US-Iran war live updates: Trump claims Iran gave him present related to Strait of Hormuz; Pakistan’s PM offers to host talks to end war; Iran vows to fight until ‘complete victory’

Thank you for joining our continuing live coverage of the conflict in the Middle East.

Here’s a recap of the latest developments:

• US President Donald Trump claims Iran has given him a “very big present worth a tremendous amount of money” related to the Strait of Hormuz.
• Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says his country is ready to “facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks” between the US and Iran “for a comprehensive settlement” of the war, in a post later shared by Trump.
• It comes after Trump postponed strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure for five days, citing “major points of agreement” with Iran.
• However, the spokesman of Iran’s top military command, Major General Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi, was quoted on Iranian state television as saying: “Iran’s powerful armed forces are proud, victorious and steadfast in defending Iran’s integrity, and this path will continue until complete victory.”
• Airstrikes have battered Iran as Iranian missiles and drones targeted Israel’s Tel Aviv.
• In Australia, petrol prices have reached a record high of an average of $2.38 a litre and hundreds of service stations have run out of fuel. Energy Minister Chris Bowen said on Tuesday that in NSW, 289 service stations were without at least one type of fuel, including 164 without diesel. In Victoria, 162 were without at least one type of fuel, 35 in Queensland, 46 in SA, six in WA and six in Tasmania.

Asked about the possibility of the US participating in talks in Pakistan, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement: “These are sensitive diplomatic discussions and the US will not negotiate through the press.”

“This is a fluid situation, and speculation about meetings should not be deemed as final until they are formally announced by the White House,” Leavitt said.

AP

US President Donald Trump has cryptically claimed Iran gave him a “present” related to oil and gas.

He was asked why he trusts the Iranian leaders with whom the US has now opened dialogue.

“I don’t trust anybody. I don’t trust you. That’s only because I know you,” he began.

“They [the Iranians] did something yesterday that was amazing. They gave us a present, and the present arrived today.

“It was a very big present worth a tremendous amount of money. I’m not going to tell you what the present is, but it was a very significant prize.”

Israel’s military said its fighter jets carried out a wave of strikes in central Tehran on Monday, while Israel was hit by another day of heavy missile fire from Iran.

Here are some of the latest photographs from the battleground across the Middle East.

The spokesman of Iran’s top military command says that its armed forces will fight “until complete victory.”

The comments by Major General Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi, of the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters, appeared related to US President Donald Trump’s announcement that there were negotiations ongoing between Tehran and Washington.

Iran has denied any talks are taking place, though its foreign minister has been talking to counterparts around the region.

Iranian state television quoted Aliabadi as saying: “Iran’s powerful armed forces are proud, victorious and steadfast in defending Iran’s integrity, and this path will continue until complete victory.”

The general didn’t say what “complete victory” would look like, but it appeared likely that Iran’s military was trying to warn against offering concessions in any possible negotiations with the US.

AP

Pakistan’s prime minister says his country is ready to “facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks” between the US and Iran to end the war.

“Subject to concurrence by the US and Iran, Pakistan stands ready and honoured to be the host to facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks for a comprehensive settlement of the ongoing conflict,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote in a post on X.

Sharif tagged US President Donald Trump, US Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi in the post, which Trump later shared on his Truth Social platform.

The post comes after Sharif spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and “underscored the urgent need to work collectively for de-escalation and a return to dialogue and diplomacy amongst all the neighbouring countries to settle their differences”, according to a readout of the call.

Thank you for joining our continuing live coverage of the conflict in the Middle East.

Here’s a recap of the latest developments:

• US President Donald Trump claims Iran has given him a “very big present worth a tremendous amount of money” related to the Strait of Hormuz.
• Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says his country is ready to “facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks” between the US and Iran “for a comprehensive settlement” of the war, in a post later shared by Trump.
• It comes after Trump postponed strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure for five days, citing “major points of agreement” with Iran.
• However, the spokesman of Iran’s top military command, Major General Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi, was quoted on Iranian state television as saying: “Iran’s powerful armed forces are proud, victorious and steadfast in defending Iran’s integrity, and this path will continue until complete victory.”
• Airstrikes have battered Iran as Iranian missiles and drones targeted Israel’s Tel Aviv.
• In Australia, petrol prices have reached a record high of an average of $2.38 a litre and hundreds of service stations have run out of fuel. Energy Minister Chris Bowen said on Tuesday that in NSW, 289 service stations were without at least one type of fuel, including 164 without diesel. In Victoria, 162 were without at least one type of fuel, 35 in Queensland, 46 in SA, six in WA and six in Tasmania.