A sense of dread spread across the Middle East after talks between the US and Iran collapsed, as fears of renewed fighting rattled an already tense region with Donald Trump ordering a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Following more than 20 hours of talks in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, US Vice President JD Vance admitted the yawning differences between the US and Iran proved to be insurmountable for the moment.
When US Vice President JD Vance disembarked his plane ahead of high-stakes talks with Iran in Islamabad on Saturday, he was greeted by the powerful Pakistani army chief, his civilian attire blending in with those around him.
The image illustrated what many experts say is Field Marshal Asim Munir's growing role at the centre of Pakistan's foreign relations.
"He is a soldier, a statesman and a diplomat," Islamabad-based political analyst Qamar Cheema told AFP. "Munir has created a momentum for Pakistan at a global level to change Pakistan's perception."
MIAMI, Florida, April 12 (Reuters) - Implementing a newly announced U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz will take a little while, President Donald Trump said in an interview with Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo".
(Reporting by Bo Erickson in Miami, FloridaEditing by David Goodman)
April 12 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Sunday said the US Navy would immediately start blockading the Strait of Hormuz and would also interdict every vessel in international waters that had paid a toll to Iran.
Trump made his remarks in a Truth Social post hours after US-Iran peace talks ended without a deal. Trump said the meeting "went well, most points were agreed," but added the two sides had not agreed on Iran's nuclear program.
President Donald Trump on Sunday ordered a US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in the wake of failed peace talks with Iran -- a significant escalation that would test an already fragile ceasefire.
In lengthy social media posts and an interview on Fox News, Trump acknowledged that the marathon negotiations in Islamabad had gone "well" and "most points were agreed to."
SYDNEY, April 12 (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will visit Brunei and Malaysia this week, continuing diplomatic efforts to secure fuel supplies from Asian allies after disruptions caused by the Middle East conflict.
Albanese will travel to Bandar Seri Begawan and Kuala Lumpur from April 14 to 17, his office said in a statement on Sunday.
He is scheduled to meet Brunei's ruler Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong would also meet her counterparts in Brunei and Malaysia, the statement said.
(Correcting last name of doctor in paragraphs 19-20 to Attiyeh, not Khattiyeh.)
By Thomas Suen and Louisa Gouliamaki
TYRE, Lebanon April 12 (Reuters) - Wrapped in bloodied bandages, Aline Saeed, seven, barely survived the Israeli strike on her home in south Lebanon last week. She was there to bury her father as hopes of a truce spread across the region, but a new strike killed her infant sister and other relatives.
JERUSALEM, April 12 (Reuters) - Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem on Sunday, saying he was seeking greater access for Jewish worshippers and drawing condemnation from Jordan.
The compound in Jerusalem's walled Old City is one of the most sensitive sites in the Middle East https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/where-is-al-aqsa-mosque-why-is-it-so-important-islam-2023-04-05/. Known to Jews as Temple Mount, it is the most sacred site in Judaism and is Islam's third-holiest site.
The US military said it would begin a blockade of all Iranian ports on Monday, after talks between the warring sides in Pakistan collapsed with President Donald Trump blaming the Islamic republic's refusal to abandon its nuclear ambitions.
Trump had announced on social media he would blockade the strategic Strait of Hormuz trading route that he has been demanding Tehran fully re-open, after his vice president, JD Vance left negotiations with an Iranian delegation in Islamabad on Sunday.
MADRID, April 12 (Reuters) - A second flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza was due to set sail on Sunday from the Spanish port of Barcelona to try to break the Israeli blockade.
About 30 boats planned to leave the Mediterranean port city laden with medical aid and other supplies on the Global Sumud Flotilla, and more vessels are expected to join along the route towards Palestine.
