US President Donald Trump on Friday said he agreed to a ceasefire with Iran as a "favour" to Pakistan and ruled out any further bombing of the Persian Gulf nation, with which it has been at odds for several decades.

The US and Israel's war on Iran started on February 28, and attacks have been paused since April 8, when the warring sides agreed to a ceasefire brokered by Pakistan.

"We did the ceasefire as a request from another nation. I would have really benefited from it, but we did it as a favour to Pakistan. They are terrific people, the Field Marshal and the Prime Minister," Trump told reporters on Air Force One while returning from China to the US.

Global stocks slumped and oil prices rose Friday as talks between the United States and China failed to deliver progress on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, rekindling worries of persistent inflation pressures that could derail economic growth. 

"We appreciate any country who has the ability to help, particularly China," Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, speaking after he attended a meeting of the BRICS bloc of nations in New Delhi.

"We have very good relations with China, we are strategic partners to each other, and we know that (the) Chinese have a good intention, so anything that can be done by them to help diplomacy would be welcomed by the Islamic republic," he added.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi following a meeting of the BRICS foreign ministers, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed that after the US became hopeless about achieving any goal in their war against Iran, they offered to negotiate.

Addressing the intensifying maritime crisis in West Asia, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi on Friday clarified that the Strait of Hormuz remains accessible to global shipping, with the sole exception of vessels from nations "at war with" Tehran. (ANI)

India is ready to extend all possible support to bring peace in the Middle East, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday, during his talks with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as both sides signed agreements to firm up strategic collaborations in the areas of energy, defence and technology.

Russia has proposed India as a possible mediator in the ongoing conflict involving Iran and the United States, citing New Delhi's extensive diplomatic experience and global reputation. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who was in New Delhi for the BRICS foreign ministers' meet, said India could play an important role in broader initiatives to ensure long-term stability in the Middle East. 

"As you all know, we are now in a state of ceasefire, although it is very shaky. But we are trying to maintain it in order to give diplomacy a chance so that a diplomatic and negotiated solution can be found. As a matter of fact, there is no military solution to anything related to Iran. They have tested us time and again, but we never bow to any pressure or threat, and we resist any aggression and pressure," says Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

"Negotiations between Iran and the US are suffering from trust. Iran has every reason not to trust US. Americans have every reason to trust Iran," says Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

"We are ready to help pass all vessels through Strait of Hormuz. Iran has never wanted nuclear weapons," says Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

"There is no military solution to anything related to Iran," says Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi at press conference in New Delhi.

Israel's military said Friday that one of its soldiers died in combat in southern Lebanon, bringing its losses to 20 personnel since the war with Hezbollah began in early March.

Staff Sergeant Negev Dagan, 20, "fell during combat in southern Lebanon", the military said, without providing additional information.

Since the war began, 19 Israeli soldiers and one civilian contractor have been killed.

In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Trump said he was running out of patience to reach a truce with Iran as peace talks have stalled.

"I'm not going to be much more patient... They should make a deal. Any sane person would make a deal, but they might be crazy," Trump said.

China called on Friday for a lasting truce in the Middle East, and for shipping lanes to be reopened "as soon as possible", as the strategic Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed.

"A comprehensive and lasting ceasefire should be reached as soon as possible to facilitate the early restoration of peace and stability in the Middle East and the Gulf region," Beijing's foreign ministry said in a statement.

"Shipping lanes should be reopened as soon as possible in response to the calls of the international community," it added in a response to a question on whether US and Chinese presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping discussed the Iran war during their summit in Beijing.

US President Donald Trump suggested that hunting down Iran's enriched uranium was primarily for political optics, after Israel demanded it as a goal.

"I just feel better if I got it, actually, but it's -- I think, it's more for public relations than it is for anything else," Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity in an interview from China broadcast late Thursday in the United States.

"The other thing we could do is bomb it again," Trump said. "But I, just, I would feel better getting it and we will get it."

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Friday that Chinese officials made clear that it wants to see the Strait of Hormuz reopen without restrictions or tolls and that Beijing will act pragmatically to limit military support for Iran.

"It's really important for China to have the Strait of Hormuz open, no tolling, no military control, and that was clear from the meeting. So we welcome that," Greer told Bloomberg television in a live interview from Beijing, where he participated in meetings between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"With respect to Chinese involvement with Iran, our view is the Chinese are being very pragmatic, and they don't want to be on the wrong side of this," Greer added. "They want to see peace in that area. President Trump wants to see peace in that area. So we have a lot of confidence that they will do what they can to limit any kind of material support for Iran."

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday accused the United Arab Emirates of playing an active role in the US-Israeli war against his country.

"The UAE is an active partner in this aggression, and there is no doubt about it," Araghchi said in a Telegram post while attending a BRICS summit in India.

Further accusing UAE of being directly involved in the "act of aggression" against his country, Araghchi said "they even refused to condemn it."

"It also became clear that they participated in these attacks and may have even acted directly against us," he added.

Actor Mandana Karimi has spoken out about the worsening situation in Iran amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict. The actor shared her concern over the current conditions in her home country, saying the situation has become more tense and uncertain.

Responding to a follower's question on social media, she said, "Unfortunately, no. Things in Iran have become even more aggressive. The IRGC is back on the streets, intimidating people, executions are still happening, and internet blackouts continue. Communication with our families is extremely limited- phone calls barely go through, and when they do, they are incredibly expensive."

She further explained the impact of the crisis on ordinary citizens, adding, "People have lost jobs, loved ones, and any sense of stability. The regime is at one of its weakest points, and like a wounded animal, it's reacting with even more violence and fear. The hardest part is that there is very little reliable news coming out of inside Iran right now, so everything feels uncertain and painfully vague."

Iran has begun allowing some Chinese vessels to transit through the Strait of Hormuz following an understanding over Iranian management protocols for the waterway, the semi-official Fars news agency said on Thursday, citing an informed source.

The source told Fars News the move followed requests by China's foreign minister and ambassador to Iran, with Tehran agreeing to facilitate the passage of a number of Chinese ships in line with the two countries' strategic partnership.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi urged BRICS nations to unite against American bullying, arguing that such practices must be consigned to the "dustbin of history."

Talks Thursday between Israel and Lebanon on an expiring ceasefire were "positive" and will take place as planned for a second day, a US official said.

"We had a full day of productive and positive talks that lasted from 9 am to 5 pm (1300-2100 GMT). We look forward to continuing this tomorrow and hope to have more to share then," a senior State Department official said.

Hezbollah said on Thursday that it targeted Israeli troops in northern Israel with a drone, as Lebanon and Israel were holding a new round of direct talks in Washington.

In a statement, the group said it "targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy army soldiers at the Rosh HaNikra site" near the border with Lebanon with a drone.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday said President Xi Jinping had offered China's help to open the Strait of Hormuz and pledged not to send military equipment to aid Iran in its war against the US and Israel.

"He said he's not going to give military equipment… he said that strongly," Trump told the "Hannity" show on Fox News, after the two leaders met in Beijing.

"He'd like to see the Hormuz Strait open, and said 'if I can be of any help whatsoever, I would like to help,'" Trump added.

Araghchi, speaking in New Delhi, insisted that the Strait of Hormuz "is open for all" commercial vessels who "cooperate" with its navy.

"There is no such thing as a military solution to anything related to Iran," Araghchi said. "We Iranians never bow to any pressure or threat, but we reciprocate the language of respect."

Trump, Xi agreed Strait of Hormuz 'must remain open', says White House

In a defiant and emotionally charged address at the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi accused the United States and Israel of launching "brutal and unlawful aggression" against the Islamic Republic.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi on Thursday called on BRICS member states and members from the international community to "unequivocally condemn violations of international law" by the United States and Israel, which come against the backdrop of the escalating tensions and recent conflict in West Asia.

Addressing the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting here, Araghchi said Iran views BRICS as a symbol of an emerging global order led increasingly by countries of the Global South.

"Over the past year, I have had the honour of attending two BRICS summits to express the Iranian government's belief that this mechanism symbolises the emergence of a new world order, one in which the global South is one of the main architects of the world's future. What was once an ambitious ideal has become a reality, but it is a fragile one. Declining imperialist powers are seeking to turn back the clock and are reacting with desperation and aggression as they seek to downgrade," Araghchi said.

BRICS foreign ministers, including from Iran and Russia, met in New Delhi on Thursday, where India warned of "considerable flux" with conflict driving economic uncertainty and energy insecurity.

War in Iran and the related fuel crisis are dominating discussions in the two-day gathering.

India, which holds the BRICS chair this year, was hosting the foreign ministers from the expanded bloc, which now includes Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates -- countries at odds over the conflict launched by the United States and Israel on February 28.

"We meet at a time of considerable flux in international relations," External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said, in his opening speech, before closed meetings began.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has arrived in New Delhi for a three-day official visit, marking the first high-level diplomatic engagement from Tehran since the war started in the Middle East more than two months ago. Araghchi is in India primarily to attend a two-day meeting of BRICS foreign ministers but will also hold wide-ranging bilateral talks with Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, focusing on the escalating crisis amid the US-Israel war on Iran.

President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing for the first state visit to China by a US leader in nine years, as the world's two largest economies look to stabilise ties with a summit playing out against the backdrop of the Iran war.

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar welcomes Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi ahead of BRICS Summit.

US President Donald Trump said he expected a "long talk" with Xi about Iran, which sells most of its US-sanctioned oil to China, but insisted that "I don't think we need any help with Iran" from Beijing.

Iran's foreign minister said Wednesday that Tehran had the right to respond after he accused Kuwait of attacking an Iranian boat and arresting four of its citizens in the Gulf, calling for their release.

US President Donald Trump is expected to ask China to help end the costly and unpopular Iran war in discussions with President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday, with peace talks stalled and the global economic cost of the conflict increasing.

The US-Israeli war with Iran looms large over Trump's visit to China, the first by a US president since his last trip there in 2017, although analysts say he is unlikely to get the support he wants. (Reuters)

Malaysia 's maritime agency says Iranian-linked tankers are exploiting "jurisdictional gaps" to conduct ship-to-ship transfers of sanctioned oil near its waters, rejecting allegations that authorities ignored a long-running trade allowing Iran to evade US sanctions.

US-based advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) and shipping industry observers say waters near Malaysia's southern Johor state have become a key hub for ship-to-ship transfers involving Iran's "shadow fleet" - ageing tankers that often operate with disabled tracking systems, false identities and opaque ownership structures to conceal the origins of crude bound largely for China. (Associated Press)

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi arrived in New Delhi late Wednesday, Iran's embassy in India said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday came down heavily on Kuwait for attacking an Iranian boat and detaining four of its citizens. He gave a call for the immediate release of nationals and said that Iran reserves the right to respond.

Araghchi made the remarks in a post on X and said that the move was meant to sow discord.

He said, "In clear attempt to sow discord, Kuwait has unlawfully attacked an Iranian boat and detained 4 of our citizens in the Persian Gulf. This illegal act took place near island used by the US to attack Iran. We demand immediate release of our nationals and reserve right to respond."

Kazem Gharibabadi, Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran, in an exclusive interview with NDTV, said that Iran had been ready to discuss all aspects of the nuclear issue but that the US had refused genuine negotiations and instead demanded its own terms.

The war with Iran is likely to be a key topic as US President Donald Trump arrived in China and met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. 

Ahead of the meetings, Trump hoped China would use its considerable leverage to prod Iran to agree to US terms to end the two-month old war or reopen the critical Strait of Hormuz, but he has tempered those calls ahead of the summit.

Cuba has completely run out of diesel and fuel oil, the country's energy and mines minister said on Wednesday, as the capital Havana faces its worst rolling blackouts in decades amid a US blockade that has strangled the island of fuel.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi began a three-day official visit to India on Wednesday, marking the first high-level diplomatic engagement from Tehran since the outbreak of the US-Israel war with Iran more than two months ago.

Araghchi is visiting India primarily to attend a two-day meeting of BRICS foreign ministers beginning Thursday. (PTI)

Saudi Arabia launched numerous, unpublicised strikes on Iran in retaliation for attacks carried out in the kingdom during the Middle East war, two Western officials briefed on the matter and two Iranian officials said.

A drone strike hit an Iranian opposition camp north of Iraq's Erbil, security sources were quoted as saying by Reuters on Wednesday, adding that an arms and ammunition depot inside the camp was targeted.

There was no reports of fatalities. (Reuters)

The United Arab Emirates said Thursday it "denies reports" that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly visited the country, after Netanyahu's office said he had met with the UAE president during the war with Iran.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has denied reports of a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the country, noting that reports claiming that the UAE had received the Israeli prime minister or any Israeli military delegation were false.

In a statement posted on social media platform X on Wednesday (local time), the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that its relations with Israel are conducted within the framework of the publicly known Abraham Accords, not based on secret arrangements.

Speaking to reporters before departing for Beijing, US President Donald Trump downplayed the discussion on Iran war with this Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during a US-China summit in Beijing.

"We have a lot of things to discuss," Trump told reporters. "I wouldn't say Iran is one of them, to be honest with you, because we have Iran very much under control."

"We hope to convince them to play a more active role in getting Iran to walk away from what they're doing now and trying to do now in the Persian Gulf," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said.