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US-Iran War News Highlights: Diplomatic confusion deepened as US President Donald Trump insisted talks with Iran were "going on right now" and described them as Tehran's "last chance" to sign a deal, claiming the negotiations were being held at Iran's request with the backing of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and other regional partners. Tehran swiftly rejected the claim, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei saying no talks with Washington were under way or planned, adding that the only ongoing discussions involved Oman and focused solely on managing the Strait of Hormuz. A senior Iranian source also told Reuters that Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, currently on pilgrimage in Iraq, would not be available for negotiations until at least the end of the week. Later, Trump escalated his rhetoric, calling Iran's leadership "unbelievably duplicitous" and claiming it had privately sought meetings while publicly denying negotiations. He also reiterated that the US had "total control" over the Strait of Hormuz and warned that nothing would pass through Iran unless it accepted a deal or "total surrender". The latest developments mirrored a pattern seen repeatedly over the past five months, with Trump threatening military action before pulling back in favour of diplomacy. Iran has continued to reject direct talks since a June memorandum aimed at ending the conflict collapsed in early July, while Washington has yet to achieve its stated goals of dismantling Tehran's nuclear programme and curbing its regional influence. The standoff over the Strait of Hormuz remains central to the conflict, with Tehran maintaining leverage over the strategic waterway despite sustained US pressure. Meanwhile, Qatar's foreign minister discussed regional de-escalation with his Gulf counterparts, urging all sides to pursue dialogue, implement the US-Iran memorandum of understanding and safeguard freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Separately, the Board of Peace said Israeli forces would withdraw beyond Gaza's "Yellow Line" once Hamas completed the decommissioning of its weapons under an internationally supervised process.

Nikolay Mladenov met Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss a new Hamas disarmament deal and Gaza's postwar transition. The talks underscored pressure on Israel to stop strikes as the wider ceasefire framework faces security concerns.