Fast, factual wire coverage from across Malaysia and the region.
Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has urged coordinated Gulf action to implement the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, holding talks with regional counterparts to strengthen diplomatic efforts.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed Washington's commitment to diplomacy with Iran while attending an ASEAN meeting in Manila, though he expressed skepticism about Tehran's willingness to engage in serious talks.
Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has branded US President Donald Trump's commitment to a recently signed memorandum of understanding as hollow, citing repeated American violations. The June 18 agreement, signed by Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, has unravelled amid military escalation.
Democratic US senators, led by Kirsten Gillibrand, are pushing the Trump administration to publicly release findings from a military investigation into an airstrike that struck an Iranian girls' school on February 28.
Pakistan is preparing to host the next round of diplomatic talks between the United States and Iran on July 11. The negotiations will address sanctions, nuclear matters, and Iran's frozen assets following a ceasefire agreement reached in mid-June.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has welcomed a reported understanding between the United States and Iran to end months of regional tensions, while emphasizing that sustainable peace requires unwavering commitment to ceasefire terms and restoration of critical shipping routes.
Qatar announced Wednesday that mediated discussions between American and Iranian negotiators in Doha have achieved encouraging momentum on matters stemming from the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, with both sides committing to resuming talks.
Iran has rejected International Atomic Energy Agency inspections of its nuclear facilities, insisting that access negotiations be tied to a final agreement with the US and complete sanctions removal.