The UAE is hoping for a breakthrough in negotiations between Iran and the United States while being prepared for the worst, a senior official said on Sunday, following threats of a resumption of the Middle East war.

Iran warned on Sunday that any new war with the United States could last longer than the previous conflict and that U.S. President Donald Trump would not be the one to determine its duration.

Iran's army warned Saturday that any new U.S. attack would only spread their war wider, following threats by America and Israel of further military action as they hold crucial elections.

The U.N. biodiversity summit entered its final hours Friday with talks headed for overtime as nations disagreed over how to rescue a landmark deal to restore nature to health.

Oman said on Friday it had rescued 25 sailors from a merchant ship that was targeted and set ablaze, as Iran reported three oil tankers were halted while crossing the blockaded Strait of Hormuz.

A Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran on Friday for talks with Iranian officials, state media reported, as mediators press efforts to revive peace talks with the United States.

According to the IRNA state news agency, the delegation, headed by a senior adviser to Qatar's prime minister, came to discuss "bilateral relations... as well as regional developments" with senior Iranian officials.

Ukraine has resumed its attacks on Russian oil refineries after a brief pause, Russia's deputy prime minister said Friday.

There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.

The Saudi-led coalition said on Friday it intercepted and destroyed a drone fired by Yemen's Houthis in the Mecca region, with the group later denying it targeted Islam's holiest city.

"A drone launched by the terrorist Houthi militia has been intercepted and destroyed in the Mecca region," coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki wrote in a post on X.

Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman on Thursday rejected accusations "made by certain Israeli politicians and their contacts in the media" that his country had interfered in the Israeli elections.

"We categorically deny allegations that Qatar has interfered in Israeli elections or funded any activities intended to influence their outcome," said Majed Al Ansari. "They accuse Qatar of buying off Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli political left and now, in this latest campaign, the Arab vote... These accusations are ridiculous and dangerous in equal measure."

The Houthis said on Thursday that a Saudi strike on a residential area in Yemen's western Taiz province killed 12 people, as the two sides exchange fire in the reignited conflict.

"As an initial toll, 12 citizens were killed and three others were critically injured when the Saudi enemy targeted the homes of the families of Ibrahim Saeed Mohammed Ahmed Al-Qouz and Al-Raabi Saeed Mohammed Ahmed Al-Qouz in Al-Barah, Maqbana district," the Houthi health ministry said in a statement shared by their Saba news agency.