Armed conflicts and attacks
Middle Eastern crisis
The U.S. Central Command announces that it launched "self-defense" airstrikes in southern Iran, including strikes on surface-to-air missile launch sites in Bandar Abbas and on IRGC Navy boats attempting to lay mines. However, two sources state that the ceasefire remains intact. Additionally, Mehr News Agency reports that the situation is calm. (NBC News) (The Jerusalem Post) (The Hill)
2025–2026 Iran–United States negotiations
An Iranian delegation led by parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and foreign minister Abbas Araghchi arrives in Doha, Qatar, for peace talks aimed at ending the war. (Al Arabiya) (Al Jazeera)
China in the 2026 Iran war, Pakistan in the 2026 Iran war, China–Pakistan relations
Pakistani military chief Asim Munir and prime minister Shehbaz Sharif visit Beijing for talks with Chinese officials as part of mediation efforts related to the war. (AFP via LBCI)
Several United States officials report that U.S. president Donald Trump had asked Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey to join the Abraham Accords en masse to normalize relations with Israel as he tries to negotiate an agreement to end the war with Iran, while Pakistan rejected the proposal. (Reuters)
Crude oil tanker Idemitsu Maru arrives in Japan after previously becoming the first Japanese-owned ship to transit the Strait of Hormuz since the war started on February 28. (The Japan Times)
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that he has ordered the military to intensify strikes against Hezbollah. (BBC News) (The Times of Israel)
Sudanese civil war
Darfur campaign, Colombia–United Arab Emirates relations
Human Rights Watch accuses the United Arab Emirates of training Colombian mercenaries near Abu Dhabi, including a military base in Al Dhafra, to fight alongside the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan's civil war. (AP)
Around 21 civilians have been killed over the last two days in drone strikes conducted by the RSF at markets in the North Darfur towns of Al-Tina and Kornoi. (Sudan Tribune)
Business and economy
Economic impact of the 2026 Iran war
The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX 60 Composite Index climbs to 0.7% at 34,778.98 points, a record high, amidst hopes for a US-Iran deal. (Reuters)
Oil prices decrease by 5% in Asia early trading amidst hopes of a Iran–U.S. ceasefire deal to end the war. (AFP via ABS-CBN News)