US-Iran News LIVE: Not reaching turning point, Tehran says after visit of Pak army chief Asim Munir | Today’s news
US-Iran news LIVE: Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir arrived in Tehran on Friday as diplomacy to end the Middle East war gathered pace and Iran considered its latest peace proposal, even as US media reported Washington was potentially considering new strikes on the Islamic republic.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei warned that the visit did not mean “we have reached a turning point or a decisive situation,” according to Iran’s ISNA news agency, while “deep and wide-ranging” disagreements remained.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier expressed hope for progress towards ending the war, which began on February 28 with US-Israeli attacks on Iran and led to competing blockades around the strategic Strait of Hormuz, roiling the global economy and pushing up energy prices.
Weeks of negotiations since the April 8 ceasefire – including historic face-to-face talks hosted by Islamabad – have still not produced a lasting deal or restored full access to the strait, through which a fifth of the world’s oil supplies normally pass.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday he would miss his son’s wedding this weekend due to “circumstances involving the government”, as US news outlets Axios and CBS News reported the White House was considering strikes, although both added a final decision had not yet been made.
Pakistan’s military said Field Marshal Asim Munir had “arrived in Tehran as part of ongoing mediation efforts”.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran was engaged in the diplomatic process despite what he called “repeated betrayals of diplomacy” by the US and “military aggression against Iran”, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported.
“Despite its strong suspicion of the United States, the Islamic Republic of Iran has entered this diplomatic process with a responsible attitude and with all seriousness, and is trying to achieve a reasonable and fair outcome,” Araghchi said.
