Trump threatens Iranian bridges as talks set to continue

Key Points:

• US President Donald Trump threatened to destroy every bridge and power plant in Iran if Tehran rejects a proposed peace deal, as US negotiators prepare to resume talks in Pakistan amid ongoing conflict.
• Iran has re-closed the strategic Strait of Hormuz following its brief reopening, citing the US naval blockade as a violation of the ceasefire, while the US accuses Iran of ceasefire violations after attacks on ships in the area.
• Iranian parliamentary speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf acknowledged progress in talks with the US but highlighted significant unresolved issues, particularly regarding Iran’s nuclear program.
• The ceasefire between the US-Israel coalition and Iran-backed forces is set to expire soon, with regional tensions escalating as Yemen’s Houthi rebels threaten to close another key maritime passage, the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
• Protests erupted in northern Israel against the ceasefire with Hezbollah, reflecting local dissatisfaction over security concerns, while Lebanon’s military works to repair infrastructure damaged by recent Israeli strikes.