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.
Iran temporarily reopened the Strait of Hormuz on Friday (17 April) following a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, ra...
Australia and Japan signed contracts on Saturday (18 April) launching their landmark A$10 billion ($7 billion) dea...
Global shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has shown signs of partial recovery after Iran announced it was open to commercial vessels during a li...
Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping on Friday (17 April) for the first time since the U.S. and Israel killed Iran's ex-Su...
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has said his country could provide a “safe corridor” and “alternative route” for regional ...
An average of at least 47 women and girls were killed each day during the war in Gaza, according to new figures released by UN Women.
A remarkable discovery at the ancient ruins of Sanxingdui offers a glimpse into what appears to be otherworldly craftsmanship - an axe believed to have been made using material from a meteorite.
China is seeking to strengthen and upgrade its cooperation with Turkmenistan, focusing on what officials describe as “high-quality development” across a range of sectors.
Kazakhstan plans to boost trade with Afghanistan from $500 million to $3 billion, backed by infrastructure and transit projects designed to strengthen regional connectivity and improve access to global markets.
The past 24 hours of the Russia-Ukraine war have seen a drastic escalation in both aerial bombardment and frontline losses.
Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping on Friday (17 April) for the first time since the U.S. and Israel killed Iran's ex-Supreme Leader in air strikes, triggering the Middle East conflict, at the end of February. A U.S. blockade on Iranian ports, however, remains in force.
Russia published addresses of manufacturers allegedly producing drones or components for Ukraine on Wednesday (15 April), warning European countries against plans to step up UAV supplies to Kyiv.
Netflix shares fell sharply on Friday after the streaming group issued a weaker-than-expected outlook and said chairman and co-founder Reed Hastings will step down from the board.
U.S. President Donald Trump says Israeli and Lebanese leaders have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire that includes Hezbollah, raising cautious hopes of a pause in hostilities after weeks of escalating tensions.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has said his country could provide a “safe corridor” and “alternative route” for regional energy shipments, as supply disruptions continue to affect the wider Middle East.
An average of at least 47 women and girls were killed each day during the war in Gaza, according to new figures released by UN Women.
China is seeking to strengthen and upgrade its cooperation with Turkmenistan, focusing on what officials describe as “high-quality development” across a range of sectors.
Kazakhstan plans to boost trade with Afghanistan from $500 million to $3 billion, backed by infrastructure and transit projects designed to strengthen regional connectivity and improve access to global markets.
A low-profile diplomatic visit to Tbilisi may prove more consequential than it first appears, as representatives of France, Germany and Poland meet figures across Georgia’s political spectrum, signalling that Brussels is watching closely ahead of a key EU foreign ministers’ meeting.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment