Trump cancels US envoys' trip to Pakistan for Iran talks

Lebanese state media reported a series of new Israeli strikes in at least four different locations in the country's south on Saturday, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered his military to attack Hezbollah, accusing the group of violating the ceasefire.

The state-run National News Agency reported a pair of strikes in quick succession in a town in Bint Jbeil district, another on a town in Tyre district, and strikes on two more towns in Nabatieh district.

The Israeli military said in a statement that it had "struck Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure used for military purposes across southern Lebanon", and would "continue to operate decisively against threats".

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will head back to Pakistan after visiting Oman, state media reported Saturday, having just left Islamabad earlier in the day.

The IRNA news agency, citing the foreign ministry, reported that Araghchi "is scheduled to visit Pakistan again after completing his trip to Oman and before travelling to Russia".

Part of his delegation had returned to Tehran, it added, "to consult and obtain the necessary instructions on issues related to ending the war, and is scheduled to rejoin Araghchi in Islamabad on Sunday night".

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he spoke by phone with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday after US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad were called off and reaffirmed his country's readiness to help resolve the conflict.

"Pakistan remains committed to serve as an honest and sincere facilitator - working tirelessly to advance durable peace and lasting stability in the region," Sharif wrote on X.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the Israeli military to "vigorously attack Hezbollah targets in Lebanon", his office said in a statement.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday that controlling the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint for global oil and gas supplies, was Tehran's "definitive strategy" in its conflict with the United States.

"Controlling the Strait of Hormuz and maintaining the shadow of its deterrent effects over America and the White House's supporters in the region is the definitive strategy of Islamic Iran," the Guards said in a statement on their official Telegram channel.

Lebanon's health ministry said Israeli strikes on Saturday in the country's south killed six people, in violation of a ceasefire that was extended this week in the war between Israel and Hezbollah.

"Two Israeli enemy strikes, on a truck and a motorbike, in the town of Yohmor al-Shaqeef in the Nabatieh district killed four people," a ministry statement said.

It later reported that an "Israeli enemy airstrike on the town of Safad al-Battikh, in the Bint Jbeil district, resulted in two fatalities and 17 injuries".

Israel's military said it "eliminated" three Hezbollah operatives on Saturday who were driving "a vehicle loaded with weapons", as well as another one riding a motorcycle, and two more armed members of the group elsewhere.

Hezbollah, meanwhile, said it targeted an Israeli army vehicle in south Lebanon in retaliation for the attack on Yohmor al-Shaqeef.

US President Donald Trump had announced on Thursday that a 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon that began on 17 April had been extended for three weeks.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday that it remained to be seen whether the United States was "truly serious" about diplomacy, after he completed a visit to Pakistan where he met with senior officials.

In a post on X after leaving Islamabad, Araghchi said he had "shared Iran's position concerning (a) workable framework to permanently end the war", but he had "yet to see if the US is truly serious about diplomacy".

Shortly after his departure, US President Donald Trump said Washington would no longer be sending envoys to Islamabad for talks.

US President Donald Trump has cancelled a planned trip to Pakistan by envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff for peace talks with Iran, according to US media reports.

The two officials were expected to travel to Islamabad to try to revive ceasefire negotiations, but the visit has now been called off.

Speaking to Axios, Trump said the cancellation did not mean the United States would return to war with Iran, adding: "we haven’t thought about it yet". He also told Fox News: "They can call us anytime they want."

On his Truth Social platform, Trump explained the decision, writing: "I just cancelled the trip of my representatives going is Islamabad, Pakistan, to meet with the Iranians. Too much time wasted on traveling, too much work!"

He added: "Besides which, there is tremendous infighting and confusion within their ‘leadership’. Nobody knows who is in charge, including them. Also, we have all the cards, they have none!"

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had left Islamabad on Saturday evening after meetings with Pakistani officials.

Polls for Palestinian municipal elections closed across the occupied West Bank on Saturday, the elections commission said, the first since the Gaza war began.

Polling stations shut at 1600 GMT, while in central Gaza's Deir el-Balah -- the only area in the territory where voting took place -- polls closed an hour earlier, at 1500 GMT.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called on his people Saturday to conserve electricity, warning that while there were no shortages at present, the US and Israel aimed to sow "dissatisfaction" among the Iranian people.

"We have asked our dear people, who are now ready and present on the ground, a simple request. And that is to reduce their own electricity and energy consumption," the president said on state TV.

"We do not need people to sacrifice for the time being, but we do need to control consumption. Instead of 10 lights, two lights should be turned on in the house -- what is wrong with that?" he added.

Despite the US-Israeli bombing campaign against Iran, there have been no reported power cuts in Tehran in recent days.

Pezeshkian accused Iran's enemies of hitting infrastructure and imposing a blockade "so that the current satisfaction turns into dissatisfaction".

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to wipe out Iran's power infrastructure, but has so far not followed through.

Even before the current war with the United States and Israel, however, Iran suffered frequent power outages during the winter and summer peaks in demand.

Negotiations between a Hamas delegation and the US-backed Board of Peace’s high representative, Nickolay Mladenov, are set to resume on Monday in Cairo- according to Israeli news publication Haaretz.

This comes as Khalil al-Hayya, head of Hamas’s negotiating team, is currently in Istanbul holding consultations with senior Hamas officials on a proposal put forward by mediators.

The plan includes the disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups, followed by the reconstruction of Gaza and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said on Saturday that the death toll from Israeli attacks has reached 2,496, with 7,725 people injured since the escalation of the conflict on 2 March.

In its daily update, the ministry added that more than 120,000 displaced people are currently sheltering in evacuation centres, with around 31,000 families affected.

Rockets have been launched from southern Lebanon towards northern Israel, according to Israeli military sources.

The army said alert sirens were triggered in the “Menara, Margaliot, and Misgav Am areas”, adding that further details are under review.

Israeli media reported that three rockets were fired in the attack.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has described his meeting with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as the “most warm, cordial exchange of views on the current regional situation”.

Writing on X, he added: “We also discussed matters of mutual interest, including the further strengthening of Pakistan–Iran bilateral relations.”

Was pleased to meet H.E. Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Foreign Minister of Iran, and his delegation in Islamabad today. Had a most warm, cordial exchange of views on the current regional situation. We also discussed matters of mutual interest, including the further strengthening of… pic.twitter.com/ZGLQNuGOK6

— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) April 25, 2026

Four people were killed on Saturday in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, Lebanon's state news agency reported.

On Friday, six people were killed in Lebanon, the deadliest day during the ceasefire that was recently extended.

French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated on Saturday that he was focused on efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a day after the head of TotalEnergies warned of global energy shortages if the Iran war continues for months.

Macron, speaking at a news conference in Athens alongside Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, said panic caused by geopolitical uncertainty can in itself lead to shortages.

"Our goal is to achieve a full reopening in the coming days and weeks, in accordance with international law, guaranteeing freedom of navigation without tolls on the Strait of Hormuz. Then things can gradually return to normal," Macron said.

TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanne pressed on Friday for the reopening of the strait, through which about a fifth of the globe's oil and gas supply normally flows.

Movement through the strait, which is also a key transport route for goods including fertilisers and pharmaceuticals, has been choked due to the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, as Iran has seized container ships and the United States has mounted a blockade on Iranian ports.

"If it lasts two, three months more, we are entering in a world of scarcity of energy, which Asian countries have already suffered," Pouyanne told the World Policy Conference in Chantilly, outside Paris. "You cannot have 20% of the oil and gas of the planet being stranded and not accessible without major consequences."

Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian has urged citizens to “reduce electricity and energy consumption” amid the ongoing war involving the United States and Israel, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency.

He said infrastructure was being targeted, warning that “the enemies are attacking our infrastructure and surrounding us so that people become dissatisfied and the current satisfaction turns into dissatisfaction; people must not allow the grounds for dissatisfaction to arise.”

Calling for restraint, he added: “We need consumption control; at home, instead of 10 lights, 2 lights should be on – what’s the problem with that?”

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has praised mediation efforts by Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, following a meeting between the two.

According to a statement carried by Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, the talks focused on "the latest developments related to the ceasefire" between the United States and Iran, as well as cooperation to strengthen peace and stability in the West Asia region.

Araghchi commended "the Pakistani government, especially Field Marshal Asim Munir, for establishing the ceasefire and ending the war" and shared Iran’s "views and considerations on this matter," the statement said.

Munir, in turn, "announced the country’s readiness to continue Pakistan’s mediation efforts until a result is achieved," it added.

Iran's military said on Saturday it would respond if the United States maintained its blockade of Iranian ports, calling it "banditry" and "piracy".

In a statement carried by state-run media outlet IRIB, the military's central command Khatam Al-Anbiya said that if "the invading US military continues blockading, banditry, and piracy in the region, they should be certain that they will face a response from Iran's powerful armed forces".

"We are ready and determined, while monitoring the behaviour and movements of enemies," it added.

Qatar has condemned in the “strongest terms” a drone attack targeting two northern land border posts in Kuwait, reportedly launched from Iraq.

In a statement, Qatar’s foreign ministry described the incident as a “blatant violation of Kuwait’s sovereignty and a serious threat to regional security and stability.”

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stresses the need for Iraq to assume its responsibilities to prevent the recurrence of such attacks. The Ministry reaffirms Qatar’s full solidarity with Kuwait and its support for all measures taken to safeguard its sovereignty and security," the statement added.

Iran's defence ministry on Saturday said the United States was seeking a "face-saving" way to exit the war, as US envoys travelled to Pakistan for peace negotiations.

"Our military power today is a dominant force, and the enemy is looking for a face-saving way to escape the war quagmire it has become trapped in," media outlet ISNA quoted a ministry spokesperson as saying.

It comes as emissaries Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner make their way to Islamabad, though Iranian state media has said direct negotiations are not on the cards.

US envoys headed to the Pakistani capital Saturday to kickstart a new round of peace negotiations with Iran, although Iranian state media said Tehran's envoys had no immediate plans to hold face-to-face talks.

As Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner set off for Islamabad, the White House said they would hold an "in-person conversation" with Iranian representatives.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Islamabad on Friday and met Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan's army chief and a key figure in the country's mediation efforts. The pair appeared together in a brief video posted by Tehran's embassy.

Sealing a deal to end the Middle East war remains a thorny proposition, even as urgency mounts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital conduit for the world's oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG).

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Witkoff and Kushner would be in Pakistan "to engage in talks... with representatives from the Iranian delegation".

"The Iranians reached out, as the president called on them to do, and asked for this in-person conversation," Leavitt said, adding that the talks would "hopefully move the ball forward towards a deal".

Leavitt said Vice President JD Vance, who led a first round of negotiations in Islamabad two weeks ago, would not be joining for the time being, but was on "standby to fly to Pakistan if necessary".

It remained unclear whether the Iranian side would meet directly with the US envoys.

US President Donald Trump told news agency Reuters on Friday that Iran plans to make an offer aimed at satisfying US demands, as peace talks were expected to resume in Pakistan.

"They're making an offer and we'll have to see," Trump said during a phone interview.

Trump said he did not know what the offer would be yet. He has been adamant that any deal include Iran giving up its enriched uranium and allowing freedom of oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner plan to depart on Saturday for the Pakistani capital Islamabad for talks with an Iranian delegation.

Trump on Thursday had expressed concern about who was leading Iran, and US officials have said they believe the leadership is fractured.

On Friday, when asked who the US was negotiating with, Trump said: "I don't want to say that, but we're dealing with the people that are in charge now."

He declined to provide names.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has arrived in Islamabad to discuss proposals for restarting peace talks with the US.

Trump has insisted the US military will maintain a blockade against Iran's ports until an agreement is reached.

When asked what is needed to lift the blockade, Trump said: "I'd have to be able to answer that question later. I have to see what they're offering."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his counterpart from the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, called for the resumption of talks to secure a rapid, sustainable agreement to the Middle East crisis, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

A statement said the ministers, in a telephone call, "expressed their shared view on the need to resume negotiations in order to promptly reach agreements on a long-term, sustainable resolution of the crisis, taking into account the legitimate interests of all countries in the region".

Commercial flights have resumed at Tehran’s main international airport for the first time since the outbreak of war, according to Iranian state media.

Operations restarted at Imam Khomeini International Airport on Saturday, marking the end of a suspension that lasted more than 50 days following the conflict that began on 28 February.

The initial phase of the reopening includes international routes to cities such as Istanbul and Muscat, with additional destinations expected to be introduced gradually.

The resumption of flights forms part of a broader effort by Iranian authorities to restore normal air travel and connectivity after weeks of disruption caused by the war

Germany is deploying naval units to the Mediterranean Sea as an initial step towards a possible mission in the Strait of Hormuz.

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said the deployment would include a minesweeper, a command vessel and a supply ship. Speaking to the Rheinische Post on Saturday, he did not confirm when the mission would begin.

The move comes after Tehran shut the Strait of Hormuz in response to the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on 28 February.

The closure has severely disrupted global shipping and trade, triggering a sharp rise in energy prices and forcing countries to take urgent measures to prevent fuel shortages.

The question of reopening the strait remains a key sticking point in ongoing negotiations aimed at ending the war.

Pistorius stressed that any future deployment would be subject to conditions, including a lasting ceasefire, a legal framework in line with international law, and approval from the German parliament.

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reaffirmed Berlin’s willingness to join an international mission to secure the Strait of Hormuz, stating a preference for US involvement.

Iran on Saturday executed a man for carrying out a "mission" on behalf of Israel's spy agency during mass protests in January, the judiciary reported.

It is the latest in a string of executions since war broke out with Israel and the United States.

Erfan Kiani was hanged after his sentence was upheld by the country's Supreme Court, the judiciary's Mizan Online website said.

It described Kiani as one of the "main operatives" in a "mission assigned by Mossad" during unrest in the central Iranian province of Isfahan.

The judiciary accused him of "destruction of public and private property, arson, possession and use of Molotov cocktails, carrying a bladed weapon, blocking vehicle routes, attacking officers, and creating fear and panic among citizens".

His execution follows the hanging on Thursday of another man in Iran who was convicted of membership in a banned opposition group.