Iran denies ceasefire plea, Trump demands NATO Hormuz help & IDF enters Lebanon

HEADLINES

• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi insisted Tehran hasn't asked for a ceasefire and that "war needs to end in a way that ensures it doesn't happen again." READ MORE BELOW

• US President Donald Trump said the United States was in discussions with Iran but that Tehran was not ready for a deal to end the war, now in its third week.

• Trump is pressuring world powers to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil transport conduit effectively hut by Iran. READ MORE BELOW

• EU foreign ministers will discuss extending the bloc's Red Sea naval mission to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, said the bloc's top diplomat Kaja Kallas. READ MORE BELOW

• China called on all parties to immediately cease military operations in the Strait of Hormuz. READ MORE BELOW

• Explosions reportedly hit Tehran on Monday hours after Israel said it conducted large-scale overnight strikes. 

• The Israeli military said on Monday it had begun what it described as "limited ground operations" against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. READ MORE BELOW

• Authorities said flights were gradually resuming at Dubai airport after a "drone-related incident" sparked a fuel tank fire nearby.

• Oil prices rose further, with Brent North Sea Crude up 3% to $106.50 per barrel in Monday trading.

• A drone attack on oil infrastructure on the Fujairah oil industry zone on the UAE's east coast sparked a large fire, authorities said.

• Saudi Arabia has intercepted 61 drones in the east of the country since midnight, according to a tally of defense ministry figures posted Monday on X.

• A Palestinian civilian was killed on the outskirts of the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi when a missile hit their car, authorities said.

• The Iranian men's football team is still planning to play in the upcoming World Cup in North America, an Asian football official said, despite Trump warning their "life and safety" could be at risk.

• Iran's Foreign Minister said Israeli strikes on Tehran fuel depots constituted "ecocide" due to the long-term risks to residents' health.

• Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that rising oil prices would generate additional revenues for Russian oil companies and greater revenues for the Russian budget.

IN DETAIL

Iran FM sees no reason for talks

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran was not interested in talks with the United States, pushing back on President Donald Trump's stance that the country wants a deal to end the war.

"We are stable and strong enough. We are only defending our people," Araghchi told CBS's Face The Nation in an interview aired Sunday.

"We don't see any reason why we should talk with Americans, because we were talking with them when they decided to attack us.

"There is no good experience talking with Americans."

Trump on Saturday said Iran wanted a deal, but that he was not prepared to make one on current terms, without giving further details.

"We never asked for a ceasefire, and we have never asked even for negotiation," Araghchi said.

He added that Iran was ready to talk to countries who want to negotiate for selected oil tankers to pass through the key Strait of Hormuz export route.

"I cannot mention any country in particular, but we have been approached by a number of countries who want to have a safe passage for their vessels," he said.

Trump pressures NATO on Hormuz

US President Donald Trump said NATO faces a "very bad" future if US allies fail to help open the Strait of Hormuz.

"It's only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the Strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there," Trump said. 

Japan said it was not considering launching maritime security operations and Australia ruled out sending a navy ship to the Strait of Hormuz following Trump's comments.

Germany does not see a role for the NATO defense alliance in addressing the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, said Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in Brussels on Monday.

Iran has effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, amid the US-Israeli war on Iran, now in its third week. Iranian forces have attacked ships in the narrow channel between Iran and Oman, choking off a fifth of global oil supply in the biggest disruption ever.

Trump's comments came after Iran warned other countries against getting involved in the war, which has spread across the Middle East.

In a phone conversation with his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot, Iran's Foreign Minister Araghchi called on other countries to "refrain from any action that could lead to escalation and expansion of the conflict".

EU to discuss how to keep Hormuz strait open

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday she had discussed with the United Nations the idea of freeing up transport of oil and gas through the Strait of Hormuz by replicating a deal that gets grain out of Ukraine during wartime.

Arriving at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Kallas said she had spoken to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres about the idea to unblock the strait, currently choked off due to the Iran conflict.

Kallas said the closure of the strait was "really dangerous" for energy supplies to Asia but was also a problem for the production of fertilizers.

"If there is a lack of fertilizers this year, there's going to be also food deprivation next year," Kallas said. She did not provide any more details.

Kallas said ministers would also discuss whether it was possible to change the mandate of the EU's small Middle East naval mission, Aspides, which currently focuses on protecting ships in the Red Sea from Yemen's Houthi rebel group.

Asked about the skepticism expressed by German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on whether Aspides could be useful in the Strait of Hormuz, Kallas said: "Of course we need to also have the member states on board.

"If the member states say that we are not doing anything with this, then of course it's their decision, but we have to discuss how we help to keep the Strait of Hormuz open."

China calls for calm over Hormuz

China called on all parties to immediately cease military operations in the Strait of Hormuz to avoid further escalation of tensions.

"Tensions have risen in the Strait of Hormuz and its adjacent waters, disrupting the international cargo and energy trade passage and undermining regional and global peace and stability," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a press briefing in Beijing.

"China calls on all parties to immediately stop military operations, avoid further escalation of tensions, and prevent regional turmoil from having a greater impact on global economic development."

Israel begins 'limited targeted ground operations' against Hezbollah

The Israeli military said on Monday it had begun what it described as "limited ground operations" against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war on March 2 when the Tehran-backed Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes.

Israel responded with air raids on its northern neighbor and troop incursions into border areas. 

"In recent days, IDF troops from the 91st division have begun limited and targeted ground operations against key Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon, aimed at enhancing the forward defense area," the military said in a statement.

"Prior to the troops' entry into the area, the IDF conducted strikes using both artillery and the Israeli Air Force", it added.