A second round of talks between Israel and Lebanon was set to start Thursday in Washington, while the prospects of Iran-U.S. talks in Pakistan seemed dubious as the Islamic Republic accused the Americans of a “lack of good faith” in negotiations.
Iran fired on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz and seized two of them Wednesday, intensifying its assault on shipping in the key waterway, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump extended a ceasefire while maintaining a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.
The standoff between the U.S. and Iran has effectively choked off nearly all exports through the strait, where 20% of the world’s traded oil passes in peacetime, with no end in sight.
Pakistan had planned to host another round of talks, but the White House suspended U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s planned trip to Islamabad as Iran rebuffed efforts to restart the discussions.
In southern Lebanon, three separate Israeli strikes killed at least six people and wounded others, according to local authorities. Israel denied carrying out one of the strikes and did not immediately comment on the others.
The attacks came as Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors prepared for a new meeting in Washington toward extending a fragile 10-day ceasefire that began last week.
Here is the latest:
Pakistan interior minister meets US official
Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said in a statement Thursday he hoped for “positive progress” from Iran after a meeting with U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker.
The meeting in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad included discussion of diplomatic efforts related to a second round of U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks, which was delayed after Tehran did not confirm when it would send its delegation.
Naqvi said Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir were making efforts “at every level” to support a peaceful settlement and hoped all sides would give diplomacy a chance.
Naqvi praised U.S. President Donald Trump for extending the ceasefire, calling it a welcome step toward de-escalation.
Baker appreciated Pakistan’s “constructive role” in promoting peace, the statement said.
Iran hangs another member of exiled opposition group
Iran said Thursday it hanged another member of the Iranain exiled opposition group Mujahedeen-e-Khalq.
The Mizan news agency of Iran’s judiciary identified the man as Soltanali Shirzadi Fakhr.
It accused him of cooperating with the Israeli intelligence service Mossad, without offering specifics. It also did not say when or where it arrested him.
Iran has accused many it has hanged during the war as having links to Israel. Activists say Iran routinely tries capital cases behind closed doors, uses coerced confessions and doesn’t allow the accused to properly challenge the evidence against them.
This brings to nine the total number of MEK members executed since the start of the war.
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