Main developments
American and Iranian negotiators have arrived in Islamabad for talks aimed at ending the war in the Gulf. Tehran and Washington have never held direct bilateral negotiations. It is unclear whether they will talk face-to-face or via intermediaries.
Delegations from Washington and Tehran met Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif separately.
US vice-president JD Vance said he expected the talks to be “positive” but warned the Iranians “not to play us”.
Iran said it was ready to reach a deal but does not “trust” the US.
Israel launched further air strikes on southern Lebanon.
Lebanon and Israel have agreed to hold negotiations in Washington next week to discuss a ceasefire. It would mark the first direct talks between the two enemy states, which have never had diplomatic relations, in more than four decades.
Iran said the Lebanon-Israel talks must include Hizbollah.
‘Massive’ number of oil tankers heading to US, Trump says
Donald Trump said on Saturday that many empty tankers were on their way to the US to ship its oil around the world.
“Massive numbers of completely empty oil tankers, some of the largest anywhere in the World, are heading, right now, to the United States to load up with the best and ‘sweetest’ oil and gas anywhere in the World,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
“We have more oil than the next two largest oil economies combined and higher quality.”
On Thursday the FT published details of 68 empty tankers which are en route to the US, part of an armada that is expected to boost its oil exports to record levels of more than 5mn barrels per day.
‘Breathtaking’ diplomatic battle is being waged, says Iran
Tehran says a “breathtaking battle in the field of diplomacy” is under way in Islamabad even before Iranian and US delegations meet.
“We are in a special phase of history, fighting diplomatically,” Esmail Baghaei, the foreign ministry spokesman who is accompanying the Iranian delegation, told state television: “For us, diplomacy is the continuation of war.”
Baghaei added that Iranian officials were still in meetings with Pakistani leaders acting as mediators “to convey the Islamic republic’s positions and demands very clearly” to the US delegation.
“The exchange of messages began last night,” he said.
The spokesperson did not state when Iranian and American delegations would meet face to face.
Baghaei stressed that the delegation remained in constant contact with military authorities to ensure the two-week ceasefire had not been broken. He confirmed that “no serious breach” had occurred.
He added that officials were also in “direct contact” with Iran’s embassy in Beirut “to ensure the ceasefire is in place on all fronts”.