ISLAMABAD (Urdu Times) Iran-US war is nearing an end

ISLAMABAD (Urdu Times) The US and Iran have promised to meet again in Islamabad for such an agreement. US President Donald Trump has said that the Iran war is nearing an end. He said this in a recent interview with journalist Maria Bartiromo. In the part of the interview that has been released by Fox News’ X handle, Maria Bartiromo asks the US President whether this war is over. In response, Trump says that he thinks the war is “close to being over.” In an interview with Fox News, the US president said that we’ll see what happens next. I think they (Iran) are eager to reach a deal. President Trump further says that if he hadn’t attacked Iran, Iran would have developed a nuclear weapon. What could not be resolved in the April 11 talks has revived hopes for lasting peace in the Middle East. Both sides have expressed their full confidence in Pakistan’s ability and sincerity to facilitate a settlement. After the Islamabad talks, Iran’s foreign minister revealed that most issues have been agreed upon and they are very close to finalizing a peace deal. The US also confirmed that the US team is working with its Iranian counterpart to resolve the remaining differences. The eyes of the world are now on the next meeting of the parties in Islamabad. A peace settlement between Iran and the United States would be important not only for the region but also for the entire world, as the 40-day war has disrupted energy supplies and brought the global economy to the brink of collapse. Since the beginning of the war, Iran has claimed complete control over shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. US President Trump has threatened to bomb Iran and push it back to the “Stone Age” if it does not open the Strait. If he follows through on his threats, Iran would likely attack water purification plants and power grids in Gulf states, further disrupting oil and gas supplies through the Strait of Hormuz and pushing the global economy into recession and possibly a severe economic crisis. Just 80 minutes before President Trump’s deadline for Iran to open the Strait expired, the Pakistani prime minister offered talks to the US and Iran in Islamabad. The US president and Iran accepted. The US and Israel targeted and killed Iranian leadership for 40 days, bombed Iranian military installations, and sometimes civilian populations. Iran fought back fearlessly. It knew its nuclear program was just a pretext. After all, Iran had agreed to a nuclear deal in 2015 that President Trump abrogated in 2018. The real agenda of Israel and the US was regime change in Iran. This could pave the way for Israel to establish a ‘Greater Israel’ on Arab lands between the Euphrates and the Nile. Several Arab states had recognized the ground realities and were eager to join the Abraham Accords, with Iran seen as the sole resistance to Israeli ambitions. When the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, they were under the mistaken belief that it would be a short war because the Iranian people would rise up and overthrow their government. Despite the martyrdom of its leadership, including Supreme Leader Khamenei, Iran did not surrender because it had become a war of survival. For decades, Iran had focused on developing missiles and drones, and, with possible cooperation from China and Russia, used electronic, cyber, and information warfare. However, its most significant military action was the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. After the Islamabad talks on April 11, President Trump made another attempt to intimidate Iran by announcing a blockade of Iranian ports, despite knowing that this was neither possible nor sustainable. It was therefore not surprising that he decided to return to the talks in Islamabad to seek a peace settlement. President Trump seems to have begun to realize that the American people are growing weary of this war, which he sees as Israel’s war, not his. He has concluded that there is no way to force Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz. The US military has also resisted attacks on civilian infrastructure in Iran because it would be a war crime. President Trump has fired the army chief and several other generals who were opposed to sending US ground forces to the Persian Gulf because it would put the lives of American soldiers at risk.Whatever the reasons for President Trump’s resumption of talks, the world has welcomed the pause in fighting and the resumption of talks in Islamabad. I According to Pakistani diplomatic analyst Asghar Ali Mubarak,understand how Islamabad became the venue for peace talks between Iran and the United States. From the very beginning of the conflict, Pakistan had urged the warring parties to abandon aggression and engage in peace talks. Pakistan’s leadership, especially the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, and Army Chief, actively engaged with all relevant parties to return to a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Thanks to its principled stance, Pakistan has gained the trust not only of the United States and Iran but also of other key countries such as Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt. A meeting of the foreign ministers of these three countries was also convened in Islamabad, and China was also taken into confidence. The first round of talks in Islamabad brought the United States and Iran face-to-face for the first time in 47 years. This was a revolutionary development in itself. In the first round, which lasted 21 hours, the two sides had presented diametrically opposed demands before the talks. The US had issued a 15-point list while Iran had its own 10-point list of demands. There was very little common ground. Pakistan’s expertise and mediation helped identify this common ground. However, the two sides could not reach an agreement in the first round. No one expected them to reach a peace settlement in just one day. However, it was expected that they would extend the ceasefire and decide to continue the talks. For a moment, it seemed that a valuable opportunity had been missed. The first round of talks in Islamabad brought the US and Iran face-to-face for the first time in 47 years. This was a revolutionary development in itself. In the first round, which lasted 21 hours, the two sides presented diametrically opposed demands before the talks. The US had issued a 15-point list while Iran had its own 10-point list of demands. There was very little common ground. Pakistan’s expertise and mediation helped identify this common ground. However, the two sides could not reach an agreement in the first round. No one expected them to reach a peace settlement in just one day. However, it was expected that they would extend the ceasefire and decide to continue negotiations. For a moment, it seemed as if a precious opportunity had been missed. The United States has asked Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz to all commercial traffic as it was before the war. However, Iran sees control of the strait as the only guarantee that the United States and Israel will not start bombing again. Iran knows that it can control traffic within its 12-nautical-mile territorial limit, but it cannot claim full ownership of the strait. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which Iran has signed but not ratified, Iran and Oman can claim a joint territorial limit (12 nautical miles each) in the strait, which is only 21 nautical miles at its narrowest point. However, UNCLOS also allows the right of transit passage for all ships in the area. The second issue is the US demand that Iran not develop nuclear weapons and that it withdraw or freeze its enrichment of fissile material. Although Iran would prefer a region-wide regime for nuclear non-proliferation, it could agree to freeze its enrichment for a specified period (five years or more). However, Iran would like to continue its peaceful nuclear program. From Iran’s perspective, other issues on the table include a permanent ceasefire (including an end to Israeli operations against Lebanon), the lifting of US economic sanctions, compensation for damage caused by US and Israeli bombing, and the return of its frozen assets. As the world awaits the next round of talks in Islamabad, discussions have begun on a new post-war security architecture for the Middle East. The security umbrella provided to the Gulf states by US military bases has raised serious questions. The volatile triangular relationship between Iran, the Gulf states, and Israel can only be managed through a new collective security agreement. The principle of respect for each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is the only way for each state to feel secure. Interventionism and regime change agendas by external powers are inherently destabilizing, including for the powers that pursue them. The concept of collective and cooperative security could form the basis of a new security architecture that includes the Gulf states, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Iran, and is sponsored by the major powers.The White House has said the United States is discussing holding a second round of peace talks with Iran in Pakistan and is optimistic about reaching an agreement. “Those talks are happening,” Press Secretary Caroline Levitt told reporters, adding that further talks “are very likely” to take place in Islamabad. “Pakistan has been a great mediator in the US-Iran talks, and he is the sole mediator,” Caroline Levitt said. “Many countries around the world have supported the assistance, but the president believes it is important to continue this process through Pakistan,” she said. The Pakistani military’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that Field Marshal and Chief of Defence Forces Asim Munir and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had arrived in Tehran with the delegation as part of ongoing mediation efforts. According to the ISPR, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi welcomed the Pakistani delegation. The field marshal’s visit is part of the mediation efforts. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said that there is a strong possibility that the Pakistani delegation will deliver messages from the United States in the continuation of the talks between Tehran and Washington. Spokesperson Esmail Baghai said in a weekly press conference carried by state media that the exchange of messages continued after the Iranian delegation returned home from the US-Iran talks. Iranian President Masoud Peshkeshian has once again emphasized that his country does not want war and prefers dialogue. The Iranian president said that Iran does not want war or instability, but has always emphasized the language of dialogue and constructive relations with different countries of the world. He also said that Iran will not accept surrender under any circumstances. According to him, any attempt to impose any kind of force or force surrender will fail. At the same time, he strongly criticized double standards in the international system, saying that Iran condemns this double standard and emphasizes that military action against any country is contrary to international principles. Mediators on Wednesday moved closer to resuming talks to extend a ceasefire between the United States and Iran that expires next week. A US blockade of Iranian ports and renewed Iranian threats have jeopardized the weeks-old agreement, but regional officials told The Associated Press that they were making progress. They said the United States and Iran had reached an “agreement in principle” to extend it to allow for more diplomacy. A regional official involved in the mediation efforts said that before the two-week ceasefire ends on April 22, the mediators are pushing for a compromise on three key points: Iran’s nuclear program, the Strait of Hormuz, and compensation for wartime damages. World leaders, including US President Donald Trump and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said on Tuesday that talks could resume in the coming days. A US official told Reuters that fresh talks with Iran were still under discussion and nothing had been decided. The official spoke because he was not authorized to discuss sensitive talks. Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said that “our leadership is not giving up on trying to help end the conflict between the US and Iran. Despite the failure of talks with the US, there are contacts through Pakistan. US Vice President JD Vance has said that President Trump does not want a “small deal” in the talks with Iran. When asked about the US-Iran talks during the Turning Point USA event, he said, “Basically, the situation right now is that the president has set a policy that Iran should not have nuclear weapons. And that is what we are negotiating to ensure.” “The president doesn’t want a small deal; he wants a big, comprehensive deal,” Vance said. He said Iran was basically being offered a simple offer. “Frankly, no president has ever had the ability to make an offer like that before. If you’re willing to behave like a normal country, we’ll treat you like a normal country economically.” Trump doesn’t want a small deal, and that’s one reason the deal hasn’t been done yet, even though there’s been a lot of progress in Pakistan. Because the president really wants a deal where Iran doesn’t have nuclear weapons, Iran doesn’t state-sponsor terrorism, and the Iranian people thrive, prosper, and become part of the global economy. That’s the offer he’s making. They are saying that if you commit not to have nuclear weapons, we will develop Iran, make it economically strong. The US military has said that it has completely stopped Iran’s sea trade through the blockade. The US military said that ‘US forces have completely stopped economic trade entering and leaving Iran through the sea blockade.’ According to a statement issued by Central Command on X, Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said that ‘the blockade of Iranian ports has been fully implemented and US forces are maintaining maritime superiority in the Middle East.’Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman has said that the date for the next round of talks between Iran and the United States has not been fixed. This week, there were reports that the next round of talks could take place this weekend. Pakistan hosted direct talks between Iran and the United States last week, but the parties could not reach a conclusion. “No date has been fixed for the next round of talks at the moment. I would request the media to refrain from speculation and wait for the official announcement. As soon as there is a decision, we will inform about it,” Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said in a weekly news briefing. The spokesman said that as a mediator and facilitator, “our role is not limited to Islamabad alone. It is part of a continuous process. As was also shown in the media statements of the Deputy Prime Minister and the subsequent developments, including the recent arrival of the Chief of Defense Forces in Tehran and visits to various countries, all these steps should be seen as a continuum. Tahir Andrabi said that we will continue our efforts for peace, stability, and prosperity. At the same time, “we will continue our facilitating role by keeping the doors of communication between Tehran and Washington, D.C.” The Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that “an important aspect of our strategy is to keep our partners, allies, and friendly countries in confidence. Any country that supports the peace process is regularly briefed on our efforts. This is not a closed or limited process, but an open and inclusive process aimed at establishing peace.” He said about the role of other countries in this attack on mediation and negotiations, “You can refer to the statements of the White House spokesperson. Our effort is to keep all parties together and appreciate their support. This is also evident from the numerous contacts between our leadership and the leadership of other countries. He said that as far as the details of specific discussions, whether they took place in Tehran or through other diplomatic channels, “I would like to reiterate that we do not comment on their details. The positions of the relevant parties are confidential to us, and we are committed to maintaining confidentiality. Our role is impartial.