(AFP) – The latest developments in the Middle East war:
**Vance says talks failed to reach agreement**
US Vice President JD Vance said Sunday that 21 hours of talks with Iran failed to reach an agreement, stating he was leaving after putting forward a “final and best offer.” “The simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon and will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon,” he told reporters in Islamabad, highlighting the main sticking point for talks moving ahead.
**Iran says talks hinged on avoiding ‘excessive demands’**
The success of peace talks between the United States and Iran depended on Washington avoiding “excessive” and “unlawful” demands, the Iranian foreign ministry’s spokesman said early on Sunday 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.
**Iran and US spar over strait**
Iran denied Washington’s claims that two US Navy warships crossed the Strait of Hormuz to clear the strategic waterway of mines, warning that military ships attempting the passage “will be dealt with severely.” US Central Command’s claim that mine detection operations were already underway was echoed by President Donald Trump, who told reporters Saturday, “we have mine sweepers out there. We’re sweeping the strait.” A fifth of the world’s crude oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz.
**Trump says Iran deal ‘makes no difference’**
Trump told reporters Saturday it “makes no difference” if a peace deal comes out of the trilateral US-Iran talks in Pakistan, insisting the United States has already won the war. The 79-year-old Republican’s comments came as Vice President JD Vance was leading the US delegation in Islamabad, with discussions heading into a second day. Earlier, Iranian media reported that the United States was making “excessive demands” on the Strait of Hormuz during the talks.
**Iran nuclear programme crushed: Netanyahu**
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the joint US-Israeli campaign against Iran had succeeded in “crushing” the Islamic republic’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. “They wanted to strangle us, and (now) we are strangling them. They threatened us with annihilation, and now they are fighting for survival,” he said, adding that the war against Tehran had also weakened Iran’s leadership and its regional allies. He agreed to Lebanese requests for peace talks on two conditions: “We want the dismantling of Hezbollah’s weapons, and we want a real peace agreement that will last for generations.”
**Lebanon death toll past 2,000**
Lebanon’s health ministry reported that the death toll since the start of the war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah has reached 2,020. The latest toll includes 248 women, 165 children, and 85 medical and emergency personnel killed, along with 6,436 people wounded since Lebanon became involved in the Middle East war on March 2. Earlier Saturday, Lebanon reported that Israeli strikes on a village near Sidon in the south killed eight people, after previous strikes killed 10, including three emergency workers. Israel’s military stated it had struck more than 200 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in the last 24 hours.
**Pope denounces warmongers**
Pope Leo condemned warmongers while calling on billions of people worldwide to embrace peace and “believe once again in love, moderation and good politics.” In one of his most passionate appeals yet to end the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the American pope asserted that faith was necessary “in order to face this dramatic hour in history together.”
**Macron appeal**
French President Emmanuel Macron stated that he urged his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian to use the talks to achieve “a lasting de-escalation.” “I urged him to seize the opportunity presented by the talks launched in Islamabad to pave the way for a lasting de-escalation and a robust agreement that provides solid guarantees for security in the region,” Macron tweeted.
**Iran says lacks ‘trust’ with US**
Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf remarked shortly after arriving in Pakistan’s capital that previous experiences negotiating with the United States had led to a lack of trust. “Our experience in negotiating with the Americans has always been met with failure and broken promises,” he was quoted as saying by Iranian state media.
**Israel won’t discuss ceasefire**
Israel’s US ambassador Yechiel Leiter informed his Lebanese counterpart in Washington that he “refused to discuss a ceasefire with the Hezbollah terrorist organisation,” according to a statement following the meeting. Israel “agreed to begin formal peace negotiations” with the Lebanese government, despite lacking diplomatic relations. Lebanon’s presidency announced that a meeting would be held at the US State Department on Tuesday “to discuss declaring a ceasefire and the start date for negotiations between Lebanon and Israel under US auspices.”
© 2024 AFP
