War in the Middle East: latest developments

The latest developments in the Middle East war:

- Iran 'will not bow' to threats -

Iran's parliament speaker, who led peace talks with the United States in Pakistan, said his country would not give in to threats after US President Donald Trump ordered a naval blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

"If they fight, we will fight, and if they come forward with logic, we will deal with logic," Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said, cited by several Iranian news agencies.

"We will not bow to any threats, let them test our will once again so that we can teach them a bigger lesson."

- Lebanon working for Israeli withdrawal -

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said he was working to stop the Israel-Hezbollah war and to ensure the withdrawal of Israeli forces.

"We will continue to work to stop this war, to ensure the Israeli withdrawal from all our lands, the return of all the prisoners, to rebuild our destroyed villages and towns, and the safe return of the displaced," said Salam.

- Netanyahu says threat of invasion removed -

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, visiting troops who invaded southern Lebanon, said Israeli forces had eliminated the threat of an invasion by Hezbollah militants.

"The war continues, including within the security zone in Lebanon," Netanyahu said in a video released by his office.

- Israeli tank rams UN vehicles -

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said an Israeli tank twice rammed peacekeeping vehicles in the country's south where Israel and Hezbollah have been at war since last month.

Israeli soldiers had also blocked a road in south Lebanon's Bayada "that is used to access UNIFIL positions", it said a statement.

- Trump orders blockade -

Earlier Sunday, Trump said he had ordered his navy block "any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz", after peace talks in Pakistan between US and Iranian delegations broke down.

He said on social media he had ordered the US Navy to "interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas."

- Iran Guards' threat -

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said after Trump's announcement that Iranian security forces had full control over the Strait of Hormuz and warned enemies would be trapped in a "deadly vortex" in case of any "wrong move".

- Lebanon deaths -

Lebanese official media reported extensive Israeli strikes across the country's south as the health ministry said at least five people were killed and the war's overall toll on that front rose to 2,055 dead.

Israel asserts that the Middle East ceasefire does not apply to its military operations in Lebanon targeting the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.

- Saudi summons -

Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry summoned the ambassador of Iraq to deliver a formal complaint about drone attacks launched from that country, state media reported -- days after a similar complaint from the US.

- Trump threatens China -

Trump threatened 50 percent tariffs on Chinese goods imported into the United States if Beijing helped Iran militarily, in comments to Fox News.

- Kuwait arrests -

Kuwait arrested 24 people, including five former lawmakers, as part of a probe into the "financing of terrorist entities", authorities said.

Gulf states including Kuwait have, since Iran started attacking them, moved against individuals and organisations suspected of links to or supporting Tehran.

- Iran toll -

Abbas Masjedi, head of the Iranian judiciary's Legal Medicine Organization said 3,375 people in Iran have been killed in the war with the United States and Israel.

Due to reporting restrictions, AFP is not able to access the sites of strikes nor independently verify tolls in Iran.

- Ceasefire plea -

The foreign minister of Pakistan, whose country mediated the weekend talks, called for the two-week ceasefire agreed by Washington and Tehran to be upheld.

- Putin mediation offer -

Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian that he was ready to help mediate the peace efforts, the Kremlin said.

burs/jj/rmb