Iran and the US at an impasse ahead of Trump's China trip

HEADLINES IN BRIEF

• Israel insists enriched uranium must be taken out of Iran. READ MORE BELOW

• Iran and the US blame each other for the impasse. READ MORE BELOW

• Zelenskyy says some 20 countries interested in drone deals with Ukraine. READ MORE BELOW

• Iranian authorities have released Nobel peace prize winner Narges Mohammadi on bail following growing alarm over her health.

• The UK and France will host a multinational meeting of defense ministers on Tuesday on military plans to restore trade flows through the Strait of Hormuz.

• Iran warned Britain and France that its armed forces would launch "a decisive and immediate response" if they sent warships to the Strait of Hormuz.

IN DETAIL

Iran and the United States reached an impasse again on Monday over how to end their war while their ceasefire grew increasingly shaky, with the two sides exchanging fire in recent days, ships and Gulf states being targeted, and fighting flaring between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

The volatility could tip the Middle East back into open warfare and prolong the worldwide energy crisis sparked by the conflict, with Iran's chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz and America's blockade of Iranian ports still in place.

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Iran's response to his latest proposal was "totally unacceptable".

He is expected to use a trip this week to China to exchange views with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the Iran nuclear issue and other regional matters.

China is an important importer of Iranian crude oil. Analysts say Beijing can play a constructive role in advancing diplomatic efforts.

Meanwhile, Iran insists it wants to see the American blockade end and sanctions lifted before beginning negotiations over its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

The US and Israel want that material removed since it could be used to eventually build a bomb, should Iran choose to do so.

Tehran insists its program is peaceful, but it has enriched uranium beyond the levels needed for civilian power generation.

Israel insists enriched uranium must be taken out of Iran

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who launched the war with Trump on February 28, insisted that the conflict was "not over", telling CBS' '60 Minutes' in an interview that aired on Sunday that a critical goal is getting the nuclear material out of Iran.

If that can't be accomplished with negotiations, Netanyahu said that Israel and the US agree "we can reengage them militarily".

Netanyahu also said the current Iranian government's "days are numbered — but it could take a lot of days".

The US and Israel have killed dozens of high-ranking Iranian officials, including the country's supreme leader in the opening salvos of the war, and the conflict has inflicted heavy damage to Iran's economy, but its theocracy maintains its grip on power.

Iran and the US blame each other for the impasse

Trump immediately rejected a new Iranian proposal sent Sunday to him via Pakistan.

In it, Iran demanded war reparations from the US, full Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, an end to sanctions and the release of its seized assets abroad, Iranian state television reported.

Iran also called for an immediate end to the war, including the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, which have repeatedly exchanged fire though technically also in a ceasefire.

That conflict has seen Israeli strikes into Lebanon, its occupation of Lebanese territory and deadly Hezbollah attacks, including one that killed another Israeli soldier, the Israeli military said on Monday.

"We did not demand any concessions — the only thing we demanded was Iran's legitimate rights," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said on Monday.

"The American side still insists on its one-sided views and unreasonable demands."

Iran did, however, offer to dilute part of its highly enriched uranium, and transport the rest to a third country, and called for 30-day negotiations to finalize details, according to the reports in The Associated Press.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive diplomacy taking place.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered to take the uranium from Iran.

Russia runs Iran's sole nuclear power plant at Bushehr and also took some of Iran's uranium stockpile in Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Asked on Monday about Putin's comments, Baghaei said: "At the current stage, our focus is on ending the war."

Zelenskyy says some 20 countries interested in drone deals with Ukraine

Nearly 20 countries are interested in drone deals with Ukraine and four agreements have already been signed, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday.

Since the outbreak of the Iran war in late February, Zelenskyy has managed to leverage Ukraine's expertise in drone warfare into a series of successful diplomatic deals during visits to the Middle East and Europe.

"Nearly 20 countries are currently involved at various stages: 4 agreements have already been signed, and the first contracts under these agreements are now being prepared," Zelenskyy said on X.

In April, Ukraine signed defence and drone deals in Germany, Norway and the Netherlands, following long-term security partnerships with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in late March.

Ukraine also signed agreements last month with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on defense and energy.

In his post, Zelenskyy also said Ukraine would launch security cooperation within the framework of drone deals with another part of the world, without specifying which.

Ukraine has already started to receive the necessary volume of fuel thanks to the agreements, Zelenskyy added, without elaborating.

Zelenskyy hopes his drone diplomacy can help secure energy-supply deals with Middle Eastern states as well as markets for Ukraine's agricultural produce.