All articles tagged with #peace talks
DR Congo and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels agreed a roadmap to resume peace talks and establish a ceasefire monitoring mechanism under the US-brokered Doha Framework signed in 2025, with a first verification mission planned in Minembwe; however, disputes linger over sanctions, detainees, and the pace of political reforms.
Despite media hype of a turning tide, detailed analysis shows Kyiv’s strikes inside Russia haven’t shifted the war, Russia has escalated retaliation, and Putin has hardened demands. Past offensives like the Kerch bridge destruction, Kursk incursions, and the 2023 counteroffensive illustrate a pattern of hype followed by limited gains, worsening costs for Ukraine and hampering negotiations. The piece argues for serious peace talks rather than chasing a mythical battlefield breakthrough.
The June 17 US-Iran MoU was meant to pause fighting for 60 days, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and kick off broader peace talks. However vague language and disputes over shipping routes sparked rapid violations accusations after a spike in hostilities and US-Iran strikes, leading to the MoU’s de facto collapse. By July 7, Trump called the agreement “over,” with Iran saying the 60-day deadline is moot, leaving talks stalled and the broader conflict unresolved, though indirect diplomacy via Oman and Pakistan continues in the background.
Four major Arab nations (Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE) along with Turkey, Pakistan and Indonesia joined President Trump in pushing a US-backed Gaza peace plan, even as Israel rejected it and continued airstrikes. Kushner and Nickolay Mladenov were to meet Israeli PM Netanyahu to try to win support, while Hamas said it would disarm only if Israel ends attacks and withdraws from Gaza. The conflict has produced escalating violence and casualties, with at least about 1,250 Palestinians killed since last year’s deal and several Israeli soldiers dead in clashes.
US President Donald Trump said he would demand conflict compensation from Iran as part of any peace negotiations, including damages from the current war and Iranian attacks on US targets dating back decades, and even payments to families of Iranian protesters killed by authorities; he also urged Iran to be responsible for damage and deaths in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Gaza, as negotiations to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz stall amid Tehran's sanctions-relief demands.
Turkey’s parliament has begun debate on a pardon-like bill that could grant amnesty or early release to thousands of PKK militants as part of ongoing peace efforts, signaling a potential shift in Ankara’s approach to the Kurdish insurgency and disarmament.
Sen. John Kennedy told NBC’s Meet the Press that he would prefer no peace deal with Iran rather than approve a bad one, urging continued sanctions and cautioning President Trump against accepting promises Tehran cannot meet; he also said he wouldn’t vote to give the administration a blank check on funding.
The U.S. halted two weeks of strikes to give peace talks space, with Iran also refraining from attacks, but regional flare-ups by other actors—Saudi strikes on Yemen’s Houthis and a Ukrainian attack on an Iranian vessel—underscore risks to diplomacy. Markets welcomed the pause as oil prices fell, while negotiators must resolve Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions relief, and Tehran’s proxies, plus ensure secure two-way traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, with Oman mediating. The pause is fragile amid ongoing tensions and limited near-term movement on a lasting settlement.
The US and Iran signaled they aren’t ready to resume peace talks as fighting widens into a second week, with Washington broadening airstrikes toward northwestern Iran near Tabriz and Tehran saying there are no negotiations beyond messaging. Iran has vowed retaliation and warned it will target energy infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz is disrupted, while the conflict has unsettled markets and sent oil prices higher. The Pentagon also confirmed four US service members have died in the past week amid the hostilities.
An Independent editorial argues that Putin’s grip and the war’s costs make a decisive end unlikely; the most plausible outcome may be a permanent standoff in which Ukraine remains sovereign and Europe becomes stronger, while a Russian regime collapse remains unpredictable, making a true peace elusive.
The United States launches a second, larger wave of air strikes across Iran, including Tehran, killing at least 14 people and prompting Iranian retaliation against US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar. The strikes threaten to derail a Pakistan-brokered 60‑day peace process that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, lift sanctions, and allow ships to move freely, all while Iran’s funeral period for its late leader unfolds. With President Trump sending mixed signals on whether the MoU remains valid, both sides accuse each other of violations, raising the risk of a broader regional escalation.
US forces conducted widespread strikes on Iran in response to attacks on ships near the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Tehran to retaliate and raising doubts about a 60-day de-escalation MoU as Washington reimposes oil sanctions. President Trump questioned the MoU at a NATO summit, while regional and Western allies urged restraint; with the peace talks in flux, both sides signaled possible de-escalation or further confrontation, risking a broader flare-up just as diplomacy was underway.
Mourners at Ali Khamenei’s Tehran funeral heckled foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and other negotiators, shouting threats and calling them traitors as tensions over Iran’s talks with the US surface. The incident underscores sharp internal rifts between hardliners and moderates, with some mourners urging a tougher line while officials warn that such abuse could jeopardize diplomacy. The government’s posture toward negotiations remains fragile, with talks not expected to resume until after the leader’s burial and the mourning spectacle serving as a display of unity amid factional pressure.
Putin rejected Kyiv’s proposal for a mutual limit on long-range strikes, saying Moscow will continue its war and that Kyiv’s offer comes from pressure and would not be part of Russia’s plans. Ukraine has stepped up drone attacks on Russian energy facilities, prompting Russia to bolster air defenses, while peace talks remain stalled. Zelenskyy has urged direct engagement, and analysts view Putin’s stance as an effort to preserve Moscow’s edge in long-range capabilities and deter concessions, with mediation efforts (including Belarus) discussed but unresolved.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky announced a 40-day offensive to pressure Russia to end the war after consulting Ukraine’s security service chief, insisting Russia must withdraw from Ukraine and calling on Putin to take a step toward peace; the move coincides with Kyiv’s reported strikes on Russian energy infrastructure and a France claim of intercepting a Russian tanker, signaling a potential shift toward diplomacy amid ongoing hostilities.