Pakistan and Qatar Step In as Supporting Parties
Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir have departed for Bergenstok, Switzerland, where the next round of high-level Iran-US negotiations is scheduled to take place. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry announced on social media that Qatar will also be participating in the meeting.
The ministry stated that Pakistan will continue to back all efforts to advance and implement the understandings that Iran and the United States have already reached.
Iran's Senior Delegation Lands in Zurich
A high-level Iranian delegation led by Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf arrived in Zurich on Saturday night. The team's arrival in Switzerland is being read as a direct precursor to the proposed next round of US-Iran talks. The delegation's visit is understood to be focused on post-agreement questions and the key issues arising from the ongoing diplomatic process.
Trump Issues a 60-Day Deadline on the Strait of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump has stated that the interim US-Iran agreement provides for toll-free shipping through the Strait of Hormuz for a period of 60 days. If the two sides fail to conclude a final peace deal within that window, however, the United States will begin levying maritime tolls on vessels transiting the strait.
Trump was clear that whether during those 60 days or after the period ends, the authority to collect any such toll belongs exclusively to the United States.
Netanyahu Pushes Back Against Lebanon Criticism
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has forcefully responded to mounting international criticism of military operations in Lebanon. He maintained that the Israeli military takes greater precautions to protect civilians and minimise casualties than any other armed force in the world.
Netanyahu also claimed that no other country in the world faces a propaganda campaign as sustained and intense as the one directed against Israel. He stated firmly,
"Truth and Israel will win."These remarks come at a moment when global condemnation of Israeli military action in Lebanon continues to intensify.
