The US-Iran war is “very close to over,” US President Donald Trump said in clips of an interview set to air in the US yesterday, while the US military said that its blockade on Iranian ports had been “fully implemented.”
Pakistan on Tuesday said that it was pursuing efforts to help the US and Iran negotiate an end to the war, after Trump earlier told the New York Post that a second round of discussions with Iran “could be happening over next two days.”
Trump said that the world should prepare for an “amazing two days.”
Photo: EPA
“I think you’re going to be watching an amazing two days ahead,” Trump told ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl, adding that he did not think it would be necessary to extend a two-week ceasefire that ends on Wednesday next week.
“It could end either way, but I think a deal is preferable, because then they can rebuild,” Trump said, according to a post by Karl on X. “They really do have a different regime now. No matter what, we took out the radicals.”
Mediators’ efforts to extend a ceasefire between the US and Iran have made progress, as the warring sides are expected to return to the table soon for another round of negotiations, regional officials said.
The officials said mediators aim to extend the ceasefire to allow diplomacy another chance, adding that both sides gave an “in principle agreement.”
One of the officials, who is involved in the mediation efforts, said mediators were working on a compromise to the three main disputed points, including Iran’s nuclear program, the Strait of Hormuz and war compensation.
Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter.
Meanwhile, Lebanese Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad said that talks between Lebanon and Israel in Washington were “constructive,” and Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter praised his Lebanese counterparts after the two-hour meeting, saying: “We’re on the same side of the equation.”
Lebanese militant group Hezbollah opposes the direct talks and has said it would not abide by any agreements made as a result.
‘NO SECURITY RISK’: The Railway Bureau reassured the public that the technicians’ activities were limited to technical guidance and did not involve sensitive systems The Railway Bureau yesterday said it had invited eight Chinese technicians to assist with an airport MRT construction project. The bureau issued the confirmation after an Internet user said Chinese nationals had entered the construction zone of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s Terminal 3 project. They asked why “individuals from an enemy state” were allowed access to such a major national infrastructure project, which raised serious concerns over Taiwan’s industrial safety, sensitive systems and information security. The bureau’s Northern Region Engineering Branch Office said subcontractor Taiwan Handle Industrial Co (台灣手把工業) of the Taoyuan airport MRT’s “Contract No. CU05 Project A14 Station Civil, MEP &
A US uncrewed surface vessel (USV) encountered multiple Chinese warships during an autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait, US defense company Seasats said in a statement on Wednesday. Seasats announced that a Lightfish USV had completed the first autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait. Over five days, the USV traversed the entire length of the Strait while constantly monitoring surface vessel traffic, the company said. The Lightfish encountered multiple Chinese warships, one of which was a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Type 056 corvette, it said. The Chinese vessels were operating “well within Taiwan’s exclusive economic zone without transmitting their identity via the
Taiwan is still in the process of assessing the possibility of recruiting workers from Eswatini, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday, adding that its goal is to help Eswatini upgrade its vocational training centers. If there are plans to recruit workers from Eswatini, safeguarding national security, protecting public health and ensuring the employment rights of Taiwanese would be prerequisites, Department of West Asian and African Affairs Director-General Yen Chia-liang (顏嘉良) told a news conference. Key considerations would also include filling labor shortages in specific industries, and fostering bilateral professional and technical exchanges, he said. Yen was asked about the progress of labor
The nation’s usually punctual high-speed rail system yesterday was hit by major disruptions after all scheduled services were canceled and replaced with three hourly trains offering only non-reserved seating, affecting more than 200,000 passengers. Preliminary findings indicate the disruption was caused by a faulty power module in a track switch control cabinet, Taiwan High-Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) said, adding that as a full system inspection could only be conducted after operations end for the day, a decision on whether normal service would resume today would be announced before the first train departs. During a routine inspection early yesterday, a switch signal abnormality
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