Morning update

Good morning Middle East Eye readers,

Diplomatic efforts to end the Iran conflict remain ongoing, but there has been no breakthrough. Iran says negotiations with Washington are continuing through mediators, while warning that US demands remain a major obstacle.

At the same time, Donald Trump is keeping military options on the table if talks fail, even as regional powers, including Pakistan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, push for de-escalation.

Security concerns across the Gulf remain while violence continues in Lebanon and Gaza. 

Here are the most important developments this morning: 

• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi meets Pakistan army chief Asim Munir in Tehran to discuss efforts to prevent escalation

• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says there has been “some progress” in negotiations

• White House says Trump is keeping “all options open” on Iran, while reports say strikes remain possible if talks fail

• Iran says respecting its rights is essential to ending the conflict and accuses Washington of undermining diplomacy

• Qatar and Saudi Arabia back continued de-escalation efforts in US-Iran negotiations

• Russia questions US assessments of the state of peace talks and calls for caution

• Air raid sirens sound in northern Israel following a suspected drone intrusion

• Israeli warplanes strike eastern Lebanon near the Syrian border, while reports say at least 10 people were killed in Lebanon over the weekend

• States fail to agree on nuclear non-proliferation goals at a UN conference, as divisions over the conflict grow 

• India raises fuel prices for a third time this month as energy markets remain under pressure from the crisis

• Tanker reports a security incident near Yemen’s Socotra Island, as maritime risks in the region continue