A delegation of top Iranian officials has arrived in Islamabad ahead of ceasefire talks with the United States in the Pakistani capital, Iranian state television reported Friday.
The long-term fallout of the war in Iran is only beginning to take shape, but this much is clear: The conflict has left the Middle East unsettled, alliances strained and the world facing uncertain shifts in the balance of economic and military power.
Saudi Arabia said on Thursday that the attacks carried out in recent weeks by Iran against the kingdom's energy infrastructure killed one person and impacted its oil production capacity.
Pakistan is due to host talks between Iran and the United States in a bid to turn a fragile two-week ceasefire into a lasting end to a war that has roiled global energy markets.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday pledged to advance peace efforts during a phone call with his Lebanese counterpart Nawaf Salam as Israel continued its relentless attacks on the country.
“Israel is evil and a curse for humanity, while peace talks are underway in Islamabad, genocide is being committed in Lebanon,” Asif said on the US social media company X’s platform.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that he urged his US and Iranian counterparts, Donald Trump and Masoud Pezeshkian, to include Lebanon in the ceasefire reached with Iran.
Lebanon declared a national day of mourning on Thursday after Israeli strikes pummelled the country, killing nearly 200 people and calling into question the ceasefire between the United States and Iran.
The United States has dispatched Vice President JD Vance, along with senior envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, to Islamabad for high-stakes talks with Iran aimed at securing a lasting ceasefire.
The move drew global praise, with leaders and social media users lauding Pakistan’s leadership for stepping in at a critical moment to defuse tensions.
