statement rejected Israeli comments as "false claims" and called for a United Nations delegation to determine if aid was being correctly dispatched in Gaza.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Thursday that US President Donald Trump had sought to "minimise" the impact of Iran's retaliatory strikes on a US base in Qatar.

Trump "tried... to pretend that nothing had happened, when a major event had occurred", Khamenei said in a televised speech on state TV of Iran's attack on Monday on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar - the largest US military facility in the Middle East.

Khamenei said the attack "caused damage", while Trump has shrugged it off as "very weak". No casualties were reported at the base.

The Israeli army said it killed a commander in Hezbollah's Radwan Force and another from the monitoring unit in two drones strikes on south Lebanon on Thursday.

Drone strikes were reported in the villages of Baraachit and Beit Leef earlier in the day.

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme will resume "next week", with his regional envoy Steve Witkoff outlining key red lines on enrichment and weaponisation.

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Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Thursday that Iran would "never surrender" to the United States, in his first remarks since a ceasefire in the war with Israel took hold.

"The American president indicated in one of his statements that Iran must surrender. Surrender! It is no longer a question of enrichment, nor of the nuclear industry, but of the surrender of Iran," said Khamenei in a televised speech.

"Such an event (surrender) will never happen. It will never happen."

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Thursday said Gaza was in a "catastrophic situation of genocide" and urged the European Union to immediately suspend its cooperation deal with Israel.

Speaking to reporters before an EU summit in Brussels, Sanchez mentioned a recent human rights report by the bloc's diplomatic service which, he said, addressed "the catastrophic situation of genocide unfolding in Gaza".

Sanchez said it was "more than obvious" that Israel was violating its obligations and that the bloc should suspend the cooperation deal "immediately".

"It makes no sense" that the bloc has imposed 18 rounds of sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine but, "in a double standard, is not even capable of suspending an association deal", he added.

Russia wants Iran to continue its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday.

Iran's parliament approved a bill on Wednesday to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, after Israel and the United States bombed Iran's nuclear sites with the aim of preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

Lavrov noted that the Iranian parliament did not have executive power so its decision was advisory in nature.

"We are interested in Iran's cooperation with the IAEA continuing," he told a press conference.

"We are interested in everyone respecting the Supreme Leader of Iran, who has repeatedly stated that Iran does not and will not have plans to create nuclear weapons."

For Iran to have access to major US bases and reach them is a great thing, and this could be repeated in the future in case of renewed US-Israeli aggression on Iran, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said Thursday.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Thursday that "nothing significant" occurred to nuclear sites struck by the United States earlier this week, during a war with Israel.

"They attacked our nuclear facilities, which of course would merit criminal prosecution in international courts, but they did nothing significant," Khamenei said in a televised speech aired by state TV.

Referring to US President Donald Trump, who had claimed to have "obliterated" Iran's nuclear programme, Khamenei said that he "exaggerated events in unusual ways, and it turned out that he needed this exaggeration - anyone who has heard these words has understood that there is another truth behind these words".

Iran's supreme leader says his country "delivered a hand slap to America's face" in his first appearance since the ceasefire with Israel earlier this week.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Thursday that arch-enemy Israel "almost collapsed" following the Islamic republic's retaliatory strikes during a 12-day war launched by Israel.

"The Zionist regime almost collapsed and was crushed under the strikes of the Islamic republic," Khamenei said in a statement carried by state media, two days after a ceasefire ended the war.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hailed on Thursday his country's "victory" over Israel, in his first public statement since a ceasefire ended 12 days of war earlier this week.

"I want to congratulate the great Iranian nation... for its victory over the fallacious Zionist regime," Khamenei said in a written statement carried by official IRNA news agency.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Thursday that the United States had "gained nothing" from its attacks during the Islamic republic's 12-day war with Israel that saw nuclear sites hit.

In a statement published by state media, Khamenei said the United States "engaged in the war directly, convinced that its refusal to intervene would lead to the complete destruction of the Zionist regime".

"It has gained nothing from this war," Khamenei said of Washington, adding in his first public remarks since a Tuesday ceasefire ended the war that "the Islamic republic won, and in retaliation dealt a severe slap to the face of America".

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will speak within the next few minutes in a video message on Thursday, his first message since Washington announced a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, his account said on X.

An Israeli drone strike targeted a bulldozer in the south Lebanon village of Baraashit Thursday morning, killing at least one man.

Later in the morning, another drone strike targeted a motorbike near the village of Beit Leef. Casualty numbers were not immediately clear.

Explosions were heard around Jabal Blatt near Beit Leef close to where Israeli forces are still present.

Israel has continued to target south Lebanon on a near-daily basis despite a 27 November ceasefire with Hezbollah. It claims to be targeting the militant group's personnel and infrastructure, vowing to stop it from rebuilding.

غارة من مسيّرة إسرائيلية استهدفت آلية "bob cat" عند مفرق برعشيت- شقرا جنوبي لبنان pic.twitter.com/jpfcEbiYx7

— هنا لبنان (@thisislebnews) June 26, 2025

A Russian grain trader sued Syria's central bank and a state grain company for 5.6 billion roubles ($71.52 million) in the Moscow Arbitration Court, the court database showed on Thursday.

The database showed that Pallada, a top-20 Russian grain trader by revenue, filed a lawsuit against Syria's central bank and the General Organization for Trade, Storage and Grain Processing on June 19. The database had no other details.

Pallada was created in 2022, when major Russian grain traders faced Western sanctions over the military operation in Ukraine. The company was authorised by the government to sell 145,484 metric tons of wheat in February-July of this year.

Pallada, a member of Russia's lobby Grain Exporters and Producers Union based in Rostov region, does not have its contacts publicly listed and was not available for comment. The hearing for the case has not yet been scheduled.

Russia, the world's largest wheat exporter, was a major supplier of wheat to Syria during president Bashar al-Assad's rule. Russian supplies were suspended following the ousting of Assad last year.

Germany on Thursday urged Iran to keep cooperating with the UN's nuclear watchdog, calling a vote by Iranian lawmakers calling for a suspension of cooperation "a totally wrong signal".

Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told a press conference that Germany "urges the Iranian government not to go down this path".

Wadephul also said there were "hopeful signs" of US-Iran talks after President Donald Trump said they would take place next week.

"We are directing all our diplomatic efforts towards finding a binding agreement as soon as possible," Wadephul said, during a joint news conference with his Canadian counterpart Anita Anand.

He added that the so-called E3 grouping of Britain, France and Germany would "play a central role" in any talks and that "Iran expressly wants a European component".

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has warned that families across Gaza could die of thirst amid the collapse of water systems, saying that just 40% of all drinking water production facilities remain functional after nearly 21 months of war.

"Due to continued bombardments, forced displacement orders, and Israeli Authorities ban to bring in fuel for more than 100 days, UNRWA is now only able to provide around half of the cubic metres of water it was able to during the ceasefire," the agency wrote on X.

Across #Gaza, families could die of thirst amid collapse of water systems.

Just 40% of all drinking water production facilities remain functional.

Due to continued bombardments, forced displacement orders, and Israeli Authorities ban to bring in fuel for more than 100 days,… pic.twitter.com/m69OKRhYbu

— UNRWA (@UNRWA) June 25, 2025

France's military took part in efforts to stop Iranian drones targeting Israel prior to this week's ceasefire, the country's Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said late on Wednesday.

"I can confirm that the French army intercepted less than 10 drones in the last few days during the different military operations conducted by the Islamic Republic of Iran against Israel, either by ground-to-air systems or via our Rafale fighter jets," Lecornu said during a parliamentary debate on the situation in the Middle East.

Lecornu said Iran had launched some 400 ballistic missiles and 1,000 drones towards Israel during the 12-day conflict.

Iran's intelligence services have arrested 26 people, accusing them of collaborating with Israel, state media Fars news agency reported, days after a ceasefire between the two countries was announced.

"These individuals were identified as operatives and deceived participants in the recent imposed war by the Zionist regime have been arrested by the Intelligence Organization of the Hazrat Vali Asr Corps," Iranian state media Fars news agency said on Wednesday.

"Most of them have confessed to their actions, including anti-security activities, spreading public anxiety, and acts of sabotage," it claimed, citing a statement by the organisation.

The arrest came after Israel's military chief said Wednesday that its commandos had operated secretly inside Iran during the countries' 12-day war, as its spy chief also hailed assistance from US intelligence.

Senators are set to meet with top national security officials Thursday as many question President Donald Trump's decision to bomb three Iranian nuclear sites — and whether those strikes were ultimately successful.

The classified briefing, which was originally scheduled for Tuesday and was delayed, also comes as the Senate is expected to vote this week on a resolution that would require congressional approval if Trump decides to strike Iran again.

Democrats, and some Republicans, have said that the White House overstepped its authority when it failed to seek the advice of Congress and they want to know more about the intelligence that Trump relied on when he authorised the attacks.

China hosted defence ministers from Iran and Russia for a meeting in its eastern seaside city of Qingdao on Thursday against the backdrop of war in the Middle East and a summit of NATO countries in Europe that agreed to boost military spending.

The Qingdao meeting of the organisation's top defence officials comes as a fledgling ceasefire between Israel and Iran holds after 12 days of fighting between the arch-foes.

Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov painted a bleak picture of a world seeing "worsening geopolitical tensions" when he addressed his counterparts at the meeting.

His Chinese counterpart Dong Jun also framed Thursday's meeting in Qingdao, home to a major Chinese naval base, as a counterweight to a world in "chaos and instability".

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told leaders at a NATO summit on Wednesday that a ceasefire between Israel and Iran needed to be made permanent, his office said, and called for a ceasefire in Gaza to alleviate the humanitarian crisis there.

"Our President said he welcomed the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, that the de facto situation needs to turn into lasting calm as soon as possible, that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is increasingly continuing, and that a lasting ceasefire is also needed there urgently," Erdogan's office said after his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.

He repeated that call to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, adding that a solution needed to be found to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Erdogan also told British Prime Minister Keir Starmer that "these tensions must not leave the humanitarian crisis in Gaza - which has reached a disastrous level - forgotten".