Iran's Foreign Minister holds call with Pakistan ahead of new round of talks Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar spoke over the phone amid the fresh round of talks between Washington and Tehran, Iranian media is reporting.
Trump: Iran deal to be signed 'today,' as negotiators en route to Islamabad US President Donald Trump has said that a deal with Iran will be signed "today" in Pakistan, adding that Vice President JD Vance and the US negotiating team are en route to Islamabad and due to arrive within hours. "We're supposed to have the talks. So I would assume at this point nobody's playing games," Trump said, adding that he had "no problem" meeting directly with Iranian leadership.
Climate leaders say Democrats need to extol clean energy as a way to cut costs for Americans as war roils oil markets Democrats should get louder in championing clean energy’s affordability and resilience from global shocks, according to some of the party’s leading voices on the climate. As the Iran war roils economies by raising the cost of oil and gas, countries are aiming to accelerate their shift to cleaner energy. But in the US, Donald Trump has sought to kill off any alternative to fossil fuels while opposing Democrats have been reluctant to tie the conflict to any action on the climate crisis.
Islamabad has seized chance to act as mediator in Iran war and hopes to reap diplomatic and economic benefits Middle East crisis – live updates As Pakistan works frantically to narrow differences between Iran and the US in its newfound role as global peacemaker, it is also seeking to recast its diplomatic standing and attract business. Pakistani officials, mediating between an unpredictable US president and hardliners in Tehran, were on Monday trying to coax both sides to put the conditions in place for a second round of talks in Islamabad this week, including easing the standoff in the strait of Hormuz. Pakistan was optimistic that the meeting would happen, viewing objections voiced by the Iranian side and Donald Trump’s threats as posturing for domestic audiences.
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Quds Force Brigadier General Esmaeil Qaani stressed that the formation of Iraq’s government and the selection of its prime minister fall solely within the authority of the Iraqi people, rejecting any foreign interference.
Iran said on Monday it had not yet decided whether to join a second round of talks with the United States, even as Pakistan prepared to host a US delegation, with Tehran accusing Washington of violating the ceasefire and showing no real seriousness about diplomacy.
Tehran [Iran], April 20 (ANI): The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Monday stated that Tehran currently has no plans for a subsequent round of negotiations with the United States, according to the state media Tasnim news agency. The announcement comes at a critical time as international mediators had hoped for a follow-up to the Islamabad talks before the looming ceasefire deadline.
NBC's new poll reveals U. S. President Donald Trump's approval has fallen to 37%, the lowest since his 2nd term, driven by widespread public dissatisfaction with rising inflation and his handling of the Iran war.
China's Xi urges normal passage in Strait of Hormuz in call with Saudi crown prince Chinese President Xi Jinping told Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a phone call on Monday that "normal traffic" through the vital Strait of Hormuz "should be maintained", state media said. Xi also stressed in the call that China "advocates for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire", state broadcaster CCTV said.
Kremlin says it hopes Iran talks continue for the good of the Gulf and global economy The Kremlin said on Monday it hopes negotiations involving Iran will continue in order to avoid negative consequences for the region and the global economy, adding that while Russia is not acting as a mediator it is ready to assist if needed. "We can see that the situation in the Gulf remains fragile and unpredictable. We hope that the negotiation process will continue and that we will be able to avoid a further escalation towards a military scenario," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
New Delhi [India], April 20 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday emphasised the role of India and South Korea as pillars of stability amidst rising global tensions, highlighting the shared commitment of both nations toward a peaceful and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.
Senior UAE scholar says US bases are 'a burden and not a strategic asset' Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 04/20/2026 - 10:18 Abdulkhaleq Abdulla says it's time to think about closing US bases as UAE 'no longer needs' Washington to defend it French pilots stand at the air base of Al Dhafra, near Abu Dhabi, which jointly shared between France, the US and the UAE, on 20 December 2025 (AFP/Ludovic Marin) Off It is time for the UAE to consider closing US bases as they are “a burden and not a strategic asset”, a senior Emirati commentator connected to the kingdom's leadership has said. Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a prominent academic, made the comments on X on Sunday evening, repeating remarks he had given to Reuters. “The UAE no longer needs America to defend it, as it has proven during the Iranian aggression that it is capable of defending itself with distinction,” Abdulla wrote.
Trump says he will consider advice from Pakistan's Munir on Hormuz blockade, Pakistani source says US President Donald Trump told Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir that he would consider Munir's advice on the Strait of Hormuz blockade being a hurdle to peace talks with Iran when the two spoke by phone, a Pakistani security source said on Monday.
A documentary about Peter Sichel – the ‘Jewish James Bond’ who died in 2025 – includes striking mea culpas about the cost and efficacy of US involvement in the Middle East In New York social circles, he was known as the “Jewish James Bond”: a refugee from Nazi Germany whose gratitude to his American hosts was such that he volunteered to join the US army and became the CIA’s first station chief in Berlin as a mere twentysomething, filing early warnings about Soviet activity that have been credited with ringing in the Cold War. Like 007, Peter Sichel also appreciated a fine tipple, and after leaving the US foreign intelligence service it was he who briefly turned a sweet German white, Blue Nun, into one of the best-selling wines in the world. Continue reading...
Iran foreign ministry says US not serious about pursuing diplomacy Iran's foreign ministry said Monday that the United States was not serious about pursuing diplomacy, citing what it called "violations" of their two-week ceasefire. "While claiming diplomacy and readiness for negotiations, the US is carrying out behaviours that do not in any way indicate seriousness in pursuing a diplomatic process," said ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei in a weekly press briefing. He said a US attack on an Iranian cargo ship early Monday, the US naval blockade on Iranian ports, and delays in implementing a ceasefire in Lebanon were all "clear violations of the ceasefire".
The vice president is again center stage, after abruptly leaving the first round of high-level Iranian peace talks without an agreement.
Tehran [Iran], April 20 (ANI): Iran's Judiciary Chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, has asserted that the Iranian nation stood as a united front against recent external aggression, claiming that the country has not made any concessions regarding its core demands, according to the Iranian state media ISNA.
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Iranian Foreign Ministry’s spokesman made it clear that the transfer of Iran’s enriched uranium to another country has never been subject to negotiations, describing the country’s nuclear achievements as a matter of national pride and non-negotiable.
Moscow [Russia], April 20 (ANI): Iran's Ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, has asserted that both the United States and Israel failed to achieve their military objectives during recent hostilities against Iran. In an interview with the Russian newspaper Vedomosti, cited by Al Jazeera, the envoy warned that Washington DC would find no greater success through diplomatic channels than it did on the battlefield.
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran has not yet made any decision about participating in a new round of Pakistani-mediated negotiations with the US in Islamabad, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Monday, citing Washington’s contradictory actions.
