1 New negotiations this Saturday in Pakistan?
A resumption of peace negotiations seems to be looming between Iran and the United States: both countries announced on Friday the dispatch of negotiators to Islamabad. On the American side, it will be Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner who will leave for Pakistan on Saturday “to hold talks with representatives of the Iranian delegation”. The latter will be represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abbas Araghchi.
The Pakistani capital has been waiting for several days for a resumption of talks between the belligerents, which began two weeks ago and were interrupted after a few hours, even though the ceasefire has been unilaterally extended indefinitely by the United States.
2 Ormuz still at a standstill
Traffic remains at a standstill in the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) used to pass before the conflict, and is now subject to a double Iranian and American blockade. The immediate reopening of Hormuz is “vital for the whole world,” emphasized the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, on Friday.
Mr. Trump had previously stated that he had “all the time in the world” to negotiate peace with Iran, while maintaining military pressure: a third American aircraft carrier, the George Bush, is sailing near the region.
3 Strikes in Lebanon
On the Lebanese front, the ceasefire, which was extended for three weeks following discussions between Israeli and Lebanese representatives in Washington, announced on Thursday evening by Donald Trump, is already being tested. “We have begun a process to achieve a historic peace between Israel and Lebanon, and it seems obvious to us that Hezbollah is trying to sabotage it,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday.
The pro-Iranian Shiite movement, which dragged Lebanon into war by reopening hostilities against Israel on March 2, announced through one of its deputies, Ali Fayad, that the extension “makes no sense” in light of Israel’s persistent “hostile acts.” Hezbollah also called on the Lebanese state to “withdraw from direct negotiations with Israel.” Earlier on Friday, two people were killed in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon.
In the same region, the Israeli army claimed that its soldiers had killed six Hezbollah members in a skirmish, after declaring that the pro-Iranian movement had shot down one of its drones. The army also issued a call on Friday to evacuate a village in southern Lebanon, the first of its kind since the announcement of the ceasefire extension.
