Iran's envoy to Ukraine, Shahriar Amouzegar, dismissed the support Kyiv has offered to the United States and its Gulf allies, after Ukraine advertised its expertise in destroying Iranian-designed drones launched by Russia.

Iran has been attacking countries across the region -- including with drones -- in response to US and Israeli airstrikes against Tehran that killed its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Turkey's top diplomat said Saturday that Iran was denying responsiblity for firing ballistic missiles towards Turkey despite evidence from technical data.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said he had spoken with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi after NATO defence systems on Friday shot down another ballistic missile from Iran -- the third in nine days.

"Once again, they are not taking responsibility for this incident. They claim they did not order any such attack, nor are they linked to it," Fidan said.

By Steve Holland, Humeyra Pamuk, Parisa Hafezi and Alexander Cornwell

WASHINGTON/DUBAI/TEL AVIV, March 14 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's administration has rebuffed efforts by Middle Eastern allies to start diplomatic negotiations aimed at ending the Iran war that started two weeks ago with a massive U.S.-Israeli air assault, according to three sources familiar with the efforts.

March 14 (Reuters) - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told MS Now in an interview on Saturday that there is no problem with Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed on Friday that he was wounded and likely disfigured.

(Reporting by Bhargav Acharya in Toronto;)

JERUSALEM, March 14 (Reuters) - Israel and Lebanon are expected to hold direct talks in the coming days, their first since the start of the Iran war that has drawn Lebanon deeper into conflict, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Saturday, citing two sources with knowledge of the matter.

U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner will be involved in the talks that may be held in Paris or in Cyprus, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's confidant Ron Dermer leading the Israeli delegation, Haaretz said.

By Maayan Lubell and Nazih Osseiran

JERUSALEM/BEIRUT March 14 (Reuters) - The Israeli military warned on Saturday that it may strike ambulances and medical facilities which it said were being used unlawfully by Hezbollah in Lebanon, though it did not provide evidence for the claim.

"As part of its terrorist activities, Hezbollah is using ambulances extensively for military purposes," the Israeli military's Arabic spokesman Avichai Adraee said on X, adding that such use must immediately stop.

Two more players of the Iranian women's football team, which competed in the Asian Cup in Australia, and one member of the backroom staff have withdrawn their requests for asylum in the country, Iranian state media said on Saturday.

Seven members of the visiting women's football delegation -- six players and one backroom staff member -- had sought sanctuary in Australia after they were branded "traitors" at home for refusing to sing the national anthem during the ongoing war between Iran and the US and its ally Israel.

March 14 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that many countries would send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, but did not provide details on which countries would do so.

"Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

Trump said he hoped that China, France, Japan, South Korea, Britain and others would send ships to the area.

US President Donald Trump on Saturday said countries that rely on oil carried through the Hormuz strait should take responsibility for keeping the passage open, with American help.

Global oil prices have surged by 40 percent as Iran has choked off the vital sea passage and attacked Gulf energy facilities since US-Israeli strikes launched the war on Iran.

By Nidhi Verma and Saurabh Sharma

NEW DELHI, March 14 (Reuters) - India has sought safe passage for 22 of its vessels stranded west of the Strait of Hormuz, a foreign affairs ministry spokesperson said on Saturday, after Iran allowed a few Indian ships to sail through, in a rare exception to the blockade.

Randhir Jaiswal told a press conference that India has stayed in touch with all major parties in the Middle East - including Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran, the U.S. and Israel - to convey its priorities, particularly on energy security.