1h agoSat 11 Apr 2026 at 2:08pmThe latest developments
If you’re just joining us this evening, here’s a recap of the key developments overnight:
Peace talks between the US and Iran have begun, multiple news outlets have reported. US Vice-President JD Vance arrived in Islamabad, Pakistan saying he was hopeful discussions would be positive, but warned Tehran not “to try to play” America. Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said Iranian assets must be unfrozen and the ceasefire extended to include Lebanon. A US warship was tracked in the Strait of Hormuz, as Trump claimed the US was “clearing out” the Strait on social media. Iranian state media claims the US destroyer turned back after it was warned by Iran. US President Donald Trump told The New York Post that US warships were being reloaded with weaponry in the event that talks in Pakistan fail, saying: “And if we don’t have a deal, we will be using them, and we will be using them very effectively”. Lebanon and Israel have held their first contact, via a call between their ambassadors in Washington on Friday, also involving the US ambassador to Lebanon.US intelligence indicates China is preparing to deliver new air defence systems to Iran, CNN has reported, citing people familiar with recent intelligence.7m agoSat 11 Apr 2026 at 3:11pmThree-way talks take place with Pakistan as mediator
An official from the White House has said that three-way or trilateral talks were held between the United States and Iran, involving Pakistan as a mediator.
With US Vice President JD Vance involved here, these would mark the highest-level talks between the US and Iran in half a century.
A Pakistani source has told Reuters that VP Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner met with Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi for talks that lasted for about two hours, before taking a break.
It’s not yet clear what was discussed, or if any headway has been made in shoring up the ceasefire between the US and Iran, or the larger issues at play that led the US to strike Iran six weeks ago.
The significance of this though bears repeating, given just a week ago the Middle East was in the middle of an intense war, with strikes right across the region, including countries in the Gulf.
It’s anticipated there could be further talks this evening, but there’s a lot to get through.
From continued strikes in Lebanon and Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, to Iran’s nuclear program and sanctions, there’s plenty to be negotiated.
27m agoSat 11 Apr 2026 at 2:52pm
Who’s at the talks?
About 70 officials from Iran are in Islamabad for the talks.
Among them are seasoned diplomats, previous nuclear negotiators and some hardline IRCG Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp figures, the kinds of people the US has been trying to assassinate for nearly six weeks now.
Leading Iran’s negotiating team is the speaker of parliament Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf who is a former commander of the IRGC — which controls Iran’s military.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (right) meets with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (Reuters)
Joining him is Iran’s Foreign Minister Abas Arachi.
On the US side there are more than 300 Americans, led by Vice President JD Vance.
The fact the US President Donald Trump has sent the second most senior member of his government shows how badly he wants to see a deal done to end the war.
JD Vance is joined by two people who are not diplomats, but deal makers — Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law, and US Envoy Steve Whitkoff who used to be Donald Trump’s golfing buddy and is now one of his most favoured negotiators.
Both sides sending very high-profile figures shows how seriously they are taking these talks.
52m agoSat 11 Apr 2026 at 2:26pm
UN ‘alarmed’ by killing of aid workers, violations of the ‘rules of war’
While delegates meet in Islamabad to discuss peace, the heads of multiple UN agencies issued a joint statement to condemn the violations of the rules of war and international humanitarian law in the US, Israel-Iran war.
“In just the last month across the Middle East, thousands of civilians have been killed and injured,” the Inter-Agency Standing Committee said in a statement.
Hundreds of people were killed in a missile barrage across Lebanon in recent days and the death toll in Iran is expected to be in the thousands.
“Schools have been struck. Civilian infrastructure – including bridges, residential buildings, houses, water facilities and power plants – has been destroyed,” it said.
It further specified eight aid workers have been killed or injured in Iran and five in Lebanon since the end of February.
“Even wars have rules, and these rules must be respected.”
All sides in the war have been accused of targeting energy infrastructure and residential areas across the Middle East.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to target Iranian power plants and a US strike destroyed a girls school, killing 165 people in the early days of the conflict.
1h agoSat 11 Apr 2026 at 1:54pmUS warship tracked in the Strait of Hormuz, Chinese tankers pass
A US Navy ship broadcast its position inside the Persian Gulf five hours ago according to ship tracking data service MarineTraffic, revealing it may have slipped through the Iran controlled Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier we reported US President Donald Trump claimed the US was “clearing out the Strait of Hormuz” after declaring Iran was “losing big”.
Reuters later reported, citing shipping data provider LSEG, two Chinese super tankers have successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Chinese super tanker He Rong Hai entering and exiting the Hormuz Passage trial anchorage. (MarineTraffic)
Iranian state media claims the US destroyer turned back after it was warned by Iran.
“Based on the information, the decisive response of the armed forces, along with the warning and follow-up by the negotiating delegation, led to the issuance of an order to stop this warship,” Tasnim reported on X.
1h agoSat 11 Apr 2026 at 1:26pm
Trump takes to Truth Social while peace talks take place
While his vice-president sits down with Iran’s delegation to work out a peace plan between the two countries, US President Donald Trump has been busy on Truth Social.
Minutes after news outlets across the world reported that the talks had begun, Trump shared a lengthy post saying Iran is “LOSING, and LOSING BIG!”.
“Their Navy is gone, their Air Force is gone, their Anti Aircraft apparatus is nonexistent, Radar is dead, their Missile and Drone Factories have been largely obliterated along with the Missiles and Drones themselves and, most importantly, their longtime “Leaders” are no longer with us, praise be to Allah!”
“We’re now starting the process of clearing out the Strait of Hormuz as a favor to Countries all over the World, including China, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, and many others. Incredibly, they don’t have the Courage or Will to do this work themselves.”
In an earlier post he claimed “massive numbers of completely empty oil tankers” are heading to the US to stock up on oil.
“We have more oil than the next two largest oil economies combined – and higher quality. We are waiting for you. Quick turnaround!” he posted to social media.
(Truth Social: @realDonaldTrump)2h agoSat 11 Apr 2026 at 1:10pmIran’s red lines
Iran is entering these talks with firm demands.
It has long faced crippling sanctions imposed by the US, EU and UN over its nuclear program, ballistic missile development and human rights record and is now demanding all sanctions be lifted as part of any deal to end the war.
Ahead of the talks, the head of Iran’s delegation — Parliamentary Speaker Bagher Qalibaf said roughly $120bn USD of frozen Iranian assets must be released before the talks can even begin.
The other red line is a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Israel hasn’t attacked the Lebanese capital of Beirut since Wednesday, after more than 300 people were killed in huge attacks that came without warning, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
But Israel has continued attacking the south of the country even on Saturday morning as the US and Iran were preparing to meet for negotiations.
Israel says its strikes are aimed at the Iran backed militant group Hezbollah.
US President Donald Trump revealed he told Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday to scale back Israel’s bombing of Lebanon in order to preserve the fragile ceasefire with Iran, ahead of the talks
2h agoSat 11 Apr 2026 at 12:46pmPeace talks between the US and Iran have begun
Multiple media reports are coming through saying the US-Iran talks have begun in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Reuters have cited a Pakastani source, as well as the Fars News agency, and CBS have cited two US officials.
2h agoSat 11 Apr 2026 at 12:26pm
Semi-official news agency reports Iran has outlined four ‘non-negotiable’ conditions
More on those red lines Tim mentioned in the post below – Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency has laid out four “fundamental and non-negotiable” conditions in the peace talks .
“Full sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, complete war reparations by the aggressor, unconditional release of blocked assets, and a durable ceasefire across the entire West-Asia Region,” it announced on X.
It’s unclear how the US might respond to these conditions, but US President Donald Trump has repeatedly called on Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
In a previous post to Truth Social he said Iran’s only card was its “short term extortion of the World by using international waterways”.
(Truth Social)
3h agoSat 11 Apr 2026 at 12:16pm
What’s the status of the US-Iran talks?
If you’re hoping to get a result from the talks, get ready for a long night.
A journalist in the media centre in Islamabad has told the ABC that preliminary talks are underway to establish whether talks between the US and Iran will take place.
Both the US and Iran have held meetings with Pakistan’s PM Shehbaz Sharif and we know very little about what was discussed.
The Islamabad Talks media centre in Pakistan. (Reuters: Asim Hafeez)
Iranian state TV are reporting that the delegation from Tehran again reiterated its red lines to Pakistan – that a ceasefire needed to be in place in Lebanon and Iran’s blocked assets needed to be released before negotiations can begin.
It’s not entirely clear how US-Iran talks could happen tonight if Iran sticks to those red lines – with Israel’s strikes on Lebanon showing no signs of ending.
And on the issue of frozen assets, a US official has reportedly denied that the US had agreed to release frozen Iranian assets in Qatar.
3h agoSat 11 Apr 2026 at 11:41am
10 reportedly killed by Israeli strikes in south Lebanon
Smoke rises following an airstrike in Lebanon, as seen from northern Israel. (Reuters: Amir Cohen)
Stepping away from the peace talks, strikes continue to batter Lebanon, with the country’s health ministry saying 10 people were killed in an attack in the country’s south.
AFP is reporting that of the 10 killed, three were emergency workers including one civil defence member and two paramedics from the Hezbollah affiliated Islamic Health Committee, citing the health ministry.
The ministry is decrying Israel’s “systematic” targeting of emergency workers.
Israel has refused to discuss a ceasefire with Hezbollah, but formal peace negotiations with Lebanon will commence this Tuesday in Washington.
The death toll in the war torn country continues to rise, with no end to the conflict in sight.
4h agoSat 11 Apr 2026 at 11:15am
White House denies Iranian claims of the US unfreezing $6bn in Iranian funds
Earlier we reported Iran had preconditions that had to be met before today’s peace talks could begin, and now we might have an idea of what some of them are.
A senior Iranian source told news agency Reuters the US agreed to release Iranian frozen assets held in Qatar and other foreign banks.
But the White House was quick to deny any unfreezing of assets. had happened.
CNN White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins quoted a senior US official said the claims were “false”.
(X: Kaitlan Collins)
The source told Reuters it was one of Iran’s demands “in messages conveyed to the US side” and that Tehran had received a US agreement to release the assets.
The specifics of what both the US and Iran are hoping to achieve in talks is unclear so far.
The source, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, told Reuters that unfreezing the assets was “directly linked to ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz”, which is expected to be a key issue in the talks.
A second Iranian source specified the US agreed to release $6 billion of frozen Iranian funds held by Qatar.
Reporting with Reuters
4h agoSat 11 Apr 2026 at 10:37amVance and Pakistan PM Sharif meet in Islamabad
(Pakistan Prime Minister’s Office)
US Vice-President JD Vance and the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, have met ahead of the highly anticipated peace talks.
“Commending the commitment of both delegations to engage constructively, the Prime Minister expressed the hope that these talks would serve as a stepping stone toward durable peace in the region,” Sharif’s office said in a statement.
“The Prime Minister reiterated that Pakistan looks forward to continue its facilitation of both sides in making progress towards sustainable peace in the region.”
Vance was joined by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, while Sharif was assisted by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi.
As we reported earlier, Iran’s delegation met with Sharif this morning.
5h agoSat 11 Apr 2026 at 10:08am
Iran’s new supreme leader reportedly has severe and disfiguring wounds
Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is still recovering from severe facial and leg injuries suffered in the air strike that killed his father at the beginning of the war, three people close to his inner circle have told news agency Reuters.
Khamenei’s face was disfigured in the attack on the supreme leader’s compound in central Tehran, and he suffered a significant injury to one or both legs, all three sources said.
(AP: Vahid Salemi)
The 56-year-old is nonetheless recovering and remains mentally sharp, according to the people, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
He is taking part in meetings with senior officials via audio conferencing and is engaged in decision-making on major issues, including the war and negotiations with Washington, two of them said.
Khamenei has not been seen in public since his selection, which was triggered by the death of his father in late February.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responded to the ayatollah’s first statement, read out by a TV presenter on Iranian state media in March.
“We know the new so-called, not so supreme, leader is wounded and likely disfigured,” Mr Hegseth said.
“Iran has plenty of cameras and plenty of voice recorders. Why a written statement? I think you know why. His father — dead. He’s scared, he’s injured, he’s on the run, and he lacks legitimacy.”
5h agoSat 11 Apr 2026 at 9:46am
The latest developments
If you’re just joining us this evening, here’s a recap of today’s key developments:
US Vice-President JD Vance has arrived in Islamabad, Pakistan as part of a US delegation to enter into peace talks with Iran. He said he was hopeful discussions would be positive, but warned Tehran not “to try to play” America. Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said before talks can start, Iranian assets must be unfrozen and the ceasefire extended to include Lebanon. US President Donald Trump told The New York Post that US warships were being reloaded with weaponry in the event that talks in Pakistan fail, saying: “And if we don’t have a deal, we will be using them, and we will be using them very effectively”. Lebanon and Israel have held their first contact, via a call between their ambassadors in Washington on Friday, also involving the US ambassador to Lebanon.US intelligence indicates China is preparing to deliver new air defence systems to Iran, CNN has reported, citing people familiar with recent intelligence.
5h agoSat 11 Apr 2026 at 9:35am
Indonesian President Prabowo to meet with Putin in pursuit of Russian oil
Prabowo snubbed the 2025 G7 to meet Putin. (AP: Grigory Sysoyev/Sputnik/File)
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will travel to Russia in the coming days to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The visit comes amid the US-Iran war, as Indonesia looks to potentially purchase Russian oil.
The United States issued a waiver for the purchase of sanctioned Russian oil, as oil-importing nations, particularly in South-East Asia, scramble to secure additional supplies to avoid economic calamity amid the energy crisis.
Philippines has already begun purchasing Russian oil, and Indonesian officials said last month it was considering purchasing Russian oil.
Indonesia is a major oil importer and has oil tankers stranded in the Strait of Hormuz.
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Sugiono said that Prabowo is expected to travel “within the week”.
“He will meet with President Putin and will also discuss world geopolitics and will certainly discuss the energy situation.”
Prabowo and Putin have met several times since the Indonesian leader took office in 2024.
The pair are pursuing expanded military ties.
Indonesia has also recently strengthened its defence relationship with Australia, signing a security treaty earlier this year.
6h agoSat 11 Apr 2026 at 9:13am
UK shelves plan to hand back islands with vital Indian Ocean air base
(AP: US Navy)
The UK government says it has put on hold its deal to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, home to the US-British Diego Garcia air base.
The BBC reported British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has shelved the deal to cede sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius.
Under the deal, the UK would pay an average cost of $192m a year to lease back the joint Diego Garcia UK-US military base on the largest island.
The Chagos Islands drew international attention in March when two long-range missiles were fired at the Diego Garcia base, allegedly by Iran.
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei denied targeting the air base, after NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also said the alliance was unable to confirm the missile launches.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office said London would try to persuade Washington to give its formal approval for the deal, and the BBC reported government officials had not entirely abandoned the deal to return the islands to Mauritius.
“We continue to believe the agreement is the best way to protect the long-term future of the base, but we have always said we would only proceed with the deal if it has US support,” a government spokesperson said in a statement to the ABC.
“We are continuing to engage with the US and Mauritius.”
In February, US President Donald Trump announced his objections to the deal in a post on Truth Social.
“DO NOT GIVE AWAY DIEGO GARCIA!” Trump wrote in all caps on his social media platform, Truth Social.
6h agoSat 11 Apr 2026 at 8:42am
China could send air defence systems to Iran, CNN reports
US intelligence indicates China is preparing to deliver new air defence systems to Iran within the next few weeks, CNN has reported, citing ‘three people familiar with recent intelligence assessments’.
The network said China is preparing to transfer shoulder-fired anti-air missile systems known as MANPADs.
Citing sources it did not name, CNN also said there are indications that China is working to route the shipments through third countries to mask their origin.
The intelligence “underscores how Iran may be using the ceasefire as an opportunity to replenish certain weapons systems with the help of key foreign partners,” reported CNN.
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington told CNN: “China has never provided weapons to any party to the conflict; the information in question is untrue.”
The report comes as China recently claimed it helped broker the ceasefire agreement between Iran and the US, as it prepares for an upcoming visit from US President Donald Trump, scheduled early next month.
6h agoSat 11 Apr 2026 at 8:19amStage is set for historic US-Iran peace talks
(Reuters: Jacquelyn Martin)
The stage is set with both the US and Iranian delegations in Islamabad for these historic talks, described by Pakistan’s prime minister as “make or break”.
There’s some contention over whether they’ll actually go ahead.
Iran has been clear that a ceasefire in Lebanon and the unfreezing of Iranian assets are conditions for negotiations.
Meanwhile, Israel has continued to strike Lebanon.
Talks between Israeli and Lebanese officials are scheduled in the US next week – but there is no ceasefire.
So does Iran set aside these red lines and enter negotiations this evening, or hold firm on them and walk away?
It appears that’s the question confronting the Iranian delegation right now as it reportedly meets with officials from Pakistan, who have served as mediators to this conflict.
In a statement, Pakistan’s foreign minister has “expressed the hope that parties would engage constructively … towards reaching lasting and durable solution to the conflict.’
The coming hours could prove crucial as to whether these talks actually go ahead and what format they take.
7h agoSat 11 Apr 2026 at 8:09amFirst talks are scheduled for this afternoon local time, Iranian media reports
It has just gone 1pm in Islamabad, which is five hours behind Australian Eastern Standard Time.
Iranian news agency Tasnim is reporting that Iran’s delegation met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif this morning and that the first talks between the US and Iran are scheduled for this afternoon, provided Iran’s preconditions are accepted.
Tasnim also reported that in a meeting with the head of the Pakistani army — Field Marshal Asim Munir — the Iranian delegation protested against what it alleges is a US breach of promise regarding the ceasefire.