Iran said Wednesday that exchanges with the United States via Pakistan had continued following failed negotiations over the weekend. "Since Sunday, when the Iranian delegation returned to Tehran, several messages have been exchanged through Pakistan," said foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei in a weekly press briefing. "Today, we are very likely
Hopes rose for renewed talks between the United States and Iran on Wednesday, as the U.S. military said its blockade of Iranian ports was in full effect and Tehran threatened to retaliate by strike targets across the war-weary region. U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that a second round of talks could happen "over the next two days," telling
President Donald Trump said US-Iran peace talks could resume this week, while Israel and Lebanon agreed to launch direct negotiations , signalling movement on two key fronts in efforts to ease the Middle East conflict. The parallel diplomatic openings come even as violence persisted, underscoring both the fragility of the process and Washington's push
A two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran has been agreed but much remains unclear. What will it entail? Will it last? Will it even materialise? Most importantly, where will it lead? The good news is that many of the pressures that brought about the ceasefire remain in place. None of the combatants’ interests would be served by the deployment
Direct talks between Israel and Lebanon concluded in Washington on Tuesday, with Israel's envoy hailing a "wonderful exchange" and saying the two countries are "on the same side" in opposing Iran-backed Hezbollah. "We enjoyed it together. We had a wonderful exchange of over two hours," Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter told reporters following the
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Tuesday for Israel and Lebanon to seize a "historic opportunity" for peace as the first direct talks in decades between the two countries got underway in Washington. "This is a historic opportunity. We understand we're working against decades of history and the complexities that have led us to this unique moment
Lebanese and Israeli representatives were set to meet Tuesday in Washington for their first direct talks in decades, but Hezbollah's opposition to the US-mediated negotiations signalled little prospect of an agreement to stop fighting. The United States is pressing for a halt to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, fearing that it could derail
US President Donald Trump warned Monday that any Iranian attack boats that approach the American naval blockade around Iran's ports would be destroyed, despite international calls for a ceasefire to be respected and negotiations to resume. The US military said the blockade, which took effect at 2pm GMT, applied to all ships leaving or seeking to dock
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem on Monday urged Lebanon to cancel a planned meeting with Israel in Washington the following day, reiterating his group's rejection of direct negotiations with its foe. "We reject negotiations with the usurping Israeli entity... We call for a historic and heroic stance by cancelling this negotiating meeting," Qassem, whose
The U.S. military vowed to blockade all Iranian ports starting Monday, part of efforts to force Tehran into agreeing to open the crucial Strait of Hormuz and accepting a peace deal. Iran responded with threats on all ports in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, taking aim at U.S.-allied countries. That set the stage for an extraordinary showdown