The US and Iran have been engaged in largely indirect negotiations to secure an interim deal to halt the three-month-old war that would leave issues including Iran's nuclear programme to further negotiations.

The Turkish diplomat arrived in Jakarta on Tuesday evening, welcomed by Foreign Minister Sugiono. Fidan then arrived in Hambalang on Wednesday for a meeting with Prabowo.

The two sides, which do not have formal diplomatic relations, also agreed to create "pilot zones" in which the Lebanese armed forces "will take exclusive control of the territory to the exclusion of all non-state actors".

Gulf hostilities flared anew on Wednesday, with the US military saying Iranian missile attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait and other regional targets were either thwarted or failed, as diplomacy between Washington and Tehran showed little progress.

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations was one of the early investors that helped to develop a vaccine at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Iran really wants to make a deal, and it will be a good one for the U.S.A. and those that are with us," Trump posted on Truth Social.

UN health chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called Saturday for more international help to combat the spread of the deadly Ebola virus in Democratic Republic of Congo as he arrived in the eastern province worst-hit by a severe outbreak.

The United States warned on Saturday it was "more than capable" of resuming its war with Iran after President Donald Trump said any peace deal must adhere to his red lines, including Tehran never being able to develop nuclear weapons.

The United Nations on Friday added Israel and Russia to a UN blacklist of countries suspected of committing sexual violence in conflict zones, a move that prompted Israel's foreign ministry to say it would sever all ties with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

US President Donald Trump will only make a peace deal with Iran if it meets all of his conditions, a White House official told AFP on Friday, as questions swirled about the state of negotiations to end the war.

Detainees said torture, physical violence, sexual abuse and restricted access to food and water became part of daily life during four days in custody

US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace has no cash in its official Gaza reconstruction fund, a source familiar with the board told AFP on Wednesday, despite member countries pledging billions of dollars.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard said on Thursday it targeted a US airbase after the US military carried out what a Washington official said were strikes targeting an Iranian drone operation near the Strait of Hormuz, hours after President Donald Trump rejected a report he was close to a compromise deal with Tehran.

New clothes for children, sacrificial sheep and Idul Adha biscuits, the hallmarks of the Muslim holiday, are all either unaffordable or unavailable in Gaza, casting a shadow over what is usually a time of celebration and joy.

The Brent benchmark oil price jumped up by more than three percent after US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the new wave of bombings targeting Iranian missile sites and mine-laying boats.

More than 1.5 million people have joined the haj this year despite the shadow of war across the Middle East created by the US and Israeli war with Iran.

In a joint statement on Monday, top diplomats from Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates condemned what they described as Ben-Gvir’s “deliberate public humiliation of detainees”, warning that his actions, if left unchecked, could further destabilize the region.

Netanyahu's comments, described to Reuters by two Israeli officials with knowledge of the conversations, come as Israel has largely been left out of talks to reach an initial deal to halt a war that began with joint US-Israeli bombardment.

More than 900 suspected Ebola cases have been identified in the conflict-hit Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Health Organization (WHO) chief has said.

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he had told his representatives not to rush into any deal with Iran, as his administration played down hopes of an imminent breakthrough in the three-month-old war that had been raised a day earlier.

Indonesia is strengthening precautionary measures to protect its citizens in African countries affected by the ongoing Ebola outbreak, as African health authorities warn the viral disease could spread further across the continent.

Officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo updated the death toll from the Ebola outbreak to 204 late Saturday, hours after the Red Cross said three volunteers had died there and Uganda confirmed three new Ebola cases.

According to the Axios report, during the 60-day period, the Strait of Hormuz would be open with no tolls and Iran would agree to clear the mines it deployed in the strait to let ships pass freely.

The numbers of pilgrims are expected to rise further over the next two days as they continue to arrive from abroad ahead of the formal rituals that mark the beginning of the haj on Monday.

"The policies and practices of the Israeli government, including a further entrenchment of Israeli control, are undermining stability and prospects for a two-state solution," read a joint statement from several countries, including Britain, France, Germany and Australia.

The WHO raised its risk assessment for the outbreak in Congo to "very high" from "high", with the health body saying late detection, the absence of a vaccine or virus-specific therapeutics, widespread armed violence and high mobility among the population make the country vulnerable.

The disagreements between Iran and the US remained "deep and extensive", according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

Indonesia confirmed on Thursday the release of its nine citizens from illegal custody after joining a chorus of international pressure over Israel’s “inhumane treatment” of activists taken from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.

Turkish foreign ministry sources said 422 activists, among them 85 Turkish nationals, were flown from southern Israel on three planes chartered by Ankara.

More than 430 activists from countries around the world were in custody in Israel after they were detained at sea while making the latest in a string of attempts to break the blockade of the Palestinian territory.