Politics

Pete Hegseth has promised a historic review of the Afghanistan withdrawal, saying the department will examine the decisions that led to Abbey Gate, the Kabul evacuation and what he described as a wider loss of American deterrence after 2021.

Donald Trump said the U.S. will not use nuclear weapons in the war with Iran, insisting Tehran has already been badly weakened by conventional military force. He also signalled he is not interested in a rushed settlement, saying any agreement with Iran must be durable and lasting.

A senior adviser to President Trump used a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum to publicly praise Pakistan’s role in mediation, regional stability and ongoing peace efforts.

As a fragile cease-fire holds, President Trump has signalled that a new round of U.S.-Iran talks could take place within days. In Islamabad, where security has tightened and diplomats are working back channels, Pakistan is trying to turn a brief pause in fighting into a second chance for negotiations.

Donald Trump says he extended the ceasefire with Iran after requests from Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, thrusting Islamabad into the centre of a rapidly narrowing diplomatic window between Washington and Tehran.