NEW ERA:
The Strait of Hormuz would ‘never return’ to the prewar days of free passage, an Iranian official said. Thirty-five commodity carriers transited it on Monday
AFP, TEHRAN
Iran yesterday said that the UN’s nuclear watchdog would not be able to inspect key nuclear sites bombed by the US and Israel last year, as the first round of talks to end the Middle East war wrapped up in Switzerland.Tehran and Washington have signed a memorandum of understanding to end a war that sowed chaos across the Middle East and rattled the global economy, embarking on a 60-day period to settle broader issues including Iran’s nuclear program and sanctions relief.Diplomacy on that final deal ramped up yesterday, with Iran’s leader heading to mediator Pakistan, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio setting off on a tour of Gulf allies, and Lebanon and Israel due for direct talks in Washington.
A woman walks past a billboard featuring Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian along a road in Islamabad, Pakistan, yesterday.
