talks

A fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran faces a pivotal test in Islamabad, where the two sides are holding their highest-level talks in years in a Pakistan-brokered effort to turn a two-week pause in fighting into a durable end to a war that has shaken global energy markets. Here are five things to know about the Islamabad talks. The conflict that set the stage On 28 February, the US and Israel carried out coordinated strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and hit Iran's military and nuclear…

Fresh uncertainty hung over planned peace talks in Pakistan after Iran said negotiations cannot begin unless blocked Iranian assets are released and a ceasefire in Lebanon is firmly in place. Iran's parliament ⁠speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said on X that both conditions had already been agreed with the US and said the talks would not go ahead until they are met. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi repeated that message and likewise demanded an end to Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon. Pakistani sources said both Mr Qalibaf and Mr…

Tensions are mounting around a fragile two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran, with Washington accusing Tehran of failing to honour commitments on the Strait of Hormuz and Israel launching strikes on Lebanon that Iran says breach the truce. There was still no indication that Iran intended to ease its near-total blockade of the strait, a choke point that has triggered the most severe disruption ever seen in global energy supplies. Iran pointed to Israel's continuing assault on Lebanon, including what were described as the…

As the aftermath of Lebanon’s deadliest day of the war continued to unfold, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today he wants direct negotiations with Beirut, raising the stakes just one day after bombardments killed more than 300 people and cast fresh doubt over Donald Trump’s US-Iran ceasefire. Mr Trump declared a ceasefire in the six-week Iran conflict late on Tuesday, only hours before a deadline after which he had warned he would wipe out Iran’s entire civilisation. In Pakistan, officials were making…

A tense Middle East standoff deepened as US President Donald Trump said American military forces would stay in the region until a peace agreement with Iran is secured, while warning that any failure to comply could trigger a dramatic widening of the conflict. The prospect of further turmoil pushed oil prices higher as markets fretted over supply risks and continuing restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz. In a social media post, Mr Trump said US ships, aircraft and personnel — backed by extra ammunition and weapons — would…

Israel unleashed its most intense strikes yet on Lebanon, killing hundreds and provoking a threat of retaliation from Iran, which signaled it would be “unreasonable” to move ahead with talks aimed at securing a permanent peace deal with the United States. The remarks from Iran’s chief negotiator, parliament speaker Mohammed Bager Qalibaf, underscored how fragile the region remains even after President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire. The United States and Iran have entered Saturday’s planned peace talks with sharply…

President Donald Trump struck an upbeat note on the standoff with Iran, saying the two sides have been in contact "directly and indirectly" and describing Tehran's new leadership as "very reasonable", even as additional US troops arrived in the region and Iranian officials vowed they would not submit to humiliation. The comments, made last night, followed word from Pakistan — acting as an intermediary between Tehran and Washington — that it was preparing to host "meaningful talks" in the coming days in an effort to bring the…

Iran and the United States stood at a stubborn impasse Thursday, each digging in over ceasefire terms as diplomacy stalled and fears of further escalation grew with more U.S. forces nearing the Middle East. At the same time, President Donald Trump extended a deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, pushing it to April 6. Tehran also tightened its control over the waterway, while Israel increased troop levels in southern Lebanon as it continued fighting the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. In Israel, sirens…

Live Iran's ambassador to Pakistan says no talks with US yet Middle East Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan has said there have been no formal discussions between Tehran and Washington to date, a clear statement that underscores the continued gap between the two governments. The declaration, delivered by Iran’s top diplomat in Islamabad, confirms that despite intermittent international attention on possible engagement, no negotiations have commenced. The ambassador’s remarks serve as a reminder that, for now, diplomatic…

By Abubakr Al-ShamahiWednesday March 25, 2026 As fighting grinds toward its first month, United States President Donald Trump is pressing a claim that “productive” talks with Iran are already paving the way to end the war he launched alongside Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — even as Iran’s senior leadership continues to flatly reject that account. With wartime messaging and competing propaganda clouding the picture, it remains difficult to determine what is happening behind the scenes. One way to cut through…