The two-week truce in the war is ‌set to expire within days and despite Iran earlier ruling out a second round of negotiations this week, a Pakistani source involved in the discussions told Reuters there was momentum for talks to recommence on Wednesday.

“Things are moving forward and the talks are on track for tomorrow,” the source said on Tuesday on condition of anonymity, adding U.S. President Donald Trump could attend in person, or virtually, if a deal were to be signed.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance will travel to Pakistan on Tuesday for negotiations, Axios reported, citing U.S. sources and the Wall Street Journal said Iran had ​told regional mediators it would send a delegation to Pakistan on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Reuters could not immediately confirm the reports.

An Iranian official, speaking to Reuters, said Tehran was “positively reviewing” its participation in ​the talks but stressed no decision had been made.

OIL PRICE DOWN ON TALKS OPTIMISM

Oil prices fell more than $1 and stocks bounced back in early trading in Asia on Tuesday on expectation that ⁠U.S.-Iran peace talks will resume this week, after an earlier meeting in Islamabad broke down without an agreement.

Oil prices had jumped around 6% in Monday trading on doubts over the talks.

Brent crude futures declined $1.04, or 1.1%, at $94.44 a barrel at 0600 ​GMT and U.S. West Texas Intermediate for May fell $1.66, or 1.9%, to $87.95.

But tensions remained high on Tuesday, with defiant rhetoric from Iran adding to uncertainty over whether the talks will happen.

Top officials in Tehran chided Washington over its blockade of Iranian ports and ​Sunday’s seizure and boarding of an Iranian commercial vessel, the Touska, which they called ceasefire violations that were obstacles to diplomacy.

A senior Iranian military commander said on Tuesday forces were ready to deliver an “immediate and decisive response” to any renewed hostility from adversaries, the semi-official Tasnim news agency said, while Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, in an X post said any nation with a great civilisation would not negotiate under threat or force.

Top negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf had in an X post late on Monday accused Trump of increasing pressure through the blockade, saying ​he was deluded in seeking to “turn the negotiating table into a table of submission” or justify renewed warmongering.

Trump wants an agreement that would prevent further oil price rises and stock market shocks but has insisted Iran cannot have the means to develop ​a nuclear weapon.

Tehran hopes to leverage its control of the Strait of Hormuz to strike a deal that averts a restart of the war, eases sanctions but does not impede its nuclear programme.

Washington has not specified when the two-week ceasefire will end.

A Pakistani source ‌involved in the ⁠talks said it would expire at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, or midnight GMT or 3:30 a.m. Thursday in Iran.

IRAN DEMANDS RELEASE OF VESSEL, CREW

Maritime security sources said on Monday the Iranian vessel Touska was likely to have what Washington deems dual-use items that could be used by the military onboard.

The U.S. Central Command said the crew failed to comply, opens new tab with repeated warnings over a six-hour period and the vessel violated the U.S. blockade.

China, the main buyer of Iranian crude, has expressed concern over the “forced interception”.

Iran’s foreign ministry condemned the seizure on Tuesday and demanded the immediate release of the vessel, its crew and their families, warning Tehran would use all its capabilities to defend its national interests and security.

“The United States would bear full responsibility for any ​further escalation in the region,” it said, according to Iranian ​state media.

Thousands of people have been killed by U.S.-Israeli ⁠strikes on Iran and in an Israeli invasion of Lebanon conducted in parallel since the war began on February 28.

The war triggered a historic shock to global energy supplies and fears that prolonged conflict could push the global economy to the brink of recession.

The U.S. blockade of Iranian ports has infuriated Tehran, which lifted and then soon re-imposed its own restrictions on the ​Strait of Hormuz, which typically handles roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supply.

Mediator Pakistan has lobbied for Washington to end its blockade.

‘THEY’RE GOING TO NEGOTIATE,’ ​TRUMP SAYS

Trump on the John Fredericks ⁠Media Network on Monday said Iran would negotiate but reiterated Washington would not allow Tehran to develop a nuclear weapon.

“They’re going to negotiate, and hopefully they’ll make a fair deal, and they’ll build their country back up, but they will not have – when they do it – they will not have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.

Pakistan has been preparing to host the talks despite uncertainty about whether they would go ahead.

Nearly 20,000 security personnel have been deployed across Islamabad, officials said.

Trump warned on Sunday that the U.S. would destroy every ⁠bridge and power ​plant in Iran if it rejected his terms, continuing a recent pattern of such threats.

Iran has said that if the United States were to attack ​its civilian infrastructure, it would strike power stations and desalination plants in its Gulf Arab neighbours.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Fox News’ “Hannity” programme that the United States was close to a deal with Iran.

“Thanks to the success of the military operation and his (Trump’s) hardline negotiating style, we’re on ​the brink of a deal,” Leavitt said.

“And if not, the president, as commander in chief, still has a number of options at his disposal that he’s unafraid to use.”

Source: Reuters

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The post US positive on Iran deal but talks still uncertain appeared first on Frontpageng.

Prussian war strategist, Carl von Clausewitz, defines war as the continuation of politics by other means. In other words, when diplomacy fails, nations resort to war to achieve the same objectives they had set out to achieve with diplomacy. Thus, war is not an end in itself but a means to an end. And like Niccolo Machiavelli posits in his political treatise, The Prince, the end justifies the means. Once the end or objective is achieved, then, the loss, destruction, dislocation, and terrible suffering that war brings become justified.

Three quick take-aways from Clausewitz’s treatise are that war is a very serious business which is not levied for flimsy reasons. Two: War is the last resort after and only after diplomacy has failed. Three: What determines the success of war is, if the same set goals or objectives which diplomacy had failed to achieve are now achieved by war. It is then that the efforts invested in the war by the protagonist(s) will be worth the while.

The loser also learns the useful lesson of the need to bend over backward at the point of diplomacy to avoid war; for, why be intransigent at negotiations only to eventually lose everything and accept the same or even more crippling conditions than those hitherto rejected? The examples of the powers that lost out in the 1st and 2nd World Wars and the crippling conditions imposed on them after the loss bears repeating here.

To what extent does Clausewitz’s treatise apply to the just-concluded tripartite war (with proxies throwing in jabs from the sidelines!) between the United States of America, the State of Israel and the Islamic Republic of Iran? In war, says the ancient Greek tragic dramatist, Aeschylus, the first casualty is truth; meaning that truth is not only deliberately concealed but its concealment is elevated to the high art of state policy, with vicious penalties for dissenters.

Honest reporting of events is not only forbidden but is also treated as crime committed against the State, its national interests, and survival. Death penalty for offenders has often and routinely been resorted to, especially by totalitarian or dictatorial regimes. Thus, propaganda, misinformation, disinformation and the brazen distortion of facts become official state policy. The media is heavily censored. Even in so-called democracies, rulers acquire emergency powers which enable them to suppress fundamental human rights and ride roughshod over the will of the same people they claim to represent.

The US-Israel-Iran war was not different. A lot happened which were not only shielded from the public but were also disfigured and distorted. Therefore, our knowledge of what happened pre-war, during the war and after it is limited to what we were allowed to know.

We heard that the US and Iran had started negotiations and were just a few hours away from reaching an agreement when the US made a volte-face and, jointly with Israel, launched a barrage of missiles on the Islamic republic. The US and Israel were the first to attack; under international law and conventions, they were the aggressors. When Iran responded in kind, it acted legitimately in self defence, which is permitted under international law and conventions.

As Iran and the US return to the negotiation table in Pakistan, what ails the entire world is no longer the exchange of missiles by the combatants but Iran’s effective closure and control of the Strait of Hormuz, which the US appears to have tacitly acquiesce to with Trump’s diplomatic language of referring to the strait as “joint venture” between the US and Iran!

Why did the US and Israel attack when negotiations were not only ongoing but were said to be proceeding smoothly and a positive end was in sight? One argument is that neither the US nor Israel trusted the Iranians to honour any agreement reached. In other words, they saw Iran as merely playing games to ward off an attack, after which it would go back on whatever agreement was reached by the parties.

A counter argument, however, is that both the US and Israel had made up their mind a long time ago and were fixated on the attack, come what may. They had prepared and were armed to the teeth. But Iran chose to take the wind off the sail of its opponents by cooperating during negotiations, to the chagrin, embarrassment and frustration of both the US and Israel. To allow negotiations to proceed and conclude on a positive note would further make the preconceived positions of the US and Israel more untenable.

Clausewitz’s treatise that war is launched only after diplomacy has failed thus fell flat on its face. Not only has diplomacy not failed here, it was, in fact, succeeding when the US and Israel aborted it and levied war on Iran.

Now, what were the publicly-stated goals or objectives (apart from hidden goals) that the US and Israel sought to achieve with their attack on Iran? One is not just to disrupt or postpone but to completely destroy Iran’s nuclear programme. The US and Israel accuse Iran of seeking to produce nuclear weapons; Iran denies this, stating that its nuclear programme is for peaceful means. The US and Israel, which are both nuclear powers,  disbelieve this.

Iran has refused to recognize the State of Israel, unlike some other Arab and Middle East countries. The fear of Israel is that Iran’s nuclear weapons programme is an existential threat while the US reasons that a nuclear-power Iran will distort and disrupt the balance of power equations it has adroitly erected and gingerly maintained in the region for its own continued hegemony.

Another reason not officially stated is that the US eyes Iran’s vast oil resources. After the success of its Venezuelan invasion, the argument in some American quarters is that if the US could also “capture” Iran, it would automatically control over 30 per cent of the entire world’s oil reserves. Not only that, with Iran beholden to both Russia and China, which are superpower rivals of the US, dragging Iran into the US orbit would be a huge blow on both China and Russia, which will not only deny them access to Iran’s vital resources but will, after the loss of Venezuela, also mean the loss of another strategic ally.

Thus, regime change in Iran became a very key component of the US agenda. Iran would be attacked; its leadership would be exterminated, a mass uprising against whatever remains of the Islamic regime will unfold and the US will move in not only to install a pliant regime beholden to the US but also one that is permanently crippled and would be unable to pose an existential threat to Israel or any of it neighbours that operate within the US orbit.

The above are goals, stated and unstated, that the US and Israel must have reckoned could not be totally achieved through diplomacy. Only a decimated and conquered Iran will afford them the opportunity to ride roughshod over the Islamic Republic; hence war.

Now, how far have the US and Israel achieved their goals? From video and other pictorial evidence, both the US and Israel substantially destroyed Iranian military and civilian facilities. They virtually wiped out the Iranian leadership, including its leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei; so also were scores of its military officers and top scientists, as well as thousands of other Iranian citizens, hundreds of them being school children.

But whereas Khamenei was killed and regime change effected, it was not along the line envisaged by the US. Khamenei has been succeeded by his son. The Iranian regime remains fully in charge of the country. The public uproar expected from the Iranian population has failed to materialize; instead, the war appears to have solidified majority of Iranians behind their leaders, who were now afforded the opportunity to bear down heavily on dissenters.

The US claimed to have destroyed Iran’s nuclear capability, but it turned out it has only buried the enriched uranium fuselages and will now need to put thousand of boots on ground in Iran to get to where those fuselages are buried deep under the ground, excavate and ship them to the US. What a tall order! The US also claims to have decapitated Iran’s military, yet the same Iran was able to attack locations within Israel, inflicting damages that the media was not allowed to fully report, as well as attacking US military bases and allies in the region.

But, perhaps, the most intriguing aspect is the US report that it has destroyed the Iranian navy; that it no longer possesses the capability to threaten, adding that the US would keep the Strait of Hormuz safe for ships to pass through and ensure that 20 per cent of the world’s crude oil and gas trade that pass through the strait would go on uninterrupted. Not only is Iran still strong enough to close the strait; not only has the US been unable to stop it from doing so; the US’s NATO allies have also declined President Donald Trump’s call for help!

As Iran and the US return to the negotiation table in Pakistan, what ails the entire world is no longer the exchange of missiles by the combatants but Iran’s effective closure and control of the Strait of Hormuz, which the US appears to have tacitly acquiesce to with Trump’s diplomatic language of referring to the strait as “joint venture” between the US and Iran! What does that mean – defeat, acquiesce or what? Did the US and Israel achieve the goals for which they levied war on Iran or did they only succeed in opening Pandora’s box?

*Bolawole (turnpot@gmail.com 0807 552 5533), former Editor of PUNCH newspapers, Chairman of its Editorial Board and Deputy Editor-in-chief, was also the Managing Director/ Editor-in-chief of the Westerner newsmagazine. He writes the “ON THE LORD’S DAY” column in the Sunday Tribune and “TREASURES” column in the New Telegraph newspapers. He is also a public affairs analyst on radio and television.

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The post US-Israel-Iran: Who won and who lost the war? appeared first on Frontpageng.

While the U.S. blockade drew angry rhetoric from Tehran, signs that diplomatic engagement might ‌continue helped calm oil markets, pushing benchmark prices below $100 on Tuesday.

The highest-level talks between the two adversaries since the 1979 Islamic Revolution ended in the Pakistani capital without a breakthrough at the weekend, raising doubts over the survival of a two-week ceasefire that still has a week to run.

However, a source involved in the talks said on Tuesday both countries could return as early as the end of this week, and that a proposal had been shared with Washington and Tehran to resend their delegations.

“No firm date has been set, with the delegations ​keeping Friday through Sunday open,” a senior Iranian source said.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran had been in touch on Monday and wanted to make a deal, adding that he would not sanction any agreement ​that allowed Tehran to possess a nuclear weapon.

Since the United States and Israel began the war on February 28, Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz to nearly ⁠all vessels except its own, saying passage would be permitted only under Iranian control and subject to a fee.

Nearly a fifth of global oil and gas supplies previously flowed through the narrow waterway, making the fallout widespread.

In ​a countermeasure, the U.S. military said it began blocking shipping traffic in and out of Iran’s ports on Monday.

Tehran has threatened to hit naval ships going through the strait and to retaliate against its Gulf neighbours’ ports.

A day ​into the U.S. blockade, there had yet to be reports of Washington taking direct action against shipping to enforce it.

Shipping data showed at least three Iran-linked tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz that were not heading to or from Iranian ports.

IMF CUTS GROWTH OUTLOOK

The latest measures have further clouded the outlook for global energy security and the supply of goods that rely on petroleum.

On Tuesday, the International Monetary Fund cut its growth outlook, citing price spikes and supply disruptions driven by the war, and said the global economy would teeter on ​the brink of recession if the conflict worsens and oil stays above $100 per barrel through 2027.

The International Energy Agency sharply cut its forecasts for global oil supply and demand growth, saying both are now expected to fall from 2025 ​levels.

The United States’ NATO allies including Britain and France said they would not be drawn into the conflict by taking part in the blockade, although they have offered to help safeguard the strait by drawing together a defensive multilateral mission to assist when an ‌agreement is in ⁠place.

China, the main buyer of Iranian oil, said the U.S. blockade was “dangerous and irresponsible” and would only aggravate tensions.

NUCLEAR DEMANDS REMAIN FIRM

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who led Washington’s delegation opposite Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said on Monday that Iranian negotiators had shown some movement but fell short.

He said Trump was adamant that any enriched nuclear material must be removed from Iran and a mechanism must be established to verify that Iran is not developing nuclear weapons.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar echoed that position on Tuesday, speaking to reporters in Jerusalem: “We will never allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons,” he said. “The enriched materials must be removed from Iran.”

Complicating Pakistan’s efforts to mediate an end to the ​war, Israel has continued targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

​Israel and the United States say that campaign ⁠is not covered by the ceasefire, while Iran has insisted it is.

Israeli and Lebanese envoys were to meet in Washington on Tuesday in a rare encounter also expected to be attended by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Lebanon’s government has sought negotiations with Israel despite objections from Hezbollah.

Israel killed more than 350 people in Lebanon in the war’s worst strikes ​hours after the Iran ceasefire was announced last week, but later said it was willing to discuss a separate ceasefire with the Lebanese government.

CEASEFIRE STILL HOLDING

With the war ​unpopular at home and rising ⁠energy prices causing political blowback, Trump paused the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign last week after threatening to destroy Iran’s “whole civilisation” unless it reopened the strait.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted April 10-12, after the ceasefire was announced, showed that 35% of Americans approve of U.S. strikes against Iran, down from 37% a week earlier.

The ceasefire has largely held over its first week despite sharp rhetoric from both sides.

An Iranian military spokesperson called any U.S. restrictions on international shipping “piracy,” warning that if Iranian ports were threatened, ⁠no port in ​the Gulf or Gulf of Oman would be secure.

Trump said Iran’s navy had been “completely obliterated” during the war, adding that only a small ​number of “fast-attack ships” remained.

“Warning: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED,” Trump wrote on social media.

The U.S. military’s Central Command said the blockade would be enforced on vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports in the Gulf and Gulf of ​Oman.

It would not impede neutral transit passage through the Strait of Hormuz to or from non-Iranian destinations, it said in a note to seafarers.

Source: Reuters

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The post US, Iran may resume talks this week despite port blockade appeared first on Frontpageng.

The U.S. delegation, led ​by Vice President JD Vance and including President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, landed in two U.S. air force planes at an air base in Islamabad on Saturday morning, where ‌they were received by Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.

The Iranian delegation, led by parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, arrived on Friday.

These will be the highest-level U.S.-Iran talks since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and the first official face-to-face negotiations between the two sides since 2015, when they reached a deal on Iran’s nuclear programme.

Trump scrapped the nuclear deal in 2018 during his first term in office.

That year, Iran’s then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – who was killed at the start of the war six weeks ago – banned ​further direct talks between U.S. and Iranian officials.

IRAN HAS ‘NO CARDS’, TRUMP SAYS

Qalibaf said on X that Washington had previously agreed to unblock Iranian assets and to a ceasefire in Lebanon, where Israeli attacks on Iran-backed Hezbollah militants have ​killed nearly 2,000 people since the start of the fighting in March.

He said talks would not start until those pledges were fulfilled.

Iran’s state broadcaster said the Iranian delegation would meet Pakistani ⁠Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif around noon (0700 GMT) to determine the timing and manner of “possible negotiations”.

Israel and the U.S. have said the Lebanon campaign is not part of the Iran-U.S. ceasefire, while Tehran insists it is.

Qalibaf said separately that Iran was ready to reach ​a deal if Washington offered what he described as a genuine agreement and granted Iran its rights, Iranian state media reported.

The White House did not immediately comment on the Iranian demands, but Trump posted on social media that the only reason the Iranians ​were alive was to negotiate a deal.

“The Iranians don’t seem to realize they have no cards, other than a short term extortion of the World by using International Waterways. The only reason they are alive today is to negotiate!” he said.

Vance, speaking as he headed to Pakistan, said he expected a positive outcome but added: “If they’re going to try to play us, then they’re going to find the negotiating team is not that receptive.”

Preliminary discussions have been separately held by Pakistani officials with advance teams from both sides, sources in Islamabad said.

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency said these ​included 70 members from Tehran, including technical specialists in economic, security and political fields as well as media personnel and support staff.

About 100 members of an advance U.S. team were in the city, a Pakistani government source said.

“We’re very positive,” said another ​Pakistani source close to the discussions.

Asked if talks would end on Saturday, the source said: “Too early to say. They have instructions to close a deal or walk away. Hence not in a rush. These talks are not on the clock.”

Islamabad was under an unprecedented lockdown ahead ‌of the talks ⁠with thousands of paramilitary personnel and army troops on the streets.

“We have deployed multi-layer security for this event, which is based on coordination, intelligence and constant monitoring for zero disruption and full control,” Pakistan’s junior interior minister, Talal Chaudhry, told Reuters.

Trump announced a two-week ceasefire in the war on Tuesday, which has halted U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran.

But it has not ended Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which has caused the biggest-ever disruption to global energy supplies, or calmed the parallel war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

FIGHTING CONTINUES IN LEBANON

Israeli and Lebanese officials will hold talks in Washington on Tuesday, both sides said, amid conflicting accounts on what those talks would cover.

Lebanon’s presidency said officials from the two countries had held a phone call on ​Friday and agreed to discuss announcing a ceasefire and setting ​a start date for bilateral talks under U.S. mediation.

⁠But Israel’s embassy in Washington said the talks would constitute the start of “formal peace negotiations” and that Israel had refused to discuss a ceasefire with Hezbollah.

Tehran’s agenda at the Islamabad talks also includes demands for major new concessions, including the end of sanctions that crippled its economy for years, and acknowledgment of its authority over the Strait of Hormuz, where it aims to collect ​transit fees and control access in what would amount to a huge shift in regional power.

Iran’s ships were sailing through the strait unimpeded on Friday, while those of other countries ​remained hemmed inside.

Disruption to energy supplies ⁠has fed inflation and slowed the global economy, with an impact expected to last for months even if negotiators succeed in reopening the strait.

The hard line taken by Iran’s leaders ahead of the negotiations followed a defiant message from its new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on Thursday.

Khamenei, yet to be seen in public and said to be suffering from severe facial and leg injuries sustained in the attack that killed his father, said Iran would demand compensation for all wartime damage.

“We will certainly not leave unpunished the criminal aggressors who attacked ⁠our country,” he ​said.

Although Trump has declared victory and degraded Iran’s military capabilities, the war has not achieved many of the aims he set out at the start: to ​deprive Iran of the ability to strike its neighbours, dismantle its nuclear programme, and make it easier for its people to overthrow their government.

Iran still possesses missiles and drones capable of hitting its neighbours and a stockpile of more than 400 kg (900 pounds) of uranium enriched near the level needed to make ​a bomb.

Its clerical rulers, who faced a popular uprising just months ago, withstood the war with no sign of organised opposition.

Source: Reuters

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The post US, Iran teams in Pakistan for peace talks amid doubts over Lebanon, sanctions appeared first on Frontpageng.

In a statement issued late Wednesday, the IRGC navy released a map marking a designated danger zone within the strategic waterway, raising fresh concerns over maritime safety in the Gulf.

Citing ongoing security risks, Iranian authorities urged ships to adopt an alternative route further north to prevent what they described as a “possible collision with sea mines.”

The recommended passage runs near Larak Island, off Iran’s southern coast.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, particularly for global energy supplies.

According to the International Energy Agency, nearly 30 per cent of the world’s seaborne oil passed through the strait in 2023.

Shipping through the narrow, 55-kilometre-wide corridor has been severely disrupted since the outbreak of hostilities, with Iran’s naval forces accused of deterring traffic through threats and attacks on tankers and cargo vessels.

The disruptions have contributed to rising global energy prices.

The warning comes shortly after a ceasefire agreement between Tehran and Washington.

U.S. President Donald Trump had made the reopening of the strait a key condition of the two-week truce.

However, reports suggest that Iran is seeking to impose tolls on vessels using routes close to its coastline.

Since the ceasefire took effect on Wednesday night, shipping activity through the strait appears to remain limited, according to media reports and maritime tracking data.

Source: dpa/NAN

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The post Iran warns of sea mines in Strait of Hormuz appeared first on Frontpageng.

The four astronauts travelled 406,711 kilometres from Earth, eclipsing the 400,171 km record set in 1970 by the crew of the Apollo 13 mission.

The Artemis 2 crew – U.S. astronauts Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Reid Wiseman, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen – lifted off on Wednesday evening aboard the Orion capsule on the Space Launch System rocket from the Cape Canaveral spaceport in the U.S. state of Florida.

The crew became the first to see some parts of the far side of the moon with human eyes.

They also witnessed a solar eclipse as the moon passed in front of the sun.

During their lunar flyby, a fleet of cameras captured imagery of the moon, including features humans have never directly seen, NASA said.

Hansen said the lunar flyby was an “extraordinary” experience.

“When we were on the far side of the moon, looking back at Earth, you really felt like you weren’t in a capsule.

“You’d been transported to the far side of the moon. And it really just bent your mind,” he said.

Koch said she was not ready to return to Earth just yet. “I’m not ready to go home,” she said.

“I can’t believe that something this cramped of quarters can fly by and still be fun every single minute.”

In addition to their spaceflight record, the crew suggested naming two craters on the moon during their flight.

The first is named in honour of their spacecraft, Integrity.

The second honours Wiseman’s late wife, Carroll, NASA said.

After the mission is complete, the crater name proposals will be formally submitted to the International Astronomical Union, the organisation that governs the naming of celestial bodies and their surface features.

Hansen said the mission was also intended to honour the crew’s predecessors in human spaceflight.

He said the achievement should “challenge this generation and the next to make sure this record is not long-lived.”

Earlier on Monday, NASA said they had reached the moon’s sphere of gravitational influence, meaning the point at which the moon’s gravity has a stronger effect than Earth’s.

For Glover, Koch, and Wiseman, this is their second spaceflight; for Hansen, it is his first.

Koch is the first woman on board a NASA lunar mission, Glover the first non-white person, and Hansen the first Canadian.

The flight path of the Artemis 2 resembles a figure of eight around the Earth and the moon.

The four astronauts are set to cover a total of more than 2.3 million kilometres – before returning to Earth in the Pacific Ocean.

The crew is scheduled to splash down off the coast of San Diego on Friday.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman wrote on X the crew were now on their journey home.

“Before they left, they said they hoped this mission would be forgotten, but it will be remembered as the moment people started to believe that America can once again do the near-impossible and change the world,” he wrote.

“Congratulations to this incredible crew and the entire NASA team, our international and commercial partners, but this mission isn’t over until they’re under safe parachutes, splashing down into the Pacific.”

The first person on the moon was Neil Armstrong on July 20, 1969.

The last person to leave the moon to date was NASA astronaut Eugene Cernan, who died in 2017, during the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972.

In total, the United States – the only country to have done so to date – sent 12 astronauts to the moon between 1969 and 1972 as part of the Apollo missions.

Source: dpa/NAN

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“Even if specific civilian infrastructure were to qualify as a military objective, international humanitarian law would still prohibit attacks against them if they may be expected to cause excessive incidental civilian harm,” Guterres’ spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said in New York on Monday.

He added that it was “high time for the parties to stop this conflict, as there is no viable alternative to the peaceful settlement of international disputes.”

The warnings come as U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Iran with the destruction of all bridges and power plants if it did not comply with his latest ultimatum.

Speaking at the White House, Trump said the U.S. could carry out “complete demolition” within four hours.

The deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil and gas shipments, expires Tuesday evening (Wednesday 0000 GMT).

Source: dpa/NAN

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Then, the airman’s daring Easter weekend rescue gave the U.S. president the chance to quickly flip the script.

Standing ‌before cameras on Monday, Trump recast the perilous operation as a providential military triumph, leaning in to its cinematic elements to project strength and command of a five-week-old war that remains deeply unpopular with U.S. voters.

“We have incredibly talented people, and if the time comes, we move heaven and earth to bring them home safely,” Trump told reporters at the White ​House. “God was watching us.”

It was the second time in less than a week that the president had scheduled time to directly deliver ​his message on Iran to the public, taking on the role of executive producer and chief publicist of his ⁠presidency in his uniquely Trumpian way.

He has struggled to explain his rationale for the bombing campaign, including during a muddled prime-time address last week.

His profanity-laced tirade ​on social media on Easter Sunday further pushed past the normal bounds of presidential communications and prompted questions from reporters about the 79-year-old president’s mental ​fitness.

The scene in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room on Monday offered a familiar display of Trump’s political instincts: seizing a high-profile moment to tell the story on his terms and using it as a unifying rallying cry to win support from war-weary Americans.

RESCUE DETAILS DOMINATE BRIEFING

He detailed an intricate rescue mission that he conceded was bolstered ​by luck.

Trump administration officials, normally loath to discuss internal deliberations, over the weekend helped reporters write vivid accounts of the stunning operation.

Trump described a ​bleeding officer who evaded capture in Iran for two days, and search-and-rescue teams scaling mountains and trying to lift aircraft out of wet sand before destroying machinery that ‌might otherwise ⁠fall into enemy hands.

“Hundreds of people could have been killed,” Trump told reporters, noting that some military officials advised him against the operation.

“How many men did you send altogether?” Trump asked the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, who was standing nearby.

“I’d love to keep that a secret,” Caine said.

“I’ll keep it a secret, but it was hundreds and hundreds of these people,” Trump said.

Though Trump seemed to revel in the details of the military’s prowess – suggesting at a separate White House event earlier on Monday that the rescue might someday be depicted in a ​movie – he also threatened to jail a journalist at an unnamed news outlet who first reported that one airman ​had been successfully ⁠rescued before the second missing airman was found.

FRUSTRATION WITH ALLIES, DIPLOMACY

Trump continued to express frustration with the speed of diplomacy to end the war, anger at U.S. allies who will not help and exasperation with the blocked Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies.

He dismissed a question about his mental ⁠health, saying, “I ​don’t care about critics.”

Asked whether he planned to escalate the war or end it, Trump ​was noncommittal.

“I can’t tell you,” Trump said. “I don’t know.”

As he moved to wrap up the hour-plus news conference, Trump sought to portray victory as an all-but-foregone conclusion.

“We won, OK?” he said. “They ​are militarily defeated.”

Source: Reuters

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A framework to end hostilities has been put together by Pakistan and exchanged with Iran and the U.S. overnight, the source said, outlining a two-tier approach with an immediate ceasefire followed by a ​comprehensive agreement.

“All elements need to be agreed today,” the source said, adding the initial understanding would be ​structured as a memorandum of understanding finalised electronically through Pakistan, the sole communication channel in ⁠the talks.

Axios first reported on Sunday that the United States, Iran and regional mediators were discussing a potential 45-day ​ceasefire as part of a two-phase deal that could lead to a permanent end to the war, citing U.S., ​Israeli and regional sources.

The source told Reuters Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has been in contact “all night long” with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.

Under the proposal, a ceasefire would take effect immediately, ​reopening the Strait of Hormuz, with 15–20 days to finalise a broader settlement.

The deal, tentatively dubbed the “Islamabad Accord,” ​would include a regional framework for the strait, with final in-person talks in Islamabad.

There was no immediate response from U.S. and ‌Iranian officials. ⁠

Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi declined comment.

Iranian officials have previously told Reuters that Tehran was seeking a permanent ceasefire with guarantees they will not be attacked again by the U.S. and Israel.

They have said Iran has received messages from mediators including Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt.

The final agreement is expected to include Iranian commitments not to pursue ​nuclear weapons in exchange for ​sanctions relief and the ⁠release of frozen assets, the source said.

Two Pakistani sources said Iran has yet to commit despite intensified civilian and military outreach.

“Iran has not responded yet,” one source said, adding ​proposals backed by Pakistan, China and the United States for a temporary ceasefire ​have drawn no ⁠commitment so far.

There was no immediate response from Chinese officials to requests for comment.

The latest diplomatic push comes amid escalating hostilities that have raised concerns over disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil ⁠supplies.

U.S. President ​Donald Trump has in recent days publicly pressed for a rapid end ​to the conflict, warning of consequences if a ceasefire is not reached within a short timeframe.

The conflict has heightened volatility in energy markets, ​with traders closely watching any developments that could affect flows through the strait.

Source: Reuters

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In the declaration, the county said it fully identified with the pivotal roles that the Americana Archaivar Plus Convergence and the Universal Archaivar Elders have been playing home and abroad since inception.

A member of the council, Vop Osili, gladly joined the club and was promptly made a patron.

He was joined by a 79-year-old grandmother and five others.

It all happened at the crest unveiling ceremony of the club’s world gyration on Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The event brought together distinguished elders, fellows, dignitaries, and members of the Nigerian diaspora in a celebration that underscored the timeless values of the Kegites Club—peace, respect, and brotherhood.

The highlight of the evening was the official unveiling of the crest by Osili, a respected Democratic leader in Indianapolis, member of the City-County Council (District 11), and former Council President (2018–2026), who recently declared his candidacy for Mayor of Indianapolis in 2027.

The proclamation was signed by Osili and Yulonda Winfield, clerk of the Indianapolis-Marion city county.

The county presented an official Proclamation of Recognition to the Universal Archaivar Elders and the Americana Archaivar Plus Convergence.

The county acknowledged the organisations’ outstanding contributions to cultural preservation, community development, and the promotion of unity within the diaspora—further cementing the significance of the occasion and the growing impact of the Convergence.

Osili was also conferred as a Patron of the Kegites Club, marking a significant bridge between African cultural heritage and civic leadership in the United States.

Delivering his remarks, Osili praised the organisation’s impact and cohesion within the diaspora:

“What I witnessed here today is more than a gathering—it is a living example of unity, cultural pride, and intergenerational strength.

“The Kegites Club represents a model community where respect is earned, heritage is preserved, and people come together not just as Nigerians, but as one family. I am honoured to be part of this journey.”

The ceremony also featured a deeply symbolic and inspiring moment as Mrs. Adediwura Faturoti, aged 79, was ‘fellowrised’ into the Convergence, demonstrating that the spirit of the Comradium transcends age and continues to welcome all who embrace its values.

Adding the voice of deep tradition and elder wisdom, Chief Bosun Ajibogun, a revered Chief of the club emphasised the enduring essence of the movement:

“The strength of the Kegites lies in its continuity—where elders guide, and the younger ones follow with pride. What we see here today is culture alive, not in memory, but in practice. This crest is not just a symbol; it is a covenant of unity that binds generations together.”

The Board Chairman, Chief Adewale Fakorede,  and the Grand Kord (Coordinator) of the Convergence, Patron Oluranti Dairo, both expressed gladness at the development and promised to lift the club to greater heights.

The leader of the Archivar Elders, Basorun Deleola Fayth Daramola, reflected on the broader vision of the movement:

“What we are building is beyond gatherings—it is a legacy. A convergence of minds, culture, and purpose that will outlive us. Today’s unveiling is not just about a crest; it is about identity, continuity, and the power of unity in diversity.”

One of the most poignant highlights of the event was the presence of Chief Taofeek Gbolagade Rahman, a patriarch of the club, who honoured the gathering with his attendance despite the passing of his nonagenarian mother just hours before his journey to Indianapolis.

In an emotional reflection, Chief Rahman stated:

“This Comradium is not just an association—it is family. Even in moments of personal grief, we showed up because this bond is sacred. My presence here is a testament to the love, commitment, and lifelong brotherhood that defines who we are.”

The event drew attendees from across the United States, including New Jersey, where members travelled to be part of the historic occasion.

Fellow Habib Akinyemi (a.k.a, Anobi Jersey) shared his experience:

“This is what unity looks like. From coast to coast, we came together not just to celebrate a crest, but to reaffirm who we are. The energy, the respect, the culture—it reminds you that no matter where we are in the world, our roots remain strong.”

Delivering the closing reflection, Coordinator of Indy Tent, Fellow Tola Adesuyi, expressed gratitude and optimism for the future:

“This moment is a testament to what is possible when vision meets commitment. Indianapolis has spoken, and the Convergence has only just begun. We are building something lasting—one that will continue to unite, inspire, and elevate our people for generations to come.”

The Americana Archaivar Plus Convergence, under the umbrella of the Universal Archaivar Elders, continues to expand its cultural and social footprint across the diaspora, promoting unity, mentorship, and the preservation of African traditions.

The unveiling of the 2026 crest marks another milestone in its journey, as it builds momentum toward future global engagements and cultural showcases.

The event concluded with vibrant gyrations, cultural exchanges, and renewed commitments to the ideals of the Comradium—unity, heritage, and legacy—beyond the one-finger salute.

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