All posts tagged: Masoud Pezeshkian

‘Once Trump accepted Iranian 14-point proposal as basis of talks, he gave Iran political initiative’

‘Once Trump accepted Iranian 14-point proposal as basis of talks, he gave Iran political initiative’

Published by Sam Flores

Carys Garland is pleased to welcome Scott Lucas, Professor of American Studies and International Politics at the Clinton Institute, University College Dublin. Amid the latest escalation between Iran, Israel, and the US, Lucas warns that both Tehran and Jerusalem are increasingly willing to act independently of Washington’s preferences, exposing what he describes as Donald Trump’s diminishing ability to dictate events. He also argues that Tehran is actively seeking to reshape the diplomatic framework, insisting on linking developments in Lebanon, the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions relief, and regional security into a single bargaining process.  Keywords for this article Source link

Iran, US and Pakistan report progress in talks on ending war

Iran, US and Pakistan report progress in talks on ending war

Published by Sam Flores

Senior US and Iranian officials said on Saturday they could be close to a breakthrough in talks to strike a draft deal, while remaining cautious about the chances of ending the war in the Middle East. US President Donald Trump told CBS in a phone interview on Saturday that the two sides were “getting a lot closer” to a deal, but also warned that if they do not reach an agreement “we’re going to have a situation where no country will ever be hit as hard as they’re about to be hit”. Iran said gaps remain between the parties, and the dispute over its nuclear programme would not be part of the initial talks, but that it was finalising a 14-point framework for a deal. Read moreMiddle East war live: US and Iran are ‘getting a lot closer’ to finalising agreement, Trump says In a sign of the uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the talks, Trump also told another US outlet, Axios, on Saturday that the chances of a deal were a “solid 50/50”. Iranian …

Trump threatens Iran before ceasefire deadline, possible peace talks

Trump threatens Iran before ceasefire deadline, possible peace talks

Published by Sam Flores

US President Donald Trump speaks to the press before departing from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 16, 2026. Brendan Smialowski | AFP | Getty Images President Donald Trump on Monday again threatened Iran with overwhelming military force, saying “lots of bombs [will] start going off” if no deal is reached before a shaky ceasefire with Tehran expires Tuesday evening. The latest threat, made in a phone call with a PBS News reporter, came as the status of additional U.S.-Iran peace talks, and other key details on the current relationship between the warring powers, have grown increasingly opaque. At the same time, Trump has resumed his saber-rattling rhetoric, which had escalated two weeks ago before the expiring fragile ceasefire was reached. Trump, in phone calls with reporters over the past two days, has vacillated between warmongering and offering unclear details about further negotiations. Specifics about a potential deal also remain fuzzy. The Trump administration has stated repeatedly that Iran must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon, and …

Washington to host Israel-Lebanon talks next week

Washington to host Israel-Lebanon talks next week

Published by Sam Flores

10/04/2026 – 04:32 This liveblog is no longer being updated. 10/04/2026 – 03:52 Japan plans to release 20 days’ worth of oil reserves Japan plans to release 20 days’ worth of oil reserves from May, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told a cabinet meeting on Friday, to ensure stable domestic supply while searching for non-Middle East barrels as conflict in the region disrupts global supply. Japan is dependent on the Middle East for some 95% of its oil. It began releasing reserves on March 16 unilaterally and in coordination with other nations under a plan to make available enough oil to last 50 days. The 20 days’ worth is additional. 10/04/2026 – 02:38 Kuwait says Iran and its proxies attacked it on Thursday Kuwait accused Iran and its proxies of launching drone attacks targeting it on Thursday despite the two-week ceasefire in the Iran war, as Saudi Arabia said recent attacks damaged a key pipeline in the kingdom. The statement from Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry, carried by the state-run KUNA news agency, put new pressure on the …

Iran president seeks ceasefire, U.S. wants Hormuz Strait open

Iran president seeks ceasefire, U.S. wants Hormuz Strait open

Published by Sam Flores

President Donald Trump on Wednesday said Iran’s president has asked the U.S. for a ceasefire. But the U.S. will “consider” the offer only once the Strait of Hormuz is “open, free, and clear,” Trump said on Truth Social. “Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!” he wrote. The announcement came hours before Trump was set to deliver an “important update on Iran” in an address to the nation, according to the White House. The address is set for 9 p.m. ET. It was not immediately clear if Iran would confirm or reject Trump’s claim that Tehran’s “New Regime President” had asked for the ceasefire. The two sides have frequently contradicted each other’s claims about the existence and status of peace-deal talks since the war began on Feb. 28. It was also not clear if any ceasefire request was made directly to the U.S., as Trump’s post suggested, or if it came via an intermediary, such as Pakistan. And even if President Masoud Pezeshkian had asked …

Iraq caught between US and Iran, facing attacks from both warring sides & Iran-aligned actors within

Iraq caught between US and Iran, facing attacks from both warring sides & Iran-aligned actors within

Published by Sam Flores

Oliver Farry is pleased to welcome Hayder Al-Shakeri, Research Fellow with the MENA programme at Chatham House. Al-Shakeri describes Iraq as a state navigating a precarious balance between two powerful allies whose conflict is increasingly unfolding on its own territory. This position is not merely diplomatic but deeply structural, rooted in economic dependence, security arrangements, and geographic realities that bind Iraq simultaneously to both Washington and Tehran. The lack of strong institutions, and a fully-functioning central government, constrains the state’s ability to respond. Keywords for this article Source link

US goals shift: ‘At the beginning of the Iran war, the US and Israel were on the same page’

US goals shift: ‘At the beginning of the Iran war, the US and Israel were on the same page’

Published by Sam Flores

Genie Godula is pleased to welcome Dr H. A. Hellyer, Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) for Defence and International Security Studies in London. He examines the evolving dynamics between Washington and Tel Aviv in the context of the war on Iran, alongside Israel’s expanding military posture in Lebanon. The central observation is that while initial strategic alignment existed, divergence has emerged, not necessarily in ultimate objectives, but in coherence, messaging, and political intent. Keywords for this article Source link

'Disaster: Attacks on gas infrastructure, in Iran and Qatar, may set us back several years'

'Disaster: Attacks on gas infrastructure, in Iran and Qatar, may set us back several years'

Published by Sam Flores

Nadia Massih is pleased to welcome Dr. Adi Imsirovic, Author, Director at Surrey Clean Energy and Lecturer on Energy Systems at Oxford University. According to Dr.Imsirovic, we are witnessing a structural rupture in the norms that have quietly governed conflict in energy-producing regions for decades. Critical energy infrastructure was largely kept off the battlefield, until now. This boundary has now been breached and the consequences will affect the global supply chains for years to come. Source link

Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has ‘very good links with the IRGC’

Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has ‘very good links with the IRGC’

Published by Sam Flores

Jean-Emile Jammine is pleased to welcome Dr H. A. Hellyer, Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) for Defence and International Security Studies in London. The succession process currently unfolding in Iran must be understood within the extraordinary context of wartime decision-making, Dr Hellyer explains. The debate over Mojtaba Khamenei’s appointment is less about dynastic succession than about institutional power inside the Islamic Republic. Hence, his relationship with Iran’s powerful IRGC is of utmost importance. Keywords for this article Source link

Trump not worried about domestic terror attack

Trump not worried about domestic terror attack

Published by Sam Flores

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media next to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 11, 2026. Brian Snyder | Reuters President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he’s not worried about Iran executing a terror attack within the United States in retaliation for the ongoing war by the U.S. and Israel. “No, I don’t,” Trump told a reporter outside the White House when asked if he feared such a domestic attack. Trump also touted progress in the war against Iran, which is in its 11th day, before departing for a trip to Kentucky and Ohio. “Right now, they’ve lost their Navy, their Air Force. They have no anti-aircraft apparatus at all,” the president said. “Their leaders are gone, and we could do a lot worse.” Trump said the U.S. military is “leaving certain things” in Iran, which could be destroyed by the afternoon, if need be, and “they literally would never be able to build that country back.” He said the U.S. military had destroyed …