JD Vance warns Iran ‘not to try and play us’ – Live updates

If you’re just joining the Daily Mail’s coverage of the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, here are the most important developments:

• US inflation has risen dramatically since the US began its war against Iran, with American gasoline prices surging more than 20% between February and March.
• JD Vance, shortly before he departed to Pakistan for peace talks, warned Iran not to try and ‘play us.’
• Pope Leo lambasted the ‘ferocious’ spread of ‘absurd and inhuman violence’ that has developed since the outbreak of war.
• Hezbollah’s chief vowed to fight back against Israel ‘as long as there is breath.’

Donald Trump has threatened to hit Iran with the strongest round of attack yet if peace talks fail.

The US President said American warships are being reloaded with weaponry to strike Iran if discussions in Pakistan fail to produce a deal.

He told the New York Post: ‘We have a reset going. We’re loading up the ships with the best ammunition, the best weapons ever made – even better than what we did previously and we blew them apart.’

‘And if we don’t have a deal, we will be using them, and we will be using them very effectively.’

In a brief and cryptic message on his Truth Social network earlier, Trump had spoken of the “WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL RESET!!!”

Vice President JD Vance headed to Islamabad on Friday to lead the US delegation in this weekend’s talks with Iran, with a warning to Tehran not to ‘play’ Washington.

Benjamin Netanyahu has asked to postpone giving testimony in his corruption trial that is set to resume on Sunday after a wartime pause.

‘Due to classified security and diplomatic reasons connected… to the dramatic events that have taken place in the State of Israel and throughout the Middle East in recent times, the prime minister will not be able to testify in the proceeding for at least the next two weeks,’ the filing to the Jerusalem District Court said.

Netanyahu denies charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

Kuwait’s army said it had engaged with seven Iranian drones over the last 24 hours.

It said the attacks targeted vital facilities affiliated with the National Guard, in a post on X.

The post did not mention the number of injuries, adding only that they were in stable condition.

The attacks resulted in ‘significant material damage’.

Kuwait earlier had said it faced a drone attack Thursday night that it blamed on Iran and its militia allies in the region.

Iran’s IRGC denied launching an assault.

Iran’s parliament speaker has said there will no negotiations until a ceasefire is agreed in Lebanon.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also said the ‘release of Iran’s blocked assets’ was a precondition for any talks.

In a post on X, he wrote: Two of the measures mutually agreed upon between the parties have yet to be implemented: a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran’s blocked assets prior to the commencement of negotiations.

‘These two matters must be fulfilled before negotiations begin.’

Sir Keir Starmer met with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Bin Hamad Al Thani, and the country’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman in Doha for talks this morning.

A Downing Street spokesperson said the Prime Minister ‘underlined the UK’s solidarity with Qatar following Iran’s indefensible attacks and his gratitude for keeping UK nationals living in the country safe’.

The spokesperson said the UK-Qatar squadron of fighter jets had ‘worked well together to defend the region in a time of need’, and ‘work must be done’ to ensure the ceasefire ‘turns into a lasting peace’.

They added: ‘They affirmed their strong support for initiatives to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and for the principle of freedom of navigation.

‘The prime minister set out how the UK was convening partners on the political, military and logistical steps necessary.’

Sir Keir described the visit as ‘productive’.

Iran’s ‌parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on Friday that two previously agreed measures, a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran’s blocked assets, must be implemented before negotiations begin.

In a post on X on Friday, Qalibaf said the steps were part of commitments made between the parties and warned that talks should not start until they were fulfilled, amid mounting disputes over ceasefire terms and continued hostilities in Lebanon.

Kevin Hassett, the director of the US’ National Economic Council, has claimed that energy prices will see a massive reduction once the Strait of Hormuz reopens.

He told Fox Business: ‘What we expect, and what future markets expect, is that there’s going to be, you know, a rapid reduction in energy prices once we get the straits open.

‘There are boats going through right now, but at about 10% of the normal pace. Once we get back to the normal pace, then we expect things to get back to normal.’

In a post to X, Pope Leo bluntly said: ‘God does not bless any conflict.’

He added:

Anyone who is a disciple of Christ, the Prince of Peace, is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs.

Military action will not create space for freedom or times of peace, which comes only from the patient promotion of coexistence and dialogue among peoples.

CNN reported that Donald Trump and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu held a ‘tense’ call on Thursday.

The call came shortly before Israel announced it would seek direct ceasefire talks with Lebanon.

An Israeli source told the US media outlet that if Netanyahu didn’t call for direct talks with Lebanon, Trump would simply have declared a ceasefire.