Iran's chief negotiator says the US must act to prevent renewed war, and other Mideast news
Iran’s chief negotiator says it’s up to the United States to prevent renewed war after what he described as a “firm and rational response” to Washington. Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf did not elaborate. His comments came after the U.S. conducted defensive strikes on some Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump says his administration will stop providing $4 billion in aid each year to Israel but still sell arms to its ally. India reports that an attack on a commercial vessel off Oman killed an Indian national while 13 others were rescued.
Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Tuesday. Read our full coverage here.
Iran’s chief negotiator and parliament speaker says it's up to the United States to prevent new fighting after Tehran delivered what he called a “firm and rational response” to the U.S., state TV reported.
In an address to parliament, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Iran remained ready “for battle with its finger on the trigger.”
He did not elaborate and it was unclear what “response” he referred to. His comment came after a U.S. official said the military conducted defensive strikes on some Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the official, the strikes targeted Iranians using surface-to-air missiles. The official wasn’t authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Iranian state television reported that explosions were heard on Qeshm Island.
— By Michelle L. Price
U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that stopping $4 billion in aid each year to Israel came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approached him about the idea.
Trump told Fox News Channel they have been talking about it for a couple of years.
“You can consider it barter. You can consider military aid or cash,” Trump said. “Look, we give them $4 billion of things and money, and they don’t need it.”
A commercial vessel was attacked and hit by an unidentified aerial object off the coast of Oman on Monday, India’s foreign ministry said, killing one Indian national while 13 other people were rescued.
There was no claim of responsibility, but Iran previously has claimed attacks on vessels it says took unauthorized routes through the strait. It also has claimed some vessels have struck mines.
Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least two people Tuesday, including a 17-year-old girl, hospitals reported.
A strike on a tent in Gaza City killed the teenager and injured four people, according to Shifa Hospital. The Israeli military said it struck a militant who entered Israel during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack but did not say whether the girl killed was the target of the strike.
Associated Press video of the deceased girl’s father showed him crying over her body, his shirt stained with her blood.
Yemen’s top diplomat said Tuesday the Houthi rebels are not willing to strike a peace deal with the internationally recognized government to end the country’s yearslong civil war.
Foreign Minister Afrah al-Zouba spoke to The Associated Press in Paris, where she met with French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot.
“The problem is that the Houthis aren’t willing, and they will not be ready for peace,” al-Zouba told AP.
She accused Iran of employing the Houthis to serve their agenda. “They’re making this problem,” she said of Tehran.
Al-Zouba said that any settlement should include enabling the Yemeni government to regain control of the entire country.
Iran opened its third military training center in Tehran as authorities announced plans to train 1 million paramilitary volunteers nationwide, amid fears of renewed conflict with the United States and Israel.
Members of the Basij, a paramilitary force affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, attended the opening, the semiofficial ISNA news agency reported. Two similar centers in Tehran opened in August and September.
Women and children displaced by the fighting in Yemen are losing access to essential services, including maternity care and protection from sexual violence and exploitation, the U.N. said.
Renewed fighting between the Iran-backed Houthis and the Saudi-backed government forces has displaced some 300,000 people over the past few months. The conflict, mainly concentrated on the west coast and in the southern province of Taiz, broke a four-year truce and exacerbated an already dire humanitarian situation.
The leaders of Israel’s political parties opposed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met for the first time since last week’s election, as the country is mired in political deadlock from results that do not show either side with a conclusive win.
The opposition parties agreed to recommend former general Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, to form the first coalition. Israel’s president, who holds a largely ceremonial position, chooses which party will have the first attempt to build a majority coalition of 61 seats after the election.
Jordan has charged three gunmen who allegedly killed nine people at a Greek Orthodox Church in the city of Karak last month with committing acts of terrorism.
The Public Security Directorate identified the three Jordanian suspects as two brothers and their brother-in-law. The agency’s chief said the gunmen were not tied to an organized group, but described them as “takfiri,” a term used for Sunni militants.
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This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.
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