Iran-US war latest: Trump says conflict ‘close to over’ and talks could resume in Pakistan in next two days

Hopes rose for renewed talks between the United States and Iran on Wednesday, as the US military said its blockade of Iranian ports was in full effect and Tehran threatened to retaliate by strike targets across the war-weary region.

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that a second round of talks could happen “over the next two days,” telling the New York Post the negotiations could be held again in Islamabad as diplomats worked through back channels to arrange them.

UN secretary-general António Guterres concurred, saying it’s “highly probable” that talks will restart. He cited a meeting he had with Pakistan’s foreign minister Ishaq Dar.

China has refuted reports accusing Beijing of providing military support to Iran, calling it “purely fabricated”.

“If the US goes ahead with tariff hikes on China on the basis of these accusations, China will respond with countermeasures,” a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said this morning.

The Financial Times reported that Iran secretly ​acquired a Chinese spy satellite, which gave the Islamic Republic a new capability to target US military bases across the Middle East during the recent war.

The TEE-01B satellite, built and launched by Chinese company Earth Eye Co, was acquired by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Aerospace Force in late 2024 after it was launched ⁠into space from China, the report ​said ⁠citing leaked Iranian military documents.

President Donald Trump has hit out at Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, saying he expected her to be more courageous in a blunt public rebuke to one of his closest European allies.

Meloni had been a vociferous supporter of Trump but criticised his decision to go to war with Iran.

She had denounced his weekend criticism of Pope Leo as “unacceptable”.

Trump responded in an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, saying Meloni was “very different from what I thought” and denouncing her for refusing to help re-open the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blocked by Iran.

Iran secretly ​acquired a Chinese spy satellite, giving the Islamic Republic a new capability to target US military bases across the Middle East during the recent war, according to the Financial ⁠Times.

The TEE-01B satellite, built and launched by Chinese company Earth Eye Co, was acquired by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Aerospace Force in late 2024 after it was launched ⁠into space from China, the report ​said ⁠citing leaked Iranian military documents.

The Iranian military commanders directed the satellite to monitor major US military sites, the ⁠newspaper said, citing time-stamped coordinate lists, satellite imagery and orbital analysis. ​

The ⁠images were taken in ‌March before and after drone and missile strikes on those locations, FT said.

Pakistan’s finance minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has said “our leadership is not giving up” on efforts to help the US and Iran end the conflict after weekend talks in Islamabad failed to secure a deal.

Diplomats worked through back channels yesterday to arrange a new round of talks between the US and Iran after Washington enacted its blockade of Iranian ports.

US president Donald Trump said a second round of talks could happen “over the next two days,” telling the New York Post the negotiations could be held again in Islamabad.

Sri Lanka has repatriated a total of 238 Iranian soldiers from two naval vessels that were attacked by US forces, Colombo said this morning.

The sailors were sent back “in a chartered aircraft” late last night, according to the Sri Lankan defence ministry.

Iran’s naval ship ‘Iris Dena’ was attacked by the US on 4 March, killing 84 on board outside Sri Lanka’s international waters. As many as 32 others were rescued by Sri Lanka.

Three days later, Iran’s second ship, ‘Iris Bushehr’, was allowed into Sri Lankan waters after it reported an engine failure.

The group of ‘Iris Dena’ survivors was accommodated at the Sri Lankan Air Force facility near the southern port of Galle.

Donald Trump’s war on Iran risks triggering a global recession, the International Monetary Fund has warned in the latest damning assessment of the conflict’s impact on the world economy.

The influential financial body said the international outlook had “abruptly darkened” as a result of the war, which threatens to throw the global economy “off course” and could cause an energy crisis on an unprecedented scale.

As oil and gas prices continue to rise, a worldwide recession could be a “close call” in a severe scenario in which there is further turmoil, the body warned.

Of the major economies, the UK faces the biggest hit to growth, with forecasts slashed for the next two years. In a further blow to Sir Keir Starmer, the IMF warns that inflation and unemployment will also rise.

Donald Trump has repeated his criticism of Nato for not joining in his war on Iran, writing in a post on Truth Social that “NATO wasn’t there for us”, adding: “And they won’t be there for us in the future”.

The US president has stepped up his criticism of the 32-member bloc in recent months and accused members of failing to meet their obligations.

Nato’s founding treaty states that countries are required to come to the defence of any member if it is attacked – such an obligation does not apply to offensive operations.