The Gulf region, shipping and energy markets were brought some relief by the announcement of a ceasefire by US President Donald Trump on Tuesday. Iran has agreed to open the Strait of Hormuz to commercial traffic as long as ships coordinate their movements with its authorities. Regardless of what happens next – whether a lasting … Read more
The United States and Iran are holding in-person talks in Pakistan to end their six-week-old war, days after agreeing to a fragile ceasefire. Talks between the two sides began in Islamabad on Saturday afternoon, following separate meetings by each side with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The US delegation is being led by US Vice … Read more
During a White House Easter luncheon, President Donald Trump abruptly departed from the script to discuss speculation about J.D. Vance’s role in brokering a deal to end the war in Iran. Trump said with a laugh, “If it (peace deal) doesn’t happen, I’ll blame J.D. Vance.” Hearing this sentence, laughter echoed in the audience. Among … Read more
The war launched by the US and Israel is already changing the geopolitics of the Middle East. This process will only deepen as the long-term consequences of this war unfold. The US and Israel have inflicted severe damage on Iran’s armed forces, its military structure, and its civilian infrastructure. However, although the Iranian regime has … Read more
The biggest hope in the talks in Pakistan for a ceasefire between the US and Iran is that both countries have strong reasons to stop the war. But the biggest obstacles to the success of these talks are the distrust between the two, the absence of any common position, and the fact that Israel, which … Read more
When a new conflict erupted in the Middle East following the American and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28, perhaps no one imagined that Pakistan would not only play a central role in the ceasefire efforts, but that Islamabad’s diplomacy would lead to a ceasefire. On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump confirmed on Twitter … Read more
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his country will continue to strike Hezbollah “wherever necessary” despite the ceasefire and talks between the United States and Israel. Israel has already taken the position that the ceasefire does not apply to Lebanon, but Iran says that continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon are tantamount to a “serious violation” … Read more
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that Israel has destroyed Iran’s largest petrochemical plant. “We are systematically dismantling the financial machine of the IRGC (Revolutionary Guards),” the Israeli prime minister’s X (formerly Twitter) account said in a statement. In a separate statement, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said it had targeted two of Iran’s … Read more
The news conference so far has revealed few details about the broader conflict, nor has it explained how the administration intends to handle the war or how the United States will emerge from it. Importantly, Defense Secretary Pat Hegseth’s statement that “Iran has a choice” is particularly meaningful. By saying that Iran must “choose wisely” … Read more
The world is holding its breath today as the clock ticks toward a midnight GMT deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump. After five weeks of a conflict that has already redefined Middle Eastern geopolitics, we are currently at the most dangerous inflection point yet. 1. The “Civilization” Ultimatum In a series of high-decibel statements … Read more