Sri Lanka has welcomed the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran establishing an immediate ceasefire, hailing it as a significant step toward de-escalation and long-term regional and global stability.

The Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the agreement, which includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz and creating a framework for continued negotiations, reflects the power of diplomacy in resolving disputes peacefully.

“Sri Lanka strongly supports the peaceful resolution of disputes through diplomacy and remains optimistic that this step will foster sustainable peace across the region,” the statement noted.

Sri Lanka also extended its sincere appreciation to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the State of Qatar for their pivotal roles as mediators, and to all partners whose support was instrumental in achieving this diplomatic breakthrough. (Newswire)

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Iran’s top diplomat is expected to travel to Pakistan by this weekend for talks, two Pakistani officials said on Friday.

The officials declined to provide any other details about Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s visit, other than to say he would be accompanied by a small government delegation and could arrive as soon as Friday.

Pakistan has been trying to restart ceasefire talks between Iran and the United States.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media.

Iran’s top diplomat and Pakistani officials on Friday talked over details of the ceasefire in the war with the United States and Israel.

In their call Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar and Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir talked over “regional developments and issues related to the ceasefire,” according to a statement from Araghchi, which did not go into further detail.

Later, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said that “both sides exchanged views on regional developments, the ceasefire, and ongoing diplomatic efforts being pursued by Islamabad in the context of US-Iran engagement.”

It added that Dar “underscored the importance of sustained dialogue and engagement to address outstanding issues, in order to advance regional peace and stability at the earliest.”

Since the war began, at least 3,375 people have been killed in Iran, and over 2,290 people in Lebanon, where new fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah broke out two days after the war started, according to authorities.

Additionally, 23 people have died in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 US service members throughout the region have been killed.

US President Donald Trump announced an indefinite extension of the ceasefire with Iran at Pakistan’s request earlier this week as it sought more time for diplomatic outreach.

That hasn’t lowered tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas is shipped during peacetime. 

Iran has kept its stranglehold on traffic through the strait, attacking three ships earlier this week, while the US has maintained its blockade of Iranian ports and ordered the military to “shoot and kill” small boats that could be placing mines. (Gulf News)

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US President Donald Trump said he now considers the ceasefire with Iran over “Wednesday evening Washington time”, but that it’s “highly unlikely” he would extend it further if a deal is not reached.

It’s “highly unlikely that I’d extend it”, Trump told Bloomberg in a phone interview. The ceasefire was originally slated to last two weeks and began the evening of April 7.

“I’m not going to be rushed into making a bad deal. We’ve got all the time in the world,” Trump said in the interview.

When asked if he would expect the fighting to resume immediately if they fail to reach an agreement, Trump said, “If there’s no deal, I would certainly expect.”

Previously, Trump has gone back and forth on whether he would agree to extend the ceasefire.

In one question-and-answer session with reporters last week, he was asked five times whether he would extend the ceasefire and offered three different answers. (CNN)

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Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said Tehran rejects any temporary ceasefire and is seeking a comprehensive end to the war across the region.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Khatibzadeh said any ceasefire must include all conflict zones “from Lebanon to the Red Sea,” describing it as a “red line” for Iran.

“We are not accepting any temporary ceasefire,” he said, adding that the cycle of conflict “should end here once and for all.”

Khatibzadeh said Pakistan’s mediation aims to achieve that goal.

On the Strait of Hormuz, he said the waterway has historically remained open, noting that it lies within Iran’s territorial waters but has long been accessible.

He accused the US and Israel of triggering instability in the region, saying their actions have negatively affected global trade and the wider economy.

Khatibzadeh said Iran remains committed to keeping the Strait open, but indicated that new arrangements could be introduced in light of the current situation, including considerations related to security, safe passage and environmental concerns.

He added that a lasting resolution to the conflict, along with what he described as a shift away from “maximalist positions” by the US, would ensure that the Strait of Hormuz remains a stable route for global commerce.

Pakistan’s army chief Gen. Asim Munir has been in Tehran since Wednesday, holding meetings with Iranian officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Munir also held talks with senior Iranian military officials as part of mediation efforts aimed at ending the conflict.

Pakistan previously hosted negotiations after brokering a 14-day ceasefire between Washington and Tehran on April 8, following the US-Israeli military offensive against Iran that began on Feb. 28.

World leaders and senior officials are attending the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Türkiye from April 17 to 19, focusing on global challenges and regional tensions. (Anadolu Agency – Turkey)

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The government of Sri Lanka has welcomed the announcement of a temporary ceasefire in West Asia and the prospect of renewed dialogue among parties involved.

In a statement, Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the development as a significant step toward de-escalating tensions in the region and easing widespread humanitarian suffering. The government urged all stakeholders to use the opportunity to advance efforts toward a permanent and durable resolution.

Sri Lanka also stressed on the importance of an inclusive peace process aimed at ensuring long-term stability and security for all communities in the region.

The statement also acknowledged the role of parties whose diplomatic engagement contributed to facilitating the ceasefire and initiating dialogue. (Newswire)

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Iran has received a US 15-point proposal via Pakistan aimed at opening a path toward a ceasefire, a senior Iranian source told Reuters on Wednesday, though the venue for any talks was still under discussion and Tehran publicly denied that negotiations with Washington had begun.

The reported proposal, described by Pakistani and Egyptian officials speaking to the Associated Press, covers sanctions relief, civilian nuclear cooperation, curbs on Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, stronger International Atomic Energy Agency monitoring and guarantees for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

One Egyptian official described it as a “comprehensive deal,” but said it was being treated only as a basis for further talks, adding that Iranian officials remained “very sceptical” of the Trump administration.

That scepticism has been reinforced by Iran’s public messaging. Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, quoted by state media, said no direct or indirect talks with the United States had taken place, even as he said “friendly countries” were trying to create conditions for dialogue.

An Iranian military spokesman was even more dismissive, mocking Washington’s diplomatic push and saying Iran would never “come to terms” with the United States.

“Do not call your defeat an agreement… Have your internal conflicts reached the point where you are negotiating with yourselves? You will see neither your investments in the region nor the former prices of energy and oil again until you understand this: stability in the region is guaranteed by the strong hand of our armed forces,” said the spokesperson for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Ebrahim Zolfaghari.

The mixed signals come after President Donald Trump said the United States was “in negotiations right now” with Iran and suggested Tehran wanted a deal.

Pakistan has emerged as a possible channel, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif saying Islamabad was ready to host talks, while Saudi Arabia’s crown prince also discussed Pakistan’s mediation effort with Sharif, according to the AP report.

Even as diplomacy stirred, the war showed little sign of pausing. The United States was moving about 1,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to the region and deploying two Marine units, while Israel launched new wide-scale strikes and Iran continued attacks on Israel and across the Persian Gulf region.

Israeli officials were described as surprised by the submission of a ceasefire plan, having pushed Trump to keep up military pressure.

Still, major uncertainties remain over who in Iran has the authority to negotiate, what terms Tehran might ultimately accept, and whether any proposal can survive continued fighting. (Iran International)

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The Trump administration offered a 15-point ceasefire plan to Iran, a person briefed on the contours of the proposal said late Tuesday, even as the U.S. military prepared to send at least 1,000 more troops to supplement some 50,000 troops already in the Mideast.

The plan was submitted to Iran by intermediaries from Pakistan, who have offered to host renewed negotiations between Washington and Tehran, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

The New York Times was the first to report that the plan had been delivered to Iranian officials.

The Pentagon is also in the process of deploying two Marine units that will add about 5,000 Marines and thousands of sailors to the region. The moves are being framed as Trump maneuvering to give himself “max flexibility” on what he will do next, the person added.

Israeli officials, who have been advocating for President Donald Trump to continue the war against Iran, were surprised by the submission of a ceasefire plan, the person said.

The White House did not respond to requests for comment.

Earlier in the day, Trump said the U.S. was in talks with Iran to end the war as diplomatic efforts picked up and Iran issued a newly defiant statement. Meanwhile, airstrikes battered the Islamic Republic while Iranian missiles and drones targeted Israel and sites across the region.

Iran has denied that any negotiations are taking place, and Trump delayed his self-imposed deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran’s chokehold on the crucial waterway has snarled international shipping, sent fuel prices skyrocketing and threatened the world economy.

Talks would face big challenges

Any talks between the U.S. and Iran would face monumental challenges. Many of Washington’s shifting objectives, particularly over Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs, remain difficult to achieve.

It’s not clear who in Iran’s government has the authority to negotiate — or would be willing to, as Israel has vowed to continue killing the country’s leaders.

Iran remains highly suspicious of the United States, which twice under the Trump administration has attacked during high-level diplomatic talks, including with the Feb. 28 strikes that started the current war.

Pakistan says it is ready to host talks

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote on X that Pakistan is ready to “facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks” to end the Iran war.

The U.S. has agreed in principle to join talks in Pakistan, according to three Pakistani officials, one Egyptian official and a Gulf diplomat, while mediators were still working to convince Iran.

One diplomat from the region said the talks could happen by early next week, and that special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to represent the U.S. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to provide details to the media.

US and Iran issue conflicting statements on status of talks

Speaking Tuesday at the White House, the president said the U.S. is “in negotiations right now” and that the participants included Witkoff, Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance.

“We have a number of people doing it,” Trump said. “And the other side, I can tell you, they’d like to make a deal.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s office said he has been discussing the war this week with several counterparts. But Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s parliament, denied Trump’s claim of direct talks, and an Iranian military spokesperson declared that the fighting would go on. (AP)

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Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka has made a series of explosive claims about the final stages of Sri Lanka’s war, accusing former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa of attempting to delay the military victory against the LTTE in 2009.

Speaking at an event, Fonseka said that despite sustaining critical injuries during the war, he had been branded a traitor by the very leaders under whom he served.

“I have to make a revelation about the leader who made this statement that I don’t love my country. In 2009, the Sri Lankan Army had surrounded Puthukudirippu from three sides. We only had to advance 10 more kilometers,” he said.

Fonseka recalled that the Army captured Mullaitivu on January 26, 2009, and within 12 hours advanced toward Puthukudirippu from the south. But the following day, he said, Gotabaya Rajapaksa questioned whether he was exhausted and suggested he hand over command to General Jagath Jayasuriya in Vavuniya.

“At that point, we were close to victory. They already knew Prabhakaran and his group were about to be destroyed. But they wanted me to delay their downfall,” Fonseka claimed.

He alleged that despite the Army being on the verge of defeating the LTTE, then-President Mahinda Rajapaksa announced a ceasefire between January 31 and February 1, 2009. According to Fonseka, the Security Council opposed the decision, but the military was ordered to respect the 48-hour truce.

“The result was that my army had to retreat five kilometers. I lost around 500 soldiers. This ceasefire gave the LTTE a chance to regroup and relaunch their attack,” he said.

Fonseka further claimed that the ceasefire was intended to allow LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and other senior figures to escape, citing alleged discussions with Norwegian mediator Erik Solheim. He linked this period to what later became known as the “white flag incident” adding that these were actions of the LTTE that were later pinned on the Sri Lanka Army led by Fonseka.

“Prabhakaran was a fool. He was convinced the LTTE could rise again during this ceasefire. He didn’t escape — he fought with us,” Fonseka said.

The former Army Commander also accused Mahinda Rajapaksa of political calculations during the war, alleging that the LTTE provided $2 million before the 2005 presidential election.

“In 2005, that $2 million won him the election by 150,000 votes, because Prabhakaran stopped people from voting. Tiran Alles had also gone to the place where this transaction took place. In 2010, during the presidential election he revealed this to the media. Basil Rajapaksa told me about this incident, back when I was Army Commander. An upcountry politician was also reportedly there when this transaction took place. This politician was seen being beaten up on live TV recently,” Fonseka said, without naming the individual.

Fonseka also claimed Mahinda Rajapaksa feared that if Prabhakaran was killed before the 2010 election, Tamil voters would overwhelmingly oppose him, jeopardizing his re-election bid in 2010.

“While you and I were thinking about the country, waiting to celebrate the end of the war, what he thought about was the election. This is Mahinda Rajapaksa’s mentality. And now he calls me the one who doesn’t love the country,” Fonseka said. (Newswire)

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The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) says it has detected a new launch of ballistic missiles from Iran.

Sirens are expected to sound in northern Israel in the coming minutes.

The announcement comes shortly after Israel said it had agreed to a bilateral ceasefire with Iran.

Israel’s defence minister says he has instructed the military to “respond forcefully to Iran’s violation of the ceasefire with intense strikes against regime targets in the heart of Tehran.” 

Israel Katz’s comments appear to have come before the military detected Iranian missiles in northern Israel a short while ago.

It is unclear at this stage which Iranian strikes he is referring to, although medics say five people were killed in Beer Sheba overnight after missiles fired by Tehran. (Times of Israel/ Sky News)

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Ukraine agreed Tuesday to an immediate 30-day ceasefire negotiated by the U.S. if Russia accepts the plan, officials said.

As part of the plan, the U.S. immediately lifted its pause on sharing intelligence with Ukraine, and will resume security assistance to that country, which was invaded by Russia more than three years ago.

“Ukraine is ready to start talking and stop shooting,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, after more than seven hours of negotiations in that city between high-level American and Ukrainian delegations.

Both U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to conclude “as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine’s critical mineral resources,” according to a joint statement by the two nations’ governments.

Zelenskyy in a statement said the planned ceasefire would halt all hostilities, “not just for missiles, drones and bombs, not just in the Black Sea, but along the entire front line.”

“Ukraine welcomes this proposal. We see it as a positive step, and we are ready to take it,” Zelenskyy said. “The United States must now persuade Russia to do the same. If Russia agrees, silence will take effect immediately.”

“Today, we made an offer that the Ukrainians have accepted, which is to enter into a ceasefire and into immediate negotiations to end this conflict in a way that’s enduring and sustainable and accounts for their interests, their security, their ability to prosper as a nation,” Rubio said.

“And hopefully we’ll take this offer now to the Russians, and we hope that they’ll say yes, that they’ll say yes to peace,” Rubio said. “The ball is now in their court.” 

In a joint statement, the U.S. and Ukrainian delegations said the interim, monthlong ceasefire “can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties.”

“The United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace,” the statement said.

Zelenskyy in his nightly televised address to Ukraine said, “Our position is absolutely clear: Ukraine has sought peace from the very first second of this war, and we want to do everything to achieve peace as quickly and reliably as possible — so that war never returns.”

According to the joint statement issued by Ukraine and the U.S., the two delegations “also discussed the importance of humanitarian relief efforts as part of the peace process, particularly during the above-mentioned ceasefire, including the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees, and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children.” (CNBC)

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Sri Lanka has welcomed the recent ceasefire agreement in Gaza, which came into effect following 15 months of war with Israel. 

Issuing a statement, Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed hope that the ceasefire will be sustained.

“We are hopeful that the ceasefire arrangement, which paves the way for the exchange of hostages and detainees, the return of internally displaced persons to their places of residence in Gaza, and the provision of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, will be sustained,” it said.

The Foreign Ministry further said that Sri Lanka was also optimistic that these developments would contribute to the establishment of sustainable peace in Palestine and the region.

The ceasefire between Palestine and Israel came into effect at 11:15 am local time on Sunday after Hamas handed over a list of three female captives to be released as part of the deal to Israel through mediators.

Before the ceasefire came into effect, at least 19 more Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes on Sunday, taking the total death toll in the 15-month conflict to nearly 47,000.  

At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, and about 250 were taken captive, which continued into a 15-month-long conflict. (Newswire/ Al Jazeera)

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• Palestinians in Gaza are celebrating after mediators confirmed a ceasefire deal has been reached between Hamas and Israel after 15 months of war. The truce is set to take effect on Sunday, January 19.
• Israeli forces, however, are continuing with their attacks across the Gaza Strip, killing at least 30 Palestinians in the enclave since the agreement was announced.
• Hamas official Izzat al-Risheq says the deal reached in the Qatari capital, Doha, meets all of the Palestinian group’s conditions, including the full withdrawal of Israeli forces, the return of displaced people to their homes and a permanent end to the war.
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked US President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump for their “assistance in advancing” an agreement to end “the suffering of dozens of hostages and their families”.
• Israel’s war in Gaza has killed at least 46,707 Palestinians and wounded 110,265 since October 7, 2023. At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks that day and more than 200 were taken captive. (Al Jazeera)

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Sri Lanka has welcomed the announcement of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.

“We remain hopeful that the ceasefire will pave the way for enduring peace and stability in Lebanon and the region” Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

A ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah took effect after 14 months of cross-border fighting that has killed thousands of people.

The ceasefire came into effect on Wednesday after Israel and Lebanon accepted a US-backed proposal to end the border conflict that spiralled into an all-out war in September.  

Israel will “gradually withdraw” its forces from southern Lebanon over the next 60 days under the deal, with the Lebanese army joining United Nations peacekeepers in the territory.

The deal has been greeted with relief in Lebanon, where thousands of people were making their way home to the south, defying a warning from the Israeli military to stay away from previously evacuated areas. (Newswire)

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