Iran-US war latest: Trump says Tehran is ‘losing big’ as peace talks get underway in Pakistan

Donald Trump has posted to social media as talks get underway in Islamabad.

The US president wrote that Iran are “losing big” and boasted of tankers travelling to the US to load up with oil.

“The Fake News Media has lost total credibility, not that they had any to begin with,” he wrote. “Because of their massive Trump Derangement Syndrome (Sometimes referred to as TDS!), they love saying that Iran is “winning” when, in fact, everyone knows that they are LOSING, and LOSING BIG!

“Their Navy is gone, their Air Force is gone, their Anti Aircraft apparatus is nonexistent, Radar is dead, their Missile and Drone Factories have been largely obliterated along with the Missiles and Drones themselves and, most importantly, their longtime “Leaders” are no longer with us, praise be to Allah!

“The only thing they have going is the threat that a ship may “bunk” into one of their sea mines which, by the way, all 28 of their mine dropper boats are also lying at the bottom of the sea.

“We’re now starting the process of clearing out the Strait of Hormuz as a favor to Countries all over the World, including China, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, and many others. Incredibly, they don’t have the Courage or Will to do this work themselves.

“Very interestingly, however, empty Oil carrying ships from many Nations are all heading to the United States of America to LOAD UP with Oil.”

Pakistan ​has sent fighter jets and other military forces to Saudi Arabia to boost security under a defence pact between the two countries, the ⁠Saudi defence ministry said on Saturday.

The deployment follows a wave of Iranian talks on the Gulf kingdom over the ⁠past weeks that struck ​key ⁠energy infrastructure and killed a Saudi national.

Riyadh and Islamabad signed a mutual defence pact ⁠in September 2025, committing both sides to treat any aggression ​against ⁠either country as an ‌attack on both.

Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry said in a ‌statement that Pakistani fighter jets and support ‌aircraft had arrived at the King Abdulaziz Air Base in the country’s eastern province.

It said the Pakistani deployment aimed ⁠to strengthen joint defence cooperation and support regional and international security and stability.

For the past month, Ms Roddis, from Coventry, has been “ill with stress”. Most of her immediate family is in the south of Lebanon, which has been regularly targeted by Israel.

Since hostilities broke out between Israel and Lebanon last month, she has been “absolutely terrified” that one of her loved ones will die. “I cry every day,” she told The Independent.

Harriette Boucher has this report:

US intelligence indicates China is preparing to ⁠deliver new air defence systems to Iran within the next few weeks, CNN reported, citing ​three people familiar ⁠with recent intelligence assessments.

The network said there ⁠are indications that Beijing is working ​to ⁠route the shipments ‌through third countries to mask their origin.

The US State ‌Department, the White House, ‌the Chinese embassy in Washington and China’s foreign ministry did ⁠not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.

Beijing is preparing to transfer shoulder-fired anti-air missile systems known as MANPADs, CNN said, citing sources it did not ‌name.

An Iranian government spokesperson has said Tehran “will negotiate with our finger on the trigger,” in a statement on state TV.

Fatemeh Mohajerani said: “While we are open to talks, we are also fully aware of the lack of trust; therefore, Iran’s diplomatic team is ⁠entering this process with maximum caution.”

Earlier, a senior Iranian source told news agency Reuters the US had agreed to release frozen assets ​held ⁠in Qatar and other foreign banks, but a US official swiftly denied the claim.

The Iranian source welcomed the alleged move as a sign of “seriousness” in the talks, in which Washington is pressing Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the assertion about frozen assets.

Iran is ⁠also demanding a ceasefire in Lebanon, where Israeli attacks on Iran-backed Hezbollah militants have killed nearly 2,000 people since the start of fighting in March.

Empty oil tankers are hading to the US to load up with oil, Donald Trump has said.

In a post on social media, the US president boasted his country has “the best and ‘sweetest’ oil (and gas!)” anywhere in the world.

He wrote: “Massive numbers of completely empty oil tankers, some of the largest anywhere in the World, are heading, right now, to the United States to load up with the best and “sweetest” oil (and gas!) anywhere in the World.

“We have more oil than the next two largest oil economies combined – and higher quality. We are waiting for you. Quick turnaround!”

Residents of Islamabad have been urged to stay at home as the city prepares to host crunch peace talks between the US and Iran.

In preparation for the meeting, the government declared a public holiday on Thursday and Friday while police imposed strict traffic restrictions in Islamabad.

“The Red Zone and surrounding areas are closed to all types of traffic except official vehicles. Citizens are requested to avoid unnecessary travel,” the city police said in an advisory.

The Red Zone is a city landmark housing key government offices and foreign missions.

Tehran has set out its “red lines” ahead of peace talks in Islamabad, according to Iranian state media.

The Strait of Hormuz, payment of war reparations, the release of Iran’s blocked assets, and a ceasefire across the entire region are reported to be among Tehran’s proposals and conditions.

We’ll bring you more as it comes.

Several ships appear to be on the way to the Strait of Hormuz following a ceasefire agreement that saw Iran agree to temporarily reopen the key shipping channel.

Marine traffic maps show a handful of ships either travelling towards or having passed through the strait, which is controlled by Iran and an important channel for oil tankers.

The vessels are mostly Chinese, and are still a small fraction of the usual traffic expected in the waterway.

On Thursday, US president Donald Trump accused Iran of doing a “poor job” of allowing ships through the strait following the ceasefire agreement.

“Iran is doing a very poor job, dishonorable some would say, of allowing Oil to go through the Strait of Hormuz,” he posted on social media.

“That is not the agreement we have!”