Iran-US war latest: Trump cancels Witkoff and Kushner’s trip to Pakistan as hopes for peace talks fade – UK Times

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed his shock at a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, which saw President Donald Trump and JD Vance escorted out of event by security officials.

“Sara and I were shocked by the attempted assassination of President @realDonaldTrump last night in Washington, DC,” Netanyahu wrote in a post on X.

“We are relieved that the President and the First Lady are safe and strong. We send our wishes for a full and speedy recovery to the wounded police officer and salute the US Secret Service for their swift and decisive action.”

The US-Israeli war with Iran has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, with only three vessels passing the waterway in one 24 hour, shipping data showed.

More than a dozen tankers passed through the Strait after Iran briefly declared it open on Friday. But a ceasefire between the US and Iran appeared in jeopardy on Tuesday as Iran vowed to retaliate for the US seizure of one of its vessels and refused to join new peace talks.

Oil prices have soared since the US-Israel war on Iran began, driven by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz – a key shipping lane that once handled a fifth of global oil and gas.

The Prime Minister will chair another meeting of the Cabinet committee, established to manage the fallout, this Tuesday, following last week’s Middle East Response Committee session.

A separate contingency group of ministers, led by Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones, also meets twice weekly.

If you’re just joining us, here are the latest updates on the ongoing tensions between the US, Israel and Iran.

• President Donald Trump and JD Vance were escorted out of a White House correspondents’ dinner on Saturday evening after a shooting in the building said to have targeted Trump administration officials. The US leader said it would not deter him from a win in the Iran war.
• Mr Trump cancelled a trip scheduled for US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to visit Islamabad, Pakistan, after saying the distance was too far to travel and “too much work” without a plan.
• The Iranian delegation left Pakistan on Saturday after conveying their demands and reservations to Pakistani officials. They had insisted that no direct talks were scheduled contrary to US reports.
• Israel continued to bomb Lebanon despite a ceasefire and said it is targeting Hezbollah.
• Israeli attacks that have killed journalists were condemned by the UK and Finland in a statement by the Media Freedom Coalition on Saturday.

Iranian attacks on US military bases caused far more extensive damage than has been publicly acknowledged, a new report by NBC has suggested.

Three US officials familiar with the damage told the publication that it was extensive and wide-reaching.

Facilities affected by Iranian retaliatory strikes include the headquarters of the US navy in Bahrain, the centre for the navy’s operations in the region, which suffered serious damage while some parts of the building sustained destruction that was likely more repairable.

Bases had been largely cleared of troops leaving them vulnerable to attack.

The American Enterprise Institute found that multiple hangars and warehouses at the Ali Al Salem air base in Kuwait was also hit. The AEI said that Iran hit more than 100 targets across 11 Gulf countries, with estimated damage at around $5bn.

Two air defence systems were also damaged in the region.

Iran executed a man convicted of being a member ⁠of the ​Sunni ⁠militant group Jaish al-Adl and carrying ⁠out attacks on ​Iranian ⁠security forces, the semi-official ‌Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday.

Authorities ‌identified the man ‌as Amer Ramesh, saying he had been ⁠arrested in a counter-terrorism operation in southeastern Iran and charged with armed rebellion, including being involved in bombings ‌and ambushes targeting ​military personnel.

Jaish al-Adl ‌is ⁠an extremist Sunni ⁠Muslim militant group active in ‌Iran’s ​poorest region, ‌Sistan-Baluchestan.

The US Central Command said it intercepted a merchant vessel attempting to breach the blockade of Iran, in what it described as part of ongoing efforts to curb illicit energy shipments.

The ship, identified as Sevan, was among a 19-vessel “shadow fleet” allegedly transporting Iranian oil and gas products to foreign markets, according to the US military.

Central Command said the vessel was intercepted in the Arabian Sea by a US Navy helicopter operating from the guided-missile destroyer USS Pinckney. The ship is now “complying with US military direction to turn back to Iran under escort,” it added.

Officials said the so-called shadow fleet has been sanctioned by the US Treasury for moving billions of dollars’ worth of Iranian energy exports – including propane and butane – to overseas buyers.

Since the blockade began, the US military says it has redirected 37 vessels attempting similar routes.

Iran plans to incorporate its recent conflict with the United States and Israel into school textbooks, the country’s education minister has said.

Alireza Kazemi described it as the “third imposed war” – a reference used by officials for the latest fighting, now under a ceasefire extended by Donald Trump.

“We will try to ensure that the memory of the martyrs and the strength of the Islamic Republic in the third imposed war are properly reflected in our textbooks,” the minister said.

He added that a dedicated working group has been set up to integrate accounts of the conflict into the curriculum, including what he described as narratives from the war and “the martyrdom of the leader”.

“We will present this history using all available capacities and pass it on to the new generation,” he said.

Last year, authorities introduced new curriculum materials portraying an earlier confrontation with Israel as a national success, aimed at reinforcing unity, patriotism and deterrence among students.

​Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi is ⁠expected to visit mediator Pakistan again ⁠after completing ​his ⁠trip to Oman, ⁠before traveling ​to ⁠Russia, ‌Iran’s Mehr news agency reported on ‌Saturday.

Araghchi earlier ‌left the Pakistani ⁠capital Islamabad without any sign of a breakthrough in peace talks ‌with Pakistani ​prime minister ‌Shehbaz ⁠Sharif and ⁠other senior officials ‌over ​the ‌Iran war.

Iran has executed a man over his alleged role in anti-establishment protests in January, with authorities claiming he acted on behalf of Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad.

Judiciary-linked media identified the man as Erfan Kiani, saying his death sentence had been upheld by the Supreme Court before being carried out early on Saturday.

Officials said Kiani led a group in the central city of Isfahan accused of damaging public and private property, setting fires, using Molotov cocktails, blocking roads and attacking security forces during the unrest.

State media portrayed him as a central figure in efforts to create “fear and chaos”, framing the case as part of what authorities describe as a wider campaign against foreign-backed activity.

The execution comes amid an ongoing crackdown following the January protests, with several people put to death in recent weeks on similar charges.

Earlier this month, two men were executed after being accused of attempting to storm a military site and seize weapons, while another man was killed over allegations he set fire to a mosque during the unrest.

Rights groups, including Amnesty International, have repeatedly raised concerns over the use of capital punishment in protest-related cases, saying defendants are often convicted in unfair trials.