High-level US and Iranian delegations have arrived in Pakistan, ahead of negotiations aimed at easing escalating tensions. Iranian and US negotiators are also expected to participate in the Islamabad talks, which come amid a fragile and fast-moving diplomatic environment. JD Vance was received upon arrival by Pakistan’s foreign minister as both sides prepare for high-level engagement in Islamabad. Follow our live coverage for the latest developments in the region.

03:18 PM, 11 April 2026

Lebanon says 10 killed including 3 emergency workers in Israeli strikes on south

Lebanon’s health ministry said 10 people including three emergency workers were killed by Israeli strikes on south Lebanon on Saturday, as state media reported raids on more than a dozen locations.

The ministry said three deadly strikes hit locations in the Nabatiyeh district, with the dead including a member of the Lebanese civil defence and two paramedics from the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Committee, decrying what it said was Israel’s “systematic” targeting of emergency workers.

02:12 PM, 11 April 2026

Pakistan PM meets JD Vance at Islamabad talks

As the Islamabad talks commenced, Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with US Vice President JD Vance.

The US delegation included Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, while the Pakistani side was represented by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Interior Minister Senator Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi.

As the Islamabad Talks commenced today, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with His Excellency JD Vance, Vice President of the United States of America.

Commending both delegations for their constructive engagement, the Prime Minister expressed hope that the talks would serve as a stepping stone toward durable peace in the region. He also reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to facilitating progress toward sustainable regional stability.

02:07 PM, 11 April 2026

Bahrain says 194 missiles, 516 drones intercepted amid Iranian strikes

The General Command of the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) announced that all its units and formations are at the highest levels of readiness and full defensive preparedness. It confirmed that since the onset of the hostile Iranian aggression, it has intercepted and destroyed 194 missiles and 516 drones that targeted the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The General Command urged the public to exercise caution regarding any unfamiliar or suspicious objects resulting from the attacks, and to avoid approaching or handling them.

It affirmed that personnel of the Royal Field Engineering Unit remain fully prepared to safely deal with such objects, ensuring the safety of all citizens and residents.

02:05 PM, 11 April 2026

Qatar announces return to in-person classes

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Qatar has announced the resumption of in-person classes and services starting Sunday, April 12, 2026.

The return applies to nurseries, kindergartens, public and private schools, and educational service centres in line with the approved academic calendar.

02:01 PM, 11 April 2026

Iraq official says drone crashed near US diplomats at Baghdad airport

A senior Iraqi security official told AFP that a drone crashed near a group of US diplomats inside the grounds of Baghdad’s airport earlier this week as they were escorting an American journalist freed after a recent kidnapping.

According to the Iraqi official, “the diplomatic support centre was targeted on Wednesday by three drones”.

“One of them fell at least 50 metres from a diplomatic team accompanying the American journalist Shelly Kittleson,” they added.

Kittleson had been released by the powerful pro-Iranian group Kataeb Hezbollah on Tuesday, a week after she was kidnapped in Baghdad.

The attack delayed her departure from Iraq, though she was able to leave a few hours later, the source said.

01:17 PM, 11 April 2026

Iran delegation meets Pakistan PM ahead of talks with US

Iranian semiofficial media reported that Iran’s negotiating team chaired by parliament speaker Mahammad Bagher Qalibaf, met on Saturday with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Neither the Iranian delegation nor the prime minister’s office commented on the meeting in the Pakistani city city of Islamabad.

The meeting came as the US and Iranian officials are set to start indirect high-stakes talks Saturday afternoon on ending the war in the Middle East.

01:15 PM, 11 April 2026

Regional mediators in Pakistan to assist peace talks

Officials from the region said on Saturday that Egyptian, Saudi Arabia, Chinese and Qatari officials are in Islamabad to indirectly facilitate the talks.

The officials were speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter.

12:47 PM, 11 April 2026

European airports warn of jet fuel crunch

The head of Airports Council International-Europe, Olivier Jankovec, warned the European Union that a ”systemic jet fuel shortage’’ could come within three weeks because of the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz.

Jankovec said that the crunch could impact the summer travel season and ”significantly harm the European economy.’’

He urged the EU to organise collective purchases of jet fuel for European countries, track stocks and identify alternative sources of jet fuel, among other measures.

The EU’s Energy Union Task Force said there is ”no immediate risk to the EU’s security of oil and gas supply’’ from the Mideast conflicts and no need to release additional stocks.

But it warned of possible longer-term risks, and said ”jet fuel remains the primary concern’’ because of its reliance on imports.

12:37 PM, 11 April 2026

Iran’s foreign minster says ‘deep distrust’ in US

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Iran enters Saturday’s talks with the US with “deep distrust” because of a pair of attacks his country sustained in the middle of negotiations over its nuclear program.

Araghchi’s office said in a post on Telegram that Iran would fight back if it was attacked.

He also called for Israeli attacks on Lebanon to stop.

12:34 PM, 11 April 2026

Iranian delegation departs for meeting with Pakistani PM

Iranian delegation has departed for a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad, according to Iran’s ISNA news agency.

The talks come as Pakistan continues its role in mediating discussions between Iran and the United States over a proposed ceasefire framework. Sharif and senior government officials are expected to hold discussions with the visiting delegation as diplomatic efforts intensify in the capital.

12:22 PM, 11 April 2026

Iranian official says deal is possible if US puts ‘America First’

Mohammad Reza Aref, Iran’s first vice president, says peace talks between the US and Iran could produce a deal if Washington worked to fulfill American interests in line with President’s Donald Trump’s “America First” doctrine.

Aref wrote in a social media post that there would be no deal “if we face representatives of ‘Israel first’.”

He warned “the world will face greater costs” if the talks failed and the U.S. and Israel resumed the war on Iran.

11:42 AM, 11 April 2026

Hospital authorities say Israeli strike kills 6 in Gaza

The Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital which received the casualties said the Israeli airstrike hit a security point in the urban refugee camp of Bureij in the predawn hours on Saturday.

The deaths were the latest among Palestinians in territory since a ceasefire deal last October that aimed attempted to halt a more than two-year war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

11:13 AM, 11 April 2026

Pakistan says hopes Iran, US will ‘engage constructively’

Pakistan’s foreign minister on Saturday called for the United States and Iran to “engage constructively” at talks in Islamabad aimed at ending the Middle East war, after both delegations arrived in the Pakistani capital.

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar “expressed the hope that parties would engage constructively, and reiterated Pakistan’s desire to continue facilitating the parties towards reaching lasting and durable solution to the conflict”, said a foreign ministry statement.

11:08 AM, 11 April 2026

Pakistan’s foreign and interior ministers, top soldier receive US delegation

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday received the US delegation lead by US Vice President JD Vance.

The ministry said in a statement that Dar commended the US commitment to achieving lasting regional and global peace and stability.

He expressed hope that the parties would engage constructively and reiterated Pakistan’s desire to continue facilitating efforts toward a lasting and durable resolution to the conflict.

The US delegation includes President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner.

The Iranian delegation, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, was already in Islamabad.

Before departing for Pakistan, Vance warned Iran not to “play” the U.S.

Hours later Qalibaf said discussions would only take place if there is an Israeli ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of blocked Iranian assets.

10:17 AM, 11 April 2026

Iran delegation to Pakistan includes 71 members

Iran’s delegation in Pakistan comprises 71 members, including technical experts, negotiators, media representatives and security personnel, state media Tasnim reported on Saturday.

The delegation in Islamabad is being led by Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and includes Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, according to the report.

Tasnim said the size of the team reflects the complexity and sensitivity of the talks with the United States, noting that it includes specialised technical and expert committees to support negotiations and provide consultations as needed.

09:49 AM, 11 April 2026

US envoys Witkoff, Kushner arrive in Islamabad for Iran talks

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have landed in Islamabad for high-level talks with Iranian counterparts aimed at ending the ongoing conflict, sources in Pakistan told Reuters.

The visit comes as Pakistan hosts tightly secured negotiations between US and Iranian delegations in the capital, with both sides arriving for a new round of diplomacy following weeks of conflict and a fragile ceasefire.

09:08 AM, 11 April 2026

Pakistan cuts fuel prices as Middle East tensions ease

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced a reduction in fuel prices, saying the country is offering relief to the public as regional tensions ease.

Addressing the nation, Sharif said petrol prices have been reduced by 12 rupees per litre and diesel by 135 rupees per litre, with continued subsidies for motorcycles, public transport and goods vehicles.

08:29 AM, 11 April 2026

Pakistan sets up state-of-art media center for talks

Pakistan’s government has set up a state-of-the-art media center to facilitate Pakistani and foreign journalists covering the talks between the United States and Iran, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said.

Tarar told reporters the facility at the Jinnah Convention Center offers high-speed internet and a range of free services to support media coverage. Shuttle services have been arranged to transport journalists between the media center and a hotel in the city’s main shopping mall.

08:01 AM, 11 April 2026

Islamabad turns quiet under heavy security ahead of talks

The streets of Pakistan’s normally bustling capital were deserted Saturday as security forces sealed roads ahead of talks between high-level officials from Iran and the US to end their nearly six-week war.

Pakistani authorities urged Islamabad residents to stay inside, leading the city to look like it was under curfew.

07:53 AM, 11 April 2026

US VP JD Vance en route to Islamabad

The plane transporting US Vice President JD Vance, who is heading the Washington delegation, stopped for refuelling in Paris before flying on to the Pakistani capital.

06:46 AM, 11 April 2026

US will not allow Iran to impose tolls on Strait of Hormuz: Trump

US President Donald Trump asserted that Washington would not allow any attempt by Iran to impose tolls on vessels passing through the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz, describing it as an international waterway amid rising tensions with Tehran.

Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews ahead of US Vice President JD Vance’s departure, Trump dismissed the possibility of permitting any transit charges in the region.

Trump’s remarks come a day after he strongly criticised Tehran over its reported proposal to levy transit fees on ships crossing the Strait, which serves as a vital artery for global oil shipments.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump criticised Iran for attempting to use international waterways for leverage, stating that the United States had restrained itself only to allow space for negotiations.

“The Iranians don’t seem to realize they have no cards, other than a short-term extortion of the World by using International Waterways. The only reason they are alive today is to negotiate!” the post read.

In a separate post, he also took aim at Iran’s communication strategy, saying, “The Iranians are better at handling the Fake News Media, and ‘Public Relations,’ than they are at fighting!”

The remarks come amid renewed debate over transit policies through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy shipping route.

06:33 AM, 11 April 2026

UN chief welcomes US-Iran talks in Pakistan

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomes the US-Iran talks scheduled to start in Islamabad over the weekend, his spokesperson said.

“He calls on the parties to seize this diplomatic opportunity to engage in good faith toward a lasting and comprehensive agreement, with a view to deescalation and the prevention of a return to hostilities,” spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a daily briefing, Xinhua news agency reported.

“The Secretary-General reiterates that there is no viable alternative to the peaceful settlement of international disputes, in full accordance with international law, including the UN Charter,” Dujarric said.

The UN chief’s personal envoy for the Middle East conflict and its consequences, Jean Arnault, continues to be in the region to support diplomatic efforts, Dujarric added.

03:20 AM, 11 April 2026

South Korea presses Israel over global concerns

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed disappointment toward Israel’s Foreign Ministry after it criticized his social media post featuring what appeared to be a 2024 video of Israeli soldiers throwing a body from a rooftop in the occupied West Bank.

In another post on X on Saturday, Lee wrote: “One would think that, even just once, it would be worth reflecting on criticism from people around the world who are suffering due to these ceaseless actions that violate human rights and international law.”

Lee’s comments followed a post by the Israeli Foreign Ministry on X, which accused him of digging up a story from 2024 and falsely presenting it as a current event.

02:35 AM, 11 April 2026

 Iran delegation leader posts photos of killed schoolchildren

Iran Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf posted a photo on X of him looking at portraits of children killed in a U.S. missile strike on a school, saying they were his companions on a flight to Pakistan for peace talks.

The photo showed Qalibaf looking at four headshots of children, each placed on an airplane seat with a backpack and a flower.

A preliminary US military investigation into the strike said outdated intelligence likely led the US to bomb the school. The Feb. 28 strike killed over 165 people, many of them children, in the opening hours of the conflict

12:59 AM, 11 April 2026

Pakistan says ‘high-powered’ Iranian delegation arrives for peace talks

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says a high-powered delegation from Iran, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf accompanied by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, arrived in Islamabad late Friday to participate in the peace talks.

In a statement, the ministry said the delegation was received at the airport by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

Dar expressed hope that the parties would engage constructively and reiterated Pakistan’s desire to continue facilitating efforts toward a lasting and durable solution to the conflict.

12:43 AM, 11 April 2026

Lockheed Martin announces $4.7b contract for Patriots

The US defence contractor announced the Pentagon order on Friday for the critical interceptors that have been in heavy use since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran six weeks ago.

The Associated Press reported last month that a sizable number of US Patriot air defense missiles have been moved from Europe toward the Middle East as Washington diverts resources toward its war on Iran. The shift has left concerning gaps in Europe’s air defenses against Russia.

Lockheed in a statement said the order is part of the company’s agreement to increase production of the Patriot interceptor from 620 last year to 2,000 per year by 2030, a deal the defense contractor and the Pentagon signed in January.

12:30 AM, 11 April 2026

Lebanon and Israel will start direct talks next Tuesday

The statement from Joseph Aoun’s office comes after Lebanon and Israel’s ambassadors to the US held a call with Washington’s ambassador to Lebanon to discuss the terms of the negotiations, slated for next Tuesday in Washington D.C. with State Department mediating.

Beirut is keen to hold direct talks to end the ongoing war between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group, but under a ceasefire or truce similar to that of Washington’s talks with Iran.

Israel announced that it authorized direct talks after Lebanon’s request, but did not immediately issue a statement following the call.

Hezbollah did not immediately comment on the development, though has opposed direct talks with Israel.

During the past 40 days of war, more than 1,900 people in Lebanon have been killed in Israeli strikes and more that 1 million others have been displaced, according to government figures.

12:06 AM, 11 April 2026

Iranian delegation arrives in Pakistan for talks with the US

The Iranian delegation led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf arrived early Saturday in Islamabad, Iranian state TV reported.

The delegation included security, political, military, economic and legal teams. The report said negotiations will begin only if the other side accepts Iran’s preconditions.

Hours earlier, Qalibaf posted on social media that two points that he said had been mutually agreed on — a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of blocked Iranian assets — have yet to be implemented.

“These two matters must be fulfilled before negotiations begin,” he wrote.

GN