US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are also expected to attend talks in Pakistan. According to Iranian Foreign Office spokesman Ismail Baghaei, no meeting with the American side has been planned yet.
Despite the extension of the ceasefire, six people were killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon on Friday, according to Lebanese sources. The Health Ministry in Beirut said two more people were injured in Israeli air strikes in southern Lebanon. The Israeli army previously said it had killed six Hezbollah fighters in a firefight in the southern Lebanese village of Bint Jbeil.
“The Israeli enemy’s air strikes on southern Lebanon today, April 24, resulted in the martyrdom of six citizens and the wounding of two others,” the ministry said in a statement. According to the information, two of the people were killed in Wadi al-Hujar, two more in Tulin and one each in Srifa and Jater – all locations in southern Lebanon.
It was not immediately clear whether the deaths reported by the Lebanese Health Ministry were linked to the deadly attacks reported by the Israeli army. Since the war in Lebanon began on March 2, 2,491 people have been killed in Israeli attacks, according to the Health Ministry.
The US government wants to increase economic pressure on Iran with further sanctions. The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned China’s Hengli oil refinery over its extensive dealings with Tehran, the department said in a statement. “Independent refineries based in China continue to play a crucial role in sustaining Iran’s oil economy, and Hengli is one of the largest buyers of crude oil and other petroleum products from Iran,” the ministry said.
Hengli bought Iranian oil worth billions of dollars. It is the second largest such refinery in China.
In addition, the ministry imposed sanctions on around 40 shipping companies and ships that, according to the statement, operate as part of the Iranian shadow fleet. They therefore represent a “financial lifeline” for the leadership in Tehran. The sanctions stipulate that assets will be frozen and US citizens will be prohibited from doing business with the companies affected.
In an effort to end the Iran war, US special envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are traveling to Pakistan for negotiations with Tehran representatives. Both will depart on Saturday morning (Washington time), US government spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said. According to her, Tehran asked for the talks.
