KABUL, April 7 (Reuters) - Afghanistan said on Tuesday that useful discussions have taken place in the northwestern Chinese city of Urumqi to resolve its conflict with Pakistan.

China, which shares its western border with ​both countries, has been mediating to help end the worst conflict between the allies-turned-foes since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

(Reporting by Mohammad Yunus Yawar, writing by Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Editing by YP Rajesh)

WASHINGTON, April 7 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump once again exhorted Iran to make a deal by his Tuesday deadline, saying a "whole civilization will die tonight" if an agreement is not reached to end the conflict.

"A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

"We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World."

(Reporting by Susan Heavey and Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

US President Donald Trump was looking at a request on Tuesday from mediator Pakistan to extend his Iran attacks deadline by two weeks -- hours after warning that "a whole civilization will die" if Tehran fails to make a deal.

Trump's latest wildly provocative threat against Iran prompted severe criticism, with former allies calling for his removal from office.

But as the clock ticked towards Trump's 8:00 PM (midnight GMT) deadline, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appeared to offer an off-ramp.

WASHINGTON, April 7 (Reuters) - The U.S. military conducted strikes on military targets on Iran's Kharg Island, the Axios news outlet reported on Tuesday, citing an unidentified senior U.S. official.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Sharon Singleton)

(Fixes links in last paragraph)

MADRID, April 7 (Reuters) - Recent U.S. complaints about NATO allies and threats to quit the alliance are pushing European countries to seek alternative security arrangements, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on Tuesday.

After European countries declined to send their navies to open up the Strait of Hormuz to global shipping following the start of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran on February 28, U.S. President Donald Trump has declared he is considering withdrawing from the alliance, thrusting it into a crisis.

DUBAI, April 7 (Reuters) - Iran has set preconditions for talks on a lasting peace with the United States, a senior official told Reuters on Tuesday, including an immediate halt to strikes, guarantees that attacks will not be repeated, and compensation for damage.

The official said Tehran rejects any ceasefire with the U.S. that is only temporary.

He added that a permanent peace deal should allow Iran to demand fees for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which would vary depending on the type of ship, its cargo, and prevailing conditions.

ISTANBUL, April 7 (Reuters) - At least two attackers were killed and one was seriously injured in an extended gun battle between police and assailantsdirectly outside the building housing the Israeli consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday, according to media reports and Reuters video.

Reuters video showed police officers pulling out guns and taking cover as shots rang out for at least 10 minutes. One person was covered in blood.

BEIRUT, April 7 (Reuters) - The Israeli military has refrained from striking a key border crossing between Syria and Lebanon after both pressed the U.S. on the need to keep it open, a Lebanese source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

The Israeli military on April 4 issued a warning for the Masnaa crossing, the main border point between Lebanon and Syria, sayingitwould strike it "in the near future" because Lebanese armed group Hezbollah was using it to smuggle weapons.

By Allison Lampert

MONTREAL, April 7 (Reuters) - Pilots must be given a "final and non-negotiable" say allowing them to refuse to fly over or within conflict zones without influence from commercial pressures, global union group International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations (IFALPA) said.

Iran said on Tuesday it was prepared for any eventuality, after US President Donald Trump warned "a whole civilization will die" if the Islamic republic did not heed a looming deadline to open the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking in Budapest, Vice President JD Vance said the United States had tools "that we so far haven't decided to use" against Iran, without explaining further.

The White House later denied Vance was alluding to nuclear weapons, while Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to AFP that "only the President knows where things stand and what he will do".