Technical negotiators focused on implementing the ceasefire framework, sanctions relief and Hormuz arrangements despite lingering regional security tensions.

The envoys' presence follows US President Donald Trump's announcement on Monday that Iran had requested a meeting in the Qatari capital — a claim Tehran has denied, saying no direct talks with Washington are planned even as consultations with intermediaries continue.

Trump said US envoys were travelling to Qatar for what he described as a "perhaps important, perhaps not" meeting, adding that Washington hoped to advance efforts towards a permanent agreement.

AFP quoted an American official as saying that the technical talks are slated to continue on all areas of the MOU and both sides will stand down for now and vessels can move freely in and around the Strait of Hormuz.

US Central Command said American fighter jets struck 10 Iranian military sites in and near the Strait of Hormuz, while Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it hit US installations in Bahrain and Kuwait.

Tehran warned of broader retaliation if attacked again as Washington defended its military action, while unrest spread to Beirut after Israel and Lebanon signed a US-brokered framework agreement.

Qatar and Pakistan, which mediated the negotiations at a lakeside resort in Switzerland, said in a joint statement that Washington and Tehran had agreed to establish a "de-confliction cell" intended to ensure military operations cease in Lebanon.

Dubai, UAE -- Saudi Arabia reduced its holdings of U.S. Treasury securities by $9.5 billion in April to $140.1 billion, according to U.S. Treasury data, as the kingdom trimmed short-term debt holdings while retaining its position as the world's 17th-largest foreign holder of U.S. government debt. The decline followed a...

At the center of the memorandum of understanding is a proposed $300 billion private investment vehicle, known as the Reconstruction and Development Fund, designed to encourage both sides to pursue a final settlement.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the proposed framework would address issues including the U.S. naval blockade and the future administration of the Strait of Hormuz.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the U.S. attacks and warned that Iran's armed forces would leave "no attack or threat unanswered", while urging foreign militaries to withdraw from the region.

The latest confrontation around the Strait of Hormuz threatens regional shipping security and comes despite renewed diplomatic efforts to stabilize multiple Middle East conflicts.

Trump also told aides he would not resume all-out war with Iran unless Tehran killed U.S. troops, while U.S. Central Command denied an Iranian claim that it had targeted a U.S. military vessel in the Gulf of Oman.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps, meanwhile, said it had launched missile and drone attacks against the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet, as well as an airbase and helicopters in a regional country.

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

Iran said it fired on a U.S. military base in the region, while the United States reported strikes on Iran’s Bandar Abbas port. Later, Axios reported that Washington and Tehran had agreed on a memorandum of understanding to extend their ceasefire for 60 days.

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 Pentagon on Tuesday revised the estimated cost of the war on Iran to nearly $29 billion, roughly $4 billion higher than the figure presented two weeks ago during Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s earlier testimony before Congress.

The United States on Friday announced a fresh round of sanctions targeting people and companies in China, Hong Kong, Belarus, and the United Arab Emirates for allegedly helping Iran acquire supplies and military equipment for its missile and drone programs.

The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. officials said President Donald Trump had instructed aides to prepare for a sustained blockade of Iranian ports to increase pressure on Tehran. The move came after Iran warned of "unprecedented military action" if Washington continued seizing Iran-linked vessels.

Iran has conveyed a fresh proposal to the United States through Pakistani intermediaries, seeking an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and bring the ongoing war to an end, according to an Axios report.

More than 3,000 rallies were held across all 50 states, with participation estimates ranging from several million to as many as eight million people, reports said.

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

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.

With airspace across parts of the Middle East locked down and thousands of flights cancelled or delayed, King Khalid International Airport remains one of the few major hubs still operating.

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.

True global leadership is forged through sustained, face-to-face dialogue, cross-cultural immersion, and relationships that transcend digital convenience and headline-driven narratives.

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.

Several governments have urged their citizens to leave Iran immediately, while others are pulling non-essential embassy personnel from sensitive locations, citing security concerns.

The renewed diplomacy comes as Washington has deployed two aircraft carriers, additional jets and ships, and reinforced air defenses across the region, heightening fears of potential strikes.

Iran's supreme leader on Sunday likened recent anti-government protests to a "coup", warning that any US attack on the Islamic republic following Washington's military deployments in the Middle East would trigger a regional war.

Gold and silver prices dived Friday, European stock markets ended the week up while Wall Street fell slightly with investors reassured by US President Donald Trump's pick to take over as head of the Federal Reserve.

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.

Los Angeles, United States -- Jury selection begins Tuesday for a landmark trial that could establish a legal precedent on whether social media companies deliberately designed their platforms to addict children. The case being heard in a California state court in Los Angeles is being called a "bellwether" proceeding because...

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.

A next round of trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the US to halt the war will continue in Abu Dhabi on February 1 a US official said on Saturday.

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.

Iraq said on Sunday US-led coalition forces had finished withdrawing from bases within the country's federal territory, which excludes the autonomous northern Kurdistan region.

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.

Iran on Wednesday vowed fast-track trials for people arrested over a massive wave of protests, after US President Donald Trump threatened "very strong action" if the Islamic republic goes ahead with hangings.

Widespread jamming of the Starlink satellite internet service used by some Iranian opposition members is a likely first in peacetime but impossible to sustain nationwide, experts told AFP.

President Donald Trump reposted a social media message on Sunday suggesting that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, born to Cuban immigrant parents, would become the next leader of Cuba.

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.

A Russian warship arrived off South Africa's main naval base Friday to join Chinese and Iranian vessels for military exercises that risk further damaging Pretoria's relations with Washington.

The United States could run Venezuela and tap into its oil reserves for years, President Donald Trump said in an interview published Thursday, less than a week after toppling Nicolas Maduro.

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Wednesday that Washington will control sales of Venezuelan oil "indefinitely," a day after President Donald Trump announced Venezuela's interim leaders had agreed to US-managed marketing of 30-50 million barrels of crude.

Venezuela's parliament swore in Delcy Rodriguez as interim president on Monday, two days after US forces seized her predecessor Nicolas Maduro to face trial in New York.