Middle East crisis live: Iranian ambassador warns it will respond to any Israeli attack in Lebanon
Key events
US secretary of state begins Gulf tour to discuss MOU, Hormuz
Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, is scheduled to begin a tour of the Gulf on Tuesday to meet with leaders and discuss the memorandum of understanding with Iran and the strait of Hormuz, among other things.
For the next two days, he will be traveling to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain, the state department said.
Iranian president, foreign minister arrive in Islamabad
Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian and Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi have arrived in Islamabad, AFP reports.
Pakistan has been acting as a mediator in peace talks between Tehran and Washington.
The pair were greeted by Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to state news agency IRNA.
Iran and Oman has formed a joint committee to discuss the strait of Hormuz
Iran and Oman has formed a joint committee to discuss the strait of Hormuz, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s chief negotiator, said on Telegram on Tuesday.
Under the memorandum of understanding, Iran is required to ensure toll-free passage for commercial vessels for at least 60 days, with full restoration of traffic within 30 days.
However, Ghalibaf has long maintained that the “strait of Hormuz will not return to pre-war conditions” and Tehran would begin charging ships to uses the strait after the 60-day period. “Iran has the right to sovereignty over the strait of Hormuz and of course we will receive a fee for services,” Ghalibaf said in an interview on state television.
Hezbollah said Tuesday that Israeli soldiers had fired upon a group of civilians in the attack in southern Lebanon that killed two, Reuters reports.
On Telegram, Israel Defense Forces said its soldiers had struck “armed terrorists” that posed an immediate threat to Israeli soldiers.
Hezbollah says fatal Israeli attack violates ceasefire agreement
Hezbollah has issued a statement that the Israeli attack in southern Lebanon that kiled two is a violation of the ceasefire agreement with Israel, Reuters reports.
More to come.
Here’s some more on the two people killed by Israeli gunfire in southern Lebanon:
Israeli soldiers had opened fire at a group of people near a bulldozer clearing a road in the al-Deir neighbourhood of Nabatieh al-Fawqa, according to Reuters, citing Lebanon’s state news agency NNA.
The Israeli military told Reuters that it had struck “armed terrorists” who posed an immediate threat to Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon.
Since Hezbollah opened fire on Israel in support of Iran on March 2, bringing Lebanon into the conflict, Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed more than 4,100 people, including 773 women, children and healthcare workers, according to the Lebanese health ministry. The toll does not say how many combatants are among the dead.
Israeli attacks have also forced some 1.2m people from their homes in Lebanon.
On the Israeli side, at least 32 soldiers and four civilians have been killed in rounds of hostilities with Hezbollah.
Iranian ambassador warns any attacks on Lebanon will jeopardise talks
Hello and welcome to our live blog of the Middle East.
The Iranian ambassador to the UN in Geneva has just warned that Tehran’s red line in negotiations with Washington is that Israel will cease attacks on Lebanon, including the capital of Beirut.
The ambassador added that Iran “will respond” if Israel violates the memorandum of understanding established on Thursday in any way, including with attacks on Lebanon and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
On Tuesday, Israeli gunfire killed two people in southern Lebanon, according to Reuters – the first reported fatalities resulting from Israeli fire in Lebanon in three days. Responding to the attack, the Iranian envoy said any violation of the memorandum of understanding will create challanges to the peace talks.
Strikes between Hezbollah and Israel have been a key point of contention during the talks between the US and Iran to reach a peace deal. Israel is now occupying part of southern Lebanon in a so-called “security zone.” Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed the zone is necessary to protect northern Israel from Hezbollah.
Here are some other key developments:
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JD Vance said the talks with Iran created a “good foundation for a successful final deal” to end the war. “The final deal is the house,” the US vice-president told reporters. “We set the foundation. We haven’t built the house, but we’ve laid a successful foundation to get to a good place for the American people.”
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When asked how soon IAEA inspectors could come to Iran, JD Vance said nuclear inspectors were called at 2am last night – but no one picked up the call. “As you can expect, not many people are answering their phone at two in the morning,” the vice president said.
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US secretary of state Marco Rubio will begin a trip to three Gulf countries on Tuesday amid negotiations with Iran to end the war in the Middle East, his spokesperson said. Visiting the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain, Rubio will discuss “the memorandum of understanding with Iran, efforts to secure full and free safe transit through the strait of Hormuz, and the importance of peace and stability in the region,” state department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement.
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Tehran did not negotiate on its nuclear programme and did not accept any new commitments in Sunday’s talks with the US in Switzerland, foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told the official IRNA news agency on Monday. Iran’s interaction with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will continue in accordance with current procedures, subject to the approval of Iran’s parliament and the decisions of the Supreme National Security Council, Baghaei added.
More to come.
