Iran is 'open' to talks on Strait of Hormuz, Iranian FM says - Middle East conflict on 15 March
Iran says it is open to talks with countries seeking safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz - disrupted by recent attacks - as Israel continues ...
The Kremlin has confirmed that the next round of trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States will be held in Abu Dhabi on 4–5 February, after the meeting was postponed last week to align the schedules of all delegations.
Speaking at a press briefing on Monday in Moscow, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the second round of discussions, originally planned for 1 February, was postponed to “adjust the schedules of all participants” but will now take place on Wednesday and Thursday. He described the negotiation process as “complex” and “multidirectional”, noting that while some issues have seen progress, others remain far harder to resolve.
Peskov avoided giving any measure of progress, saying only that common ground had been found on certain points, while other areas still lacked “rapprochement”. He also declined to clarify the current status of the informal “energy truce”, reiterating that Moscow had already agreed to a request from Donald Trump not to strike Ukraine’s energy infrastructure to support conditions for the talks.
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Sunday that the Abu Dhabi sessions had been rescheduled for 4–5 February, describing the first round in January as constructive.
Peskov again said Russia remains open to dialogue, repeating the Kremlin’s longstanding position that any meeting between Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin would have to take place in Moscow. He said work by the negotiating groups was continuing and welcomed efforts to maintain momentum.
Rising tensions
He also confirmed that Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev’s recent visit to Miami was linked to economic discussions with the United States, noting that Dmitriev chairs the working group on bilateral economic interaction.
Commenting on rising tensions between Washington and Tehran, Peskov said Moscow was continuing its contacts with all sides and stood ready to help reduce the risk of escalation.
On France, Peskov called the idea of establishing a dedicated communication channel with Moscow “sound”, but said there was still no clarity on possible contact between the two leaders.
Asked whether Russia was in talks with the United States and Iran over transferring enriched uranium from Iran to Russian territory, he said the issue had been on the agenda for years, and consultations with all parties were ongoing.
A long-running investigation has suggested that the street artist known as Banksy may be legally named David Jones. A report indicates that Jones was previously known as Robin Gunningham, a name long associated with Banksy, before legally changing his name several years ago.
A widening conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel has triggered escalating military strikes across the Middle East, disrupted shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz and raised concerns over global energy supplies. This live report tracks the latest developments.
North Korea fired what appeared to be a ballistic missile on Saturday (14 March), Japanese and South Korean officials said. The development comes amid the joint annual U.S.-South Korea "Freedom Shield" military drills and South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok's visit to Washington.
Iran says it is open to talks with countries seeking safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz - disrupted by recent attacks - as Israel continues to launch wide‑scale strikes on Iranian infrastructure in the west. This live report tracks the latest developments.
Ukrainian drones struck an oil refinery and a key port in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region overnight (13-14 March), local authorities said, causing injuries and damage. In separate action, Russian air attacks on Ukrainian territory killed and wounded civilians near Kyiv, officials reported.
Canada and the five Nordic countries have agreed to deepen cooperation in military procurement and other areas, in the latest push by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to build new global alliances.
Top U.S. and Chinese economic officials launched a new round of talks in Paris on Sunday (15 March) to resolve issues in their trade truce. The discussions aim to smooth the way for U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at the end of March.
Ukraine wants money and technology in return for helping Middle Eastern nations that have sought its expertise as they defend against Iranian kamikaze drones, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, after Kyiv sent specialists to the region.
French voters head to the polls on Sunday (15 March) to elect their mayors in a closely watched ballot seen as a test of the strength of the far-right and the resilience of mainstream parties ahead of next year's presidential vote.
Tens of millions of Vietnamese were voting on Sunday (15 March) to elect members of parliament from a list of candidates almost exclusively fielded by the Communist Party, ensuring the party's continued overwhelming dominance.
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