War in the Middle East: latest developments

The latest developments in the Middle East war:

- Hegseth threatens 'devastating' response -

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said the United States was "not looking for a fight" in the Strait of Hormuz, but vowed "overwhelming and devastating American firepower" in response to any Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the vital waterway.

- US 'ready to resume' -

The top American military officer said the United States was "ready to resume major combat operations against Iran if ordered to do so".

"No adversary should mistake our current restraint with a lack of resolve," General Dan Caine told reporters, amid fears the current US-Iranian ceasefire is unravelling.

- Iran-China talks -

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will travel to Beijing on Tuesday for talks, the foreign ministry said, amid stalled negotiations with the United States.

Araghchi will meet Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to discuss "bilateral ties and regional and international developments", his ministry said in a brief statement.

- Zelensky offers Bahrain help -

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has been offering his country's know-how fighting Russian- and Iranian-made drones to Middle Eastern nations, offered to help Bahrain in his latest visit to the region.

"Ukraine is ready to share (its) security expertise with Bahrain and help strengthen the protection of life," Zelensky said in a statement online after meeting King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

- Calls for de-escalation -

French President Emmanuel Macron said he would speak with Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian later Tuesday, as world leaders pressure Iran to negotiate an end to the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Earlier, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz implored Iran to "return to the negotiating table and stop holding the region and the world hostage", echoing calls from Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

- Iran-FIFA meet -

FIFA has invited the Iranian football federation (FFIRI) to its headquarters for talks over the country's participation at this year's World Cup, a source told AFP.

Iran's presence at the tournament, held in the United States, Canada and Mexico between June 11 and July 19, has been shrouded in uncertainty since the war erupted.

- Iran 'not even started' -

Iran's chief negotiator in talks with the United States, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, warned that his country had "not even started" and that US actions in the Strait of Hormuz had put shipping at risk.

- Maersk sails through Hormuz -

Denmark's freight giant Maersk said one of its ships had sailed through the Strait of Hormuz under US escort, adding the transit was completed "without incident".

- India criticises strike on UAE -

India condemned a drone strike on an energy facility in the United Arab Emirates in which three Indians were injured, urging uninterrupted access to the Strait of Hormuz.

The UAE said Iranian strikes had hit targets including its vital Fujairah energy hub, calling the attacks "a dangerous escalation and an unacceptable transgression".

- South Korea mulls Hormuz involvement -

South Korea said it would "review its position" on joining US operations in the Strait of Hormuz after President Donald Trump urged Seoul to take part following an apparent Iranian attack on one of its ships.

- 'No plan' to attack UAE: Iran -

Iran had "no pre-planned programme" to attack oil facilities in the United Arab Emirates, Iranian state TV quoted a military official as saying, after the UAE blamed the Islamic republic for a drone strike at an energy installation in Fujairah.

"What happened was the product of the US military's adventurism to create a passage for ships to illegally pass through" the Strait of Hormuz, the official said. "The US military must be held accountable for it."

- Trump: 'no damage' in Hormuz -

Trump played down tensions after US warships entered the Strait of Hormuz, saying Iran had "taken some shots" but caused no harm apart from damage to a South Korean vessel.

"Other than the South Korean Ship, there has been, at this moment, no damage going through the Strait," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

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