Iran war live: Saudi, Pakistani and Turkish envoys in Tehran as Trump rules out strikes 'today'

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday it was "essential to stop any escalation" in West Asia, AFP reported, as the Saudi, Pakistani and Turkish delegations met Iranian officials in Tehran. Qatari mediators, working in coordination with Washington, were also in Tehran on Sunday, a regional official told AP.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated his warning that Iran or its allies could attack to disrupt Tuesday's election. "The (military) is ready both to defend and to strike," he said in a video statement. Iran's Foreign Ministry says the agenda in Tehran is open but the talks will "undoubtedly address the most pressing threats to regional security".

The Yemen front flared again on Monday. The Saudi-led coalition said its air defences intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile that the Houthis fired towards Riyadh, and that it destroyed two missile launchers in Sanaa. "We continue the process of dismantling the ballistic missile network," coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said. The Houthis claimed they had targeted Riyadh's international airport and struck oil pumping stations with drones.

Egypt's parliament on Monday authorised President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to send military support to Saudi Arabia to defend against Houthi attacks, Egyptian state media reported. AP reports that the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia are also on the agenda of today's talks in Tehran.

Tension in the Strait of Hormuz remains high. Iran's Revolutionary Guard said two supertankers carrying more than 45 lakh barrels of crude between them struck naval mines over the weekend while using what it called an unauthorised southern route through the strait. It said engine-room explosions and fires disabled both ships and forced their crews to abandon them. Tehran also warned it would never allow US military vessels to enter the Persian Gulf.

Iran's foreign ministry said on Monday that the outcome of Tuesday's Israeli election, in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a tight race, will make "no difference" to Iran, CBS News reported.

For India, every disabled tanker in Hormuz adds to war-risk insurance costs and freight rates on crude bound for Indian refiners.

Senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey are in Tehran for talks on regional security, the first high-level meeting between Iran and all three members of the Mecca Pact bloc, Reuters reported.

Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan's army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin are taking part, said Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. He said the meeting aims at "promoting dialogue and diplomatic solutions", in support of mediation by Qatar and Pakistan.

For India, the stakes are direct: a renewed war would threaten shipping through Hormuz, the route for much of its crude imports, and the safety of the large Indian workforce in the Gulf.

US President Donald Trump has ruled out striking Iran on Monday. Asked as he left the White House whether strikes could resume, he first said he would not telegraph it, then added: "No. There will not be a strike today," AP reported.

The war began on 28 February, when the US and Israel struck Iran. A ceasefire took effect on 8 April and ended the most intense bombardment, but the two sides are still contesting the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world's oil passes. Israel votes on Tuesday and the US holds midterm elections on 3 November, and leaders in both countries have sharpened threats of renewed attacks.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, said Tehran has not closed the window for diplomacy and that messages are still being passed to Washington through intermediaries.