Pakistan offered to host talks between Iran and the U.S. to bring about an end to the Middle East conflict on Tuesday (24 March), as U.S. President Donald Trump repeated that Washington was speaking to Tehran, despite the White House downplaying earlier comments by Trump saying the same thing.
After U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran and the U.S. had discussed an end to hostilities in a post on Truth Social on Monday (23 March), White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt downplayed the statement at a media briefing.
"This is a fluid situation, and speculation about meetings should not be deemed as final until they are formally announced by the White House,” she said.
Later on Tuesday, Trump again said that talks were taking place between Iran and the U.S., telling reporters that Washington was speaking to "the right people" in Tehran.
Iran also denied any negotiations were taking place and Qatar confirmed it wasn’t acting as a mediator in any talks.
Meanwhile, Pakistan emerged as a potential mediating force if any future talks happen. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the country was “ready” to host or facilitate negotiations to bring about the end of the conflict.
Lebanon expels Iranian Ambassador
Beirut’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had ordered the Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Reza Sheibani to leave the country by Sunday (29 March), after declaring him persona non grata.
It accused Sheibani of interfering in internal affairs by criticising decisions made by the Lebanese government and holding meetings with “unofficial Lebanese parties.” It didn’t say who those parties were.
The Ministry said that Sheibani had violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations through his actions.
The development came as Lebanese Shia Islamist group Hezbollah vowed to fight any attempt by Israel to occupy the south of the country, calling it an "existential threat” to Lebanon as a state.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) confirmed that a Moroccan civilian contractor had died in an Iranian attack in Bahrain. Another five UAE military personnel were also injured in the attack, as well as a number of troops from Bahrain, according to the UAE’s Foreign Ministry.
Elsewhere, the President of Iraq’s Kurdistan region said six people were killed in an Iranian rocket attack on a military base north of the city of Erbil. Nechirvan Barzani said 30 others were wounded in the attack early on Tuesday.
The President of the Philippines declared a national emergency as a result of what he called an “imminent danger” to the country’s energy supply from the Middle East conflict. Ferdinand Marcos Jr said an emergency committee had been formed to ensure the supply and distribution of fuel, food, medicines, agricultural products and other essential goods.
Meanwhile, beer brewers in India warned of price rises, due to a shortage of gas. As the world's fourth-largest importer of natural gas, India is especially vulnerable to fuel availability and relies heavily on the Middle East for shipments, sourcing about 40% of its supply from Qatar.
In Kenya, the head of an association representing independent retailers, said hundreds of outlets were running out of fuel due to the Iran conflict.
The U.S. military began a blockade of Iran's ports on Monday, President Donald Trump said, and Tehran threaten...
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has refused to join a U.S.-led blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, distancing Britain from military escalation after f...
Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the United States will meet later in Washington to discuss a ceasefire, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubi...
Iran's ports were blocked by the U.S. military on Monday (13 April), President Donald Trump confirmed. Tehran has threatened to retaliate again...
U.S. President Donald Trump warned that any Iranian ships approaching ports in the Strait of Hormuz would be "immediately elimi...
Iran's ports were blocked by the U.S. military on Monday (13 April), President Donald Trump confirmed. Tehran has threatened to retaliate against its Gulf neighbours' ports and a U.S. official said there was continued engagement with Iran, and forward motion on trying to get to an agreement.
U.S. President Donald Trump warned that any Iranian ships approaching ports in the Strait of Hormuz would be "immediately eliminated" on Monday, as the U.S. started its blockade.
Tensions in the Gulf have sharpened dramatically after reports that the United States has begun a blockade of Iranian ports, a move already rippling through global markets and political circles.
An Indian healthcare provider plans to invest $50 million in diagnostic and pharmaceutical projects in Uzbekistan’s Namangan region, aiming to expand access to advanced medical services between 2026 and 2028.
Israel has reprimanded Spain’s most senior diplomat in Tel Aviv after a giant effigy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was blown up in a Spanish town.
U.S. President Donald Trump warned that any Iranian ships approaching ports in the Strait of Hormuz would be "immediately eliminated" on Monday, as the U.S. started its blockade.
Nine suspects were arrested on Saturday (11 April) in connection with a terror attack targeting a police post in Istanbul’s Beşiktaş district.
Millions of Orthodox Christians across the globe celebrated Easter, known as Holy Pascha, on Sunday (12 April) with midnight liturgies, candlelight processions and deeply rooted local traditions reflecting centuries of faith.
Russia and Ukraine accused each other of violating a 32-hour ceasefire introduced to mark Orthodox Easter on Saturday (11 April). Russian officials said Ukrainian drones attacked targets in the Kursk and Belgorod border regions, injuring five people.
An Indian healthcare provider plans to invest $50 million in diagnostic and pharmaceutical projects in Uzbekistan’s Namangan region, aiming to expand access to advanced medical services between 2026 and 2028.
Nine suspects have been formally arrested over last week’s gun attack near Israel’s consulate in Istanbul, judicial officials have said. The assault left one attacker dead and two Turkish police officers lightly wounded.
Azerbaijani and Armenian civil society representatives have convened for a new round of dialogue under the ‘Peace Bridge’ initiative, as both sides seek to sustain engagement ahead of key political developments in the region.
The reopening of Azerbaijan’s embassy in Iran reflects the “special relationship” between the two countries, a regional expert has said.
Cement maker Lafarge was found guilty by a French court on Monday (13 April) of paying millions to jihadist groups, including ISIS, to keep a plant running during the Syrian civil war.
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