US-Israel-Iran War Highlights: Jaishankar discusses Middle East crisis with counterparts from Iran, UAE, Qatar

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US President Donald Trump has set Tuesday evening as the deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face potential strikes on critical infrastructure, according to an interview published in WSJ on Sunday.

Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Trump warned that failure to act within the timeline could trigger attacks on key targets inside Iran. “If they don’t do something by Tuesday evening, they won’t have any power plants and they won’t have any bridges standing,” he said.
 

Iran’s culture minister Sayed Reza Salihi-Amiri has dismissed US President Donald Trump’s latest threats, describing him as an “unstable, delusional figure” amid rising tensions over the Strait of Hormuz.

In an interview, Salihi-Amiri said Iranian society largely ignores Trump’s statements, arguing that he lacks consistency and frequently shifts between contradictory positions. “Iranian society generally does not pay attention to his statements, as it believes he lacks personal, behavioral and verbal balance,” he said.
 

US President Donald Trump said he would not "leave in the middle of the war." Speaking to Channel 12, he also claimed his administration is engaged in “deep negotiations” with Iran to secure a ceasefire.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned US President Donald Trump’s latest threats, calling them an “incitement for war crimes and crimes against humanity.” Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the remarks reflect what he described as a “criminal mindset”, warning that targeting critical infrastructure would endanger the civilian population.

“Threatening to attack a country’s critical infrastructure, energy sector, it would mean that you want to put at risk the whole population. This is nothing less than war crimes and crimes against humanity,” Baghaei said in an interview.

US President Donald Trump appears to have issued a precise deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, sharpening his earlier ultimatum with a specific time. In a brief post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!” — without directly mentioning Iran or providing further context.

Trump had earlier warned that failure to reopen the strategic waterway by Tuesday evening could result in US strikes on Iran’s critical infrastructure, including power plants and bridges.

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar received a phone call from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, during which both sides discussed the present situation. The conversation comes amid ongoing tensions in the region.

EAM Dr S Jaishankar held a phone call on the ongoing conflict with Qatar Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. In a separate call, he also spoke to his UAE counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the evolving situation in West Asia.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it targeted an Israeli-linked vessel in the channel near the UAE’s Jebel Ali port, according to a statement cited by news agency Reuters. 

Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has warned US President Donald Trump that his “reckless moves” could push the region towards a wider conflict.

In a post on X, Ghalibaf said Trump’s actions were dragging the US into “a living HELL” and warned that “our whole region is going to burn” if tensions continue to escalate. He also dismissed the effectiveness of military action, saying, “You won’t gain anything through war crimes.”

US President Donald Trump has said he offered Iranian negotiators “immunity from death” at their request, as he asserted that key issues in talks with Tehran had already been largely settled.

Speaking to Fox News, Trump said the central objective for Washington was ensuring that Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons. “The big thing is they’re not going to have a nuclear weapon. They’re not even negotiating that point, it’s so easy,” he said, adding that “most of the points are conceded.”

His remarks come amid heightened tensions between the two countries, even as diplomatic channels remain active.

Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York on Sunday accused US President Donald Trump of openly threatening civilian infrastructure, calling his remarks “direct and public incitement to terrorise civilians” and evidence of intent to commit a war crime.

In a statement posted on social media, the mission said Trump had spoken of targeting key facilities, warning that such actions would endanger infrastructure essential for civilian survival in Iran.

The Iranian mission criticised the international community for what it described as inaction, urging the United Nations and member states to intervene. It said there was a legal obligation to prevent such acts, warning that failure to respond promptly could have serious consequences.

Accusing Washington of escalating tensions, the mission said the US was pushing the region towards a prolonged conflict and called for immediate global action to avert further escalation.

Russia on Sunday called on the United States to abandon the “language of ultimatums” in dealing with Iran, expressing hope that ongoing efforts to de-escalate the conflict would succeed if diplomatic engagement is prioritised. The statement from Russia’s Foreign Ministry came after a conversation between Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi.

Moscow said Washington could help stabilise the situation by returning to a negotiating track, signalling its preference for a diplomatic resolution amid rising regional tensions.

(Reuters)

Mahdi Tabatabaei, an aide in the Iranian president’s office, said a portion of tolls collected from vessels passing through the strait would need to be allocated towards covering war-related losses before normal transit resumes.
 

The Israeli military said it has recovered a cache of Hezbollah-linked military equipment from a school in southern Lebanon, highlighting what it described as the group’s continued use of civilian spaces. In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said troops from the Golani Brigade discovered uniforms, military gear, and documents tied to Hezbollah inside the premises. Among the items were graduation certificates linked to the group’s elite Radwan Force, as well as operational manuals for rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs).

Iran has called on the international community to act after US President Donald Trump’s latest threats, accusing him of openly targeting civilian infrastructure and pushing the region towards a wider conflict. In a statement posted on X, Iran’s mission to the United Nations condemned Trump’s remarks, saying they amounted to threats “to destroy infrastructure essential to civilian survival” inside the country.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised US President Donald Trump following the reported rescue of an American pilot, calling it a significant and courageous operation. In a statement, Netanyahu said the mission reflected the determination of “free societies” to act against threats and uphold the principle that no one is left behind.

An Iranian air defence commander has been killed in a reported US-Israeli strike, according to Iran’s Mehr news agency. The report said Brigadier General Masoud Zare, who headed the Iranian Army’s Air Defense College, died in the attack on Iranian territory.

Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has called for an end to what he described as “unjustified Iranian aggressions”, as tensions continue to rise across the region. During talks with Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the two sides discussed recent developments, including attacks on Kuwaiti energy facilities. Sheikh Mohammed expressed Qatar’s full support for Kuwait and backed measures taken to protect its sovereignty and security.
 

US President Donald Trump said the United States had earlier sent weapons intended for Iranian protesters through Kurdish channels, In remarks to Fox News, Trump said he believes Kurdish groups may have kept the weapons instead.