Diplomatic

• De Verenigde Staten hebben hun consulaat in Peshawar, Pakistan, gesloten en alle diplomatieke functies en verantwoordelijkheden overgedragen aan de hoofdambassade in Islamabad. • De consolidatie weerspiegelt de herstructurering van de diplomatieke aanwezigheid van de Amerikaanse overheid in Pakistan en is erop gericht de operaties te stroomlijnen. • De stap heeft invloed op de diplomatieke betrokkenheid in het noordwesten van Pakistan, een strategisch belangrijke regio die grenst aan Afghanistan.

• Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary To Lam in April 2026, marking To Lam's first international trip in his new role and signaling Beijing's emphasis on party-to-government relations with Hanoi. • The two countries signed 32 bilateral agreements, more than double the 14 agreements reached during To Lam's 2024 visit, covering trade, investment, and strategic cooperation across multiple sectors. • Beijing is leveraging Vietnam's socialist governance model as common ground for deepening ties, while also pursuing enhanced regional connectivity through infrastructure projects like Malaysia's East Coast Railway Line to bind Southeast Asia closer to China.

• Turkey and Greece opened negotiations on Monday in Athens to address longstanding maritime boundary disputes and resource rights in the Eastern Mediterranean, marking the first high-level talks in eighteen months. • Both countries appointed senior diplomats to address competing claims over exclusive economic zones and the status of disputed islands, with the EU facilitating discussions. • U.S. State Department officials welcomed the resumption of dialogue, calling it essential for regional stability and noting that resolution could improve NATO cohesion in Southeast Europe.

• The United States has suspended a $150 million military aid package to the Philippines following tensions over Manila's softened stance on South China Sea disputes with China. • State Department officials cited the Philippines' decision to reduce joint naval operations in disputed waters as the reason for the suspension, marking a significant shift in regional alliance strategy. • The move reflects US frustration with shifting regional dynamics and concerns that strategic partners may be accommodating Beijing's territorial claims under economic pressure.

• The United States announced Friday a temporary suspension of certain oil-sector sanctions against Venezuela pending the outcome of renewed diplomatic negotiations scheduled to begin Monday in Mexico City, marking the first high-level talks in 18 months. • State Department officials stated the measure aimed to create "negotiating space" for discussions on political prisoners, election transparency, and humanitarian access, with hopes of establishing a pathway toward normalized relations. • Venezuela's government welcomed the development but demanded complete lifting of financial sanctions, which have contributed to severe shortages of food and medicine affecting 28 million citizens, according to UN estimates.

• Venezuelan authorities arrested opposition coalition leader Juan Carlos López on Friday on unspecified treason charges, immediately drawing condemnation from the US State Department and international human rights organizations. • The arrest coincides with leaked documents suggesting López coordinated with US officials regarding potential sanctions strategies, which the Maduro government claims constitutes betrayal of national interests. • The US Ambassador to the UN called for López's immediate release and warned of additional sanctions against Venezuela if detention continues, escalating diplomatic friction in the region.

Sir Simon McDonald says Olly Robbins was ‘thrown under a bus’ by the prime minister and the decision feels ‘wrong’The Peter Mandelson security vetting scandal is the biggest crisis for the diplomatic service in decades, a former Foreign Office chief has said.Sir Simon McDonald, who was the permanent under-secretary of the government department until 2020, has spoken out in defence of Sir Oliver Robbins, saying the civil servant was “thrown under a bus” by the prime minister, Keir Starmer, when he was dismissed from his role on Thursday. Continue reading...

• The U.S. and Iran agreed on Tuesday to a two-week ceasefire, marking a potential diplomatic breakthrough after 47 days of conflict. • Under the agreement, both Iran and Oman will be permitted to participate in the pause in hostilities, with U.S. military personnel and weaponry remaining positioned in and around Iran until a peace deal is finalized. • The ceasefire emerges as negotiators push for a next round of talks, though tensions remain high with shipping disruptions continuing in the Strait of Hormuz.

Pakistani officials defy the skeptics to lead a breakthrough in negotiations and help avert catastrophe in Iran Middle East crisis – live updatesPakistan’s leaders had almost lost hope. After more than two weeks of frantic negotiations, phonecalls and diplomatic summits to try to end the US-Israeli war with Iran, it looked like the conflict might instead be escalating into Islamabad’s worst nightmare.In a cabinet meeting held around 5pm on Tuesday, Pakistan’s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif was morose. “We should brace ourselves for the impact of the war,” he told his cabinet ministers. “The situation has really become very bleak. The chance of peace has become dim.” Continue reading...

• The U.S. State Department announced the release of American journalist Shelly Kittleson, marking a key diplomatic achievement. • The press statement highlights ongoing efforts to secure the freedom of detained U.S. citizens abroad amid heightened global tensions. • This development follows recent foreign policy shifts, potentially signaling improved negotiations with adversarial governments.

• Türkiye positions itself at the center of diplomatic initiatives and alternative energy transit routes as U.S.-Israel-Iran hostilities enter their second month. • Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan conducted intense phone diplomacy and Gulf trips, coordinating with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan on ceasefire frameworks. • Ankara prioritizes preventing escalation, staying outside direct hostilities while warning against conflict expansion amid surging global oil prices.

• Prime Minister Keir Starmer has led a 40-nation diplomatic effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz following Iran's de facto blockade in response to US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets. • The vital maritime route carries nearly 20 percent of global oil and LNG supplies, with disruptions pushing crude prices above $100 per barrel and triggering fuel rationing and economic strain worldwide. • While the UK and allies explore sanctions and coordinated maritime measures, the United States has stepped back, with President Trump urging other nations to take the lead in managing the crisis.

• Tensions between the United States and Turkey reached new levels on Wednesday following Turkish military incursions into northeastern Syria targeting Kurdish militant groups, operations the US opposes due to potential civilian casualties and disruption to counter-terrorism efforts. • US Secretary of State issued a formal statement urging Turkey to exercise restraint, while Turkish officials countered by questioning US commitment to NATO and threatening to restrict American military access to Incirlik Air Base absent policy changes. • The dispute reflects broader disagreements over Syria strategy, regional stability priorities, and the role of Kurdish armed groups in counter-ISIS operations, complicating US military logistics and diplomatic coordination in the Eastern Mediterranean.

• Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV) introduced HR 8167, the Diplomatic Reserve Corps Act of 2026, on March 31, authorizing a 1,000-member ready reserve for U.S. diplomatic efforts. • Co-led by Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-WA) and endorsed by the American Academy of Diplomacy, the bill addresses heightened demand periods for diplomacy. • The reserve would enable rapid deployment of experienced personnel to support State Department operations globally.

• The Pentagon has deployed approximately 2,000 soldiers from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, providing President Trump with additional military options while he pursues diplomatic efforts with Iran. • The troop movement occurs as the Trump administration has sent Iran a 15-point ceasefire plan through Pakistani intermediaries, according to officials briefed on the diplomacy. • The dual strategy reflects efforts to find an economic off-ramp from the Middle East conflict while maintaining military readiness, though Iran has given a negative response to the ceasefire proposal.

• The Trump administration reopened the US embassy in Caracas on Saturday, marking the first diplomatic presence since 2019, with the American flag raised as part of resumed diplomatic relations with Venezuela. • The embassy reopening follows a deadly US military strike in early January that led to the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Celia Flores, a dramatic shift in bilateral relations. • The diplomatic resumption represents a significant policy reversal in the Trump administration's approach to Venezuela after years of sanctions and confrontational posturing.