Iran-US war latest: Trump warns ‘only reason Iranians are alive’ is to negotiate ahead of high-stakes peace talks in Islamabad

Britain will convene talks with allies next week over ways to free up the Strait of Hormuz to shipping without resorting to paying tolls to Iran, a British official has told Reuters news agency.

Officials from Britain’s foreign ministry were due to meet counterparts from countries which took part in discussions on April 2 that were led by UK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper, the official said.

The discussions would include coordinated economic and political measures, including possible sanctions and ways to secure the release of thousands of ships and sailors trapped in the Strait, they added.

Donald Trump has warn the only reason Iranian officials are still alive is so the US can negotiate with them, in another threat ahead of talks in Islamabad.

“The Iranians don’t seem to realize they have no cards, other than a short term extortion of the World by using International Waterways,” the US president said in the latest of his repeated social media rants.

“The only reason they are alive today is to negotiate!”

In a separate post on Truth Social, he said: “The Iranians are better at handling the Fake News Media, and “Public Relations,” than they are at fighting!

US vice president JD Vance earlier warned Tehran “not to play us” as he left for Islamabad where the crucial negotiations will take place this weekend.

UK prime minister Keir Starmer held a call with US president Donald Trump on Thursday in which he discussed the views of the Gulf states amid the US-Iran crisis.

“I had a discussion with president Trump last night and set out to him the views of the region here, these Gulf states are the neighbours of Iran, and therefore, if the ceasefire is to hold – and we hope it will – it has to involve them,” he said from Qatar on Friday.

“They have very strong views on the Strait of Hormuz. We spent most of the time on the call talking about the practical plan that’s going to be needed to get navigation through the strait and the role that the UK is playing.”

Kuwait’s army said on Friday that an Iranian attack targeted several vital National Guard facilities.

The attacks wounded a number of personnel and caused significant material damage.

We’re working to bring you more.

We’re hearing remarks from Lebanon’s president Joseph Aoun that Israeli attacks on a governmental building in the southern city of Nabatieh have killed 13 state security personnel.

In a statement, Aoun condemned continued Israeli attacks and said targeting state institutions would not deter Lebanon from defending its sovereignty.

We’re working to bring you more as it comes in.

We’ve heard from Iran’s ‌parliament speaker, who has reiterated Iran’s conditions for agreeing a ceasefire with the US.

Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on Friday that two previously agreed measures, a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran’s blocked assets, must be implemented before negotiations begin.

In a post on X on Friday, Mr Qalibaf said the steps were part of commitments made between the parties and warned that talks should not start until they were fulfilled.

But Benjamin Netanyahu, despite planned talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials in Washington next week, has said strikes on Lebanon will not stop in the meantime.

Friday marks six months since Gaza’s ceasefire deal took effect, a milestone largely lost in the confusion over the new and even more fragile ceasefire in the Iran war.

The ravaged Palestinian territory of 2 million people has seen the most intense fighting stop between Israeli forces and Hamas-led militants. But most of the ceasefire work remains to be done, from disarming Hamas and ending its two-decade rule to deploying an international stabilization force and beginning vast reconstruction. Gaza residents are in limbo, with limited aid entering through a single, Israeli-controlled border post.

Such challenges could represent what’s to come in the latest war, as U.S. President Donald Trump’s approach to peacemaking appears to be stopping bombardment and leaving the bigger picture for others to work out.

Sir Keir Starmer agreed “strong support” for the “principle of freedom of navigation” in the Strait of Hormuz as he met the Qatari emir and prime minister earlier, Downing Street said.

A No 10 readout of the meeting said Sir Keir had “underlined the UK’s solidarity with Qatar following Iran’s indefensible attacks and his gratitude for keeping UK nationals living in the country safe” in a meeting with emir Sheikh Bin Hamad Al Thani and Qatari prime minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman in Doha this morning.

“He added that the UK-Qatar Joint Squadron had worked well together to defend the region in a time of need. Now that the ceasefire has been agreed, he said, this brought some relief but work must be done to ensure it turns into a lasting peace.

“They affirmed their strong support for initiatives to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and for the principle of freedom of navigation. The Prime Minister set out how the UK was convening partners on the political, military and logistical steps necessary,” it added.