Foreign News
Iran And US To Hold Talks On June 21, Pakistan Foreign Ministry Says
Iran and US are set to hold talks on June 21, according to a statement from Pakistan’s foreign ministry on Saturday. Mediators from Pakistan and Qatar will also participate in the discussions, the ministry said, as cited by Bloomberg.
Axios news reported on ‘X’ that US Vice President JD Vance could travel to Switzerland either on Saturday or Sunday.
Iran’s Speaker of the parliament of Iran Mohammad Baghar Ghalibaf and Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Aragchi will also be present at the negotiations.
This development comes after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report from Tasnim News Agency on Saturday. The country had suspended talks with the US to reach a peace deal after Israel launched strikes at Lebanon.
Israeli air strikes and drone attacks in southern Lebanon killed at least five people on Saturday, according to Lebanese state media.
Iran’s joint military command said it has closed the Strait of Hormuz for shipping transit due to what it said was a violation of the ceasefire by Israel, as per the semi-official Tasnim news agency reports cited by Bloomberg.
Iran said that the attacks were in “bad faith” and a “clear breach of its commitments”, according to AP News Agency who cited a statement from Iranian state TV.
ALSO READ: Hormuz Tensions Escalate: Iran Announces Strait Closure Amid Ongoing Peace Talks With US
The statement said, “if the aggression continues, subsequent steps have been planned.”
The closure is Iran’s first step in response to Israel’s continued attacks in southern Lebanon, the report stated. The Iran delegation has travelled to Switzerland for US talks according to state TV. The attacks occurred hours after a ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group took effect on Friday.
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