- 'Constructive' World Cup meeting -

FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom described as "excellent" and "constructive" the meeting held on Saturday in Istanbul with the Iranian federation to ensure Iran's participation in the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The Iranians are scheduled to be based and play all three of their group matches in the US in spite of the war currently being waged in the Middle East.

- Fresh Israeli strikes -

Israeli strikes targeted eastern and southern Lebanon, state media reported, despite a fragile ceasefire, as a Hezbollah lawmaker called Lebanon's negotiations with Israel a "dead-end".

Two Israeli strikes hit the town of Sohmor in eastern Lebanon's Bekaa valley, the state-run National News Agency (NNA) said, adding that others took place across southern Lebanon.

- Iran's speaker to China -

Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who recently emerged as a chief negotiator in talks with the United States, has been appointed to oversee relations with China, Iranian media reported.

It was not immediately clear who appointed Ghalibaf to the role, but the Tasnim news agency, citing informal sources, said he would "coordinate various sectors of relations between Iran and China".

- US aircraft carrier returns -

The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, dispatched to the Middle East ahead of the outbreak of war with Iran, returned home to the United States on Saturday after a 326-day deployment, the Pentagon said.

The Ford's deployment saw it take part in US operations in the Caribbean and later the Middle East to participate in combat operations against Iran.

- Iranian World Cup team to depart -

Iran's World Cup squad will travel to Turkey on Monday for a training camp, friendlies and to complete visa applications before heading to the United States, head coach Amir Ghalenoei said on Saturday.

Iran and the US cut diplomatic ties in 1980, and the players are expected to use their time in Turkey to complete the necessary procedures for obtaining visas before their kick off game against New Zealand on June 15 in Los Angeles.

- Israeli soldier killed in Lebanon -

Israel's military said Saturday that one of its soldiers had been killed in combat in southern Lebanon, bringing its losses to 21 personnel since the war with Hezbollah began in early March.

- Pakistan minister arrives in Tehran -

Pakistan's interior minister arrived in Tehran on Saturday "to facilitate" the peace talks between Iran and the United States that have stalled despite a fragile ceasefire, Iranian media reported.

His visit to Tehran comes days after that of Pakistan's influential army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir.

- Deadly fuel price riots in Comoros -

Days of protests in Comoros over rising fuel prices, stemming from the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, turned deadly Saturday when one person died following overnight clashes with police, officials said.

- European countries seeking Hormuz transit: Iran -

Iranian state television said Saturday that European countries were in talks with Tehran over transit for ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

"Following the passage of ships from East Asian countries, notably China, Japan and Pakistan, we received information today indicating that Europeans have also begun negotiations with the Revolutionary Guards navy" state television reported, without elaborating.

- Iraq oil drop -

Iraq's oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz plunged to just 10 million barrels in April, compared to the usual 93 million, the country's new oil minister said.

A founding member of the OPEC oil cartel, Iraq normally exports the majority of its crude through the crucial waterway, but like other exporters in the oil-rich region, it has been left scrambling for alternative routes after Iran blockaded the strait.

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