By Andreas Rinke and Kirsti Knolle

BERLIN, April 27 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday Iran's leadership was humiliating the United States and getting U.S. officials to travel to Pakistan and then leave without results, in an unusually abrupt rebuke over the conflict.

Merz also said he not see what exit strategy the U.S. was pursuing in the Iran war - comments that underlined deep divisions between Washington and its European NATO allies, which had already been festering over Ukraine and other issues.

By Haseeb Alwazeer

GAZA, April 27 (Reuters) - Palestinians are using war rubble to repave streets destroyed during Israel's two-year assault on Gaza, crushing concrete and metal into pavement under a U.N.-run project they hope will mark a first step toward rehabilitating their damaged cities.

The project run by the United Nations Development Programme comes as progress stalls in U.S. President Donald Trump's Gaza plan, meant to build on an October Israel-Hamas ceasefire by surging aid and rebuilding the enclave from scratch.

LONDON, April 27 (Reuters) - At least seven ships - mainly dry bulk vessels - have crossed the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, in line with muted activity in recent days, shipping data showed on Monday, while talks between Iran and the United States have stalled.

The vessels included ships leaving from Iraqi ports and one dry bulk vessel from an Iranian port, according to ship tracking data from Kpler and separate satellite analysis from data analytics specialists SynMax.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hezbollah's rockets and drones were a key threat demanding military action, as Israel's army expanded strikes on Lebanon where authorities reported four dead on Monday despite a ceasefire.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said direct talks with Israel sought to end the Israel-Hezbollah war and that those who dragged Lebanon into it were the ones committing "treason" -- a jab at the Iran-backed group, which claimed several attacks on Israeli targets in south Lebanon on Monday.

By Gus Trompiz and Naveen Thukral

PARIS/SINGAPORE, April 27 (Reuters) - Farmers around the world are facing the second surge in fertiliser prices in four years due to the Iran war. But with grain prices too low to cushion the blow from the deeper supply crunch this time around, many are rethinking planting plans, putting global food production at risk.

The Middle East is a leading fertiliser production hub, and much of the global fertiliser trade typically passes through the Strait of Hormuz, which has seen traffic brought to a standstill by the conflict.

The latest developments in the Middle East war:

- Iran FM meets Putin -

President Vladimir Putin told Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that Russia would do everything it could to halt the Middle East war, as the two met in Saint Petersburg.

"For our part, we will do everything that serves your interests, the interests of all the people of the region, so that peace can be achieved as soon as possible," Russian state media quoted Putin as telling Araghchi.

- Iran demands over Hormuz -

An American woman who has accused Mohamed Al-Fayed of sexual assault after being recruited in Paris has spoken of the "pain" of the late Egyptian-born businessman never being held to account.

Pelham Spong, a 42-year-old from South Carolina, says Al-Fayed assaulted her in London when she was in her twenties.

She has told The Times she went to British police in 2017, several years before his death in 2023 aged 94, but claims he was not even questioned.

The White House said on Monday that it was examining Iran's latest proposal to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, two months after a US and Israeli offensive sent shockwaves through the global economy.

Peace talks between the United States and Iran to end the Middle East war and fully reopen the vital strait have so far proven inconclusive since a ceasefire came into force.

By Michael Holden and Suzanne Plunkett

LONDON/WASHINGTON, April 27 (Reuters) - Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla arrive in the United States later on Monday for a four-day trip, a tour which has taken on even greater prominence after the White House Correspondents' dinner shooting and amid acrimony between the close allies.

The state visit, by far the most high-profile and consequential of Charles's reign, marks the 250th anniversary of the U.S. declaration of independence from British rule, and is the first to the country by a British monarch for two decades.

By Steve Holland and Asif Shahzad

WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD, April 27 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran could telephone if it wants to negotiate an end to their two-month war, as Tehran's foreign minister landed in Russia on Monday to seek support from President Vladimir Putin.