DUBAI, May 23 — Iran’s ‌top negotiator and Parliament Speaker Mohammad ‌Baqer Qalibaf told Pakistani army chief during a meeting in Tehran today that Iran would ‌not compromise on ⁠the rights ⁠of ⁠its nation and ⁠country, ⁠state TV reported.

He said ⁠that Iran’s armed forces had rebuilt their capabilities during the ⁠ceasefire and that if the US “foolishly ⁠restarts the war”, ⁠the ⁠consequences would be “more crushing and ‌bitter”. — Reuters

TEHRAN, May 21 — Pakistan’s army chief was due in Iran today, Iranian media reported, with Islamabad mediating as the Islamic republic examines a new US proposal to end the Middle East war.

The reported visit by Field Marshal Asim Munir, a powerful figure with a growing role in Pakistan’s foreign relations, comes a day after President Donald Trump warned that negotiations to end the war were on the “borderline” between a deal and renewed strikes.

A ceasefire on April 8 halted the war launched weeks earlier by the US and Israel, but negotiation efforts have so far failed to yield a lasting peace agreement.

A war of words has taken the place of open conflict but the impasse continues to weigh on the world economy, leaving everyone from investors to farmers in a painful state of uncertainty.

Today, Iran’s ISNA news agency said Munir’s visit was aimed at continuing “talks and consultations” with Iranian authorities, without providing details. Other Iranian media carried the same report.

Pakistan hosted in April the only direct negotiations between US and Iranian officials to take place since February 28, the day the war began.

Munir was at the centre of the action during that round of talks, greeting both delegations on their arrival and displaying remarkable bonhomie with US Vice President JD Vance.

But the talks ultimately failed, with Iran accusing the US of making “excessive demands”.

Since then, the two sides have sent to each other multiple proposals, with the threat of renewed war looming all along.

“It’s right on the borderline, believe me,” Trump told reporters yesterday. “If we don’t get the right answers, it goes very quickly. We’re all ready to go.”

He said a deal could come “very quickly” or “in a few days”, but warned Tehran would have to provide “100 per cent good answers”.

‘Forceful response’ 

Tehran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf yesterday accused Washington of seeking to restart the war, while warning of a “forceful response” if Iran is attacked.

“The enemy’s movements, both overt and clandestine, show that despite economic and political pressure, it has not abandoned its military objectives and is seeking to start a new war,” Ghalibaf said.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the Islamic republic was examining points received from Washington, while repeating Tehran’s demands for the release of its assets frozen abroad and an end to a US naval blockade.

Trump is under political pressure at home as energy costs rise.

The ceasefire halted the fighting but has not reopened the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway that normally carries about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas.

The future of Hormuz remains a key sticking point in the negotiations, with fears growing that the global economy will feel more pain as pre-war oil stockpiles run down.

Iran imposed the blockade of Hormuz as part of its retaliation in the war, allowing only a trickle of vessels through in recent weeks while introducing a toll system.

Hormuz also carries around a third of global fertiliser shipments, raising concerns of higher food prices and shortages if the closure drags on.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation said the closure could trigger “a severe global food price crisis” and a “systemic agrifood shock”.

Cautious hope rippled through financial markets today, with crude prices edging up around 0.5 per cent. Yesterday oil had fallen more than five per cent, while US stocks rose.

Analysts warned that investors remained wary after weeks of false starts in the negotiations. — AFP

TEHRAN, May 21 — Iran said yesterday it was examining a new US proposal to end the Middle East war, as President Donald Trump described the talks as being on the “borderline” between a deal and renewed strikes.

Trump, who said earlier that negotiations were in their “final stages,” later warned that the window for diplomacy could close quickly.

“It’s right on the borderline, believe me,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews, near Washington. “If we don’t get the right answers, it goes very quickly. We’re all ready to go.”

He said a deal could come “very quickly” or “in a few days,” but warned Tehran would have to provide “100 per cent good answers.”

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran had “received the points of view of the American side” and was examining them. He repeated Iran’s demands for the release of frozen assets and an end to the US blockade of Iranian ports.

Earlier, Tehran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused Washington of seeking to restart the war after Trump threatened fresh attacks unless Iran agreed to a deal.

Ghalibaf warned of a “forceful response”, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said any renewed conflict would spread far beyond the Middle East.

“The enemy’s movements, both overt and clandestine, show that despite economic and political pressure, it has not abandoned its military objectives and is seeking to start a new war,” Ghalibaf said.

‘Give diplomacy a chance’ 

An April 8 ceasefire halted open fighting between Iran and the United States and Israel, but a war of words has replaced the battlefield exchanges.

Trump has repeatedly threatened renewed military action, while Iranian officials have responded with escalating warnings of their own.

The Revolutionary Guards warned yesterday that if “aggression against Iran is repeated”, a future war would spread beyond the region and “our devastating blows will crush you.”

Despite the threats and sporadic violence, Pakistan-mediated exchanges have continued in an effort to secure a formal end to the war.

Iran’s official IRNA news agency, citing diplomatic sources, said Pakistan’s interior minister had arrived in Tehran for his second visit in less than a week.

The cautious hopes rippled quickly through financial markets. Oil prices fell more than 5 per cent yesterday, while US stocks rose after Trump’s suggestion that a deal could be close, though analysts warned investors remained wary after weeks of false starts.

The main US oil contract, WTI, fell below US$100 (RM400) a barrel but remained far above pre-war levels, with the Strait of Hormuz still effectively closed to most shipping.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan praised Trump for deciding to “give diplomacy a chance” and urged Iran to seize “the opportunity to avoid the dangerous implications of escalation.”

Israel’s army chief Eyal Zamir said the military remained at its highest alert level and was “prepared for any development”.

Economic squeeze

Trump is under political pressure at home as energy costs rise.

The ceasefire halted the fighting but has not reopened the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway that normally carries about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards navy said it had allowed 26 vessels, including oil tankers, to pass through Hormuz over the previous 24 hours after providing “coordination and security.”

The United States has imposed a counter-blockade on Iranian ports. US Central Command said Marines boarded an Iranian-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman yesterday on suspicion it was trying to violate the restrictions.

CENTCOM said the vessel was released after being searched and ordered to alter course. It added that US forces had redirected 91 commercial ships since the blockade began.

The future of Hormuz remains a key sticking point in talks, with fears growing that the global economy will feel more pain as pre-war oil stockpiles run down.

Hormuz also carries around a third of global fertiliser shipments, raising fears of higher food prices and shortages if the closure drags on.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation warned yesterday that the closure could trigger “a severe global food price crisis” and a “systemic agrifood shock.” — AFP

TEHRAN, May 19 — Iran today revealed details of its latest proposal submitted to the United States (US) to end the war launched by Washington and Israel against Tehran in February, Anadolu Ajansi reported.

The details were disclosed by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi during a meeting with members of parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, where he presented a comprehensive report on the latest developments in diplomacy between Iran and the US.

Gharibabadi stated that Tehran’s proposal emphasises “its right to uranium enrichment and peaceful nuclear activities,” according to Iran’s official IRNA news agency.

The proposal also includes “an end to conflicts across all fronts, including Lebanon; the lifting of the US naval blockade; the release of Iranian assets; and compensation by the US for damage caused during the latest war to support reconstruction efforts.”

It also affirms “the removal of all unilateral sanctions and UN Security Council resolutions, and the withdrawal of US forces from areas surrounding the Islamic Republic,” he said.

On May 10, Iran delivered its response to a US proposal to end the war through Pakistan, but President Donald Trump described the Iranian proposal as “totally unacceptable.”

Iranian media said yesterday that Iran had submitted a revised 14-point proposal to the US side through Pakistani mediators.

On Saturday, Trump again threatened renewed military escalation against Iran, posting on his Truth Social platform an image showing warships flying the American flag, including one vessel carrying the Iranian flag, alongside the phrase “IT WAS CALM BEFORE THE STORM.”

Yesterday evening, Trump announced that he had postponed an attack planned for today against Iran at the request of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

He added in a post that he instructed the Defence Department “to be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice, in the event that an acceptable deal is not reached.” — Bernama-Anadolu

TEHRAN, May 18 — Iran’s national football team was headed to Turkey on Monday to play a final friendly match and apply for visas to fly to the United States for the 2026 World Cup, Iranian media reported.

The team plan to participate in the tournament despite co-host Washington having launched a war against Iran with a massive wave of attacks alongside ally Israel on February 28.

The fighting has been on hold for weeks thanks to a ceasefire, but peace talks have failed to make a breakthrough and new drone attacks against Gulf countries at the weekend combined with threats from US President Donald Trump raising fears of a return to fighting.

The team “departed this morning for Antalya, Turkey to play its final friendly match before flying to the United States for the 2026 World Cup,” the Tasnim news agency reported.

It said the squad consisted of 22 domestic-based players alongside their coaching staff.

On Saturday, head coach Amir Ghalenoei said they would also be completing visa applications for the US while in Turkey.

‘Let ‘em play’ 

Iran secured their spot at the World Cup in March 2025, but since then the United States has twice launched attacks on the country.

US officials have insisted that Iran is welcome at the tournament, while organiser Fifa has said it will go ahead as planned and rejected Iranian suggestions that their games be moved to co-hosts Mexico or Canada.

“I think let ‘em play,” Trump said in late April.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said any problem would not be with Iranian players but “some of the other people (they) would want to bring with them”, suggesting they may have ties to the Revolutionary Guards, which Washington has branded a terrorist organisation.

Last month, officials from Iran’s football federation abandoned a trip to the Fifa congress in Canada, saying they had been “insulted” by Canadian immigration officers.

One of their delegation, Mehdi Taj, is a former member of the Revolutionary Guards, which Canada has also designated a terror group.

The Iranian football team hope to play two friendlies in Antalya.

They have already confirmed one match, against The Gambia, on May 29, said Sam Mehdizadeh, an Iranian-Canadian who heads a company that sets up friendlies for the team.

“No visas have been issued yet,” Taj, the head of Iran’s football federation, told Iranian media on Thursday.

On Saturday, Fifa secretary general Mattias Grafstrom held a meeting in Turkey with the federation, describing it as constructive, as did Taj.

When the squad reaches the United States, Iran will set up their base camp in Tucson, Arizona.

The team, who are in Group G, are due to kick off their campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on 15 June, before facing Belgium in the same city and then Egypt in Seattle. — AFP 

TEHRAN, May 17 — Iran’s World Cup squad will travel to Turkey on Monday for a training camp, friendlies and to complete visa applications before heading to the United States, head coach Amir Ghalenoei said on Saturday.

Team Melli will be returning to Antalya where they trained and played friendlies in March.

They are taking a squad of 30 players, which will have to be trimmed to the World Cup maximum of 26. Perhaps the best known is 33-year-old former Porto striker Mehdi Taremi, now with Olympiacos.

“Selecting 30 players for this final training camp ahead of the World Cup was the most difficult technical decision of my coaching career,” Ghalenoei told the Iranian football federation website, adding he had selected players solely on “technical criteria”.

Iran hope to play two friendlies in Antalya. They have already confirmed one match, against Gambia, on May 29, said Sam Mehdizadeh, an Iranian-Canadian who heads a company that sets up friendlies for the team.

Iran and the US cut diplomatic ties in 1980 and the players are expected to use their time in Turkey to complete the necessary procedures for obtaining visas.

“No visas have been issued yet,” Mehdi Taj, the Iranian football federation head, told Iranian media on Thursday.

Taj said players were expected to undergo fingerprinting in Turkey as part of the visa process but wished to avoid a trip of more than 450 kilometres (280 miles) from Antalya to Ankara.

Taj is expected to hold talks with Fifa president Gianni Infantino as Tehran seeks assurances for its squad amid tensions increased by the ongoing war.

He and the Iranian delegation met with Turkish football federation (TFF) president Ibrahim Ethem Haciosmanoglu and Fifa secretary general Mattias Grafstrom on Saturday in Istanbul.

“During this meeting, assessments were made regarding the training camp and preparations planned by the Iranian national team in Turkey ahead of the World Cup,” the TFF said on social media.

When the squad reaches the US, Iran will set up their base camp in Tucson, Arizona.

They are due to kick off their World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on 15 June, before facing Belgium in the same city and then Egypt in Seattle, in Group G. — AFP