US-Iran War Live: Iran says Hormuz will never return to pre-war situation despite Oman talks

Oil prices tumbled by more than $5 a barrel at the opening of trade on Monday after US President Donald Trump refrained from launching fresh strikes on Iran, opting instead to pursue a rapid agreement aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear programme and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Brent crude futures fell $5.52, or 6.28%, to $82.41 a barrel by 2202 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude dropped $5.27, or 6.22%, to $79.40 a barrel.

The crew of an Iranian commercial vessel struck in a Ukrainian attack last week has returned to Iran, along with the body of a sailor who was killed in the incident, Iran's semi-official ISNA news agency reported.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud held a phone call with his Iranian counterpart to discuss efforts to ease regional tensions.

During the conversation, Al Saud reaffirmed the kingdom's commitment to promoting regional security and stability, stressing the importance of continued dialogue to safeguard the shared interests of countries and people across the region, according to a statement posted by the Saudi foreign ministry on X.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the memorandum of understanding signed with the United States in June would become the "centre of gravity" of Iran's future foreign relations.

In a social media post, Pezeshkian said Tehran must ensure Washington remains committed to the agreement, adding: "We must strive to compel the enemy to remain committed to what it has signed." He also said the memorandum would enhance the security of Iran, the wider region and its allies, stating: "The security of the country, the region and our allies will be enhanced by this memorandum."

The crew of an Iranian commercial ship damaged in a Ukrainian attack, along with the body of a sailor killed in the incident, has returned to Iran, the country's semi-official ISNA news agency reported on Sunday. The report did not provide further details about the attack or the circumstances surrounding the crew's return.

Qatar and Egypt discussed efforts to ease regional tensions during a phone call between Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. According to Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed stressed the importance of the United States and Iran remaining committed to dialogue and implementing the terms agreed under their memorandum of understanding, including ensuring freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran claimed on Sunday that the United Kingdom, Bulgaria and Ukraine had informed Tehran they would not take part in the ongoing conflict, according to Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei. Speaking to Iranian outlet SNN, Baghaei also said discussions with Oman on transit through the Strait of Hormuz were continuing, but stressed that reopening the strategic waterway remained separate from the negotiations. He accused the United States of violating a memorandum of understanding by launching attacks before the agreed timeframe had expired, adding that the strait's closure was linked to Washington's alleged breach of its commitments.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the Strait of Hormuz would "never return to the pre-war situation," according to Iran's Fars news agency, insisting Tehran would not alter its position under external pressure. Baghaei said ongoing talks with Oman on the strategic waterway were unrelated to reopening or closing the strait, claiming its closure resulted from "US sabotage and the naval blockade of Iran".

He added that discussions with Oman aimed at securing Iran's interests had been underway for a long time and stressed that the Islamic Republic "will not back down from its positions due to threats and media pressure".

Jordan's King Abdullah II and Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa discussed efforts to reduce escalating regional tensions during a phone call, as both countries continue to face security threats amid heightened Iran-US tensions. According to Jordan's Royal Hashemite Court, the two leaders stressed the "necessity of reaching a comprehensive de-escalation that restores security and stability to the region." Jordan and Bahrain have been repeatedly targeted by Iran in recent weeks during the ongoing regional crisis.

An Iranian lawmaker said mediators are seeking to revive the Islamabad memorandum of understanding, a 14-point agreement that briefly halted hostilities between Iran and the United States in June. Hassan Ghashghavi, spokesperson for Iran's parliament national security commission, said the Strait of Hormuz remains the central issue in the negotiations and confirmed that exchanges of views are ongoing. The memorandum was brokered with the involvement of Qatar and Pakistan, with negotiating sessions held in Islamabad and without Israel's participation.

The United Arab Emirates urged US President Donald Trump to take "more decisive action" against Iran, while Saudi Arabia pressed Washington to avoid a major attack, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing senior Gulf officials familiar with the discussions. According to the report, UAE officials argued that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps would not back down without a significant US escalation, including taking control of the Strait of Hormuz and potentially launching a ground incursion. The report also noted that the UAE has conducted its own strikes against Iran and hosted Israeli air defence personnel to help counter Iranian attacks.

At least 14 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip, according to local health authorities, cited by Al Jazeera, as military operations continued in the besieged enclave. The latest casualties included two Palestinians, one of them a child, who were killed in an Israeli drone strike on a tent sheltering displaced people in the Rimal neighbourhood, west of Gaza City.

Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen said Israel should take "full control" of the Gaza Strip, arguing that the military should extend its hold beyond the roughly 70% of the enclave it currently controls, reported Al Jazeera. Cohen also said there was no agreement to halt attacks on Gaza, becoming the latest senior Israeli official to oppose a US-brokered proposal that would require Hamas to disarm. Earlier, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir dismissed the draft deal as "not acceptable."

The Lebanese army on Saturday retracted its earlier claim that Israeli forces had struck its soldiers in southern Lebanon after an initial investigation found the blast was caused by a "suspicious object."

Five soldiers sustained light injuries in the explosion in the Kafra area, with the Lebanese Armed Forces saying further investigations are underway. The Israeli military had earlier denied carrying out any strike in the area, saying it was unaware of the reported incident.

Iranian sources say that the Strait of Hormuz will remain restricted while US's hostile actions continue. Sources add that ships will be allowed to transit only via designated routes and IRGC naval approval.

The Israeli Defence Forces on Sunday announced the killing of Salem Jamal Abd al-Rahman Abu Labad, a Hamas Nukhba cell commander, who infiltrated Kibbutz Nir Oz during the October 7 Massacre. Additionally, Muhammad Abd al-Nasser Muhammad Khatib, a commander in Hamas' Maghazi Battalion, was eliminated, the Israeli military said.

Tehran views every threat from its adversaries as "real and credible" even if made as part of psychological warfare, Iran's acting defence minister, Majid Ibn al-Reza, said on Sunday, according to state media.

"We will neither be caught off guard nor remain passive," he said, adding that Iran would use threats as a basis to increase its military readiness, strengthen deterrence and enhance its military capabilities.

(Reuters)

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stressed in a phone call with US President Donald Trump the "necessity of prioritising dialogue to de-escalate tensions" in the Middle East, according to Saudi Arabia's state news agency.

(Reuters)

A senior Iranian lawmaker and a spokesperson for the parliamentary panel on national security and foreign policy has said that traffic in the Strait of Hormuz will be managed by Tehran, regardless of how the war proceeds.

"In the media, they speak of escalation, while through existing channels they demand negotiations," Hassan Ghashghavi was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera on Sunday (IST).

He added, "They cannot deceive the Islamic Republic of Iran. Whether by escalating or by negotiating, Iranian arrangement for passage through the SoH [Strait of Hormuz] is the only option on the table."

The remarks came before US President Donald Trump said he agreed to cancel planned weekend strikes against Iran on the insistence of the Iranian side and other countries in the Middle East, claiming that the parameters of a deal had been agreed upon.

The top commander of US forces stationed in Europe has reportedly warned the Pentagon that the American military lacks enough resources to continue protecting Israel from incoming ballistic missiles.

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US President Donald Trump has said that he has put a round of planned weekend strikes against Iran on hold, while indicating that a rough framework of a deal has been reached.

"The U.S.A. is locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran, at levels of Military Terror, Strength, and Power not seen since World War II. Despite this, we have just been asked by Iran, and other Middle Eastern Countries, to hold off any attack in that the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to. This would include the Immediate, Complete, and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT, and an end to Iran’s nuclear threat. Based on this request, I have agreed, for the future benefit of the WORLD and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran, to cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL. The Country of Israel joins me in this commitment. Get to work, everybody, and get it DONE," he wrote in a post on Truth Social.

A billboard depicting US President Donald Trump lying in a coffin, in Tehran, Iran. ( Photo- Reuters)

Iran launched drone attacks on Iraq's Kurdistan Region, with the drones reportedly intercepted, according to Rojava news channel.

The channel shared a video on Telegram that it said showed the US C-RAM air defence system intercepting and destroying Iranian one-way attack drones over Erbil.

Rojava also reported that Iran targeted the headquarters of Iranian Kurdish parties in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah with drone strikes.

Israeli airstrikes continued across Gaza for a second consecutive day on Sunday, killing at least four Palestinians, according to Palestinian health officials, despite US President Donald Trump's announcement of a breakthrough in efforts to revive last year's Gaza ceasefire agreement.

Health officials said Israeli warplanes carried out separate strikes in Gaza City and Deir al-Balah.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told his Saudi counterpart in a phone call that any "aggression" by the US and Israel, or any involvement by regional countries in such actions, would draw a "decisive and proportionate response" from Iran, according to a statement posted on Araqchi's Telegram account.

Iran has warned Gulf countries against allowing the US and Israel to use their territory to launch attacks on the country.

In a statement on Saturday, Iran's foreign ministry said governments in the region have a "legal, religious, and moral duty" to prevent the US and what it called the "Zionist regime" from using their territory and facilities to attack Iran, according to the Fars news agency.

The ministry also said the continued maritime blockade and attacks on Iranian military sites, civilian areas, and infrastructure amount to an "act of aggression" and a violation of the UN Charter. It added that Iran would exercise its right to legitimate self-defence.

Iran's Foreign Minister warned against any 'adventurous action' by the US during separate phone calls with Turkey's foreign minister and Pakistan's army commander, as Tehran stepped up diplomatic outreach amid heightened regional tensions and warned against any further escalation.