Iran’s supreme leader has threatened to respond immediately to a possible attack as diplomatic efforts continue to reduce the threat of a return to all-out war.
Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign minister said a proposal had been adopted that would fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz in just two days, while talks with mediators remain on track.
Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Saturday. Read our full coverage here.
Khamenei says ‘any type’ of threat must be responded to immediately
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said “any type and level of threat” from the United States or Israel should be responded to immediately, without geographic limits, the official IRNA news agency reported.
State media said Khamenei, who has yet to be seen publicly since the war began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, made the comments during a meeting with the military. He also called for an updated list of potential U.S. and Israeli targets.
Khamenei became supreme leader after the first wave of strikes killed his father and other senior officials. He has met with a series of senior officials in recent weeks, according to state media.
Iran’s top diplomat says proposal could reopen strait in 2 days
Iran’s top diplomat said a new proposal had been reached with mediators that would reduce the deadline for fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz to two days.
Last month, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi offered to reopen the critical waterway within a week if the United States agreed to lift the blockade of Iranian ports, release frozen Iranian assets and lift sanctions on Iranian oil sales, among other conditions. This was rejected.
In an interview with Qatari TV channel Al Jazeera, Araghchi also said Iran had no plans to meet with U.S. officials, but said recent U.S. efforts toward “broader dialogue” were seen as a positive step.
He said Iran had carefully reviewed a letter sent days earlier by US Vice President JD Vance. And he added that a decision on whether the negotiations will be direct or indirect would be made “once Washington accepts the conditions imposed by Iran.”
Regional leaders call for calm to avoid military escalation
Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed ElKhereiji said the message from the region is that it wants a return to peace.
Efforts are being made to prevent military escalation and reach an agreement ending the Iranian crisis, ElKhereiji told a security forum in Bahrain.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said at the same event that an escalation in the region would be extremely destructive.
“We are convinced that (…) the second round will be more dangerous, more destructive and will lead nowhere,” he said.
Syria sees border security with Jordan as a shared responsibility
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani said border security with Jordan is a shared responsibility and a high-level meeting is planned next month to discuss arrangements.
Speaking at the Bahrain security forum, al-Shibani said there were no “skirmishes” between the countries. The comments come after Jordanian strikes in Syria increased tensions between the neighbors.
Jordan said last week’s strikes killed 20 militants from the Islamic State extremist group, but acknowledged civilians had also been killed. Syrian authorities reported seven people killed, most of them women and children.
Separately, al-Shibani said Syria was in discussions to evaluate joining the Mecca Pact, the Saudi-led defense alliance that includes Turkey and Pakistan.
“Whether Syria joins or not, Syria believes the region badly needs a structure that protects its security,” he said.
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This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.
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