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President Donald Trump extended the U.S. ceasefire with Iran to allow more time for peace talks, with Tehran silent on the decision early Wednesday.
Trump indefinitely pushed back the end of the two week truce, crediting a request from mediator Pakistan and stressing the need to give Iran's "fractured" leadership time to form a proposal. But he said the U.S. blockade of Iran's ports -- a sticking point for Tehran -- would continue.
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Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Tuesday threatened to end oil production in the Middle East if the Islamic republic faced attacks launched from its Gulf neighbors' territory.
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Iran's foreign minister said on Tuesday the Islamic republic knew how to "resist bullying", as a ceasefire was due to expire and Tehran had yet to formally respond to an invite to talks with the U.S. in Islamabad.
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U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday accused Iran of having repeatedly violated a temporary truce due to expire soon, with new peace talks mired in doubt after Tehran said it had not yet sent a delegation.
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U.S. Vice President JD Vance, expected to lead a U.S. delegation at upcoming negotiations with Iran in Pakistan, was still in Washington midday Tuesday to participate in meetings, the White House said.
"Additional policy meetings are taking place at the White House in which the vice president will participate," an official said in a brief statement sent to AFP shortly after 1700 GMT.
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Iran has granted its commanders greater autonomy over militias in Iraq, allowing some groups to carry out operations without Tehran's approval, a shift driven by the pressures of the war, three militia members and two other officials told The Associated Press.
Many Iran-backed militias are funded through the Iraqi state budget and embedded within the security apparatus, drawing criticism from the United States and other countries that have borne the brunt of their attacks and say Baghdad has failed to take a tougher stance.
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Buoyed by the election of a new leader in Hungary, Europe's top diplomats are meeting in Luxembourg to forge plans of action on multiple crises from the ongoing war in Ukraine, Russian hybrid attacks, and economic instability as the war in Iran drives up energy prices worldwide.
But it is the European Union's policy toward Israel — and how to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as security deteriorates in the Palestinian territories of Gaza and the occupied West Bank, as well as in Lebanon — that is dividing the 27-nation bloc.
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There appeared to be movement toward another round of U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks Tuesday as two regional officials told The Associated Press that both countries have signaled a return to Pakistan for discussions. There was no immediate word on timing of talks.
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The EU's top diplomat has said the bloc will gauge the willingness of member states to take measures against Israel, after Spain re-upped demands to suspend a cooperation deal.
Foreign ministers from the 27-nation bloc are expected to discuss the matter at a meeting in Luxembourg Tuesday after a call from Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
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The United States and Iran both warned they were ready for war as the clock ticked down on a ceasefire on Tuesday, with uncertainty over whether talks that President Donald Trump had announced would resume in Pakistan.
The White House said Vice President JD Vance was ready to fly back to Islamabad, which was preparing for a second round of talks on ending the war that has engulfed the Middle East and shaken global markets.
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