Iran blames US for Hormuz dispute as both sides confirm ongoing talks

Iran has accused the United States of trying to force open a new route through the Strait of Hormuz, bypassing Iranian authorities, a move it says violates the two countries' interim peace deal and caused tensions there to spike. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made the remarks in an interview published by Iranian media on Saturday. Al Jazeera's Resul Serdar, reporting from Tehran, said there had been no direct attacks by the US on major Iranian cities overnight on Saturday, a break from nearly two straight weeks of nightly strikes. Iran had a peaceful night, Iran's health ministry spokesperson, Hossein Kermanpour, said in a post on X. US President Donald Trump appeared to soften on an earlier threat to carry out new massive attacks on Iran, saying that may no longer be necessary. They are talking to us right now; they'd love to make a deal, Trump said on Friday night. I don't think they're ready to but I'm willing to listen. On Saturday, Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence said sirens sounded multiple times in the country's Yanbu and Jizan provinces, which house crucial oil facilities on the Red Sea. Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree claimed the group carried out attacks on facilities linked with Saudi state oil firm Aramco in the area.