Hopes rise for Iran-US weekend peace talks as China demands respect for sovereignty

HEADLINES

• Pakistani officials are reportedly expecting a "major breakthrough" in talks between Iran and the US on the former's nuclear program. READ MORE BELOW

• A spokesperson for Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said that no dates have been decided for a second round of talks between the US and Iran. READ MORE BELOW

• Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Beijing supports maintaining the momentum of ceasefire and peace talks, which serves the fundamental interests of the Iranian people and reflects the shared expectations of countries in the region and the international community. READ MORE BELOW

• US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Israel-Lebanon talks will take place on Thursday. 

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will speak with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Gila Gamliel, a member of Israel's security cabinet, told Israel's Army Radio. 

• Iran could consider allowing ships to sail freely through the Omani side of the strait without risk of attack as part of proposals it has offered in negotiations with the US.

• Iran halted all petrochemical exports to prioritise domestic supply and prevent shortages of raw materials, the economic newspaper Donya-e-Eqtesad reported on Thursday, due to disrupted production after Israel struck several petrochemical hubs.

• Stock markets have rallied strongly in recent days on expectations of a swift resolution to the fighting, with indexes on Wall Street hitting record highs on Wednesday as crude oil prices steadied. 

• The European Union is drafting plans to tackle a looming jet fuel supply crunch and maximise refinery output, officials said.

• A second US-sanctioned supertanker has entered the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, shipping data showed, despite a US blockade on vessels visiting Iranian ports.

• US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Wednesday told reporters he has been meeting with Middle East counterparts about the Iran oil crisis and he expects US consumers will see gasoline prices drop to the $3 per gallon range this summer.

• An Israeli strike on Thursday has severed the last bridge linking southern Lebanon to the rest of the country, a senior Lebanese security official has disclosed.

IN DETAIL

Disagreements remain but progress made

Iran and the United States have made some progress as they push for an agreement under Pakistani mediation – but more than halfway through a two-week truce big splits remain, including over Tehran's nuclear ambitions, a senior Iranian official said on Thursday.

"The trip of the Pakistani army chief to Tehran was effective in reducing differences in some areas, but fundamental disagreements still remain in the nuclear field.... More hopes have been created for extending the ceasefire and holding a second round of talks," the senior official said.

"The fate of Iran's highly enriched uranium and the duration of Iran's nuclear restrictions are among the highly disputed issues for which no solution has yet been found."

US and Iranian officials are weighing a return to Pakistan for further talks as early as the coming weekend, after negotiations ended on Sunday without a breakthrough. 

Pakistan's army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir visited Tehran on Wednesday to try to prevent a renewal of the conflict. Pakistan hosted the war's first peace talks last weekend.

A spokesperson for Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that no dates have been decided for a second round of talks between the US and Iran.

Al Jazeera reported that Pakistani officials are expecting a "major breakthrough" in talks between Iran and the United States on Tehran's nuclear program. 

China supports talks momentum

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Wednesday that China supports maintaining the momentum of ceasefire and peace talks, which serves the fundamental interests of the Iranian people and reflects the shared expectations of countries in the region and the international community.

Wang made the remarks when speaking to Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi over phone.

Araghchi briefed Wang on the latest developments of Iran-US negotiations and Iran's considerations, saying that Tehran is willing to continue seeking a rational and practical solution through peace talks.

Iran appreciates China's continued efforts to help ease tensions in the region, Araghchi said, adding that Tehran expects Beijing to play a positive role in promoting peace and ending the war.

For his part, Wang said that China, as always, supports Iran in safeguarding its sovereignty security and national dignity. President Xi Jinping has put forward a four-point proposal on promoting peace and stability in the Middle East, contributing a Chinese approach to resolving the crisis, he added.

The current situation has reached a critical stage between war and peace, with a window for peace opening, Wang said.

He called for respect for and safeguarding of Iran's sovereignty security and legitimate rights as a country along the Strait of Hormuz, as well as guaranteeing the freedom and safety of international navigation through the strait.