TEHRAN - The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Monday denied having negotiations with the United States, the country's official IRNA news agency reported, reversing US President Donald Trump's earlier claim that Washington had reached "major points of agreement" with Iran and is in contact with "a top person."

Friendly countries recently sent messages to Iran indicating Washington's desire to begin talks on ending the war, but Iran has not responded, the IRNA reported, citing Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei.

Baghaei said Tehran's stance on the Strait of Hormuz, as well as its conditions to end the war, have not changed, the IRNA reported.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also denied the claim on social media platform X, saying "no negotiations have been held" with Washington.

Meanwhile, several media reports quoted Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, as saying that talks with the United States are meaningless in the current conditions.

Earlier in the day, Trump said he had ordered a five-day delay of planned strikes on Iranian power plants and energy facilities, citing what he described as "very good and productive conversations" over the past two days aimed at easing tensions in the Middle East.

Reuters, citing Israel officials, later reported that the United States is holding negotiations with Ghalibaf, and that the two sides could hold talks in Pakistan's Islamabad as early as this week.

The developments came amid heightened regional tensions following joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran starting on Feb. 28, to which Iran and its regional allies responded with attacks on Israeli and US interests across the Middle East.

Trump says US has very good, productive conversations with Iran over resolution of hostilities

CANBERRA - The International Energy Agency (IEA) is in talks with member countries on releasing more stockpiled oil in response to the supply crisis driven by the conflict in the Middle East, IEA executive director Fatih Birol said here on Monday.

Addressing the National Press Club, Birol said he has been in contact with international colleagues on a daily basis regarding a second oil release after the agency's member countries agreed in March to release 400 million barrels from strategic stockpiles.

"If it is necessary, of course, we will do it," he said of a second release, but warned that it would not solve the supply shortfall.

"A stock release will help to comfort the markets, but this is not the solution. It will only help to reduce the pain in the economy," he said, describing the situation as "very severe."

Birol is set to meet with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese while in Canberra and said the two would discuss the IEA's recommended steps for civilians to limit oil demand, such as using public transport where possible, working from home and reducing air travel.

JERUSALEM/TEHRAN - The Israeli military said Monday it had begun wide-scale strikes on Iranian infrastructure targets in Tehran.

In Iran, semi-official Mehr news agency reported that explosions rang out in Tehran early Monday morning.

A British nuclear-powered submarine, HMS Anson, which is equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles, has reportedly traveled nearly 9,000 kilometers from its previous deployment off Australia to take up position in the Arabian Sea in the latest development of the war in Iran.

The United Kingdom government's defense ministry has declined to comment on the report, but if confirmed it would back up its decision to allow the United States to use British air bases to launch attacks on sites in Iran that are targeting the globally-vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane.

That change of heart by the government was announced after it emerged that Iran had tried to fire missiles at the joint UK and US-maintained military base on the Chagos Islands, in the Indian Ocean.

The Wall Street Journal and broadcaster CNN reported that two missiles were fired at the island of Diego Garcia, but neither reached its target, with one being intercepted, and the other failing in flight.

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC that the government's position remained that it wanted a swift end of the conflict, and it did not want to be drawn into a regional war, but she said taking defensive action was supporting UK interests.

"As the prime minister has made clear we will provide defensive support against these reckless Iranian threats, but we have not been — and we continue not to be — involved in offensive action," she said. "We will not be drawn into a wider conflict because we think we need to see as swift as possible resolution in the UK national interest but also to support regional stability."

Israeli authorities have claimed that Iran now has the capability to target European cities with its missiles, but British government minister Steve Reed said there was no reason to think that this was likely or even feasible.

When asked why Israel had said this, he said "You would need to speak to the Israelis", while also reiterating Cooper's comments about keeping British nationals and interests safe through what he called "appropriate collective defensive action".

This comment came after the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan issued a joint statement signaling their "readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the (Hormuz) Strait" as part of efforts to try and bring global energy prices back under control, after the war sent fuel costs soaring.

As a consequence of that, US President Donald Trump has threatened — at 23:44 London time on Saturday — to "obliterate" power plants in Iran unless the Strait of Hormuz is reopened to all vessels within 48 hours.

United States President Donald Trump has threatened to "obliterate" Iran's power plants if the Strait of Hormuz is not fully reopened within 48 hours — a dramatic escalation barely a day after he talked about "winding down" the war.

In a social media post on Saturday, Trump said the US would destroy "various power plants, starting with the biggest one first".

In response, Iran warned early on Sunday that any strike on its energy facilities would prompt counterattacks on US and Israeli energy and infrastructure assets.

Ebrahim Zolfaghari, a spokesman for Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, was quoted as saying by the country's semiofficial Tasnim News Agency that all infrastructure related to "energy, information technology and desalination" belonging to the US and Israel will be targeted in such a scenario.

The developments signal that the war in the Middle East, now in its fourth week, is moving in a dangerous new direction.

The Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean, is a critical passage for one-fifth of the world's oil flow. Attacks on commercial ships and threats of further strikes have stopped nearly all tankers from carrying oil, gas and other goods through the strait, leading to cuts in output by some of the world's largest oil producers and affecting fuel and food prices in several parts of the world.

Ali Mousavi, Iran's representative to the International Maritime Organization, said that ships, except those of the "enemies", could cross the Strait of Hormuz with prior coordination with Iranian authorities for security and safety arrangements, Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday, citing Iran's semiofficial Mehr News Agency.

He emphasized that international maritime commitments should include respect for Iran's territorial integrity and sovereign rights, adding that Tehran is ready to cooperate with the IMO and relevant countries to enhance maritime safety and protect seafarers.

"Diplomacy remains Iran's priority. However, a complete cessation of aggression, as well as mutual trust and confidence, are more important," Mousavi said, adding that US-Israeli attacks on Iran were at the "root of the current situation" in the Persian Gulf region and the Strait of Hormuz.

Over the weekend, the US and Israel continued their strikes in Iran, targeting Tehran, Karaj, Isfahan and Natanz, including the nuclear facility in Natanz.

Pirhossein Kolivand, president of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, said the US and Israel have targeted more than 80,000 civilian locations, including schools and medical centers, since the conflict started, resulting in significant casualties.

Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, reiterated his call "for military restraint to avoid any risk of a nuclear accident".

The United Nations-backed agency reported on Saturday that Iran's Natanz facility for nuclear enrichment has been bombed, but no increase in off-site radiation levels has been reported. It noted that the bombing was the fourth targeted attack on nuclear facilities in Iran since the start of the US-Israeli offensive.

On Saturday, nearly 200 people were injured in Iranian strikes in the southern Israeli cities of Dimona and Arad as Israeli air defense systems failed to intercept at least two ballistic missiles, The Times of Israel reported.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a social media post that he has instructed the director-general of his office to provide necessary assistance together with all government ministries.

"I offer my support to the emergency and rescue forces currently operating on the ground, and I call upon everyone to follow Home Front Command instructions. We are determined to continue striking our enemies on all fronts," Netanyahu, who visited the targeted sites, was quoted as saying.

Israel has banned large gatherings and closed schools in the south following the attacks.

The IAEA said in a post that it is aware of reports of an incident in the city of Dimona involving a missile impact and has not received any indication of damage to the Negev nuclear research center. "Information from regional states indicates that no abnormal radiation levels have been detected," it said.

Meanwhile, in a sign of increasing diplomatic strain, Saudi Arabia has moved to declare Iran's military officials and three other embassy staff as "personae non gratae" and ordered them to leave the country within 24 hours, according to a statement from the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs published by Saudi Press Agency.

The statement said that the continued targeting by Iran of the kingdom's sovereignty, economic interests, diplomatic premises, civilian assets and civilians "constitutes a flagrant violation of all relevant international conventions, the principles of good neighborliness and respect for states' sovereignty, the Beijing Agreement, and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2817".

Contact the writers at jan@chinadailyapac.com

TEHRAN - Iran's primary military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, issued a statement on Sunday warning that power plants in countries hosting US bases would be considered legitimate targets if the United States attacks Iran's power facilities.

The statement came in response to remarks by US President Donald Trump threatening to target Iran's power infrastructure, according to Iranian state media Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.

The Strait of Hormuz has not been fully closed and remains under Iran's "smart control," with non-harmful transit continuing under specific regulations to ensure national security and interests, the statement said.

If US threats are carried out, Iran would immediately adopt several punitive measures, including the full closure of the Strait of Hormuz until damaged Iranian facilities are rebuilt, it said.

Other measures would include large-scale strikes on Israel's power, energy and communications infrastructure, attacks on regional companies with US capital ties, and targeting power facilities in countries hosting US military bases.

The statement stressed that Iran would take "all necessary measures" to defend its national interests and would continue operations against US and allied economic and energy infrastructure in the region.

Surging fertilizer prices are raising concerns over food security across Asia as the same geopolitical shock rattling energy markets is squeezing supplies of crop nutrients.

The Middle East is a major fertilizer exporter, accounting for about 30 percent of the global fertilizer trade, as liquefied natural gas is a feedstock for making fertilizer.

Seaborne fertilizer travels through the Strait of Hormuz, but the critical waterway remains effectively closed as the United States-Israel attacks on Iran entered their fourth week.

The volatility in energy prices has spilled over into fertilizer prices. The Middle East granular urea was trading at $665 per metric ton on Friday, or nearly 40 percent more compared with $485 a ton late last month.

Urea, a nitrogen-rich fertilizer, is widely used in planting rice and wheat. The two food crops are staples across the Asia-Pacific.

"As fertilizer becomes more expensive, farmers may use less of it, which can lower crop yields," said Marie Annette Galvez-Dacul, executive director of the Center for Food and Agri Business at the University of Asia and the Pacific in Manila.

"This can lead to higher food prices and make food less affordable, even if supply is still available," she said.

In the Philippines, the world's biggest rice importer, the government assured that rice supply is stable thanks to existing stocks.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr said at a briefing on Thursday that the country has sufficient supply of agricultural products for at least the next 90 days. The state-owned National Food Authority has about 400,000 tons of rice in its warehouses, he added.

Elyssa Kaur Ludher, visiting fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, said key rice exporters in India, Vietnam and Thailand are dependent on imported fertilizers from the Gulf countries. If rice production in these countries decreases, it will also limit the supply of tradable rice, she said.

Rice is a thinly traded commodity, with only 10 percent of global production traded internationally.

"In the past, such shortages have triggered food-item export bans," Ludher said. "It is hoped that (exporting) countries will not resort to that as it destabilizes markets and further pushes up prices."

A rice export ban will also exacerbate global food insecurity, she added.

Unlike fuel prices, which immediately shoot up in line with global oil prices, the effect of fertilizer on food prices is delayed, she said.

'Medium-term risk'

The International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines said higher fertilizer prices are the "bigger medium-term risk" for the global rice trade. In India alone, at least three local fertilizer manufacturing plants have cut down production because of the limited supply of liquefied natural gas, the institute said.

Paul Teng, a visiting senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, said it is fortunate that most of the current rice crop in Southeast Asia has already been planted and fertilizers were bought well before the conflict erupted.

"But if the choke point persists, then it is likely that both supply and prices of rice will be affected for Southeast Asian farmers," Teng said. He expects higher prices to push farmers into reducing fertilizer usage, which will translate to lower output not only of rice but also other crops, including vegetables, palm oil and cacao.

prime@chinadailyapac.com

Iran's parliament speaker says energy and oil infrastructure across region would be "irreversibly" destroyed if Iran's energy facilities attacked.

TEHRAN -- An Iranian international affairs expert said on Saturday that Iran attacked the nuclear site in the southern Israeli city of Dimona earlier in the day in response to an Israeli strike on Iran's Natanz atomic facility.

Morteza Simiari made the remarks in a live interview with state-run IRIB TV while elaborating on Iran's retaliatory missile attack on the Israeli city.

He noted that the attack was carried out less than 24 hours after Israel "insanely" struck the Natanz facility in the central province of Isfahan.

Simiari said that Iran's new "eye for an eye" strategy entails delivering reciprocal responses, but with greater intensity, to any military actions taken by Israel. According to Israeli medical officials, more than 30 people were injured in Iran's missile strike on Dimona.

Meanwhile, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said there was no indication of damage to Israel's nuclear research center - Negev following a missile attack on Dimona.

"Information from regional states indicates that no abnormal radiation levels have been detected," the IAEA said on social media on Saturday evening.

Rafael Grossi, director general of the IAEA, has been closely monitoring the situation and stressed that "maximum military restraint should be observed, in particular in the vicinity of nuclear facilities."

On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded by launching waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and US bases and assets in the Middle East.

TEHRAN -- Iran's primary military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, warned on Sunday that it would strike "all energy, information technology and desalination infrastructure belonging to the US and the regime in the region" if its energy infrastructure was attacked, according to Fars News Agency.

US President Donald Trump vowed earlier to "hit and obliterate" Iranian power plants if the Strait of Hormuz is not opened within 48 hours.

JERUSALEM -- The Israeli military said in a brief statement that Israeli forces were currently conducting strikes early Sunday on "Iranian terror regime targets" in central Tehran.

The Iranian capital is currently under the most intense attacks, according to local media.

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump threatened on Saturday to "hit and obliterate" Iranian power plants if the country fails to fully open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.

"If Iran doesn't FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!" He wrote in a post on Truth Social.

The Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy corridor bordered by Iran to the north, through which around a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supply passed, has become a key flashpoint in the war.

In response, Iran's primary military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, warned on Sunday that it would strike US and Israeli "energy, information technology and desalination infrastructure" in the region if its energy infrastructure was attacked, according to Fars News Agency.

Trump's ultimatum against Iran signaled an escalation one day after he said Washington was considering "winding down" military efforts in the region.

"We are getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great military efforts in the Middle East" with respect to Iran, he said Friday on social media. Meanwhile, Trump refused to reach a ceasefire with Tehran.

His warning also came as the joint US-Israeli campaign against Iran entered the fourth week, which has disrupted global shipping and sent oil prices soaring.

Oil prices have surged by about 50 percent since the United States and Israel launched their attacks on Feb. 28, bringing increasing pressure on Washington. The White House worries that the surge in oil prices will hurt US businesses and consumers ahead of the November midterm elections, when Republicans hope to retain control of Congress.

The US Treasury Department on Friday issued a general license temporarily lifting sanctions on Iranian oil at sea for 30 days to address the supply shortage amid shipping interruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Friday that Iran has not closed the waterway, but has imposed restrictions on vessels belonging to countries involved in anti-Iran attacks.

Araghchi said Iran is ready to ensure safe passage for other states' vessels through the Strait of Hormuz if they coordinate with Tehran.

JERUSALEM -- Israel's national emergency service Magen David Adom (MDA) said in a statement that at least 64 people were injured on Saturday night in the southern Israeli city of Arad by a missile fired from Iran.

According to the MDA, seven people were seriously injured, 15 moderately injured, and the rest lightly injured.

It added that searches continue at the scene to find more injured people.

Israel's state-owned Kan TV News reported that it was a direct missile hit at a residential building, causing many casualties and extensive destruction.

It added that emergency services have declared a "mass casualty incident," and army and MDA helicopters were rushed to the scene.

According to the channel, the Israeli air force has launched an investigation to examine why the missile was not intercepted by the air defense system.

Earlier in the evening, a missile fired from Iran injured 47 people in the southern city of Dimona, including a 10-year-old boy in serious condition, according to the MDA.

The developments came amid heightened tensions following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran starting on Feb 28, to which Iran and its regional allies responded with attacks on Israeli and US interests across the Middle East.

JERUSALEM -- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Saturday that it struck a strategic research and development facility in Tehran, allegedly used by Iran to develop nuclear weapons components.

The IDF said as part of the recent waves of strikes completed in Tehran, the Israeli air force, guided by intelligence, targeted the facility, part of Malek-Ashtar University of Technology in Tehran.

It claimed that the site was used by Iran's military industries and ballistic missile array to develop nuclear weapon components and weapons.

It said the university was subordinate to the Iranian defense ministry, and is sanctioned internationally "due to its activities and efforts over the years to advance the Iranian nuclear program and to develop ballistic missiles."

The development came amid heightened tensions following joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran starting on Feb 28, to which Iran and its regional allies responded with attacks on Israeli and US interests across the Middle East.

TOKYO - Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Iran is seeking "not a ceasefire, but a complete, comprehensive and lasting end to the war," according to Kyodo News.

In a telephone interview with Kyodo News on Friday, Araghchi described the US-Israeli strikes on Iran as "an illegal, unprovoked act of aggression," calling on the international community to take a stand against the attacks.

The foreign minister noted that while several countries are attempting to mediate an end to the conflict, Iran has rejected calls for a temporary truce, insisting that any resolution must include guarantees against future attacks as well as compensation for the damage inflicted during the conflict.

Araghchi added that while diplomatic efforts are ongoing, the United States has yet to demonstrate its readiness for a genuine resolution.

The report also noted that Tehran is ready to facilitate the passage of Japanese vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global energy shipments, and that negotiations with Japan on the issue are ongoing.

TEHRAN - The United States and Israel carried out an attack on the Natanz uranium-enrichment facility in Iran on Saturday morning, according to Iran's local media.

No radioactive leaks have been reported, and residents near the site were not at risk.

TEHRAN - Iran fired two ballistic missiles at the US-British Diego Garcia military base in the Indian Ocean, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported on Saturday.

The Wall Street Journal and the CNN reported on Friday that Iran had fired ballistic missiles at the base on the island of Diego Garcia, part of the Chagos Islands, but they did not hit the base.

Britain agreed on Friday to allow the United States to use the Diego Garcia base to launch strikes on Iranian missile sites that are attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the British media.

The decision came after US President Donald Trump said he was "very disappointed" in British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for blocking US forces from using the military base to carry out strikes on Iran.

NEW YORK -- The US Treasury Department on Friday issued a general license temporarily lifting sanctions on Iranian oil at sea for 30 days to address the supply shortage amid shipping interruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

The general license, issued by the department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, authorized the delivery and sales of crude oil and petroleum products of Iranian origin loaded on vessels as of Friday.

Transactions for safe docking and anchoring of relevant vessels, preservation of health or safety of crew members, emergency repairs or environmental protection as well as various services were also allowed.

Notably, transactions authorized by this general license include the importation into the United States of crude oil and petroleum products of Iranian origin.

"This temporary, short-term authorization is strictly limited to oil that is already in transit and does not allow new purchases or production," said US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in an X post on Friday.

Iran will have difficulty accessing any revenue generated and the United States will continue to maintain maximum pressure on Iran and its ability to access the international financial system, said Bessent.

Washington has already eased sanctions on Russian and Venezuelan oil in addition to the coordinated release of emergency oil reserves under the umbrella of the International Energy Agency.

The ongoing war involving the United States, Israel and Iran has lasted three weeks, severely disrupting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, as oil shipments through the strait have fallen to less than 10 percent of pre-conflict levels.

JERUSALEM -- The Israeli military said Friday that its air force, acting on intelligence, killed Ali Mohammad Naini, spokesperson and head of public relations for Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), in an overnight strike in Tehran.

In a statement, the military said that Naini had served as the IRGC's "main propagandist" for the past two years, accusing him of "disseminating the regime's terrorist propaganda to its proxies across the Middle East to influence and advance attacks against Israel on multiple fronts."

Iranian state media confirmed Naini's death. The semi-official Tasnim news agency said that he had served as IRGC spokesman since 2024 and "was martyred" in strikes it attributed to the United States and Israel.