Saudis push Trump to resume Iran strikes and grab ‘historic opportunity’ to remake Middle East – live updates

Mohammed bin Salman and Donald Trump in the White House last November

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is urging Donald Trump to continue the US war with Iran, the New York Times is reporting.

The Saudi leader, known as MBS, has urged Trump to press on with strikes and take advantage of an ‘historic opportunity’ to remake the Middle East, according to the newspaper.

MBS and Trump are said to have shared phone conversations in which the Saudi leader has argued Iran poses a long-term threat to Gulf nations which can only be removed by regime change.

In response to the report Saudi officials dismissed any idea that MBS has pushed to prolong the war.

by Phillip Nieto, US Political Reporter

Donald Trump is considering deploying JD Vance as a top negotiator with Iran as his faltering ceasefire threatens to collapse amid a fresh wave of ballistic missile strikes.

Vance could be called in to close a deal with the Islamic regime, with potential talks being held in Pakistan.

Special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would likely lead formal negotiations, but Vance could step in to seal any agreement, a US official told the Wall Street Journal.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has urged Trump to press on with the war, privately describing the conflict as a ‘historic opportunity’ to remake the region and pushing for US troops to seize Iranian energy sites and topple the regime.

Tehran may send Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to any talks, though he and other Iranian officials have signaled deep reluctance to engage, the WSJ reported.

Israeli first responders said three people were injured during Iranian missile fire targeting the south of the country on Tuesday, including an infant.

The Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency services said medical teams were evacuating to hospital a man of about 40 who was in moderate condition with limb injuries.

It said teams were also evacuating a 26-year-old woman and a roughly two-month-old infant in mild condition.

Israeli police said forces were working to locate interceptor debris in the Negev area.

Over the weekend, the southern Israeli towns of Arad and Dimona were struck by Iranian missiles, wounding dozens of people and severely damaging several buildings.

And in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, another strike caused substantial damage to a building and wounded at least four people, according to MDA.

Saudi Arabia informed an Iranian diplomat and his staff they must leave the country on Saturday after being declared persona non grata.

The Saudi foreign ministry said the expulsions were ordered following continued Iranian attacks on Saudi territory.

Saudi ⁠Arabia has come under attack by hundreds of Iranian missiles and drones since the start of US-Israeli war on Iran, the vast majority of which have been intercepted, authorities said.

The ministry said in a statement that continued Iranian attacks would lead to further escalation and have ‘significant consequences’ for current and future relations.

Saudi Arabia and Iran re-established diplomatic ties in 2023 as part of an effort to calm ⁠tensions ​after years of enmity that saw them back opposing political and military ​factions in the region.

Last Wednesday, Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told how the trust between his country and Iran had ‘completely shattered’ after Tehran launched strikes against the Gulf states in retaliation for the US-Israel war.

Prince Faisal said the Saudis ‘reserved the right’ to take military action in the strongest criticism against Iran to come out of Riyadh.

Speaking to reporters following a meeting of foreign ministers in the capital, Prince Faisal said:

What little trust there was before has completely been shattered. So when this war eventually ends, in order for there to be any rebuilding of trust, it will take a long time. And I have to tell you, if Iran doesn’t stop … immediately, I think there will be almost nothing that can re-establish that trust.”

We’re going to use every lever we have – political, economic, diplomatic and otherwise – to get these attacks to stop.

The kingdom is not going to succumb to pressure, and on the contrary, this pressure will backfire … and certainly, as we have stated quite clearly, we have reserved the right to take military actions if deemed necessary.

The UAE has confirmed one of its civilian contractors worked for the country’s armed forces has been killed following a missile attack in Bahrain.

The UAE’s ministry of defence said the Moroccan national died during a routine mission in the Gulf station.

In a statement authorities said: ‘The brazen Iranian attack resulted in injuries to five members of the UAE Ministry of Defence.

‘The Ministry of Defence extends its deepest condolences and sympathies to the family of the martyr, praying to Almighty God to envelop him in His vast mercy.

‘The Ministry of Defence also expresses its wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured.’

Iran has denied reports it is charging ships up to $2m to pass the Strait of Hormuz which has effectively closed during the US-Israel war.

According to reporting by Bloomberg, Tehran has established an informal toll on the waterway which usually carries around a fifth of the world’s oil supplies.

Some vessels are said to have made the payment though details on how the transactions are made were not made clear as well as the currency involved in payments.

The Iranian embassy in India has now denied the report in a statement on X. ‘In response to certain claims regarding the alleged receipt of a sum of 2 million dollars by the Islamic Republic of Iran from vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, it is emphasized that such claims are unfounded,’ the post read.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has declared Islamabad is prepared to host negotiations to stop the US-Israeli war with Iran.

His announcement comes amid mounting speculation it could act as a mediator after officials from Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey passed messages between both sides.

‘Pakistan welcomes and fully supports ongoing efforts to pursue dialogue to end the WAR in Middle East, in the interest of peace and stability in (the) region and beyond,’ he wrote on X.

‘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.’

India’s Prime Minister has said he had a ‘useful exchange’ of views with Donald Trump as the leaders discussed how the Strait of Hormuz can remain open.

Maritime traffic through the Gulf chokepoint – which normally carries a fifth of the world’s seaborne crude – has come to a virtual standstill since US-Israeli strikes on Iran last month, triggering a regional conflict that has rattled global energy supply chains.

‘Ensuring that the Strait of Hormuz remains open, secure and accessible is essential for the whole world,’ Modi said.

US Ambassador Sergio Gor also said on social media that the leaders had discussed the war, ‘including the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open’.

India is the world’s second-largest buyer of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which is used for cooking and predominantly sourced from the Middle East – and supplies through the Strait of Hormuz have been strangled by the conflict.

Amazon’s cloud arm has said its service in Bahrain had been disrupted after drone attacks hit the region.

An Amazon Web Services (AWS) spokesperson said the disruption was ongoing, without specifying the exact location affected or any potential damage done.

‘The AWS Bahrain Region has been disrupted as a result of the ongoing conflict,’ the spokesperson said, adding that the company was helping affected customers migrate to AWS servers elsewhere in the world.

‘We are working closely with local authorities and prioritising the safety of our personnel.’

AFP journalists based in Bahrain said the government’s portal for online procedures was inaccessible, as were several other services.

The country’s main telecommunications company sent a message to its customers apologising for a ‘technical problem’ affecting its operations.

Donald Trump has held talks with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the Iran war and how the Strait of Hormuz can be kept open.

The talks were revealed by the American ambassador to India Sergio Gor.

Iran will demand significant concessions from the US if mediation efforts lead to talks, three sources have said in Tehran.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards are said to exert growing influence over decision-making which has resulted in a hardening of its negotiating position, it is claimed.

In any talks with the US, Iran would not only demand an end to the war but concessions that are likely red lines for Donald Trump – guarantees against future military action, compensation for wartime losses and formal control of the Strait of Hormuz, the sources said.

Iran would also refuse to negotiate any limitations to its ballistic missile program, they said, an issue that had been a red line for Tehran during the talks that were taking place when the U.S. and Israel launched their attack last month.

Trump said on Monday that Washington had already had ‘very strong talks’ with Tehran more than three weeks into the war, but Iran has publicly denied this.

Three senior sources said Iran had only had preliminary discussions with Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt over whether the groundwork existed for talks with the United States over ending the war.