Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that the Middle East can solve its problems without the involvement of the United States.

"I believe we are capable of resolving our problems in the region without relying on the United States," Pezeshkian said at a meeting with Putin on the sidelines of a summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum in Moscow.

"Our trade is expanding and growing day by day. US actions in the region make it easier for us to move towards greater multilateralism and strengthen our cooperation with you and other countries subject to unilateral US sanctions," he told Putin.

Putin said he discussed the war with Pezeshkian, expressing hope that the situation would improve.

"We spoke earlier, one-on-one, about the situation in the region -- a situation that, undoubtedly, cannot help but cause concern," he said, adding that he hoped it would "evolve in a positive direction".

Pezeshkian said he was confident the will existed on both sides to expand cooperation in science, industry, culture, security and military affairs.

The Israeli military said it had apprehended an Egyptian civilian overnight after he crossed a border fence from Egyptian territory into Israel near Nitzana.

The man was transferred to security forces for further questioning, the military said, without providing additional details.

The Egyptian foreign ministry said later on Tuesday that it was following up on the incident and working on taking necessary measures to facilitate the return of the Egyptian national.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman chaired a meeting in Riyadh where he and his council of ministers reviewed talks held in Tehran with the Mecca alliance a day earlier, state media reported.

"The council reviewed the substance of the talks held between the countries party to the Mecca Common Defence Agreement and senior officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran, reaffirming Saudi Arabia's commitment to establishing security and stability," read a statement released by state media.

Senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan held talks with Iranian senior leaders in Tehran on Monday on the Middle East war, with Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei later calling the discussions "very good".

The Turkish parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee approved a bill to ratify the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

The bill was approved following deliberations during which Deputy Foreign Minister Levent Gumrukcu answered lawmakers' questions about the agreement.

Speaking at the committee meeting, Gumrukcu said the agreement aimed to strengthen regional security through cooperation and collective defence.

“The Mecca agreement is not only an extension of the special friendly relations between the three countries, but also a concrete product of the regional ownership increasingly needed in our region,” Gumrukcu said.

He recalled that the agreement was signed in Mecca on Aug. 7 by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

A drone was shot down near Baghdad's fortified Green Zone, and the interception caused the loud sound that was heard across parts of the Iraqi capital, Iraq's Security Media Cell said in a statement.

Two Iraqi security sources said the US embassy's air defence systems were activated after detecting two drones approaching the perimeter of the Green Zone and shot them down.

The sources said debris from the two drones was recovered at two locations, where security forces were carrying out further investigations into their origin and destination.

The Green Zone houses government buildings and foreign missions, including the US embassy, which has come under rocket and drone attacks since US and Israeli strikes on Iran.

Palestinians protest against an Israeli military offensive that has displaced thousands of residents from a neighbourhood in Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

The unrest, which follows the deaths of two Israeli soldiers shot by Palestinian gunmen at a checkpoint last week, unfolded as Israelis were voting in an election in which the country's posture in the West Bank has been a major political issue.

Some Palestinian officials have accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of launching a crackdown in the West Bank to coincide with the vote, as a way to energise his right-wing supporters. The government says its operation is a response to the attack on its soldiers.

A group of Palestinian men, women, and children gathered at Tuesday's protest. One elderly man held a placard that said: "No to collective punishment, no to closures, and no to displacement."

Syria condemned deadly strikes on the country's south a day earlier that Jordan said killed more than 20 people as retaliation for a gun attack on a church.

In the worst crisis between the neighbours since the ouster of longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al Assad in December 2024, Jordan said it had "great respect" for Syria and expressed regret for civilian casualties.

Its Monday night strikes came after gunmen last week killed nine people and wounded 25 others during a funeral service at a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hammoud in southern Jordan's Karak governorate, an attack that sparked shock across the country.

While Jordan has insisted it coordinated its air strikes with Syria, Damascus has denied the claim and the two sides have provided differing tolls.

Syria's civil defence agency said the Jordanian strikes killed seven people, including three children.

France's deputy chief of mission in Tehran was this month subjected to "intimidation by individuals claiming to belong to the Iranian security forces", a diplomatic source told AFP.

The incident, the second involving French diplomats in Tehran in less than four months, highlights the sharp deterioration in relations between France and Iran.

In response to the mistreatment of the diplomat in early October, Iran's ambassador to France was summoned by the French foreign ministry, the source said, without specifying the exact date of the summons.

"He was reminded in the strongest terms that we expect the Iranian authorities to take all necessary measures to guarantee the security of our personnel and premises," the source said.

French magazine Le Point, which first reported the incident, said the diplomat was forcibly stopped in the street by members of Iran's security forces, in breach of his diplomatic status. The encounter culminated in what the magazine described as a forceful interrogation.

An oil tanker caught fire after striking naval mines east of the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian Navy said.

In a statement carried by Iran’s official IRNA news agency, the Navy said the tanker had switched off its tracking systems and was attempting to pass through a “restricted and unsafe” area when it hit the mines.

The vessel sustained damage and caught fire following the incident, according to the statement.

The Navy did not provide details on the tanker’s identity, flag, crew or possible casualties.

It said the Strait of Hormuz remained “unsafe and closed” to vessels attempting to pass through without coordination.

The Navy added that ships seeking safe passage must coordinate with Iran’s armed forces.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei called for Tehran’s conditions to be met to end the war with the US, according to an official statement.

During a meeting with Supreme National Security Council head Mohsen Rezaei, Khamenei stressed the need to safeguard Iran’s rights and interests and those of what Tehran calls the “resistance front.”

He also highlighted the importance of managing the strategic Strait of Hormuz and strengthening ties with neighbouring countries to protect national and regional security.

Yemen's Houthis said they targeted Saudi Arabia's biggest oil refinery with a ballistic missile, following weeks of disruptive attacks against the world's top crude exporter.

"The Yemeni Armed Forces were able to target the Ras Tanura refinery in the Eastern Province with a ballistic missile," Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree posted on X, saying the strike caused "massive fires".

The complex has a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day. It has been repeatedly targeted by Iranian strikes, including a drone attack in early March that forced a partial shutdown of the refinery.

China expressed “deep concern” over tensions in the Middle East, the Gulf and Red Sea regions, and the Horn of Africa, saying Beijing would dispatch a special envoy to promote dialogue.

“We are deeply concerned about the protracted conflict and its spillover effects, and call on all relevant parties to adhere to resolving differences through dialogue and negotiation, and to achieve a sustainable ceasefire as soon as possible,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters in Beijing, according to an official transcript.

He said China has consistently been committed to promoting peace talks and “will soon” send a special envoy to the region to “strengthen communication with relevant parties, promote dialogue and easing tensions, and prevent further deterioration of the situation.”

Human rights organisations in the United States have warned of escalating forced displacement carried out by Israeli forces in the city of Hebron.

The organisations said Israel’s assault on Hebron in recent days has displaced more than 2,000 Palestinians from their homes, amid fears that they may be prevented from returning.

They said the developments in Hebron are part of a broader campaign targeting the Palestinian presence in the occupied West Bank.

The human rights groups said these practices violate international law, warning that military tactics used in Gaza could be replicated in occupied West Bank cities.

They also criticised the continued US and Western support for Israel, arguing that the absence of international accountability contributes to the ongoing violations against Palestinian civilians.

Six-year-old Tihani Mohammad Saeed Shalalfeh died after succumbing to wounds sustained when she was shot by Israeli forces in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis, southern Gaza, according to Palestinian news agency WAFA.

In central Gaza, Israeli forces shelled an area north of al-Bureij refugee camp with a tank round, while Israeli military vehicles opened fire toward the eastern areas of al-Maghazi refugee camp.

Six-year-old Tihani Mohammad Saeed Shalalfeh died after succumbing to wounds sustained when she was shot by Israeli forces in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis, southern Gaza.

In central Gaza, Israeli forces shelled an area north of al-Bureij refugee camp with a tank round, while Israeli military vehicles opened fire toward the eastern areas of al-Maghazi refugee camp.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani discussed expanding political, economic and energy cooperation during a meeting in Moscow, according to Iranian state media.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 8th summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) in Russia, Press TV reported.

Iran’s official IRNA news agency said the two leaders reviewed the latest state of relations between Tehran and Doha and stressed the importance of expanding political and economic ties and using existing potential to deepen bilateral cooperation.

Energy cooperation, expanding economic and trade relations and strengthening coordination among gas-exporting countries were among the issues discussed, IRNA added.

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in the Canadian capital Ottawa for an official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and expanding cooperation between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Canada.

During the visit, Sheikh Khaled is expected to meet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations, advance strategic partnership between the two countries and expand cooperation in priority sectors.

Saudi Arabia issued an emergency warning in the southern city of Najran over a potential threat, before announcing that the danger had passed.

The alert issued by the National Early Warning Platform warned residents of possible danger and urged them to follow safety instructions.

It did not specify the nature of the threat or provide further details.

In a subsequent alert, authorities announced that the danger had passed in Najran but urged residents to continue following Civil Defence instructions and strictly avoid gatherings and filming.

The Israeli army continued a large-scale offensive in the West Bank city of Hebron for a fifth consecutive day, forcing nearly 5,000 Palestinians from their homes.

The Hebron municipality said in a statement that 4,969 Palestinians from 780 families have been forcibly displaced from the Deir Bahha and Al-Jilda areas since the Israeli military campaign began on Friday.

Among those displaced are 336 infants, 441 elderly people, 216 pregnant and nursing women, 44 people with disabilities and 312 people suffering from chronic illnesses, the statement said.

‘Nine American citizens dead. No accountability,’ says Chris Van Hollen.