Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has indicated that further Iran-US negotiations are anticipated soon, following talks in Pakistan. Despite initial optimism, the previous round of negotiations did not result in a lasting peace agreement.
Pakistan is actively engaged in diplomatic efforts to facilitate negotiations between the US and Iran, with hopes of hosting a second round of talks in Islamabad.
Talks between Iran and the US in Pakistan concluded without a deal due to disagreements over key issues, including Iran's nuclear programme and sanctions, despite efforts to find common ground.
US Vice President JD Vance has postponed his visit to Switzerland for technical talks with Iranian negotiators, citing logistical issues. These negotiations are crucial for finalising the details of a recently signed peace deal between the US and Iran, which aims to end the conflict in West Asia and includes a 60-day period for technical discussions.
An Iranian delegation, led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, concluded high-level meetings in Islamabad, delivering an 'official list of demands' to Pakistani leaders for the US and Israel. This comes as President Trump cancelled his envoys' visit to Islamabad amid ongoing efforts to facilitate peace talks between Iran and the US.
Uncertainty surrounds the planned second round of peace talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad, as both sides engage in brinkmanship. Despite Pakistan's security preparations, Iran has yet to confirm its attendance, citing a lack of seriousness from the US in pursuing diplomacy and violations of the ceasefire.
Following the signing of a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Iran, US President Donald Trump reiterated the terms for a 60-day negotiation period, vowing that Tehran will receive "not ten cents" in financial relief.
The US and Iran have agreed on a roadmap aimed at reaching a final agreement within 60 days after hours-long talks at the Swiss resort of Burgenstock, mediators Qatar and Pakistan said on Monday, describing the progress as "encouraging."
The Gulf countries on Monday welcomed a peace deal reached between the US and Iran to end their conflict and called for protection of maritime routes and freedom of international navigation, including the uninterrupted flow of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran blames the US for 'maximalism' and 'shifting goalposts' leading to the collapse of the Islamabad talks.
Indian stock markets extended their gains for a third consecutive day, with the Sensex climbing 753 points and the Nifty closing above 24,550, driven by a drop in crude oil prices and optimism surrounding potential peace talks between Iran and the US.
US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are travelling to Pakistan for direct talks with an Iranian delegation as part of efforts to end the seven-week war, the White House announced.
Pakistan is set to host face-to-face talks between the United States and Iran, aiming to solidify a fragile ceasefire and prevent further conflict in West Asia. The discussions will focus on a long-term peace arrangement, including sanctions relief, regional security, and Iran's nuclear program.
Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has been in Tehran meeting with Iranian officials in an attempt to mediate and resolve the ongoing conflict between the US and Iran. This marks Naqvi's second visit in less than a week as Pakistan seeks to bridge the differences between the two nations and establish long-term stability in the region.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Pakistan for the second time in three days amid uncertainty surrounding potential peace talks with the US. The visit follows discussions in Oman regarding regional security and efforts to resolve the Iran-US conflict.
The Indian rupee gained 2 paise to settle at 93.33 against the US dollar, driven by positive sentiment in domestic equity markets and renewed hopes for US-Iran talks, despite rising WPI and CPI inflation.
'Pakistan has pitched Islamabad as a possible venue for talks as early as this week involving senior figures from the Trump administration and Iran,' the Financial Times reported.
US President Donald Trump expressed confidence in America's position amid US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad, stating that Washington stands to 'win' regardless of a deal.
The US and Iranian delegations left Pakistan after failing to reach an agreement in historic talks aimed at resolving the West Asia conflict and stabilising global energy markets.
US President Donald Trump has indefinitely extended the ceasefire with Iran at the request of Pakistan, aiming to allow Tehran's leadership time to form a unified proposal to end the seven-week war.
The United States and Iran concluded the first phase of in-person talks in Islamabad, with both delegations exchanging written texts to formalise areas of understanding. The discussions, involving key representatives from both sides, are aimed at reducing tensions and exploring possibilities of a structured understanding.
Ahead of the expiry on Tuesday of the two-week ceasefire declared by US President Donald Trump in the conflict with Iran, US media outlets reported on Sunday that negotiators Steve Witkoff, special envoy for peace missions and Jared Kushner will head to Islamabad for talks with Iran.
The Congress party has criticised the Indian government's diplomatic efforts, questioning how Pakistan was able to secure a role as a mediator between the US and Iran despite India's attempts to isolate it after the Pahalgam attack. The party also raised concerns about India's standing on the global stage and its relationship with the US and China.
Direct talks between the US and Iran, mediated by Pakistan, have failed to produce an agreement after 21 hours of negotiations, with disagreements over Iran's nuclear ambitions and sanctions proving insurmountable.
As the negotiations continued, the Iranian government said on social media that "talks between Iran and the US in Islamabad entered the expert-level stage as economic, military, legal, and nuclear committees joined in".
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said his trip to Islamabad was "very productive" and involved "good consultations" with Pakistan's top leadership amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
Silver and gold prices snapped a two-day rebound and declined sharply up to 10 per cent in the futures trade on Thursday amid weak trends in the international markets and a strong US dollar.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi spoke with Indian counterpart S Jaishankar to discuss the West Asia crisis, following discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered his support to help bring peace to West Asia, praising the Iranian people for their resilience. This comes as Iran seeks to resolve the conflict with the US, following discussions with Pakistani and Omani leadership.
Is the current rally telegraphing a durable peace plan in West Asia, boosted by United States (US) President Donald Trump's incoherent and contradictory posts on social media?
US President Donald Trump stated that military strikes against Iran could resume if they 'misbehave,' even as he reviews a new proposal from Tehran aimed at ending the paused conflict.
Analysts are revising down India Inc's financial year 2026-27 (FY27) earnings growth forecasts, citing persistently high crude oil prices above $100 a barrel due to the West Asia conflict, which is expected to dent corporate financial performance in the coming quarters.
To be sure, Trump is furious, as the trajectory of the war is in a state of Zugzwang, as chess players call it. Trump and Netanyahu stare at two choices -- retreat in humiliation and concede Tehran's demands -- recognition of its rights, reparations, and binding security guarantees -- or perish in a quagmire, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
For weeks, the war skirted the edge of catastrophe without tipping over. Missiles flew, there was much destruction, commanders were assassinated, cities across the Gulf and even in Israel struggled to absorb the shock. But one line held: Energy infrastructure, the arteries of the global economy, remained largely untouched. That is no longer true. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
By all available indications, the White House drafted a face-saving note and handed it, ready-made, to Islamabad. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was supposed to then post it in the guise of a plea urging Trump to extend the deadline by two weeks 'to allow diplomacy to run its course'. Trump would then graciously accept Pakistan's 'request' and declare a ceasefire. Sharif dutifully posted the message on X. Except that he, or whoever was handling the account, forgot to delete the tell-tale first line visible in the edit history: 'Draft - Pakistan's PM Message on X'. Prem Panicker's must read blog on the Iran War.
Baghaei also alleged that recent unrest in Iran was fuelled by foreign interference, claiming riots were triggered by "very evident" interventionist remarks by US and Israeli officials.
This is part of the reason the US advised some Americans to leave the region earlier Wednesday, with the State Department ordering non-emergency government officials to exit Iraq due to 'heightened regional tensions', CBS News reported.
Amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, US President Donald Trump on Monday urged civilians to 'immediately evacuate Tehran', shortly after which the White House announced he would be departing the G7 summit early to 'attend to many important matters'.
"We hope that India, as well as all other states -- China, Russia, France, Britain and Japan -- will diminish their economic relations with Iran," US Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns said.
The United States and Iran held their highest level of talks in over 30 years, during which Tehran put "possibilities" on the table to resolve the longstanding dispute over its nuclear programme, even as Washington sounded a cautious note.
