United News of Bangladesh

Iran’s top diplomat told his Pakistani counterpart that Washington’s demands in negotiations and its threats to Iranian ships and ports mark “clear signs” of America’s disingenuousness. Abbas Aragchi made the remarks to Pakistan’s foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, according to Iranian state media. It’s another indication of how the Washington-Tehran standoff is sharpening as the ceasefire is to expire on Wednesday. It could also shake up plans for a new U.S.-Iran round of talks in Islamabad this week.

Oil prices rose in early trading Sunday as a standoff between Iran and the U.S. prevented tankers from using the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf waterway that is crucial to global energy supplies. The price of U.S. crude oil increased 6.4% to $87.90 per barrel an hour after trading resumed on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, climbed 5.8% to $95.64 per barrel. The market reaction followed more than two days of lifted hopes and dashed expectations involving the strait. Crude prices plunged more than 9% Friday after Iran said it would fully reopen the strait, which it effectively controls, to commercial traffic. Tehran reversed that decision and fired on several vessels Saturday after President Donald Trump said a U.S. Navy blockade of Iranian ports would remain in effect. On Sunday, Trump said the U.S. attacked and forcibly seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that allegedly tried to get around the blockade. Iran’s joint military command vowed to respond. Sunday’s higher prices wiped out much of the declines seen Friday, signaling renewed doubts about how soon ships will again transport the vast amounts oil the world gets from the Middle East. The US-Israeli war against Iran, now in its eighth week, has created one of the worst global energy crises in decades. Countries in Asia and Europe that import much of their oil from the Gulf have felt the most impact of halted supplies and production cuts, although rapidly rising gasoline, diesel and jet fuel prices are affecting businesses and consumers worldwide

Six hours have passed since U.S. President Donald Trump said negotiators would head to Pakistan on Monday for more talks with Iran, but neither Iran nor host Pakistan have confirmed it. Pakistan has kept up the diplomacy today, with its prime minister holding a 45-minute call with Iran’s president and Pakistan’s foreign minister speaking with his Iranian counterpart. But while authorities have begun tightening security in Islamabad, the only player that has openly committed to another round of talks is the Trump administration.

The British military has declared the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf to be “critical,” its highest risk level. The military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, UKMTO, cited “a high level of activity by naval forces in the region.” It said there is a “risk of attack or miscalculation” in the waterway. The Iranian navy reimposed tight restrictions on transit through the strait as the U.S. military implements a blockade on Iranian ports and waters. The UKMTO also cited multiple attacks on Saturday by Iranian forces on vessels passing through the strait.  

Eight children, aged from one to 14 years old, were killed in a shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana, which police are describing as a "domestic disturbance". Officers said the shootings occurred about 05:00 local time (10:00 BST), when a single gunman shot 10 people. Police chased and killed the suspected shooter as he was fleeing, reports BBC. "We have hurting families, we have hurting police officers, coroners' personnel," Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux said. "This affects the entire community, so we all mourn with these families." Police did not identify the gunman or the victims, but said some of the children were related to the deceased man. "This is a tragic situation - maybe the worst tragic situation we've ever had in Shreveport," the mayor added. He asked for prayers for the families and the city. Police said the shooting took place at two homes on the same block and a third residence in the neighbourhood. Shreveport Police Corporal Chris Bordelon said officers attended a home shortly before 06:00 local time and found the children. "All of the deceased in this case are juveniles," Bordelon said.    

US President Donald Trump has said American negotiators will travel to Islamabad on Monday to resume high-stakes talks with Iran, as efforts intensify to salvage a fragile ceasefire and ease tensions in the Gulf. The upcoming round of negotiations comes amid deep disagreements over Tehran’s nuclear programme and recent flare-ups in the Strait of Hormuz. The president’s post on social media Sunday did not detail which official the U.S. would sending to a second round of in-person talks with Iran. The White House and the office of Vice President JD Vance, who led the first round of talks, did not immediately respond to messages Sunday morning. Trump in his post accused Iran of violating the ceasefire agreement by firing bullets Saturday in the Strait of Hormuz, and threatened to destroy civilian infrastructure in Iran if it does not take the deal the U.S. is offering. “If they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran,” Trump wrote.

Pakistani authorities have begun tightening security in the capital, Islamabad, ahead of a possible second round of ceasefire talks between the U.S. and Iran. Authorities on Sunday deployed troops at roadside checkpoints, closed tourist sites and ordered major hotels to cancel bookings and keep facilities available. Islamabad’s streets are largely deserted, as residents stayed home to avoid road closures seen earlier this month during the first round of talks. While there were no formal announcements, Pakistani officials said arrangements are in place for talks in the coming days. A regional official involved in the mediation efforts said mediators were finalizing the preparations. He said U.S. advance security teams are already on the ground. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the preparations. Pakistan has led mediation efforts to end the war. Its military chief visited Tehran last week, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with regional leaders in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey.

India on Saturday summoned Iran’s ambassador in New Delhi after two Indian vessels were forced to reverse course in the Strait of Hormuz following reports of gunfire from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. India’s foreign secretary conveyed New Delhi’s “deep concern at the shooting incident” at two Indian-flagged ships in the Strait of Hormuz to the Iranian ambassador, a statement by India’s External Affairs Ministry said. The foreign secretary told the Iranian envoy that Tehran had earlier facilitated the safe passage of several ships bound for India. The statement said the Indian official urged the Iranian ambassador to “convey India’s views to the authorities in Iran and resume at the earliest the process of facilitating India-bound ships across the Strait.”    

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said in a statement that Pakistan’s army chief, serving as an intermediary, presented the proposals to Iran when he recently visited Tehran, and they were still under review. It was not revealed what was in the proposals. The council said Iran has yet to respond, but further talks would require the U.S. to abandon “excessive demands and adjust its requests to the realities on the ground.” It also said that Iran will maintain full control over traffic through the Strait of Hormuz until “the war fully ends and lasting peace is achieved in the region,” adding that it would collect detailed information on passing vessels, issue transit certificates and impose tolls. The council added that it considered the U.S. naval blockade a violation of the ceasefire, and there would be no reopening of the Strait of Hormuz until that was lifted.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has reported that more than 86,000 Afghan migrants returned to the country from Iran and Pakistan within one month, according to local media Tolonews on Saturday. The report described the scale of returns as a significant humanitarian concern, highlighting challenges related to reintegration, access to essential services, and the limited capacity of host communities to absorb large numbers of returnees. The ongoing movement reflects broader regional migration dynamics, with Afghan nationals returning for various reasons, including legal, economic, and protection-related factors. The agency further emphasized that sustained monitoring and strengthened international coordination are essential to ensure returning families receive adequate assistance and that their reintegration into society is both sustainable and dignified.