United News of Bangladesh

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday met US Vice President JD Vance as the Islamabad talks commenced, according to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). “The US Vice President was assisted by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner,” the PMO said in a statement, reports DAWN. From the Pakistani side, the prime minister was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi. U.S. official denies agreeing to unfreeze Iranian assets Commending what it described as the commitment of both delegations to engage constructively, the prime minister expressed hope that the talks would serve as a stepping stone toward durable peace in the region.

A senior U.S. official said Saturday that the White House has not yet agreed to unfreeze Iran's overseas assets, according to media reports. Earlier in the day, citing a senior Iranian official, Reuters reported that the United States had agreed to release Iranian frozen assets held in Qatar and other foreign banks.

The Iranian delegation attending talks in Pakistan has adopted the name “Minab 168” to underscore the human cost of the ongoing war and signal its push for a diplomatic resolution. The name refers to an early attack on the first day of the conflict in the city of Minab, where an elementary school was hit, killing more than 168 schoolgirls and teachers, according to accounts cited by officials. The conflict has since placed severe pressure on civilians across Iran, with reports indicating that more than 800 schools, over 30 universities, healthcare facilities and other key infrastructure have been damaged or destroyed in weeks of strikes. Officials say the naming reflects Tehran’s intention to draw attention to the suffering endured by civilians and to emphasise its commitment to ending the violence through dialogue. The delegation’s presence in Islamabad is being viewed as a sign of Iran’s seriousness about pursuing a diplomatic settlement to the conflict.  #From Al Jazeera

Saudi Arabia’s Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan arrived in Pakistan on Saturday in a show of “economic support,” days after Islamabad announced plans to return billions of dollars in loans to the United Arab Emirates. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recalled his recent “warm and cordial” telephone conversation with the Saudi Crown Prince and expressed appreciation for the Kingdom’s continued economic and financial backing, which he said has played a key role in maintaining Pakistan’s economic stability. The visit comes as Pakistan hosts talks between the United States and Iran aimed at ending the ongoing Middle East war, although the Saudi minister is not part of the negotiations. Al-Jadaan’s trip is being seen as a sign of shifting alliances in the Gulf amid tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Pakistan, facing economic pressure, recently said it would repay more than $3 billion in loans provided by the UAE since 2018.  #By Al Jazeera

Palestinian group Hamas has welcomed the upcoming US-Iran talks in Pakistan, expressing support for efforts aimed at bringing a “complete and comprehensive end” to the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran. In a statement, the group said it hopes the negotiations, facilitated by Pakistan and supported by other mediating countries, will yield positive outcomes. Hamas also voiced optimism that the talks would help promote regional stability and strengthen unity among Arab and Islamic nations. #From Al Jazeera

Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref has said a potential agreement with the United States could be reached if Washington prioritises its own interests in line with President Donald Trump’s “America First” policy. In a post on social media, Aref said there would be no deal if Iran was confronted by what he called “Israel first” representatives. He warned that failure in negotiations could lead to “greater costs” for the world if the US and Israel resumed hostilities against Iran, reports Al Jazeera. Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran enters upcoming talks with the United States with “deep distrust”, citing past attacks during negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme. In a statement shared on Telegram, Araghchi said Iran would respond if it is attacked and reiterated calls for an end to Israeli strikes on Lebanon amid wider regional tensions. The remarks come ahead of US-Iran negotiations scheduled to take place on Saturday, amid ongoing uncertainty over the terms of a ceasefire and disputes surrounding regional security issues, including developments in Lebanon and the Strait of Hormuz. Diplomatic sources say both sides have signalled willingness to engage, but deep mistrust remains a major obstacle to progress in the talks.

US President Donald Trump has said the Strait of Hormuz will reopen “fairly soon”, even as tensions continue over Tehran’s reported restrictions on the key global shipping route ahead of US-Iran talks in Pakistan. Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One in Maryland, Trump said Washington would not accept what he described as Iran’s imposition of a “de facto toll booth system” on shipping in the vital waterway, reports Al Jazeera. “We will have that open fairly soon,” Trump said, adding that the US would “open up the Gulf” with assistance from other countries if necessary. However, he did not provide details on how the waterway would be unblocked. The US president warned that Iran would not be allowed to charge vessel owners fees for safe passage through the strait, saying, “If they are doing that, we’re not going to let that happen.” Trump linked the issue to broader negotiations, saying the priority of any peace agreement would be ensuring Iran does not obtain nuclear weapons. “No nuclear weapons, that’s 99 per cent of it,” he said, adding that the strait would “open automatically” under such a deal. His comments come amid continued disruption in the Strait of Hormuz despite a two-week ceasefire announced earlier this week between the US and Iran. Shipping traffic remains significantly reduced, with only a fraction of normal daily transits recorded and hundreds of vessels reportedly stranded in the Gulf, according to tracking data cited by international media. Iran has indicated it may introduce transit fees for vessels passing through the strait, even as diplomatic efforts continue. Analysts say the situation remains largely unchanged despite the ceasefire, with Iran effectively controlling a “safe corridor” for selected shipping. US Vice President JD Vance has arrived in Pakistan for negotiations with Iranian representatives aimed at securing a more lasting settlement to the conflict. However, officials from both sides have offered differing accounts of the proposed terms ahead of the talks.

At least seven Palestinians have been killed and several others injured in Israeli attacks across central and southern Gaza Strip, according to medical sources and civil defence officials. An early-morning Israeli drone strike hit a group of civilians in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, Mahmoud Bassal, spokesperson for Gaza’s civil defence rescue service, told AFP. The attack reportedly involved two missiles fired near a police post in the “Block 9” area of the camp, reports Al Jazeera. Medical sources said the strike caused multiple casualties among civilians. Ambulance crews faced difficulties reaching the site and transporting the dead and injured to hospitals due to ongoing insecurity. The al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah said it received six bodies and seven wounded people, four of them in critical condition. The nearby al-Awda hospital confirmed one additional death and two injured. In a separate incident in southern Gaza, the Nasser Medical Complex said it received three injured people following an Israeli drone strike targeting a tent sheltering displaced families in Bani Suheila, east of Khan Younis. Al Jazeera correspondents also reported continued Israeli artillery shelling and tank fire near Bani Suheila and eastern Gaza City. According to Gaza’s health authorities, more than 72,300 people have been killed since the war began in October 2023. The ministry said at least 738 people have died since a ceasefire took effect last October, including 32 deaths so far in April. Meanwhile, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk condemned the recent violence, saying the “unrelenting pattern of killings” reflected continued impunity and that Palestinians were being killed in homes, shelters, streets, and medical facilities. Israeli operations in the occupied West Bank also continued, with raids and arrests reported in multiple areas as tensions remain high across the region.

Iran has proposed that transit fees through the Strait of Hormuz be paid in the Iranian national currency, the rial, as part of a parliamentary initiative aimed at reshaping maritime payment systems. The head of Iran’s Parliament National Security Commission said under the proposal, vessels passing through the strategic waterway would be required to pay transit charges in rial, according to a post by Iran’s consulate general in Mumbai on Friday, reports Al Jazeera. Analysts told Al Jazeera Media Network that Iran and China are increasingly exploring mechanisms to reduce reliance on the US dollar in global trade. Reports also suggest that during recent disruptions in the strait following US-Israeli strikes, Iran effectively operated a “toll booth” system, charging some commercial vessels transit fees in Chinese yuan. While the scale of yuan-based payments remains unclear, shipping data cited by Lloyd’s List indicated that at least two vessels had paid in yuan as of March 25. The proposal comes amid broader geopolitical tensions surrounding control and security of one of the world’s most critical oil shipping routes.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem has vowed that the group’s “resistance continues as long as there is breath,” rejecting what he called “free concessions” to Israel amid escalating cross-border tensions. In a statement released on Friday, Qassem said, “The Israeli enemy was defeated on the ground and was unable to carry out a ground invasion.” He further claimed, “The enemy, in all its aggression, has not succeeded in preventing the missiles.” Reaffirming Hezbollah’s position on ongoing Israeli strikes, he said the group “will not accept a return to the previous situation” and urged countries not to make “free concessions” in favour of Israel,reports Al Jazeera. Meanwhile, violence continued in southern Lebanon as Israeli air strikes hit several areas. Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that an Israeli strike injured a Lebanese couple as they were leaving the border village of Mari. The Red Cross evacuated the injured to a nearby hospital. Over the past hour, Israeli strikes reportedly targeted multiple locations in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, including At-Tiri, Beit Yahoun, Bint Jbeil, al-Ansar and Sohmori. Separately, Hezbollah said its fighters targeted the Israeli naval base in the Port of Ashdod using “advanced” missiles, marking another escalation in the ongoing cross-border hostilities.