Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has expressed gratitude to the government and people of Pakistan for showing solidarity with Iran amid attacks by the United States and Israel.

In a statement on Monday, Araghchi said he was deeply thankful for the “full support and solidarity” extended by Pakistan’s authorities and citizens to Iran and its people during this challenging period.

Posting a message in Urdu on social media, the Iranian minister described Pakistan’s support as a demonstration of strong backing for Iran’s government and citizens in the face of “aggression by the US and the Zionist regime.”

Araghchi added that Pakistan’s stance during this difficult time reflects the close relations and ongoing cooperation between the two countries.

He reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to defend its sovereignty and regional integrity with perseverance and reliance on God.

Earlier, in an interview with US television channel CBS News, Araghchi clarified Iran’s position on several key issues during the ongoing conflict, stating that Tehran has neither requested a ceasefire nor is currently seeking negotiations with the United States.

In the interview, he also addressed the situation of American citizens detained in Iran, Iran’s nuclear programme, and the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Araghchi criticised US President Donald Trump, saying the current war is a choice made by the US and its president.

NEW DELHI: A fire at a government-run hospital in eastern India killed at least 10 critically ill patients who were admitted in the trauma care unit, officials said on Monday.

Building fires are common in India due to a lack of firefighting equipment and a routine disregard for safety regulations.

The fire broke out early Monday on the first floor of the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Odisha state’s Cuttack city, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi told reporters.

“A short circuit caused the fire in the trauma ICU ward where patients were being treated,” he said, adding that 23 patients were present on the floor at the time of the incident.

Ten people died following the blaze, while the remaining patients were moved to other wards, he added.

At least 11 staff members suffered burn injuries as they tried to rescue the patients.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident “deeply painful” in a post on social media and offered his condolences to the families of the victims.

He also announced compensation of $2,160 to affected families.

Electrical short circuits, often caused by poorly maintained wiring, remain the leading cause of fire incidents in India.

In 2024, a fire at a private hospital in the southern state of Tamil Nadu killed at least six people and injured more than two dozen.

The same year, 10 newborns were killed when a fire engulfed a hospital in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

US President Donald Trump called on allies over the weekend to help secure the Strait of Hormuz as Iranian forces continue attacks on the vital waterway amid the US-Israeli war on Iran, now in its third week.

Trump said his administration has already contacted seven countries, but declined to identify them. In an earlier social media post, he said that he hoped China, France, Japan, South Korea, Britain and others would participate.

Iran has effectively shut the Strait, a narrow passage of water between Iran and Oman, choking off a fifth of global oil supply in the biggest disruption ever.

Below are how some countries have responded to Washington’s call to send ships to the region:

Japan

Japan does not currently plan to dispatch naval vessels to escort ships in the Middle East, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Monday.

“We have not made any decisions whatsoever about dispatching escort ships. We are continuing to examine what Japan can do independently and what can be done within the legal framework,” Takaichi told parliament.

Takaichi will travel to Washington this week for talks with Trump that she said will cover the conflict with Iran.

Australia

Australia will not send naval ships to assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a government minister said on Monday.

“We won’t be sending a ship to the Strait of Hormuz. We know how incredibly important that is, but that’s not something that we’ve been asked or that we’re contributing to,” Catherine King, a member of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s cabinet, said in an interview with state broadcaster ABC.

South Korea

“We will communicate closely with the U.S. regarding this matter and make a decision after careful review,” South Korea’s presidential office said on Sunday.

Under South Korea’s constitution, overseas troop deployments require parliamentary approval, and opposition figures have said any dispatch of warships to the Strait would need consent from the legislature.

Britain

Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed the need to reopen the Strait to end disruption to global shipping with Trump, a Downing Street spokeswoman said on Sunday.

Starmer also spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and they have agreed to continue talks on the Middle East conflict at a meeting on Monday, the spokeswoman added.

EU

EU foreign ministers will on Monday discuss bolstering a small naval mission in the Middle East but they are not expected to discuss expanding its role to include the choked-off Strait, diplomats and officials say.

The EU’s Aspides mission was established in 2024 to protect ships from attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebel group in the Red Sea.

Germany

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Sunday that Aspides – named after the Greek word for “shields” — was not even effective in carrying out its current task.

“That ⁠is why I am very sceptical that extending Aspides ​to ​the ⁠Strait of Hormuz would provide ​greater security,” ​he ⁠said in an interview with Germany’s ARD television.