France, Britain to chair Hormuz video conference on Friday - Macron’s office

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Tuesday it was important to press ahead with peace negotiations to end the war between the United States and Iran and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking in the northern city of Verona, Meloni said every effort should be made to stabilize the situation and restore access through the strait.

“It is necessary to continue working in order to advance peace negotiations, making every possible effort to stabilize the situation and reopen the Strait, which is fundamental for us, not only for fuel supplies but also for fertilizers,” she said.

Britain’s Finance Minister Rachel Reeves said on Tuesday she was “very frustrated and angry” over what she described as the United States’ lack of a clear strategy in the war in Iran, according to the Mirror newspaper.

“This is a war that we did not start. It was a war that we did not want,” she told the newspaper.

“I feel very frustrated and angry that the US went into this war without a clear exit plan, without a clear idea of what they were trying to achieve,” she added.

Reeves also said the situation had led to the Strait of Hormuz being blocked.

“And as a result the Strait of Hormuz is now blocked,” she said.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian urged Europe to play a more active role in pushing the United States toward an agreement, saying diplomacy remains the best way to resolve disputes, according to state media.

In a call with France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Pezeshkian said Iran was ready to continue talks within international rules and that Europe could encourage Washington to follow that framework.

“Despite expert-level understandings between the sides, excessive demands and a lack of political will among senior US officials have prevented a deal from being finalized,” he said.

“Approaches based on threats, pressure and military action are not effective and will only add to the complexity of the issues,” he added.

Pezeshkian said Iran sees diplomacy as the preferred path and remains ready for dialogue while safeguarding its national interests.

He also said Iran has sought to ensure secure shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and warned that any threat to the waterway could have broad consequences for global trade.

Iran’s internet shutdown entered its 46th day on Tuesday, with the disruption continuing to harm lives, NetBlocks said.

“At 1080 hours, Iran's internet shutdown continues to harm lives and livelihoods as the country enters its 46th day without international access,” the internet monitoring group said.

The blackout, which intensified after the renewed shutdown at the end of February, has kept connectivity at a fraction of normal levels and has become the longest nationwide internet disruption on record.

“Despite a slight widening of the whitelist system, Iranians have to take risks just to get a message through to the outside world,” according to NetBlocks.

China rejected reports of supplying weapons to Iran, saying such claims were “completely made up,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday.

His comments came after reports suggested China had provided military equipment to Iran.

CNN reported late on Friday that US intelligence indicated Beijing was preparing to deliver new air defense systems to Iran within the next few weeks.

Guo said China had consistently adopted a prudent and responsible approach to military exports, with strict controls based on domestic laws and international obligations.

“We oppose groundless smears or malicious association,” he said at a press conference.