Posts in category: World

U.S. President Donald Trump has sent a draft agreement with Iran to Israel and other allied countries, according to a report by the British newspaper The Guardian.

The report said the proposed agreement includes clauses related to reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the U.S. blockade.

Under the memorandum of understanding, Iran would be given access to its $12 billion in frozen assets. The draft also proposes restoring the Strait of Hormuz to its pre-war level within 30 days.

The United States has set a condition that Iran will not collect taxes from ships. The agreement also includes a restriction preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

During a 60-day ceasefire, negotiations will be held on highly enriched uranium.

According to the British newspaper, China wants the final approval of the agreement to be given by the United Nations.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it targeted a US air base on Thursday morning in response to what Iran described as an American attack near Bandar Abbas port.

According to Tasnim News Agency, the Revolutionary Guards said in a statement that the US air base was targeted at 4:50 a.m. local time.

The Revolutionary Guards did not specify which US base was targeted. However, Kuwait said missiles and drones were fired toward it on Thursday morning.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards warned that if what they called aggression was repeated, the response would be more decisive.

The United States carried out fresh attacks on Iran, targeting a military installation in the strategic port city of Bandar Abbas. According to US Central Command, American forces also shot down four Iranian one-way attack drones that had posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz.

According to reports by Al Jazeera and the BBC, CENTCOM said the military site in Bandar Abbas was targeted while preparations were being made there to launch a fifth drone. Iranian media reported that explosions were heard in the eastern part of the city.

The attacks came at a time when a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran remains in place and negotiations are continuing to end the three-month-long war.

The war has severely affected maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and has also led to a significant rise in global energy prices.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has claimed that it shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone in the Persian Gulf over an alleged violation of Iranian airspace.

According to the Revolutionary Guards, an enemy aircraft was identified after entering Iranian airspace. It was then targeted and destroyed.

The IRGC said it reserves the full and definite right to retaliate against the United States over any violation of the ceasefire.

The incident came at a time when the US military said it had carried out defensive strikes on Iran’s rocket launch sites, raising concerns over the fragile ceasefire.

The MQ-9 Reaper was reportedly targeted after Iran accused it of violating its airspace.

Before Iran’s claims, the United States said it had conducted self-defense airstrikes against various targets in southern Iran.

The strikes also targeted boats that were allegedly attempting to lay mines, as well as missile launch sites.

US Central Command spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins said US forces carried out self-defense strikes in southern Iran today to protect US personnel from threats posed by Iranian forces.

He added that US Central Command continues to defend its troops while exercising restraint during the ongoing ceasefire.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese Premier Li Qiang agreed in Beijing to maintain close coordination and accelerate implementation of agreed projects to take the Pakistan-China partnership into a new, practical, result-oriented and high-quality phase.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held an important meeting with Premier Li Qiang in Beijing, where the two sides reviewed all aspects of bilateral relations in the context of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Pakistan-China diplomatic ties.

Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and key federal ministers also attended the high-level meeting.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz thanked his Chinese counterpart for the warm welcome. He said the Pakistan-China strategic cooperative partnership is a central pillar of Pakistan’s foreign policy, adding that the iron friendship between the two countries is based on mutual trust, peace and a shared commitment to development.

Both leaders reaffirmed full support for each other on all matters related to core national interests.

Referring to CPEC, the Prime Minister said the project has played a transformative role in Pakistan’s socio-economic development. The two leaders expressed firm commitment to implementing the next phase of CPEC, with special focus on industrialisation, agriculture, science and technology, digital transformation, and socio-economic development.

Prime Minister Shehbaz also highlighted the importance of alignment between China’s Five-Year Plan and “Uraan Pakistan,” saying it aims to accelerate Pakistan’s development priorities.

He appreciated China’s continued support for Pakistan’s national development and economic stability, and reaffirmed that the security of Chinese citizens, institutions and projects in Pakistan would be ensured in all circumstances.

The meeting also placed special emphasis on expanding cooperation in space exploration, artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies. The Prime Minister said the selection of Pakistani astronauts for China’s space mission is clear evidence of deep cooperation between the two countries in strategic sectors.

Iran and the United States have indicated signs of important progress in their ongoing diplomatic contacts, with officials from both countries saying the negotiation process is moving forward and that a key development is expected in the coming days.

Iranian Foreign Ministry and negotiating delegation spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said contacts are continuing to finalise a possible memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington.

According to media reports, Baghaei said the positions of the two countries have moved closer over the past week, but the next few days will be important for final results.

He said Iran is currently focused on reducing tensions in the region and ending the war, while diplomatic contacts on various issues are continuing.

Baghaei said differences between Iran and the United States still remain, but the negotiation process is moving forward. He made it clear that no major result can be expected in the short term because the two countries have a long history of tensions.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is visiting India, also confirmed progress in the negotiation process.

According to media reports, Rubio told journalists in New Delhi that diplomatic efforts regarding Iran are continuing and work is taking place behind the scenes at different levels.

He said an important development on the matter could emerge today, tomorrow or in the coming days.

Analysts say recent statements by Iran and the United States show that both countries want to keep the diplomatic path open to reduce tensions, while Pakistan, Qatar and other regional countries are also active in mediation efforts.

Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has held important meetings in Tehran with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf as part of efforts to end the ongoing war and tensions in the Middle East.

According to Iranian media, the high-level meeting focused on the overall situation in the Middle East, regional peace and the draft of a ceasefire agreement. Pakistan’s Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also accompanied the army chief during the meeting.

In addition to his meeting with President Pezeshkian, Field Marshal Asim Munir separately met Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf. The two sides stressed the need to make the diplomatic process successful and strengthen cooperation between Pakistan and Iran.

Earlier, the army chief also held a lengthy late-night meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

According to Arab media and Iranian news agencies, an announcement on the historic agreement being prepared through Pakistan’s mediation is expected soon. If successful, the agreement will be named the Islamabad Declaration.

The draft of the nine-point agreement does not include the nuclear programme. Its main focus is an immediate and unconditional ceasefire on all fronts. Under the agreement, both countries will be bound not to target each other’s civilian, military or economic installations.

The draft also includes a complete halt to ongoing military operations and media war, a commitment not to interfere in each other’s internal affairs, and an agreement to ensure freedom of navigation for ships in the Arabian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman.

After the agreement, both sides will resume talks within seven days, while the United States will gradually lift sanctions imposed on Iran.

US President Donald Trump has said that Iran is eager to reach an agreement, while stressing that Iran cannot be allowed to have nuclear weapons.

In a statement, President Trump said Iran could not have nuclear weapons and that the United States had no other option. He said the US has the best military in the world and claimed that Iran is eager to make a deal.

Trump also said Saudi Arabia had invested $2 trillion in the United States.

Speaking about Kevin Warsh, Trump said he wanted Warsh to remain independent and that he would restore confidence in the Federal Reserve. Trump said Kevin Warsh would introduce new reforms at the Federal Reserve.

He added that the US wants to stop rising inflation.

Separately, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said it could not be said that the sides had reached a point where an agreement was close.

In a statement, Baghaei said the focus of the negotiations was ending the war. He said a Qatari delegation was holding talks with Abbas Araghchi, while Pakistan was playing a mediating role in the negotiations.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said differences between Iran and the United States were deep and significant. He added that after a few rounds, weeks or months of talks, it could not be said that the sides would reach a conclusion.

Baghaei further said that the parties would certainly reach a result, but diplomacy takes time.

He also said the nuclear issue was not being discussed at this stage, adding that if the talks tried to go into details related to highly enriched uranium, they would not reach any result.