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Trump backs ‘final offer’ after Iran talks fail

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Washington, April 12: US President Donald Trump was closely involved in high-stakes nuclear talks with Iran and has backed a “final and best offer” to Tehran after negotiations in Islamabad collapsed without agreement, Vice President J D Vance said.

“We leave here with a very simple proposal, a method of understanding that is our final and best offer. We’ll see if the Irans accept it,” Vance told reporters after 21 hours of negotiations .

The Vice President underscored Trump’s direct role in the talks, describing constant communication between the negotiating team and the White House.

“We were talking to the president consistently. I don’t know how many times we talked to him. A half dozen times, a dozen times over the past 21 hours,” Vance said.

He said the President had instructed negotiators to pursue a deal in good faith but with clear limits.

“The president told us, you need to come here in good faith and make your best effort to get a deal. We did that,” Vance said .

Despite intensive engagement, the talks failed to bridge differences over Iran’s nuclear programme.

“We have been at it now for 21 hours… we’ve had a number of substantive discussions with the Iranians. That’s the good news. The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement,” he said .

Washington, he added, had clearly laid out its negotiating boundaries.

“We’ve made very clear what our red lines are… and they have chosen not to accept our terms,” Vance said .

At the core of the impasse is the US demand for a long-term guarantee that Iran will not pursue nuclear weapons capability.

“We need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon and they will not seek the tools that would enable ’em to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon,” he said .

Vance emphasised that Washington is seeking durable assurances, not temporary pledges.

“Do we see a fundamental commitment of will for the Iranians not to develop a nuclear weapon? Not just now, not just two years from now, but for the long term. We haven’t seen that yet,” he said .

He also highlighted the broader national security coordination behind the negotiations, noting that the team remained in touch with senior officials throughout.

“We obviously also talked to… the entire national security team… because we were negotiating in good faith,” Vance said .

While declining to disclose specific sticking points, Vance maintained that the US side had shown flexibility.

“I think that we were quite flexible. We were quite accommodating… and unfortunately we weren’t able to make any headway,” he said.

International News

Saudi Arabia says three people injured in attacks on two airports

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Riyadh, Oct 6: As many as three people were injured, and property was damaged after attacks targeted two airports in Saudi Arabia on Monday evening, according to the country’s civil aviation authority.

In a statement shared on X, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Jazan and Najran International Airport were targeted on Monday evening. It said that emergency response teams and relevant authorities responded immediately under established emergency plans.

The three injured people were taken to hospital for medical treatment. GACA said it was working with the relevant authorities to assess the damage, verify the safety of the airport facilities and take measures to ensure the safety of passengers and maintain the safety and security of Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation system.

On Monday, the Houthis claimed responsibility for the attacks targeting sites in southern Saudi Arabia, including military facilities and airports, Gulf News reported.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the Houthis ‘ targeting of civilians and civilian and economic facilities in the country and Saudi vessels in the southern Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s strongest condemnation and denunciation of the terrorist Houthi militia’s continued targeting of civilians and civilian and economic facilities in the Kingdom; its blatant and repeated attacks against the holiest sites on earth-Makkah and Madinah— the capital Riyadh, and the cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan, Najran, Taif, and Yanbu; and its targeting of Saudi vessels in the southern Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait,” the ministry posted on X.

“The Kingdom affirms that, since the terrorist Houthi militia’s coup against Yemen’s legitimate government in 2014, the Kingdom has made sustained and tireless efforts to support a comprehensive and lasting political solution in Yemen. However, consistent with its rejection of peace, the terrorist Houthi militia has instead chosen continued military escalation, dragging Yemen and the brotherly Yemeni people into further humanitarian and economic suffering to serve and advance external agendas,” it added.

Saudi Arabia reaffirmed its right to defend its territory, resources, sovereignty, and the safety of its citizens and residents, and to take all necessary measures to protect its security in accordance with international law. It also renewed its political and military support for the Presidential Leadership Council, the Yemeni government, and the brotherly Yemeni people to end the coup and restore the state and its institutions from the control of the Houthi militia.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated its call on the international community, particularly the permanent members of the Security Council, to fulfil its responsibilities, implement the relevant Security Council resolutions, and provide full support to Yemen’s legitimate government in confronting the Houthi militia and ending the threat it poses to Yemen, the region, and the world.

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International News

Iran’s president, FM vow defence of national interests

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Tehran, Oct 6: Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi met with visiting Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in Tehran seperately, each stressing Iran’s resolve to defend its national interests and security.

“Negotiation is meaningless with an enemy that resorts to acts of assassination, sanctions, pressure, and threats on a daily basis, and breaks its promises,” Pezeshkian said in his meeting with Mirzoyan on Monday, according to a statement published on the website of his office.

“So far, they (the United States) have attacked us three times following talks, which demonstrates that they are not seeking dialogue, but rather aiming to overthrow the Islamic Republic of Iran’s establishment,” Pezeshkian said.

Pezeshkian noted that Washington offers no answer to the killing of 168 innocent children at a school in Iran’s southern city of Minab on February 28, Xinhua news agency reported.

“None of their actions and behaviors towards Iran complies with international law,” he added.

Araghchi said Iran will “decisively” defend its national interests and security, but has never hesitated to use diplomacy to prevent escalation of tensions, according to a statement released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

He said the “precarious” consequences of the US-Israeli military “aggression” against Iran are the main cause of the insecurity imposed on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Mirzoyan, for his part, emphasised the “strategic nature” of relations between Armenia and Iran, and Yerevan’s continued commitment to expanding cooperation with Tehran, the statement said.

In his meeting with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Mirzoyan stressed that his country will not allow its territory to be used for any action against Iran, according to Iran’s official news agency IRNA.

On February 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and US bases and assets in the region, and tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz.

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International News

Iran reviewing US views on 7-day plan to cease hostilities: Senior diplomat

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Tehran, Oct 5: A senior Iranian diplomat has said that Iran is currently reviewing US views on Tehran’s recent proposal to cease hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi made the remarks in Tehran on Sunday (local time), saying that the United States has submitted its views on Iran’s proposal through mediators.

He stressed that Iran’s proposal is the “seven-day plan” that was presented to the other side by Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi in New York late last month.

Gharibabadi said, “The US views are currently being reviewed inside the country through the appropriate channels,” adding that whenever Iran’s final views are ready, the necessary action will be taken through “appropriate channels.”

He added that Iran is simultaneously making the necessary preparations for any other scenario as well, reports Xinhua news agency.

Iran conveyed a proposed seven-day plan to the United States on September 22 to cease hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through mediators on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

On February 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and US bases and assets in the region, and tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire was achieved between the warring parties on April 8. On June 18, Iran and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on ending the war in the region on all fronts.

Under the MoU, the two countries were scheduled to hold negotiations within 60 days, ending on August 17, to reach a final agreement. However, the two sides failed to make sufficient progress toward a deal as tensions continued to escalate.

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