Both countries, however, warned that they were ready to launch retaliatory attacks if provoked. The renewed hostilities raised concerns that the Middle East could plunge back into a full-scale war.

Air raid alerts sounded across Israel, explosions were reported over Jerusalem, and Iranian state media reported blasts in Tehran, Tabriz and Isfahan.

The meeting in Washington follows U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement that he had received commitments from both sides aimed at reducing tensions.

Beirut was bracing for a possible Israeli bombardment on Monday after Israel announced plans to strike the city's southern suburbs, raising fears that the fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah could unravel.

Israeli and US officials had initially viewed former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a potential figure to lead Iran following the outbreak of war, according to a report by The New York Times.

The exchange came as regional tensions remained high and Iran intensified diplomatic efforts to secure a broader halt to hostilities, dispatching Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to Pakistan and preparing for talks in Moscow.

The truce, brokered by the United States, is intended to halt cross-border fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah. Scenes of relief emerged across parts of Lebanon as the ceasefire took effect. Local reports said celebrations broke out in some areas, while displaced civilians began preparing to return to their homes...

The strikes hit multiple areas, including parts of Beirut, with emergency teams struggling to reach casualties amid heavy congestion. The health ministry urged residents to clear roads to allow ambulances access as rescue operations continued.

The asymmetry at the heart of this war’s economic geography is stark. The US imports relatively little oil through Hormuz. More than 80% of oil and LNG shipped through the strait in 2024 went to Asian markets, with China, India, Japan and South Korea the primary destinations, he adds.

The Bahrain Defence Force General Command (BDF) announced that its air defence systems have continued to successfully intercept successive waves of the Iranian aggression.

Several ports suspended operations in the Middle East after drone strikes. DP World said operations at Jebel Ali port in Dubai, one of the world's busiest container ports, had been suspended due to a fire after "aerial interception," he adds.

The dollar still functions as the world’s primary safe haven, and in moments of acute geopolitical uncertainty, capital flows toward US assets, particularly when positioning had been stretched against it.

OpenAI is facing online backlash after signing a deal with the United States Department of Defense to deploy its AI models within the department’s classified network.

Reports suggest some of Trump’s advisers would prefer Israel to initiate any strike, calculating that American public opinion would be more supportive if Washington were seen as backing an ally rather than acting unilaterally.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei described the negotiations as “very intensive” and said there were “constructive proposals” concerning both nuclear issues and sanctions relief.

Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Yamahi, Speaker of the Arab Parliament, stressed that any talk of control over the occupied Palestinian territories constitutes a flagrant violation of international legitimacy.

Mahmud Qamati, a Hezbollah official, described the strike in the Bekaa Valley as “a new massacre and a new aggression” in remarks broadcast on the group’s Al-Manar television channel.

Indirect talks in Geneva have yielded what officials call “guiding principles” for a possible agreement, but the framework remains skeletal and major gaps still separate US demands from Iran’s red lines.

Palestinian officials described the Israeli parliament's decision related to West Bank land as a “serious escalation,” while armed groups and political factions condemned what they called an attempt to permanently change the territory’s status.

In interviews with Israeli media, Trump warned of consequences if negotiations fail. “Either we reach a deal or we'll have to do something very tough,” Israel's Channel 12 quoted him as saying.

Iran's top diplomat said Friday that his country's missile and defence capabilities would "never" be on the negotiating table, as US President Donald Trump appeared to cool on threats of a strike after a military build-up in the region.

A US naval strike group led by an aircraft carrier has deployed to Middle Eastern waters, the United States said Monday, as Tehran warned it was ready to hit back at any American attack launched in response to a crackdown on anti-government protests.

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reopen the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt during talks in Jerusalem, Israeli media reported Sunday.

Saudi Arabia and seven Muslim-majority countries including Gaza mediators Qatar and Turkey have agreed to join US President Donald Trump's "Board of Peace", the Saudi foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been invited to join US President Donald Trump's "Board of Peace" aimed at resolving conflicts globally and  oversee governance and reconstruction in Gaza, the Kremlin said Monday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday held calls with the leaders of Israel and Iran, the Kremlin said, offering mediation amid protests in Iran that have raised fears of a military confrontation in the region.

Palestinian vice president Hussein al-Sheikh met on Friday with former UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov, who is expected to head the US‑backed Board of Peace in Gaza.

Israel's President Isaac Herzog on Thursday met with former UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov, whom media reports say is expected to represent the US‑backed Board of Peace in Gaza.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel would not allow arch-foe Iran to restore its ballistic missile programme, just days after US President Donald Trump issued a similar threat.

Iran has been rocked this week by protests that started in Tehran and have spread to other cities, with at least six people killed in clashes with security forces.

The breakaway region of Somaliland on Thursday denied allegations by the Somali president that it would take resettled Palestinians or host an Israeli military base in exchange for Israel recognising its independence.

Israel's Mossad spy agency issued a direct call urging Iranians to press on with protests, saying it was supporting them "on the ground" as demonstrations spread in capital Tehran and other Iranian cities.

Apart from MSF, some of the 37 NGOs to be hit with the ban are the Norwegian Refugee Council, World Vision International, CARE and Oxfam, according to the list given by Zwick.

US President Donald Trump warned Iran of fresh strikes and said Hamas would have "hell to pay" if it fails to disarm in Gaza, as he presented a united front with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Donald Trump in Florida on Monday, with the US president pushing to move to the next stage of his fragile Gaza truce plan.

Somalia's president is to visit close ally Turkey on Tuesday following Israel's recognition of the breakaway territory of Somaliland, Turkey's presidency said.

Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and has for decades pushed for international recognition. A self-proclaimed republic, it enjoys a strategic position on the Gulf of Aden and has its own money, passports and army.

Fourteen countries, including France, Britain, and Germany, condemned on Wednesday Israel's recent approval of new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel would invest $110 billion over the next decade to develop its own independent arms industry.

The Palestinian Authority condemned on Tuesday Israel's recent approval of 19 settlements in the occupied West Bank, accusing it of tightening its control over Palestinian land.

Residents say the strikes have targeted neighborhoods east of the so-called Yellow Line -- a demarcation established under the truce between Israel and Hamas.

Former Israeli premier Naftali Bennett, widely regarded as a leading contender in next year's legislative elections, called on Monday for the resignation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing his office of "treason" over alleged Qatari funding to his aides.

The decision brings the total number of settlements approved over the past three years to 69, according to a statement from the office of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that Washington had proposed the first face-to-face negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in half a year, as diplomats converged on Miami for fresh talks on ending the war.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday urged the disarmament of Hamas but voiced hope for headway on reaching the next stage of a Gaza ceasefire as regional officials met.

A top Hamas official said Friday that talks in Miami to advance the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire must aim to end Israeli truce "violations" in the Palestinian territory.

Israel said a Friday meeting involving civilian and military representatives from both Lebanon and Israel was part of broader efforts to ensure Hezbollah's disarmament and strengthen security in border areas.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday he still planned to visit New York despite incoming mayor Zohran Mamdani's threats to arrest him in compliance with an International Criminal Court warrant.

Under the agreement, Israel will increase the total volume of gas supplied to Egypt to 130 billion cubic meters, according to Israeli firm NewMed Energy which announced the deal in August.

The Israeli army is to demolish 25 residential buildings in the north West Bank's Nur Shams refugee camp later this week, local authorities told AFP on Monday.