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Fragile ceasefire holding, Trump envoy says peace talks with Iran ‘promising’

Pezeshkian also told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that Tehran was ready to resolve differences with the U.S.

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The ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump between Iran and Israel appeared to be holding on Wednesday a day after both countries signalled that their air war had ended, at least for now, Reuters reported.

Each side claimed victory on Tuesday after 12 days of war, which the U.S. joined with airstrikes in support of Israel to take out Iran’s uranium-enrichment facilities.

Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, said late on Tuesday that talks between the United States and Iran were “promising” and that Washington was hopeful for a long-term peace deal.

“We are already talking to each other, not just directly but also through interlocutors. I think that the conversations are promising. We are hopeful that we can have a long-term peace agreement that resurrects Iran,” Witkoff said in an interview on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle” show.

“Now it’s for us to sit down with the Iranians and get to a comprehensive peace agreement, and I am very confident that we are going to achieve that,” he added.

Trump said over the weekend that U.S. stealth bombers had “obliterated” Iran’s programme to develop nuclear weapons. Iran says its enrichment activities are for civilian purposes only.

According to the report, which was produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency, the strikes sealed off the entrances to two of the facilities, but did not collapse underground buildings, said one of the people familiar with its findings.

Some centrifuges remained intact, the Washington Post said, citing an unnamed person familiar with the report.

Trump’s administration told the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday that its weekend strikes had “degraded” Iran’s nuclear programme, short of Trump’s assertion that the facilities had been “obliterated.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that the attack had removed the nuclear threat against Israel and he was determined to thwart any attempt by Tehran to revive its weapons program.

“We have removed two immediate existential threats to us: the threat of nuclear annihilation and the threat of annihilation by 20,000 ballistic missiles,” he said.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country had successfully ended the war in what he called a “great victory,” according to Iranian media.

Pezeshkian also told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that Tehran was ready to resolve differences with the U.S., according to official news agency IRNA.

Israel launched the surprise air war on June 13, attacking Iranian nuclear facilities and killing top military commanders in the worst blow to the Islamic Republic since the 1980s war with Iraq, Reuters reported.

Iran, which denies trying to build nuclear weapons, retaliated with barrages of missiles on Israeli military sites and cities.

Iran has arrested 700 people accused of ties with Israel during the 12-day conflict, the state-affiliated Nournews reported on Wednesday and Iran executed three men on Wednesday, convicted of collaborating with Israel’s Mossad spy agency and smuggling equipment used in an unnamed assassination, the Iranian judiciary’s Mizan news agency reported.

Israel’s military lifted restrictions on activity across the country at 8 p.m. local time (1700 GMT) on Tuesday, and officials said Ben Gurion Airport, the country’s main airport near Tel Aviv, had reopened. Iran’s airspace likewise will be reopened, state-affiliated Nournews reported.

Oil prices edged higher on Wednesday, finding some respite after plummeting in the last two sessions, as investors assessed the stability of the ceasefire and the diminished prospect of an Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

The truce appeared fragile: Both Israel and Iran took hours to acknowledge they had accepted the ceasefire and accused each other of violating it.

Trump scolded both sides but aimed especially stinging criticism at Israel, telling the close U.S. ally to “calm down now.” He later said Israel called off further attacks at his command.

Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, said he told his U.S. counterpart, Pete Hegseth, that his country would respect the ceasefire unless Iran violated it. Pezeshkian likewise said Iran would honour the ceasefire as long as Israel did, according to Iranian media.

Israeli armed forces chief of staff Eyal Zamir said a “significant chapter” of the conflict had concluded but the campaign against Iran was not over. He said the military would refocus on its war against Iran-backed Hamas militants in Gaza.

Iranian authorities said 610 people were killed in their country by Israeli strikes and 4,746 injured. Iran’s retaliatory bombardment killed 28 people in Israel, the first time its air defences were penetrated by large numbers of Iranian missiles, read the report.

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US allies in Middle East ‘edging closer’ to joining conflict

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Key U.S. allies in the Middle East are moving closer to direct involvement in the conflict with Iran, as sustained attacks on Gulf infrastructure intensify pressure on regional governments, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

Both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are reportedly weighing deeper coordination with the United States and Israel, following repeated Iranian missile and drone strikes that have disrupted their economies and threatened regional energy security.

While neither country has formally committed troops, recent developments suggest a shift toward more active participation. The report indicates that Gulf support is already enhancing U.S. operational capabilities, including facilitating airstrike logistics and potentially opening new avenues to target Iran’s financial networks.

Saudi Arabia signals shift in stance

Saudi Arabia appears to be reassessing its position as attacks on critical infrastructure continue. Riyadh has reportedly allowed U.S. forces access to the King Fahd Air Base, a move that could support expanded military operations.

Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan warned that the kingdom’s tolerance for Iranian attacks is limited. “Any belief that Gulf countries are incapable of responding is a miscalculation,” he said following recent strikes on energy facilities.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is said to be considering stronger action to restore deterrence, with officials suggesting it may be only a matter of time before Saudi Arabia takes a more direct role in the conflict.

According to the WSJ report, one source said that “it is only a matter of time before the kingdom enters the war.”

UAE ramps up pressure on Tehran

The United Arab Emirates has also taken steps to increase pressure on Tehran, particularly through economic measures. Authorities in Dubai have shut down Iranian-linked institutions, including the Iranian Hospital and Iranian Club, citing violations of national laws and alleged links to state-backed activities.

Officials warned that further action could include freezing billions of dollars in Iranian assets held within the UAE, a move that could significantly impact Iran’s already strained economy.

Long regarded as a key financial hub for Iranian businesses, the UAE’s shift signals a notable escalation in its stance, even as it continues to deliberate over potential military involvement.

Regional tensions and strategic stakes

The growing alignment among Gulf states follows a series of attacks on energy facilities across Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, and Qatar. Doha has condemned the strikes as a dangerous escalation and a direct threat to regional stability.

At the center of the war remains control over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil shipments. Iran’s ability to disrupt traffic through the strait continues to give it significant strategic leverage.

Risk of wider regional war

As the conflict approaches the one-month mark, Gulf states are maintaining close coordination with Washington over next steps. However, analysts warn that continued Iranian strikes could force regional powers into open confrontation.

With economic, security, and geopolitical stakes rising, the prospect of a broader regional war is becoming increasingly likely unless tensions are quickly contained through diplomatic efforts.

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Tehran rejects Trump’s claims of talks, accuses US of spreading ‘fake news’

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Claims by Donald Trump that the United States is engaged in “good and productive conversations” with Iran have been firmly denied by Tehran, further clouding the already tense standoff between the two sides.

Iran’s Parliamentary Speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, dismissed the assertion, stating that no negotiations are currently taking place. In remarks posted on social media, he accused Washington of spreading “fake news” in an attempt to manipulate global financial and oil markets during a period of heightened volatility.

“No negotiations have been held with the US, and fake news is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the US and Israel are trapped,” he said late Monday.

The denial comes after Trump signaled a temporary pause in planned military strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure, including power plants, following his earlier ultimatum that Tehran reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours or face attack.

Analysts question timing of “talks”

Political analyst Mitchell Plitnick suggested the claim of ongoing talks may have been aimed more at calming markets than reflecting genuine diplomatic progress.

“He saw that markets were likely to react negatively to threats of attacking Iran’s electrical grid and moved to stabilize the situation,” Plitnick said, adding that there is no evidence of active communication between Washington and Tehran.

Iranian officials have consistently maintained that there has been no direct contact with the U.S., reinforcing skepticism over Trump’s statements.

Strategic stakes remain high

The dispute is closely tied to control of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint through which a large share of the world’s oil supply passes. Iran has warned it could restrict or even close the waterway if its territory or infrastructure is targeted, a move that could have far-reaching consequences for global energy markets.

Analysts note that this leverage gives Tehran a significant strategic advantage in the ongoing war, particularly as fears of supply disruptions continue to influence oil prices and global economic stability.

Fragile pause amid risk of escalation

While Trump has delayed potential strikes for several days, the situation remains highly volatile. The absence of confirmed diplomatic engagement raises concerns that the pause may be temporary, with the risk of rapid escalation still looming.

As tensions persist, international observers continue to call for transparency, restraint, and renewed diplomatic efforts to prevent a broader conflict in the region.

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Trump backs down on strikes on Iran’s power network, says US and Tehran holding talks

Iranian attacks have effectively closed the Strait, which ​carries a ⁠fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas.

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President Donald Trump backed down on targeting Iran’s power network on Monday, saying the U.S. and ​Iran have held constructive talks and that he would ‌postpone any strikes on power plants and energy infrastructure, Reuters reported.

Trump’s statement came after Iran threatened to attack Israel’s power plants and those supplying U.S. bases ​across the Gulf region if the U.S. targets Iran’s ​power network.

The dollar plunged and ​stocks surged following Trump’s post.

The United States and Iran “have had, over ​the last two days, very good and productive conversations regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East,” Trump wrote ​in a post on Truth Social.

“I have instructed the Department ​of War to postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants ‌and ⁠energy infrastructure for a five-day period, subject to the success of the ongoing meetings and discussions.”

On Saturday, Trump warned that Iranian power plants would be destroyed if Tehran failed to “fully open” ​the Strait of ​Hormuz to ⁠all shipping within 48 hours. Trump set a deadline of around 7:44 p.m. EDT (2344 GMT) on ​Monday.

Iranian attacks have effectively closed the Strait, which ​carries a ⁠fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas, read the report.

More than 2,000 people have been killed in the war the U.S. and Israel ⁠launched ​on February 28, which has upended markets, ​driven up fuel costs, fuelled global inflation fears and convulsed the postwar Western ​alliance.

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