This liveblog is no longer being updated; for our new liveblog, visit here.
Big powerful ships heading in Iran’s direction, Trump says
US President Donald Trump pointed to the movement of US naval forces toward Iran on Saturday and said Iran was talking seriously with the United States, and that he hoped Tehran would negotiate an acceptable deal.
“We do have very big powerful ships heading in that direction as you know, but I hope they negotiate something that’s acceptable,” Trump said, adding that the Iranians are “seriously talking to us.”
Iran’s parliament considers EU armies 'terrorist groups' after IRGC listing
Iran will treat the armies of European Union countries as “terrorist groups” after the EU designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday.
“By trying to hit the Revolutionary Guards ... the Europeans actually shot themselves in the foot and once again made a decision against the interests of their people by blindly obeying the Americans,” Ghalibaf told lawmakers, who were wearing Revolutionary Guard uniforms in a show of support for the force.
“According to Article 7 of the law on countermeasures against the designation of the Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation, the armies of European countries are considered terrorist groups,” he added, saying parliament’s national security commission would consider expelling EU military attaches and pursue the matter with Iran’s foreign ministry.
American officials downplay prospect of Iran-US deal - Axios
American officials downplay the prospect of a diplomatic solution and say the Iranians haven't shown real willingness to accept the Trump administration's terms for a deal, Axios reported on Saturday.
Saudi says won't let its airspace be used for attacks on Iran
Saudi Arabia rejects the use of its airspace for any military operations against Iran, London-based Asharq Al-Awsat reported citing a Saudi official.
Qatari foreign minister visits Tehran to discuss regional de-escalation
Qatar's foreign ministry says the country's foreign minister met Iran's security chief Ali Larijani in Tehran to discuss de-escalation in the region.
"The Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs reiterated the State of Qatar’s support for all efforts aimed at reducing tensions and achieving peaceful solutions that enhance security and stability in the region," according to a statement by Doha.
"He also stressed the need for concerted efforts to spare the peoples of the region the consequences of escalation and to continue coordination with brotherly and friendly countries to address differences through diplomatic means."
Ex-president's daughter says domestic reforms vital for regime survival
Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani, a political activist and a daughter of the late Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, said the Islamic Republic needs to fulfill what the people demand if it wants to survive.
In an audio file obtained by IranWire, she said, “If we are concerned about preserving Iran, we reject foreign intervention and do not want to be eliminated, there is no way but to meet the demands of the majority, especially young people, who were the main victims of the recent bloody events."
She said the Islamic Republic is fully responsible for the massacre of protesters during what she called the recent "revolution".
Rafsanjani added that citizens cannot be blamed for pinning their hopes on foreign intervention by the United States or Israel.
She called for a referendum conducted in a way that is accepted and trusted by the public, so that citizens can choose their leaders. Hashemi said, “Change is on the way.”
Iran can't be forced into talks through threats, Iran president tells Egypt
"We hope the other side has also come to understand that Iran cannot be forced into negotiations through threats or the use of force," Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian told his Egyptian counterpart in a phone call on Saturday.
"Any aggression or attack on the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran will be met with a firm and decisive response," he said, according to Iran's presidency.
"Iran has never sought war and does not seek it in any way. We firmly believe that war would benefit neither Iran, nor the United States, nor the region."
The Egyptian presidency reported that President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Pezeshkian discussed recent developments regarding Iran’s nuclear program and regional issues.
Man in uniform injured in mysterious blast south of Iran, video shows
A video report released by a local newspaper in southern Iran shows a man in military uniform injured in the mysterious blast that hit Bandar Abbas on Saturday morning.
State media had attributed the blast to a gas leak, and the Revolutionary Guard had denied that its navy chief was killed.
Israel also denied any involvement in a series of blast that hit Iran, including the one in Bandar Abbas.
Arab allies kept in the dark about Washington's Iran plan, Trump confirms
US President Donald Trump on Saturday confirmed that Washington cannot share its Iran plan with its Persian Gulf allies.
“We can’t tell them the plan. If I told them the plan, it would be almost as bad as telling you the plan – it could be worse, actually," he told Fox News.
"But look, the plan is that [Iran is] talking to us, and we’ll see if we can do something, otherwise we’ll see what happens… We have a big fleet heading out there, bigger than we had - and still have, actually - in Venezuela.”