Main developments
US President Donald Trump has struck an optimistic note about peace talks with Iran, which are expected to take place this week.
“We are going to end up with a great deal . . . they have no choice,” he told CNBC.
However, Pakistan’s information minister said on Tuesday evening that Islamabad had not received a “formal response” from Iran about whether it will attend the talks.
Trump repeated that he did not “want” to extend the existing ceasefire, which is due to expire on Wednesday, and reiterated his threats to attack Iran’s infrastructure if Tehran does not agree to a deal.
Vice-president JD Vance and top US officials are expected to leave Washington for talks in Pakistan soon. But Iran has not yet confirmed that it will attend.
US forces boarded a crude oil tanker in the Indo-Pacific region overnight, as Washington steps up its pursuit of shipping linked to Iran.
Oil prices fell slightly and global stocks rose.
Raytheon and Northrop Grumman boost sales amid global conflicts
Two leading US defence companies reported healthy sales growth on Tuesday, powered by strong demand amid the ongoing war in Ukraine and unresolved tensions in the Gulf.
US aerospace conglomerate RTX’s defence division Raytheon, which produces missiles and air defence systems including Patriot, posted a 10 per cent increase in first-quarter sales on the same period a year earlier, as the US and its allies race to replenish their stockpiles and the Pentagon seeks to drive increases in defence production capacity.
RTX, which also owns engine maker Pratt & Whitney, raised the upper end of its revenue forecast for 2026 from $93bn to $93.5bn, based on higher sales volumes on land and air defence systems and naval munitions programmes.
Northrop Grumman’s defence systems business also recorded a 10 per cent first-quarter rise in sales, driven by demand for its Sentinel ballistic missile programme and for solid rocket motors used in tactical missiles.
Israeli soldiers who vandalised Jesus statue in Lebanon removed from combat duty
Two Israeli soldiers who vandalised a statue of Jesus in a southern Lebanese village over the weekend have been removed from combat duty and sent to military detention for 30 days, the Israel Defense Forces said on Tuesday.
The incident, in which one soldier filmed the other taking a sledgehammer to the head of the statue, went viral on social media and sparked global outrage, including from the Catholic church.
The IDF has yet to determine the punishment, if any, for six additional soldiers who were present at the scene but did not stop the incident.
The IDF added that it had worked with local leaders in the Lebanese village of Debel to replace the damaged statue. “The IDF expresses deep regret over the incident, and is working to ensure that it does not happen again in the future,” the military said on X.