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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Army Rocket Force Command on Tuesday conducted a successful training launch of the indigenously developed Fateh-II Missile System, which is equipped with advanced avionics and state-of-the-art navigation aids, according to the military&rsquo;s media wing. &ldquo;The training launch was aimed at training of troops, validating various technical parameters and performance evaluation of different sub-systems incorporated for improved accuracy and enhanced survivability,&rdquo; the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. &ldquo;The launch was witnessed by senior officers from the Strategic Plans Division, Army Rocket Force Command and the Pakistan Army, along with scientists and Engineers of Strategic Organizations,&rdquo; it stated. The forum also commended the successful training fire of the indigenously developed Fateh Series missile. The Chief of Defense Forces, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and other senior officials appreciated the technical prowess, dedication and commitment of all those who contributed toward the successful training fire of the missile.

Security

Pakistan Army Rocket Force Command conducts the successful training launch of the missile system. Launch covers troops' training, validation of various technical parameters, and performance evaluation to improve accuracy and enhance survivability.

Pakistan successfully conducts training launch of Fateh-II Missile System

LONDON: British lawmakers debated Tuesday whether to launch a parliamentary probe into Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in a scandal surrounding sacked US envoy Peter Mandelson that he is struggling to shake off. Members of parliament discussed whether to refer Starmer to a committee to consider if he misled parliament over the appointment of the ex-associate of late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to the plum diplomatic post. It is the latest development in an unrelenting controversy that has plagued Starmer&#39;s Labour government for months, hampering its work and leading to calls for him to resign. Opposition Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch said it was &quot;very obvious&quot; that what Starmer had told the House of Commons regarding Mandelson&#39;s 2024 appointment was &quot;not correct&quot;. &quot;It&#39;s clear that full due process was not followed,&quot; she told MPs, opening the debate, which was expected to last several hours and conclude with a vote on whether to open an inquiry. Starmer denies allegations that his office applied pressure on the foreign ministry to approve Mandelson&#39;s appointment as Britain&#39;s ambassador in Washington despite having failed security vetting. Earlier this month, Starmer sacked the most senior civil servant in the foreign office, Olly Robbins, for not telling him or other ministers that Mandelson had not passed the checks. Starmer commands a large majority in the lower house of parliament. MPs from his ruling Labour party have been ordered to vote against the motion, meaning it is unlikely to pass. Speaking&nbsp;to Sky News late on Monday, the prime minister branded the move &quot;a political stunt&quot; ahead of local elections in England, Scotland and Wales next week. &quot;We&#39;ve got huge amounts of transparency going on already,&quot; Starmer insisted. &#39;Serious mistake&#39; Starmer sacked Mandelson in September 2025 after a fresh batch of revelations came to light about the extent of the latter&#39;s friendship with Epstein, who reportedly died in prison in 2019. But the row has only escalated since, with Starmer&#39;s former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and ex-communications head Tim Allan forced to step down earlier this year. Starmer&#39;s cause has not been helped by the fact that UK police are investigating Mandelson over allegations he committed misconduct in office while serving as a Labour minister more than a decade ago. Mandelson is accused of leaking sensitive information to Epstein. He denies wrongdoing. On Tuesday, McSweeney told parliament&#39;s foreign affairs committee that he made a &quot;serious mistake&quot; in&nbsp;advising Starmer to appoint Mandelson. He denied telling officials that Mandelson&#39;s vetting checks &quot;should be cleared at all costs&quot;. Earlier, Robbins&#39; predecessor at the foreign office, Philip Barton, told the committee that it was unusual for an appointment to be announced before the vetting process was completed. MPs will decide whether the cross-party privileges committee, which investigates potential breaches of parliamentary conduct, should look into Starmer. That committee was responsible for former prime minister Boris Johnson&#39;s exit from frontline politics after it investigated him for misleading parliament over the so-called &quot;partygate&quot; breaches of Covid-19 laws. He quit as an MP in 2023 before the committee published a report recommending his suspension.

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer talks during a visit to the Kenton district of London on April 23, 2026. (AFP)

Europe

British lawmakers debated launching a probe into Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the controversial Peter Mandelson appointment, amid claims he misled the British Parliament and bypassed proper vetting.

UK PM Starmer faces possible parliament inquiry over Mandelson

DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates will withdraw from the OPEC and OPEC+ oil cartels to focus on &quot;national interests&quot;, a statement said on Tuesday, a bombshell announcement as energy prices soar over the Middle East war.&nbsp;The UAE, one of the world&#39;s top oil producers, which has previously baulked at OPEC production quotas, will pull out on Friday, a statement carried by the official WAM news agency said.&nbsp;&quot;This decision reflects the UAE&#39;s long-term strategic and economic vision and evolving energy profile,&quot; the statement said.&nbsp;&quot;During our time in the organization, we made significant contributions and even greater sacrifices for the benefit of all.&nbsp;&quot;However, the time has come to focus our efforts on what our national interest dictates.&quot;&nbsp;Gulf oil shipments are currently being strangled by Iran&#39;s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which flows past the UAE and normally carries one-fifth of the world&#39;s oil.

Middle East

The UAE announced it will leave OPEC and OPEC+, citing national interests and long-term strategy, as Gulf oil shipments face disruption from Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

UAE to withdraw from OPEC, OPEC+: statement

LONDON: Balaclavas and e-bikes have become the armor of teenage boys zooming around London streets snatching mobile phones from unsuspecting commuters and tourists.&nbsp;As AFP joined a patrol on a sunny Friday night, police officer Hayden O&#39;Connor spotted potential victims everywhere -- people holding out phones to follow directions or listening to music.&nbsp;&quot;You see your bus is in 20 minutes, you get your phone out, start scrolling Instagram, and before you know it there&#39;s a whizzy whirl of an e-bike coming towards you and your phone is gone,&quot; he said.&nbsp;O&#39;Connor is part of the interceptor teams now driving around London in unmarked vehicles.&nbsp;They follow reports of stolen phones but the chances of getting one back are &quot;really, really slim&quot;, his colleague, police officer Hayley Carr, conceded.&nbsp;London&#39;s Metropolitan Police force has invested heavily in clamping down on the phenomenon, which has seen the city dubbed Europe&#39;s phone theft capital.&nbsp;Tackling phone theft has been made a priority and extensive operations using drones, live facial recognition and interceptor teams have led to some success.&nbsp;Phone thefts fell by 12.3 percent from 81,365 in 2024 to 71,391 in 2025, according to Met figures.&nbsp;There were 13,000 fewer mobile phone thefts over the past financial year ending on March 31.&nbsp;Aluminium foil wrapWhat seems like a petty street crime has far-reaching tentacles, with phones stolen in London often exported, reactivated and resold overseas within days.&nbsp;One of the most high-profile victims in recent months was Prime Minister Keir Starmer&#39;s former top political aide, Morgan McSweeney, who had his phone snatched in October.&nbsp;Last year, the Met dismantled one international gang suspected of smuggling some 40,000 stolen phones from the UK to China.&nbsp;&quot;In just one week, we cut e-bike enabled crime, which is linked to phone theft, by nearly 40 percent,&quot; said Detective Superintendent Gareth Gilbert.&nbsp;&quot;Our message is simple: if you commit these crimes, we will catch you.&quot;&nbsp;AFP joined a Friday night patrol around London Bridge, as office workers enjoyed a pint and throngs of tourists explored the popular Borough Market.&nbsp;The police control center soon called with a stolen phone having been tracked to Deptford.&nbsp;The unmarked car&#39;s blue lights flashed on, and O&#39;Connor hit the accelerator.&nbsp;The team swerved through London&#39;s snarled evening traffic, but the phone&#39;s tracking signal was lost.&nbsp;Criminals wrap the precious booty in aluminium foil, the officers said, blocking the signal.&nbsp;Organized crimeBeneath the balaclavas, the phone-grabbing bikers are usually just teenagers.&nbsp;&quot;Normally they&#39;re 16, 18,&quot; said O&#39;Connor. On one recent patrol, he even caught a pair of 13-year-old boys.&nbsp;&quot;They are young teenage boys, and they are recruited by larger organized crime groups,&quot; Gilbert told AFP.&nbsp;Even if the thieves think it&#39;s just one &quot;small, minor, individual isolated crime ... it works into a bigger network&quot;, he said.&nbsp;&quot;That leads upstream into organized crime groups and then actually worldwide.&quot;&nbsp;The thieves usually make between &pound;100 and &pound;200 ($135 to $270) per phone. &quot;That for a 13-year-old is a huge amount of money,&quot; said Gilbert.&nbsp;But it can lead to links to gangs and wider criminality.&nbsp;Police said later that six people were arrested around midnight on that Friday night patrol.&nbsp;Police motorbikes have more success as the unmarked cars are in an impossible race against e-bikes, even if they run red lights.&nbsp;Met commissioner Mark Rowley has urged manufacturers to help bust the thefts, setting a June 1 deadline to &quot;design out crime&quot; by making stolen phones worthless.&nbsp;Otherwise, he will ask for the government to bring in legislation.&nbsp;The best advice? Report a stolen phone swiftly and use tracking services like Find My iPhone. Don&#39;t just report the theft later.&nbsp;&quot;Unfortunately, it doesn&#39;t leave us in a position to do anything about it,&quot; said O&#39;Connor.

London police are intensifying operations against soaring mobile phone thefts by teenage e-bike snatchers linked to organized crime, using drones and interceptor teams, while urging manufacturers to make stolen phones worthless.
 

On patrol with London police battling rampant phone theft

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s third satellite in three months was launched on April 25, lifting off from a launch center in central China and slipping into orbit, completing a surveillance network Pakistan had been assembling, node by node, since 2025. The spacecraft, called PRSC-EO3, does something its predecessors could not: it processes imagery in orbit, using an artificial intelligence system to filter and prioritize data before sending it down to Earth. That distinction matters more than it might appear. In flood response or infrastructure monitoring, the gap between data capture and action can render a satellite either an early-warning system or an after-action report. Pakistan, which loses billions to climate-related disasters annually according to its own national space policy, is not building this constellation as a prestige project. Since January 2025, it has launched five satellites; add two from 2024, including a 7-kilogram nanosatellite that reached lunar orbit aboard China&#39;s Chang&#39;e 6 mission, and the country has placed seven spacecraft into orbit in roughly two years. That pace is historically new for most developing economies. <img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/9c031451-aef8-467f-bebf-ddc18bce2928-infographic space.png" alt="infographic space.png" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic" style="line-height: 2;">(AI generated)</figcaption> What changed For most of Pakistan&#39;s space history, the country&#39;s relationship with orbit was transactional. It leased foreign satellites, contracted foreign manufacturers, and depended on foreign rockets. A $297 million loan from a Chinese state bank financed PakSAT-1R in 2011. The satellite was built abroad, launched abroad, and delivered to Pakistan already in orbit. The shift began quietly. In 2018, Pakistani engineers designed and assembled a 285-kilogram satellite, PakTES-1A, using commercially available components and their own integration work. It was not the most sophisticated spacecraft ever built. But it was built in Pakistan. But today&rsquo;s PRSC-EO3, with its onboard AI processor and stereo imaging module, can generate three-dimensional terrain maps, according to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement. It&nbsp;is a direct descendant of Pakistan&rsquo;s earlier effort. Budget allocations to SUPARCO, Pakistan&#39;s space agency, have increased in each of the last two fiscal years, specifically directed toward indigenous technology. What the data is already doing The satellites are not merely symbolic. Research published in the peer-reviewed journal Sensors found that integrating data from Pakistan&#39;s earlier Earth observation satellite with commercial imagery improved national crop yield estimates and reduced water use through precision irrigation. That was with a single satellite providing intermittent passes. Three coordinated nodes change the calculus: coverage becomes persistent rather than occasional, and the data becomes the kind governments can build policy around. A separate hyperspectral satellite, HS-1, launched in October 2025, adds an entirely different layer of information. While standard cameras measure light intensity, hyperspectral sensors distinguish between mineral composition, soil moisture, and crop stress across hundreds of spectral bands simultaneously. Pakistan now operates both. The next frontier Pakistan also announced this month the selection of two astronaut candidates, Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud, for training at China&#39;s Astronaut Center. One will be selected for a mission to the Tiangong space station before the year ends, according to China Daily. The scientific experiments planned for the mission, which include materials research in microgravity and biotechnology studies, are unlikely on their own to transform Pakistan&#39;s economy. What the mission produces is harder to quantify: a first generation of Pakistani scientists and engineers with direct experience in human spaceflight. That kind of institutional knowledge, once absent, tends to compound.&emsp;

Pakistan’s space program has expanded rapidly with a series of satellite launches between 2024 and 2026. (SUPARCO)

Artificial Intelligence

Three Earth observation nodes, a lunar nanosatellite, a hyperspectral imager, and two astronaut candidates in Chinese training mark the convergence of a program that spent decades operating borrowed hardware.

Pakistan steps deeper into space from satellites to lunar orbit

ISLAMABAD: A man in eastern India&rsquo;s Odisha state exhumed his deceased sister&rsquo;s remains and carried them to a rural bank to claim inheritance money from her account on Monday, according to police and local media reports. The incident occurred at the Maliposi branch of Odisha Grameen Bank in Keonjhar, Odisha.&nbsp; The man was identified as Jeetu Munda, from Dianali village. Reports put the amount in the account at around $200 or INR 19,300&ndash;20,000.&nbsp; His sister, identified as Kala Munda, had died around two months earlier, on January 26, 2026, according to ThePrint.&nbsp; Her husband and only child had reportedly died before her, leaving Jeetu as the apparent surviving claimant.&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2048992854547267597&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=151ada129ed7c0eec98650873a03fc22baf27473&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 897px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Bank officials did not release the money, saying Jeetu lacked required documents, including a death certificate and succession papers.&nbsp; NDTV reported that he carried the remains about 3 km to the bank after being unable to complete the withdrawal process.&nbsp; Witnesses and reports said he arrived at the bank with the remains wrapped and placed them outside the premises while demanding access to the funds.&nbsp; Bank staff alerted police after the incident caused alarm at the branch.&nbsp; Police intervened and persuaded him to leave. Officials later said they would help arrange the documents needed to process the claim.&nbsp; The case has drawn attention because it exposed the gap between formal banking rules and conditions faced by poor rural families.&nbsp;

India

A man in Odisha reportedly exhumes his deceased sister’s remains and brings them to a bank to claim inheritance funds, but officials refuse the withdrawal due to missing required documents.

Man carries sister’s remains to bank for inheritance in India

WASHINGTON: Comedian Jimmy Kimmel hit back on Monday at Donald Trump&#39;s call for him to lose his job over a joke about First Lady Melania Trump days before an alleged attempt to assassinate the US president. Trump said Kimmel should be fired for likening the first lady to an &quot;expectant widow&quot; on Thursday, two days before a shooting at the White House Correspondents&#39; Dinner in Washington that the couple attended. Kimmel portrayed himself in a monologue as the MC of that upcoming banquet. It included a segment in which he addressed the first lady in the audience and said: &quot;Mrs Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.&quot; Trump turns 80 in June and is the oldest president to take office in the United States. His wife, a former model who was born in Slovenia, is 56. The first lady also lashed out at Kimmel in a rare statement, calling on US broadcaster ABC to &quot;take a stand&quot; against the late-night host over his comments. However, Kimmel brushed off the criticism in a monologue on his talk show, &quot;Jimmy Kimmel Live!&quot; late on Monday, saying that the gag was &quot;obviously... a joke about their age difference.&quot; &quot;It was a very light roast joke about the fact that he&#39;s almost 80 and she&#39;s younger than I am,&quot; Kimmel said. &quot;It was not by any stretch of the definition a call to assassination, and they know that.&quot; Kimmel also appeared to invite Trump onto his show to discuss &quot;hateful&quot; rhetoric -- an apparent reference to the president&#39;s inflammatory comments about groups including migrants, political opponents and the media. &quot;I agree that hateful and violent rhetoric is something we should reject,&quot; Kimmel said. &quot;I think a great place to start to dial that back would be to have a conversation with your husband about it,&quot; he added, addressing the first lady. The president had earlier accused Kimmel in a Truth Social post of a &quot;despicable call to violence&quot; and said he should &quot;be immediately fired.&quot; As a prominent late-night comedy host, Kimmel has been at the heart of the debate over constitutionally protected speech. He was briefly suspended from his show last September following government pressure after he said Trump&#39;s hard-right MAGA movement was trying to make political capital from the assassination of influencer Charlie Kirk.&nbsp;

US television host Jimmy Kimmel arrives for "An Evening With Jimmy Kimmel" at the Roosevelt hotel in Hollywood on August 7, 2019. (AFP)

Entertainment

Comedian Jimmy Kimmel hit back on Monday at Donald Trump's call for him to lose his job over a joke about First Lady Melania Trump, days before an alleged attempt to assassinate the US president. 

Comedian Kimmel hits back at criticism over Melania Trump joke

DHAKA: Bangladesh will begin loading uranium fuel into its first nuclear power station on Tuesday, a key step towards bringing the 2,400 megawatt plant online to ease pressure on the overstretched power grid. When operating, it could meet up to 10 percent of the power demands of the South Asian nation of 170 million people, according to the government. Construction began on the $11 billion Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in 2017, with initial power generation of around 300 MW hoped to come online by August, before full production in late 2027. &quot;A controlled nuclear fission chain reaction will be initiated in the reactor core, once fuel loading is completed,&quot; Saikat Ahmed, the plant&#39;s senior scientific information officer told AFP. &quot;This marks the start of the physical start-up phase.&quot; The grid in Bangladesh is stretched every year during the summer heat, when people crank up power-hungry air conditioners. But restrictions have been made worse after an energy crunch due to the Middle East war. Bangladesh imports 95 percent of its oil and gas, much of it from the Middle East, where energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have been disrupted since war began in late February. Science and Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam, speaking earlier this month, said it was hoped the plant would supply around 300 megawatts of electricity to the grid by August. But the process requires a slow process of testing at each stage. &quot;This is a complex and sensitive phase, and every aspect of safety and security will be further evaluated before full-scale production,&quot; said Shafiqul Islam, a professor of nuclear engineering at the University of Dhaka.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh will load uranium into its first nuclear plant at Rooppur, starting physical start-up. The $11 billion, 2,400 MW project aims to ease grid pressure, supply 300 MW by August, and reach full output by late 2027.

Bangladesh starts fuelling its first nuclear power station

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon discussed the situation in the Middle East during a telephone call on Tuesday, the Prime Minister&#39;s Office reported. According to Prime Minister&#39;s Office, the two leaders exchanged views on regional developments in what the statement described as a warm and cordial conversation. PM Sharif briefed Luxon on Pakistan&rsquo;s diplomatic outreach aimed at promoting peace and de-escalation in the region. Luxon expressed appreciation for Pakistan&rsquo;s diplomatic efforts, including engagement with Washington and Tehran, and conveyed support for the mediation initiatives. In a post on X, the prime minister thanked Luxon and reaffirmed Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to promoting peace, dialogue and stability in the region and beyond.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2049055655676571704&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=84a92f39e0cdedd7cfe25ea1838551004fdb972f&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 417px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The leaders agreed to strengthen bilateral relations and expressed satisfaction with existing ties. They also noted the role of the Pakistani diaspora in New Zealand. Sharif invited Luxon to visit Pakistan at a mutually convenient time. Both leaders agreed to remain in contact in the coming days.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif speaks during the federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad. (Photo: PMO)

Foreign Affairs

Sharif speaks with Luxon about peace efforts, strengthening Pakistan-New Zealand relations, and invites him to visit Pakistan.

Pakistan PM discusses Middle East peace efforts with New Zealand counterpart

ISLAMABAD: Iran&rsquo;s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday praised Pakistan, saying the country played an important role in mediating the negotiations between Iran and the United States, as he undertook a flurry of regional diplomacy this week, with visits to Islamabad, Muscat, and Moscow. In remarks shared on his Telegram account, &nbsp;Araghchi said Tehran had &quot;good consultations with our friends in Pakistan,&quot; recalling his recent diplomatic engagements over the past few days. Pakistan visit and mediation roleAraghchi arrived in Islamabad on April 24 to &quot;closely coordinate with partners on bilateral matters and consult on regional developments,&quot; he said in a post on X following the first round of peace talks between the US and Iran hosted in Islamabad on April 11, adding that &quot;our neighbors are our priority.&quot; He was received by Pakistan&rsquo;s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Field Marshal Asim Munir, and other senior officials, according to a statement from the Foreign Office. On April 25, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met the FM alongside senior civilian and military leadership, with talks focused on the broader regional situation and ongoing efforts to sustain dialogue and stability, according to the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2048041937698185577&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=5cf2823afaaf6940e457b0382d37f68c24ad9af4&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 624px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Describing the visit as &quot;very fruitful,&quot; Araghchi praised Pakistan&rsquo;s &quot;good offices and brotherly efforts&quot; in facilitating diplomacy in a post on X following his meetings in Islamabad.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2048078742627488207&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=ce09bfd944d87a11f1eaff37762ff156e7a63200&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 369px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2048078742627488207"></iframe></div></div>He said he had shared Iran&rsquo;s position on what he described as a &quot;workable framework&quot; to permanently end the war, while adding that Tehran was still assessing Washington&rsquo;s commitment to diplomacy. &quot;We had good consultations with our friends in Pakistan, and fortunately, the visit was very successful,&quot; Araghchi added on Telegram, saying discussions focused on &quot;the path and conditions under which negotiations can continue.&quot; On the Islamabad talks, Iran&rsquo;s Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghadam also expressed &quot;sincere and wholehearted gratitude and appreciation&quot; to Pakistan, especially Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, for their &quot;tireless efforts and good office initiative to end the war and bring lasting peace to the region.&quot; In a post on X, the ambassador said the talks were held in &quot;complete security, safety and tranquility for the delegation,&rdquo; praising Pakistan&rsquo;s &ldquo;perfect management, thoughtful planning and successful implementation.&quot; <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2048471002586460585&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=ce09bfd944d87a11f1eaff37762ff156e7a63200&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 345px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2048471002586460585"></iframe></div></div> Oman consultations and Strait of HormuzThe Iranian FM then travelled to Oman, where he held consultations with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq on April 26.&nbsp; <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2048299283947098493&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=5cf2823afaaf6940e457b0382d37f68c24ad9af4&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 297px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Discussions focused on regional developments, mediation efforts and endeavours aimed at ending conflicts, according to a post shared by Oman&rsquo;s foreign ministry. &quot;Oman is a friendly and close country to us and has taken very positive positions,&quot; Araghchi said on Telegram on April 27, recalling his visit. He added that the two sides also discussed coordination over the Strait of Hormuz, calling safe passage through the strait &quot;an important global issue&quot; requiring close cooperation. Russia talks and strategic coordinationThe same day, Tehran announced Araghchi&rsquo;s departure for Russia to continue consultations on bilateral ties as well as regional and international developments. He arrived in Saint Petersburg on Monday, state media reported. &quot;He arrived early on Monday morning with the aim of meeting and holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin,&quot; Iranian state news agency IRNA said, while Russia&rsquo;s TASS news agency confirmed the meeting citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. During talks in Saint Petersburg, Putin said Moscow would do everything it could to help secure peace in the Middle East. &quot;For our part, we will do everything that serves your interests, the interests of all the people of the region, so that peace can be achieved as soon as possible,&quot; Russian state media quoted Putin as telling Araghchi. Putin also hailed &quot;how courageously and heroically the people of Iran are fighting for their independence and sovereignty&quot;, the TASS news agency reported. &quot;Russia, just like Iran, intends to continue our strategic relationship,&quot; the Kremlin chief added. On Telegram, Araghchi said Iran and Russia had &quot;always maintained close consultations&quot; on regional issues and that the visit aimed to coordinate positions on developments related to the war and the current situation after a gap in high-level engagements.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Islamabad on April 24, 2026. (X/Tahir Andrabi)

Praises Pakistan’s "good offices and brotherly efforts" in facilitating diplomacy in a post on X following his meetings in Islamabad.

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