Iran-US News LIVE: ‘Close to a deal,’ says Trump on peace negotiations, seeks no nuclear weapons promise from Tehran

Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that Tehran will not agree to any deal with the United States that fails to secure the rights of Iranians.

India has scrapped customs duties on cotton imports for five months, the government said on Saturday, as it seeks to boost supplies of contamination-free natural fibre for textile exporters amid strong overseas demand for yarn.

Iran chief negotiator says no deal with US deal until Iranian rights secured, AFP reported.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to push deeper into Lebanon after his military took over the medieval castle of Beaufort on Sunday, calling it a "dramatic shift" in the campaign against Hezbollah. (AFP)

Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that Tehran will not agree to any deal with the United States that fails to secure the rights of Iranians.

Iran's chief negotiator warned the United States is not to be trusted Sunday, saying Tehran would not agree to any deal with Washington unless it fully secures Iranian rights.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf's remarks came as reports emerged that US President Donald Trump had sent a tougher peace proposal back to Iran, and underlined the rift that the parties still need to close. (AFP

US President Donald Trump said he had secured guarantees from Iran that it would not develop nuclear weapons, as reports emerged he had sent a tougher peace proposal back to Tehran.

Any tweaks to the proposal could prolong even further an agreement to formally end the West Asia war and open the Strait of Hormuz maritime route after weeks of efforts to secure a deal despite fractious rhetoric and the occasional flare up of armed conflict.

Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that Tehran will not agree to any deal with the United States that fails to secure the rights of Iranians.

"We will not approve any agreement until we are certain that the rights of the Iranian people have been upheld," Ghalibaf said, in a video broadcast on state television. (AFP)

Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that Tehran will not agree to any deal with the United States that fails to secure the rights of Iranians.

"We will not approve any agreement until we are certain that the rights of the Iranian people have been upheld," Ghalibaf said, in a video broadcast on state television.

The Reserve Bank is expected to leave the key policy rate unchanged at 5.25 per cent this week and adopt a cautious stance that factors in the possible headwinds to inflation and growth trajectory amid the West Asia turmoil, experts opined.

Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that Tehran will not agree to any deal with the United States that fails to secure the rights of Iranians.

"We will not approve any agreement until we are certain that the rights of the Iranian people have been upheld," Ghalibaf said, in a video broadcast on state television. (AFP)

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said that 28 vessels, including commercial ships and oil tankers, passed through the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours after coordinating with and receiving authorisation from Iranian naval forces, according to state media.

When Senegalese farmer Abou Sow first watched US missiles strike Iran on social media, he had a sinking feeling it would soon affect agriculture in the West African nation. Since the war began on February 28, fertilizer prices have risen by 40%. (AP)

Israel's flag flew over the medieval fortress on Beaufort in Lebanon on Sunday as it warned Lebanese civilians to evacuate a large area of the south of the country ahead of stepped up ground operations.

Shelling was audible and smoke rose from the surrounding area as the invading army's banner was seen by AFP above the castle, which Israeli forces famously used as a base during their previous two-decade long occupation.

Growing tensions between the United States and Iran are fuelling fears of a fresh inflation crisis in Pakistan, with residents of Islamabad expressing deep concern over soaring fuel prices, rising living costs, and the worsening economic burden on ordinary citizens.

Several residents said the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has already begun affecting daily life in Pakistan. Many complained that inflation has reached unbearable levels, making it increasingly difficult for salaried workers and low-income families to meet basic expenses. (ANI)

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz on Sunday said that the military had captured the strategic medieval fortress of Beaufort in southern Lebanon, where it is expanding ground operations against Iran-backed Hezbollah.

The capture of Beaufort castle — also known as Qalaat al-Shakif — near the city of Nabatiyeh came after days of intense fighting between Israeli troops and Hezbollah members, as well as airstrikes in nearby villages.

The fortress commands sweeping views of south Lebanon, making it a position of considerable strategic value.

This is being reported as Israel's deepest incursion into Lebanon more than 25 years. Israeli troops previously captured the castle in 1982 and held it until they withdrew from Lebanon in 2000.

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US President Donald Trump said he had secured guarantees from Iran that it would not develop nuclear weapons, as reports emerged he had sent a tougher peace proposal back to Tehran.

Any tweaks to the proposal could prolong even further an agreement to formally end the West Asia war and open the Strait of Hormuz maritime route after weeks of efforts to secure a deal despite fractious rhetoric and the occasional flare up of armed conflict.

Israeli troops have captured a strategic mountain topped with a Crusader-built castle in southern Lebanon in their deepest incursion into the country in more than a quarter century, the military said Sunday.

The capture of Beaufort castle near the city of Nabatiyeh came after days of intense fighting and airstrikes in nearby villages where Israeli troops fought Hezbollah members in the rugged area.

It marks a major gain for Israel in the latest Israel-Hezbollah war, which began in early March. Israel and Lebanon have been at war since Israel was created in 1948, and are currently holding direct talks in Washington.

The Israeli push came despite a nominal ceasefire that has been in place since April 17 and just days before the next round of talks are set to be held at the State Department on June 2 and 3.

— Inputs from Associated Press

Rising fuel prices triggered by West Asia war are driving a sharp increase in carpooling as users seeking cheaper ways to travel.

The world's largest carpooling platform BlaBlaCar said soaring energy costs have pushed 600,000 additional drivers onto the app this year — 20% more than initially projected — as commuters look to offset the rising cost of fuel.

In India, its single biggest market with more than 20 million users in 2025, the number of passengers has increased by 40 since the start of the US-Israeli airstrikes against Iran on February 28.

Last year, the global carpooling leader posted record-breaking figures in the world's most populous country India -- outpacing Brazil with 19 million users and France with seven million, according to Benjamin Retourne, the platform's product director.

This trend has been more pronounced in countries where fuel price increases driven by the war have been sudden and significant, combined with limited government support, such as in France.

The platform works by connecting drivers and passengers willing to travel together between cities to share costs, with the app in most of its 21 operating nations taking a 20% commission.

— Inputs from AFP

“For now, macroeconomic and geopolitical developments continue to exert a greater influence on market sentiment than company-specific fundamentals. As a result, disciplined risk management, selective stock picking and close monitoring of global developments are likely to remain critical for navigating the near-term market environment. While robust domestic liquidity continues to provide an important cushion for the market, the broader technical structure remains vulnerable, with benchmark indices still struggling to establish sustained momentum above key resistance levels.”

— Hariprasad K, SEBI-registered Research Analyst and Founder, Livelong Wealth

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