Page 12 - Latest Updates on West Asia Conflict

Talks in Pak on hold as Iran's diplomat leaves, Trump's envoys are no-show

Attempts at ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran fell flat after Tehran's top diplomat left Pakistan, and President Donald Trump's envoys stayed away after he told them not to travel to Islamabad. The US president indicated the ball was now in Iran's court. "If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!" Trump said on social media. The negotiations were meant to follow historic face-to-face talks earlier this month between the US, led by Vice President JD Vance, and Iran, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. But Iranian officials have questioned how they can trust the US after its forces started blockading Iranian ports in response to Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Islamabad, Pakistan's capital, on Saturday evening, two Pakistani officials told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to the media. Araghchi went on to Oman, on the other si

Iran sent new offers 10 minutes after US team's Pak trip cancelled: Trump

Amid the stalled negotiations with Iran, US President Donald Trump said the Iranians sent over a new peace proposal, but that it "could have been better," and rejected it. "They gave us a paper that could have been better, and interestingly, immediately when I cancelled it, within 10 minutes we got a new paper that was much better," Trump said to reporters on Saturday before boarding Air Force One to return to Washington from Florida. The President wouldn't offer specifics about what was in the latest proposal other than saying "they offered a lot." But he stressed that one of his conditions is that Iran "will not have a nuclear weapon." Trump said he cancelled the latest rounds of negotiations with Iran because it was "a lot of travelling" and because his negotiators, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, "weren't meeting with the leader of the country." Trump said the US will "deal by telephone and they can call us anytime they want" before adding that "we have all the cards.

'We have all the cards': Trump cancels US negotiators' Pakistan trip

The development came shortly after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi concluded his visit to Pakistan

Araghchi leaves Islamabad, conveys Tehran's demands to end war to Pakistan

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Pakistan on Saturday evening, two Pakistani officials told The Associated Press. He met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and other senior officials, the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media. Aragchi's visit comes amid regional tensions and efforts by Islamabad to facilitate a second round of talks between the United States and Iran. Two US envoys had been planning to fly in Islamabad on Saturday. The White House declined to comment on when they were expected to arrive. Senior Pakistani officials were present at an airport near Islamabad to see him off, two officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media.

Iran's foreign minister Araghchi meets Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday met Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir here, as Islamabad continued its efforts to facilitate engagement between the US and Iran. The meeting, according to a short video posted by the Iranian embassy on social media, was also attended by Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, and Iran's ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam. Araghchi calls on Munir, the embassy said in the video caption. It did not provide further details about the discussions. Araghchi arrived here late Friday for engagements with the Pakistani leadership. He was received by senior officials, including Munir, foreign minister Ishaq Dar and interior minister Mohsin Naqvi. However, there is no clarity on whether direct talks between Washington and Tehran will take place during the visit. "No meeting is planned to take place between Iran and the US. Iran's observations would be conveyed to Pakistan," Baqaei said in a social media post on ...

US says it's hunting for explosive mines in latest push to open Hormuz

President Donald Trump says the US Navy is clearing Iranian mines from the Strait of Hormuz, a vital sea route for oil shipments whose disruption is increasingly threatening the global economy. Sweeping for underwater explosives could take months despite a tenuous ceasefire between the United States and Iran in the weekslong war, experts say. Any future claims that the US cleared the waterway where 20 per cent of the world's oil typically passes might fail to convince commercial freighters and their insurers that it is finally safe. "You don't even have to have laid mines - you just have to make people believe that you've laid mines," said Emma Salisbury, a scholar at the Foreign Policy Research Institute's National Security Program. "And even if the US sweeps the strait and says everything's clear, all the Iranians have to do is say, Well, actually, you haven't found them all yet,'" said Salisbury, who is also a fellow at the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre. "There's only so mu

Iran resumes commercial flights from Tehran int'l airport amid peace effort

Iran resumed commercial flights from Tehran's international airport on Saturday for the first time since the conflict with the US and Israel began about two months ago. Iran's state-run television reported that flights took off from the Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran bound for Istanbul, Oman's capital of Muscat and the Saudi city of Medina. Flightradar24, a flight tracking platform, showed that at least three Istanbul-bound flights departed Saturday morning. Iran partly reopened its airspace earlier this month amid a ceasefire with the US, which halted fighting between the two countries.

No clarity on US-Iran peace talks as Islamabad stays under lockdown

Large parts of Pakistan's capital remain under a tight security lockdown for over a week on Saturday, even as uncertainty persisted over the proposed second round of talks between the US and Iran. Arterial roads leading into Islamabad are sealed, while the Red Zone, housing key government buildings and diplomatic missions, remains under a strict security cordon. In the adjacent commercial 'Blue Area', markets are deserted, cafes are running short of supplies, and public transport disruptions with no service at bus terminals have left commuters stranded. For residents, uncertainty has become the hardest part. Islamabad is a city of transients, where many residents work during the week and return to family homes at the weekend. This is the second lockdown in recent weeks. Islamabad was earlier sealed on April 11 for talks between the US and Iranian delegations that ended without a deal. The city briefly reopened before restrictions were reimposed as Pakistan prepared to host another

Jet fuel shortages could make summer travel 'total mess', push fares higher

Facing sky-high fuel costs linked to the war in Iran, airlines are cutting routes and raising prices; European vacations are looking a lot less affordable

US interventions in Iran, Venezuela driven by oil: Russian foreign minister

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused US of oil-driven interventions, slammed 'dominance' doctrine

Disapproval of Trump hits highest level of second term amid Iran war

The president's weakening poll numbers come as the war in Iran has driven up gas prices, and more Americans are expressing concerns about the economy

US escalates rhetoric against Iran as blockade pressure intensifies

As the blockade deepens and rhetoric intensifies, the path forward remains uncertain, with both sides signaling resolve in a standoff that could shape regional security dynamics in the months ahead

Israel, Hezbollah exchange strikes despite ceasefire extension with Lebanon

The Israel Defence Forces said it carried out strikes on Hezbollah rocket launchers in the southern Lebanese towns of Yater and Kafra

'Iran has important chance to make a deal': Hegseth as US tightens blockade

Hegseth emphasized both diplomatic and military pathways, while asserting that enforcement actions are already underway across key waterways

Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi arrives in Pakistan for peace talks

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Islamabad late Friday night to discuss regional developments and the US-Iran ceasefire with Pakistan's top leadership, reviving hopes for the second round of talks with America to end the war in West Asia. He is accompanied by a small delegation, which includes Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei. Araghchi would meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Gen Asim Munir, a Pakistani official said, adding that the Iranian minister may also meet the US officials for the second round of peace talks. US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are travelling to Pakistan on Saturday for direct talks with the Iranian delegation, the White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News. The Pakistan Foreign Office said the Iranian leader was received by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Field Marshal Munir along with other senior officials upon arrival. "During the visit, the Ira

No direct talks planned with US representatives in Islamabad: Iran

Shortly after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi touched down in Pakistan, his government made it clear that there would be no direct negotiations with American government representatives during this visit. Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmael Baqaei said on X that "No meeting is planned to take place between Iran and the US." Instead, Baqaei said Pakistani officials would convey messages between the delegations. Baqaei thanked the Pakistani government for its "ongoing mediation & good offices for ending American imposed war of aggression." The White House said earlier Friday that its envoys would meet Araghchi.

US sanctions China-based oil refinery, 40 shippers over Iranian oil

The Trump administration is placing economic sanctions on a major China-based oil refinery and roughly 40 shipping companies and tankers involved in transporting Iranian oil. The move, announced Friday and first reported by The Associated Press, makes good on the Trump administration's threat to impose secondary sanctions on companies and countries that do business with Iran. It's also part of the Republican administration's overall ramped-up campaign to cut off Iran's key source of revenue - its oil exports. Concurrently, the US this month imposed a physical blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf waterway that is crucial to global energy supplies. These sanctions come just a few weeks before President Donald Trump and China's Xi Jinping are due to meet in China. Included in Friday's sanctions is Hengli Petrochemical's facility in the port city of Dalian, which has a processing capacity of roughly 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day, making it one of the biggest ...

Iran lays mines in Hormuz for the second time since war began: Report

US military reportedly aware of how many new mines Iran has deployed

Iran conflict hits Asia's polyester suppliers to global fast fashion

SURAT, India, April 24 (Reuters) - A surge in fossil fuel prices since the Iran war is squeezing polyester suppliers and garment makers across India and Bangladesh, threatening to raise costs for fast-fashion retailers like Zara and H&M.

Emkay downgrades OMCs as oil prices surge; FY27 earnings may fall up to 60%

Emkay Global has cut ratings on OMC stocks as rising crude and windfall tax may hit margins. The brokerage sees up to 60% decline in FY27 earnings for HPCL, BPCL, IOCL