Tehran, July 16: Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has said the country’s national security is tied to maintaining “Iranian arrangements” in the administration of the Strait of Hormuz, stressing that Tehran will not allow the “enemy” to impose its will.

In a statement released on Wednesday (Local time), Qalibaf, also the head of Iran’s negotiating team, said that the United States seeks to deal blows to Iran whenever possible to advance its own interests, stressing that Iran should adopt its approaches during war or negotiations based on its national interests and security, realism, and long-term strategy.

He noted that Iran does not welcome war, “but we always must be ready for battle” to safeguard national security and interests.

Qalibaf added that diplomacy and negotiation should be pursued in parallel to ensure national interests, reports Xinhua news agency.

Addressing the recently signed peace memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United States, which envisioned a 60-day negotiation period for a final agreement, the speaker said that the MoU is meaningful only when its provisions are honoured and implemented; otherwise, if Iran is not supposed to benefit from the deal, it sees no reason to remain committed to it.

The MoU, signed on June 18 and aimed at ending the war in the region on all fronts, including Lebanon, now hangs in the balance as clashes between Iranian and US forces have erupted over the past few days.

Meanwhile, the US military conducted a new round of strikes against Iran, US Central Command said early on Thursday (Indian time).

“At 3 p.m. ET (1900 GMT), U.S. forces launched operations for a second wave of strikes today against Iran,” the command wrote in a post on X. “The strikes are targeting Iranian military capabilities used to threaten vessels freely transiting through the Strait of Hormuz.”

Rome, July 16: Israel and Lebanon concluded a new round of talks in Rome, moving closer to launching a pilot project, under which control of parts of southern Lebanon would be transferred from Israeli forces to the Lebanese army, according to Italian media.

Israel and Lebanon have made progress on a mechanism for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the first two “pilot zones” in southern Lebanon and agreed to continue negotiations at a later date, according to a report of the Italian news agency Agenzia Nova on Wednesday (local time).

The development came after the sixth round of US-mediated talks between the two sides concluded in Rome, the report said, citing sources close to the negotiations.

According to the report, the talks focused on implementing the framework agreement reached in Washington on June 26. The two sides further clarified the sequence and conditions for the withdrawal of Israeli forces, the deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), the disarmament of Hezbollah, and the verification of the Lebanese state’s effective control over the areas concerned.

Sources said Israel is expected to proceed with the withdrawal from the first two pilot zones because the designated areas are considered to pose no direct threat to Israel’s security, Xinhua news agency said, quoting Agenzia Nova report.

The pilot project is intended to test the Lebanese army’s ability to take control of the areas, remove military infrastructure and prevent Hezbollah from re-establishing a presence before the mechanism is expanded to other parts of southern Lebanon.

Both Israel and Lebanon recognise that the overall process will take time, as Lebanon is seeking to restore state sovereignty in the south while avoiding internal instability, whereas Israel insists on verifiable security guarantees to ensure that areas vacated by its forces do not return to Hezbollah’s control, according to the sources.

Israel maintains that a full withdrawal remains conditional on the Lebanese army’s ability to establish lasting control over the territory and advance Hezbollah’s disarmament, the sources added.

The sixth round of talks, held at the US Embassy in Rome, followed a previous meeting in Washington late last month aimed at advancing a ceasefire framework. The parties also agreed to hold another round of talks, with the date yet to be determined.

Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has said hosting the talks reflects Italy’s role in supporting efforts to promote peace and stability in the Middle East.

Islamabad, July 15: Eleven people, including women and children, were killed and several others were injured after the roof of a house collapsed during heavy rain in the Lachi tehsil of Kohat district in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, local media reported on Wednesday.

According to Rescue 1122 officials, the incident took place in the Malagin area when a family gathering was taking place in the house, leaving many people under the rubble, Pakistan-based daily Dawn reported.

Rescuers said 15 people were trapped under the debris. Rescue teams recovered all victims and took them to the hospital. Among those, 11 succumbed to their injuries, while the remaining injured people received first aid before being referred to different hospitals for further treatment.

Rescue officials said the majority of the injured people were women and children. The deceased include Basmeena (50), Nawab Jana (45), Farmeena (45) and Arham (6).

Earlier on July 2, Rescue 1122 said in a statement that at least two people were killed and nine others injured in rain-related incidents in Pakistan’s Punjab in the past 24 hours.

Punjab Rescue 1122 spokesperson Farooq Ahmad said that the collapse of walls, roofs and a billboard triggered by strong winds and heavy rain caused casualties.

Two people were killed, and three others were injured after a wall collapsed in Attock. In Para Shaheen Bagh, three people were injured after the roof of a house caved in, according to the spokesperson.

One person was injured after being hit by lightning in Khushab’s Qaidabad area, while another suffered injuries after a signboard collapsed due to strong winds in Sargodha, Dawn reported.

One person sustained injuries after a wooden roof collapsed in Sheikhupura. Rescue 1122 said emergency teams reached the site of the incidents and took the injured people to hospitals for treatment.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said that at least seven people were killed and 33 others injured in incidents caused by strong winds, lightning, and rainfall in several parts of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on June 14.

The deceased in the incidents reported from Bannu, Shangla, and Mansehra included four men, one woman, and two children. The casualties took place when walls and roofs of houses collapsed due to strong winds and heavy rain that occurred in various parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to the damage assessment report released by the PDMA, Geo News reported.