US President Donald Trump expressed confidence that an agreement could soon be reached to end the Iran war and said Tehran-backed Hezbollah should support a 10-day US-backed truce agreed between Lebanon and Israel.
Trump said an extension of a two-week ceasefire with Iran was possible, but may not be needed.
“We’re going to see what happens. But I think we’re very close to making a deal with Iran,” he told reporters, adding that if an agreement was reached and signed in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, he may go there for the occasion.
The US-Israeli attack on Iran that started on February 28 has killed thousands of people and has been unpopular in the United States, leaving Trump with a political headache just months before the crucial midterm elections at home.
The war triggered the worst oil price shock in history, with the International Monetary Fund downgrading its outlook for the global economy and warning prolonged conflict could push it to the brink of recession.
Group of Seven finance chiefs on Thursday said there was a pressing need for lasting peace to limit the economic costs.
President Zardari, PM Shehbaz welcome ceasefire
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.
In a statement from the Office of the President’s official X account, President Zardari has “welcomed the Lebanon ceasefire as a step towards de-escalation & regional stability,” and reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for Lebanon’s sovereignty and “ongoing efforts to reduce US-Iran tension to achieve lasting peace in West Asia.”
PM Shehbaz said that he expressed the “hope that it will pave the way for sustainable peace.”
In a post on X, he wrote that “Pakistan reaffirms its unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon, and will continue to support all efforts aimed at lasting peace in the region.”
