Arabic version: تراجع الجهود الدبلوماسية مع دخول الصراع الإيراني يومه الثامن والخمسين
Prospects for a diplomatic breakthrough in the US-Israeli war with Iran appear to have dimmed, with negotiations to end the two-month conflict stalled as both Tehran and Washington show little sign of easing their positions. US President Donald Trump cancelled a planned visit to Islamabad by his envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, dealing blows to peace prospects, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Pakistan at the weekend after presenting mediators with a potential framework for ending the conflict.
According to Al Jazeera, the US has received a new peace proposal from Tehran, but it has already been rejected. The ongoing conflict has already pushed energy prices to multi-year highs, stoked inflation and darkened global growth prospects.
In recent developments, Araghchi left for Oman, saying he would return to Pakistan again on Sunday before heading to Russia. The US Central Command reported that US forces intercepted a sanctioned ship linked to Iran’s “shadow fleet,” which is involved in transporting Iranian oil and gas products to foreign markets. Additionally, Iran executed a man convicted of being a member of the armed group Jaish al-Adl and carrying out attacks on Iranian security forces.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian communicated with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, asserting that Tehran would not engage in “imposed negotiations” under threats or blockades. He emphasized that the US should first remove operational obstacles, including its blockade on Iranian ports, to facilitate negotiations. Meanwhile, Trump expressed skepticism about the Iranian offer, characterizing it as inadequate and indicating confusion within Iran’s leadership.
In Lebanon, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered troops to attack Hezbollah targets, further testing the three-week ceasefire. Reports indicate that two Israeli raids on a truck and a motorcycle in the town of Yohmor al-Shaqif in Nabatieh district killed four people, further escalating tensions in the region.
