Israeli strikes and US troop buildup put Pakistan’s peacemaker role under pressure

Islamabad is attempting high-wire diplomacy between US and Iran, but Israel could spoil any chance of success Intensifying Israeli bombing of civilian targets in Iran and an expanding US military force in the Gulf are casting a dark shadow over Pakistan’s hopes of hosting peace talks between Iran and the US. Pakistan is attempting high-wire diplomacy, using its relative neutrality as a country with good relations with Iran and the US, to provide a venue for negotiations. It is not a player i...

By Saeed Shah in Islamabad

Houthi attacks on Israel open new front in Mideast war, threaten Red Sea shipping

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have entered the escalating war in the Middle East, claiming two missile launches at Israel. Their involvement in the monthlong conflict could further hurt global shipping should they again target vessels in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait off the Red Sea, a narrow waterway that has become all the more vital since Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz.

By FRANCE 24

Iran shuts down Tehran cafe chain over ‘suspicious’ cup designs - The Straits Times

Iran shuts down Tehran cafe chain over ‘suspicious’ cup designs  The Straits Times

IDF strikes Tehran command centers, weapon production sites

The IDF had identified the relocation of Iranian command centers to mobile units in recent days, with the strikes following weekend attacks on Iranian nuclear development facilities.

Series of explosions heard in Iranian capital

As the war in the Middle East enters it's fifth week, Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have fired rockets towards Israel ahead of talks in Pakistan to stop fighting in the region.

Helplines buzz with alerts from seafarers trapped in Middle East war

Seafarers’ helplines say they are overwhelmed with messages from crews stuck in the Gulf by the Middle East war, desperately seeking repatriation, compensation and onboard supplies. “Writing to urgently inform you that our vessel is currently facing a critical situation regarding provisions and one crew health conditions,” read an email from one seafarer on March 24 to the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF)’s Seafarer Support team. “Immediate supply of food, drinking water, bas...

By none@none.com (AFP)

Iran Guards say struck Bahrain, UAE aluminium plants

IRGC says strikes were retaliation for a US-Israeli attack on Iranian industrial infrastructure launched from the Gulf

By AFP

Why the Houthis entered the war now: A message to the US not to proceed in the Red Sea and Hormuz

Houthis and Iran are creating a “ring of fire” stretching for thousands of kilometers in the Gulf – Concerns also over Saudi Arabia’s key East-West pipeline, through which up to 7 million barrels per day now pass The post Why the Houthis entered the war now: A message to the US not to proceed in the Red Sea and Hormuz appeared first on ProtoThema English.

By Newsroom