• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi returned to Islamabad on April 27, 2026, to push a new proposal through Pakistani mediators aimed at ending the US-Iran war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
• The proposal reached the White House, but President Trump canceled planned envoy visits by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, citing lack of progress, while indirect talks continue.
• Araghchi headed to Moscow for talks with President Putin after blaming the US for failed peace efforts; Russia urged Washington to abandon ultimatums in Vienna negotiations.
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were to travel to Islamabad to attempt to revive ceasefire negotiationsDonald Trump said he has told US envoys not to go to Pakistan for more talks with Iran, shortly after Tehran’s top diplomat left Islamabad late on Saturday.Trump added to Fox News: “They can call us anytime they want.” The White House on Friday said Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would travel to Pakistan’s capital to attempt to revive ceasefire negotiations. Continue reading...
Iranian foreign minister has landed in Islamabad but his ministry says there will be no direct negotiations with the US envoyThe Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it launched strikes in three areas in southern Lebanon against what it claimed were Hezbollah rocket launchers.The strikes hit the villages of Deir al-Zahrani, Kfar Reman and al-Sama’iya, which are north of where IDF forces are located in southern Lebanon. Continue reading...
• US-Iran ceasefire talks collapsed in Pakistan, raising doubts over Army Chief Asim Munir's role as mediator despite Trump's prior praise.
• Concerns in US national security circles focus on Munir's alleged IRGC ties, questioning his neutrality.
• Tehran refuses further Islamabad-hosted talks, pressuring Pakistan's diplomatic standing.
Vice-president would travel with Witkoff and Kushner as ceasefire deadline looms. Plus, how to avoid an AI job scamGood morning.JD Vance is expected to fly to Islamabad to lead the US delegation on Tuesday if Iran agrees to further talks, as the deadline for the current ceasefire looms.What effect is the war having on developing countries? With food and fuel inflation reaching close to 20%, Fletcher warned: “We will feel the impact for years in sub-Saharan Africa and east Africa pushing way more people into poverty.”What are the impacts on displacement? Sexualized attacks are hastening the displacement of Palestinians, according to the report, with more than two-thirds of households surveyed identifying rising violence against women and children as a tipping point in their decision to leave. Researchers also found it was causing girls to quit school, women to stop working, and had contributed to a rise in early marriage. Continue reading...
Iranian official stresses no decision made on taking part, as US vice-president JD Vance is set to travel to Islamabad for negotiations JD Vance to lead US delegation in Pakistan if Iran agrees to talksOn Tuesday morning, Islamabad sat poised and ready to host a second round of talks – even as uncertainty reigned over whether both sides would even turn up.Pakistani officials remained optimistic that the second round of negotiations would happen, even as Iranian ministers said they would refuse to come to the table under the threat of “force” and it remained unclear exactly when US vice-president JD Vance planned to depart Washington for Islamabad. Continue reading...
US vice-president to travel to Islamabad with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as deadline for current ceasefire loomsPakistan seeks to raise its global standing in push for Middle East peaceMiddle East crisis – live updatesJD Vance is expected to fly to Islamabad at the head of a US diplomatic delegation on Tuesday if Iran agrees to further talks in the Pakistani capital as the deadline for the current ceasefire looms.The US vice-president will travel with Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump’s special envoy, and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law – though Iran’s president warned there remained a “deep historical mistrust” of the US. Continue reading...
Unclear whether Iran will take part in talks as US president repeats threat to destroy Iranian infrastructureMiddle East crisis – live updatesDonald Trump’s representatives will return to Pakistan on Monday for another possible round of talks aimed at ending the US-Israeli war in Iran, as the US president repeated his threats to Iranian infrastructure unless Iran agrees to a deal.The return of a US delegation to Islamabad, led by vice-president JD Vance, along with Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, comes after Iran on Saturday reimposed tight restrictions on the transit of commercial shipping in the strait of Hormuz, reversing an agreement made hours before to reopen the strategic waterway, over the US’s refusal to lift its naval blockade. Continue reading...