Politics
Trump ‘very confident’ of Gaza deal as Netanyahu visits White House
United States President Donald Trump said on Monday that he is “very confident” that he will strike a Gaza ceasefire deal with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is visiting the White House.
The pair are expected to address a joint press conference shortly.
Netanyahu also apologised to his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani for an Israeli airstrike in Doha during a telephone call from the White House on Monday, a source close to Netanyahu told Reuters.
A Qatari technical team is also at the White House, according to a separate source briefed on the talks. Meanwhile, a diplomat, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said Netanyahu voiced regret for the violation of Qatari sovereignty and the death of a Qatari security guard.
Ahead of formal consultations, Trump had told his guests: “We have to get the hostages back … This is the group that can do it, more than any other group in the world … so it’s an honour to be with you.”
Trump had also emphasised the urgency of ending the conflict: “We had 32 meetings here, this is the one that’s very important because we’re gonna end something that should’ve probably never started.”
According to reports from Israel’s Channel 12 and US-based Axios, President Trump’s plan envisions an immediate ceasefire and the release of hostages, both alive and deceased; phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza Governance excluding Hamas but incorporating the Palestinian Authority; deployment of Arab and Muslim peacekeepers to secure Gaza and facilitate Israel’s withdrawal; and internationally supported reconstruction and transition programmes funded by regional contributors.
These details were reportedly shared with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, though Israel did not draft the plan, a Dawn report said.
Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a TV interview that Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas are “very close” to reaching an agreement on a framework deal to end Israel’s bombardment in Gaza and ensure lasting peace in the Middle East.
Leavitt, speaking on Fox News’ ‘Fox and Friends’ programme, said Trump would discuss a 21-point peace plan with Netanyahu at the White House later today.
“Trump will speak to leaders in Qatar, who have served as intermediaries with Hamas,” she said.
“To reach a reasonable deal for both sides, both sides have to give up a little bit and might leave the table a little bit unhappy, but that is ultimately how we are going to end this conflict,” Leavitt added.
PM Shehbaz welcomes Gaza plan
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed US President Donald Trump’s plan to bring the Israeli invasion of Gaza to an end.
His statement came in a post on X as the US president greeted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House for talks on the US-led peace plan. Before the meeting, Trump had told reporters he was “very confident” that there would be peace in Gaza.
Asked if all parties were on board with his 21-point plan, he repeated, “very confident”.
Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz posted on X: “I welcome President Trump’s 20-point [sic] plan to ensure an end to the war in Gaza.
“I am also convinced that durable peace between the Palestinian people and Israel would be essential in bringing political stability and economic growth to the region,” the PM wrote.
He added, “It is also my firm belief that President Trump is fully prepared to assist in whatever way necessary to make this extremely important and urgent understanding to become a reality.”
PM Shehbaz also lauded “Trump’s leadership and [his] special envoy Steve Witkoff for their efforts in bringing an end to the nearly two-year-long conflict”.
“I also strongly believe that the implementation of the two-state proposal is essential to ensure lasting peace in the region,” he added.
Earlier in the day, he also spoke to Pakistani journalists in London, where he spoke about Trump’s meeting with Muslims leaders on Gaza in New York last week.
The meeting on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly had brought together leaders from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Turkiye, and Indonesia.
During his interaction with journalists in London today, PM Shehbaz “a very constructive discussion took place” at the meeting. He added, “As a result of that meeting, very soon, a positive result may come that in the Gaza war, there may be a ceasefire.”
In less than two years, Israel’s onslaught on Gaza has killed at least 65,549 people and wounded 167,518, besides displacing millions from their areas. Earlier this month, UN investigators said that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza in a bid to “destroy the Palestinians”, accusing Israel’s prime minister and other top officials of incitement.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was martyred in US and Israeli strikes, state media confirmed, as another wave of attacks hit the country on Sunday.
Several countries, global bodies and prominent groups responded to the assassination of Iran’s supreme leader, urging de-escalation.
Pakistan
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday denounced the targeting of Iran’s supreme leader in joint strikes by the United States and Israel, saying such actions were a “violation of the norms of international law”.
In a post on X, PM Shehbaz said that it was an age-old convention that the heads of state or government should not be targeted.
“Pakistan also expresses concern over the violation of the norms of international law. It is an age-old convention that the heads of state/government should not be targeted.”
Russia
President Vladimir Putin described Khamenei’s killing as a “cynical murder” that violated “all standards of human morality and international law”.
“Please accept my deep condolences in connection with the murder of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Seyed Ali Khamenei, and members of his family, committed in cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law.”
China
China said it “strongly condemns” the United States and Israel’s assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling again for a halt to military actions.
The assassination was “a serious violation of Iran’s sovereignty and security, a trampling on the aims and principles of the UN Charter and the basic norms of international relations”, Beijing’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
“China firmly opposes and strongly condemns this,” it added, calling for an “immediate halting of military operations”.
Malaysia
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Sunday “unreservedly” condemned the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
“I unreservedly condemn the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. This act places the Middle East on the edge of grave and sustained instability. I extend my condolences to the Islamic Republic of Iran and to the Iranian people at this profoundly difficult momen,” wrote
Indonesia’s Ulema Muslim Clerical Council
“The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) expressed its deepest condolences for the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, as a result of the Israeli-American attack on February 28.
“The United States, which is playing a central role in managing the Palestinian conflict through the BoP (Board of Peace), faces a major question: is this strategy truly aimed at a just peace, or is it actually strengthening an unequal security architecture and burying Palestinian independence? Therefore, the MUI urges the Indonesian government to revoke its membership from the BoP.”
North Korea
North Korea condemned the US and Israeli strikes as an “illegal act of aggression”.
The attacks “constitute a thoroughly illegal act of aggression and the most vile form of violation of sovereignty in their nature”, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said, according to state media.
Iranian president
“The martyrdom of the Supreme Leader at the hands of Israel and the criminal America was a great disaster for our country… America and Israel should know that it will bring them nothing but embarrassment.”
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Sunday claimed it had launched ballistic missile strikes targeting a US aircraft carrier, identifying the vessel as the USS Abraham Lincoln, as part of what it called “Operation True Promise 4.”
In a statement, the IRGC’s public relations office said four ballistic missiles were fired at the carrier, adding that Iran’s military campaign had entered a “new phase.” The group warned that both land and sea would become the “burial place” for what it described as aggressors.
Multiple Waves of Strikes Announced
Earlier, the IRGC said it had launched the seventh and eighth waves of strikes under the same operation, in response to what it termed ongoing aggression by the United States and Israel.
Iran claimed it had carried out precision strikes on military targets in Israeli territory, including areas near Tel Aviv and Haifa. It also alleged that Israeli officials had taken shelter due to heightened security concerns.
Targets Across the Gulf
The IRGC further stated that it had targeted US-operated facilities in West Asia, including the US Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain, as well as installations in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
There has been no immediate confirmation from US or Israeli officials regarding the reported missile strikes or the extent of any damage.
Rising Regional Tensions
The developments mark a sharp escalation in regional tensions following reported military exchanges between Iran, Israel and US forces over the weekend.
Independent verification of the claims remains pending, and international observers have urged restraint amid fears of a broader conflict across the Middle East.
A number of Iranian senior leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have embraced martyrdom in the “unprovoked and unwarranted” airstrikes by Israel and the United States.
As crowds gathered in Tehran, explosions rang out, and the Israeli military announced that it was again striking targets in the heart of the city — as more blasts were heard in Jerusalem, Riyadh, Dubai, Doha and Manama.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian declared Khamenei’s assassination a “declaration of war against Muslims” and warned: “Iran considers it its legitimate duty and right to avenge the perpetrators and masterminds of this historic crime.”
Iranian state media have confirmed the killing of several senior figures:
1. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, supreme leader of Iran
2. Ali Shamkhani, representative of the Supreme Leader in the Supreme Defence Council
3. General Abdolrahim Mousavi, Iran’s Armed Forces chief of staff
4. Major General Mohammad Pakpour, commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)
5. Aziz Nasirzadeh, Minister of Defence
6. Gholamreza Rezaian, police intelligence chief of Iran
Separately, the daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter of Ali Khamenei also embraced martyrdom in the US and Israeli airstrikes.
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