War reaches 100th day(STRAP) US says shot down Iran drones

TEHRAN: The United States said it shot down a pair of Iranian drones threatening the Strait of Hormuz, the latest escalation of violence as the war reached its 100th day on Sunday with no end in sight. It came as mediator Pakistan delivered a message to Iran's supreme leader, following weeks of indirect talks marked by tit-for-tat threats and sporadic exchanges of fire. Efforts to turn a ceasefire into a lasting settlement have repeatedly stalled, while the war has rattled global markets and increased pressure on US President Donald Trump at home ahead of midterm elections.
But there were signs of fresh diplomatic efforts over the weekend with Pakistan's interior minister Mohsin Naqvi visiting Tehran. Naqvi said upon his arrival on Saturday that he would deliver a 'special letter' from Pakistan's army chief to Iran's Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, and a message from the prime minister 'regarding the current situation', according to Iranian state television.
Pakistan's military leader Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has played a key role in mediating talks between Iran and the US, following a single round of direct negotiations in Islamabad. 'I think it's a very important message,' said Naqvi, a frequent visitor to Iran. His trip came as US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it destroyed two Iranian drones 'that threatened international maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz', hours after announcing it struck four other drones and coastal surveillance radar sites.
Tehran on Saturday fired a salvo of missiles at US allies Bahrain and Kuwait, drawing a furious response from the Gulf monarchies and piling pressure on the shaky ceasefire agreed on April 8. Iran's foreign ministry denounced the latest US strikes as 'flagrant' violations while condemning Washington's 'hostile and provocative behaviour'.
Mohsen Rezaei, military adviser to Iran's supreme leader, had earlier told CNN that negotiations with the US 'are at a deadlock, and Trump must break this deadlock', as he called for the release of some $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets. But Washington instead may seek to use those funds to pay for damage wrought by Iranian strikes on Gulf allies. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has directed a team to assess costs for damage inflicted on Gulf allies by Iran, the source said on Saturday, adding the US will consider using Iranian assets for repairs of any future destruction ⁠as well. The disclosure came a day after Mohsen Rezaei, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader, told CNN that a peace deal to end the three-month-old ⁠war hinged on the release of $24 billion in Iranian assets frozen by the United States.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said in an interview with NBC News' 'Meet the Press' that he would not unfreeze Iranian assets or lift any sanctions before a peace deal is reached. Trump said he would consider those ⁠steps after an agreement is done. 'Comes after,' he said. 'Yeah. ⁠If they behave, if they do a good job, we start talking. Yeah.' Trump also said that he was not demanding that Lebanon ‌be a part of a short-term deal ​with Tehran. 'I think ⁠they'd like to see it, but ​I'm not demanding,' Trump said in ‌the interview recorded on Friday. US and Israeli forces began strikes on Iran ​on February 28.
The Trump administration has been trying to negotiate a potential peace deal for weeks. 'We're very close to a deal, or I'm going to blow the hell out of them,' Trump told ‌NBC News. The president also said he would be willing ​to speak with Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who ​has ‌not been ⁠seen in public since being wounded in US strikes at the beginning of the conflict. 'I don't want to say ​whether or not I know where he ⁠is, but there's ​a good probability that I do,' Trump said. Top Trump administration officials such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio insist a temporary ceasefire agreement has been holding up despite recent ​US strikes on Iran, telling lawmakers last week those ​are defensive actions. — Agencies