EPC Summit in Yerevan: A critical moment for the South Caucasus
At a time when geopolitical tensions continue to ripple across multiple regions, from Ukraine to the Middle East, ...
Pakistan has offered to host talks between the U.S. and Iran to end the Gulf conflict, as tensions remain high despite reports of possible diplomacy and continued military strikes across the region.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday his country was ready to facilitate talks between the U.S. and Iran, as fighting in the Gulf showed no sign of easing.
In a post on X, Sharif said Pakistan supported efforts to pursue dialogue and would be “honoured” to host negotiations, subject to agreement from both sides.
The U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, saying diplomacy over Tehran’s nuclear programme had stalled, although mediator Oman reported progress at the time.
Since then, Iran has targeted countries hosting U.S. bases, hit Gulf energy infrastructure and disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz - a key route for about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas - triggering a sharp rise in energy prices.
A Pakistani government source said discussions over a possible meeting were at an advanced stage, though no agreement had been confirmed.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that Washington and Tehran had held “productive” talks aimed at ending hostilities. However, Iran denied any direct negotiations had taken place, with parliament speaker Mohammad Bāqer Qālibāf dismissing the reports as “fake news”.
Iran’s foreign ministry acknowledged efforts to reduce tensions, but officials said Tehran’s position had hardened since the conflict began, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps exerting greater influence.
Oil prices surged above $114 a barrel on Monday amid fears of supply disruption, before easing slightly but remaining elevated.
Israeli officials said Trump appeared keen to reach a deal, though they doubted Iran would accept U.S. demands, which are expected to include limits on its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
Meanwhile, fighting continued across the region. Israeli strikes hit targets in Tehran, while Iranian missiles triggered air raid sirens in Tel Aviv, damaging buildings but causing no reported deaths.
In north-western Iran, at least eight people were killed and 28 injured in a strike on a residential area in Tabriz, according to local authorities.
The United Arab Emirates said it had intercepted multiple missiles and drones launched from Iran.
At least two people were killed and three others seriously injured on Monday (4 May) after a 33-year-old German man allegedly drove a car into a crowd on a pedestrianised street in the the eastern German city of Leipzig, authorities said.
Iran warned U.S. forces on Monday not to enter the Strait of Hormuz after President Donald Trump said the United States would "guide out" ships stranded in the Gulf by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
China has moved to block U.S. sanctions on five of its oil refineries, in a fresh escalation of tensions over trade and energy policy.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said he will “soon be reviewing” a new 14-point proposal sent by Iran, casting doubt on the chances of a deal after Tehran called for security guarantees, an end to naval blockades and a halt to the war across the region, including in Lebanon.
Ukraine has launched a new wave of drone strikes on Sunday (3 May) across Russia, hitting key infrastructure and causing casualties in several regions, officials on both sides said.
At a time when geopolitical tensions continue to ripple across multiple regions, from Ukraine to the Middle East, the South Caucasus once again finds itself at the crossroads of diplomacy and uncertainty.
A court in Sydney is set to review a non-publication order in the case of former Australian SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith, who is accused of war crime murder in Afghanistan.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has urged Iraq’s prime minister-designate to form a government which reflects the country’s religious and ethnic diversity.
Uzbekistan has unveiled a series of major economic and regional initiatives as more than 4,000 delegates from over 100 countries gather in Samarkand for the 59th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), held under the theme “Crossroads of Progress.”
Minval Politika has released a third set of footage it says shows former International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo discussing the use of artificial intelligence in a project linked to Armenia and ‘Nagorno-Karabakh’.
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