Iran's supreme leader threatened an immediate response to a potential attack as diplomatic efforts continue in an effort to reduce the threat of a return to all-out war.
Meanwhile, Iran's foreign minister said a proposal has been reached that would fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz in just two days as talks with mediators remain on track.
Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Saturday. Read our full coverage here.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah
Mojtaba Khamenei said that “any kind and level of threat” from the U.S. or Israel should face an immediate response without geographic limits, the official IRNA news agency said.
State media said that Khamenei, who still hasn't been seen publicly since the war began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, made the comments while meeting with the military. He also called for an updated list of potential U.S. and Israeli targets.
Khamenei became supreme leader after the first wave of strikes killed his father and other high-ranking officials. He has been meeting with a series of senior officials in recent weeks, according to state media.
Iran’s top diplomat says that a new proposal has been reached with mediators that would shorten the time to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz to two days.
Last month, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi floated a proposal to reopen the critical waterway within a week if the U.S. agreed to lift its blockade of Iranian ports, release frozen Iranian assets and waive sanctions on Iranian oil sales, among other conditions. That was rejected.
In an interview with Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera, Araghchi also said that Iran isn't planning to meet with U.S. officials, but said that recent American efforts toward “broader dialogue” are considered a positive step.
He said that Iran has carefully reviewed a letter that was sent days earlier by U.S. Vice President JD Vance. And he said a decision on whether negotiations will be direct or indirect would be made “once Washington agrees to Iran’s conditions."
Saudi Arabia's vice minister of foreign affairs, Waleed ElKhereiji, said that the message from the region is that it wants a return to peace.
Efforts were being made to prevent a military escalation and reach an agreement that ends the Iran crisis, ElKhereiji said at a security forum in Bahrain.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said at the same event that an escalation in the region would be extremely destructive.
“We are very confident that … the second round will be more dangerous, more destructive, and it will lead to nowhere,” he said.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani said that border security with Jordan is a shared responsibility and a high-level meeting is expected next month to discuss arrangements.
Speaking at the security forum in Bahrain, al-Shibani said there are no “skirmishes” between the countries. The comments came after Jordanian strikes in Syria raised tensions between the neighbors.
Jordan said that the strikes last week killed 20 militants with the Islamic State extremist group, but acknowledged that civilians also had been killed. Syrian authorities reported seven people killed, most of them women and children.
Separately, al-Shibani said that Syria is in discussions to evaluate joining the Mecca Pact, the Saudi-led defense alliance that includes Turkey and Pakistan.
“Whether Syria joins or not, Syria thinks the region is in dire need of a structure that protects its security,” he said.
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This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.
