Iran's FM says mediation efforts underway by several countries to end war

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has said mediation efforts are underway by several countries to end the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran.

Araghchi made the remarks in a Friday interview with Japan's Kyodo News, published Saturday, while voicing Iran's openness to any initiative to that end.

He said that Iran does not seek a ceasefire, "but a complete, comprehensive and lasting end to the war," reminding that the war has been "imposed" on Iran.

Israeli DM says to increase attacks on Iran "significantly"

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Saturday that the intensity of strikes on the Iranian government and the country's infrastructure by the United States and Israel will increase "significantly" in the coming week.

Speaking to senior military commanders during a situation assessment, Katz noted that the war will not stop until all its goals are achieved.

Katz said the attacks will continue "until all security threats to Israel and U.S. interests in the region are removed."

He added that Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps is leading "missile firing against the Israeli home front and countries in the region."

Shortly before Katz made the announcement, fragments from an Iranian missile hit an empty kindergarten in Rishon Lezion in central Israel. Israeli army spokesman Nadav Shoshani posted a video of the kindergarten building on the social media platform X. No casualties were reported as the facility was empty at the time.

Over 80,000 civilian places attacked by U.S., Israel since war's start: Iranian official

President of the Iranian Red Crescent Society Pirhossein Kolivand said here Saturday that the United States and Israel have attacked more than 80,000 civilian places since the beginning of their "aggression" against Iran.

He made the remarks in an address to foreign media representatives while highlighting the violations of international humanitarian law during the U.S. and Israeli attacks.

Kolivand said over 20,000 of the attacked units were located in Tehran and more than 60,000 in other places.

U.S. authorizes 30-day window for Iranian oil sales at sea amid supply concerns

The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday issued a general license temporarily lifting sanctions on Iranian oil at sea for 30 days to address the supply shortage amid shipping interruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

The general license, issued by the department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, authorized the delivery and sales of crude oil and petroleum products of Iranian origin loaded on vessels as of Friday.

Transactions for safe docking and anchoring of relevant vessels, preservation of health or safety of crew members, emergency repairs or environmental protection as well as various services were also allowed.

Notably, transactions authorized by this general license include the importation into the United States of crude oil and petroleum products of Iranian origin.

"This temporary, short-term authorization is strictly limited to oil that is already in transit and does not allow new purchases or production," said U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in an X post on Friday.

14 dead in S. Korean factory fire, no Chinese nationals among casualties

No Chinese nationals were among the casualties in a deadly fire at an automotive parts factory in Daejeon, South Korea, the Chinese embassy in South Korea told Xinhua on Saturday.

According to the embassy, South Korean police notified it that none of the injured or the dead in the incident are Chinese citizens.

As of now, the fire has left 14 people dead, 59 injured, with all missing persons being found.

Police said they have launched identification procedures for the victims and are focusing on determining the cause of the fire.

The blaze broke out at about 1:17 p.m. local time on Friday. Around 170 workers were inside the factory at the time of the incident.■