The success of peace talks between the United States and Iran depends on Washington avoiding “excessive demands” and “unlawful requests,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s spokesman said early on Sunday (April 12, 2026) after marathon talks in Islamabad.

“The success of this diplomatic process depends on the seriousness and good faith of the opposing side, refraining from excessive demands and unlawful requests, and the acceptance of Iran’s legitimate rights and interests,” Esmaeil Baqaei wrote on X.

He added that the two sides had discussed a range of issues including the strategic “Strait of Hormuz, the nuclear issue, war reparations, the lifting of sanctions, and the complete end of the war against Iran.”

– AFP

Iranian officials arrived in Pakistan for peace talks with the United States as Tehran insisted on a truce in Lebanon and unfreezing of its assets for the negotiations to go ahead.

U.S. President Donald Trump vowed meanwhile to have the Strait of Hormuz open “with or without” Iran’s cooperation and said his top priority at the Islamabad talks was to ensure the Islamic republic cannot have a nuclear weapon.

Mr. Trump has dispatched Vice President J.D. Vance to Pakistan to meet with the Iranians in a bid to reach a peace deal in the West Asia war following a two-week ceasefire that was agreed on Tuesday (April 7, 2026).

Mr. Vance warned Iran not to “play” Washington as he headed to Islamabad to represent the United States at the high-stakes meeting along with Mr. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and special envoy Steve Witkoff.

– AFP

Lebanon’s Hezbollah said early ‌on Thursday it fired ⁠rockets at northern Israel in ‌its first attack against ‌the ‌country ⁠since ⁠the United States reached a two-week ceasefire ‌agreement with Iran.

Hezbollah said in a ‌statement that its attack came in response ⁠to what it ‌described as Israeli ceasefire violations, after Israel launched ‌its biggest attack on Lebanon in ⁠this war on Wednesday. 

-Reuters

Pakistan on today invited the U.S. and Iran for talks in Islamabad on April 10.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a social media post, announced that the U.S. and Iran, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire amid the ongoing West Asia conflict.

“With the greatest humility, I am pleased to announce that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere, including Lebanon and elsewhere, effective immediately,” he said.

Mr. Sharif said Pakistan has invited delegations from both countries to Islamabad on April 10 for face-to-face talks aimed at reaching a conclusive agreement “to settle all disputes”.

-AFP

Israel’s military said on Tuesday (April 7, 2026) that its air defences were activated in response to missiles fired by Iran, shortly after it announced that it had launched a “wave” of air strikes on Iran.

“A short while ago, the IDF identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel. Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat,” the Israeli military said on its official Telegram channel. — AFP

International aid group Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, has condemned Israeli strike in Beirut neighbourhood.

It said the strike in Beirut’s Jnah neighbourhood on Sunday (April 5) hit “a densely populated residential area… only meters from Rafik Hariri Public Hospital”.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said the strike, which came without a warning, killed four people and wounded 39.

“We are seeing elderly people and adolescents arriving with critical injuries to the head, chest, and abdomen, including shrapnel wounds,” Luna Hammad, MSF medical coordinator working in the hospital, said in a statement.- AP

Cargo ships in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance. File photo for representational purposes only.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Airstrikes in southwest Iran have killed at least three people and wounded others, according to Iranian state media.

The attack took place in the same area where a missing American crew member is believed to be.

Meanwhile, the commander of the joint military command, Gen Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi, said his country will target all infrastructure used by the U.S. military in the region, as well as Israel’s infrastructure, if aggression against Iran escalates.

His comments on Saturday (April 4) evening, carried by state media, came a few hours after Mr. Trump warned Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz or face devastating consequences.- AP

The latest actions were taken just this week when Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined the Iranian nationals were no longer eligible for either lawful permanent resident status, or to enter the U.S.
| Photo Credit: AP

Iran launched a hunt for the U.S. crew whose jet Iranian media said had been shot down by the Iran’s air defence systems on Friday (April 3), deploying troops and offering a bounty.

U.S. media reported U.S. special forces had rescued one of the two crew members, and a local official television station in southwestern Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province aired footage of what it said was wreckage of the downed plane.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), responsible for military operations in the West Asia, did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment on what would be the first known loss of a jet inside Iran since Trump ordered the war.

“Dear and honourable people of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, if you capture the enemy pilot or pilots alive and hand them over to the police and military forces, you will receive a valuable reward and bonus,” said an Iranian television reporter on the official local channel.- AFP