20/06/2026

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US-Iran talks postponed, says Switzerland

EU extends sanctions on Russia

BRUSSELS: The European Union (EU) is extending its economic sanctions on Russia for the first time by 12 months instead of six, a spokesperson for European Council President António Costa said on Thursday, reported German Press Agency. The EU has imposed far-reaching punitive measures against Moscow since the start of the war with Ukraine in 2022. The sanctions target in particular Russia’s revenues from the international sale of fossil fuels, the country’s arms industry and financial institutions. These sanctions had to be rolled over every six months and the extension required the unanimous approval of all 27 EU leaders. Ukraine has seen a new wave of support from the EU since former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán, who blocked several aid initiatives, was voted out of office earlier this year. The EU has since opened formal accession talks and adopted a €90 billion (RM424 billion) loan for Kyiv. On Thursday, all 27 EU leaders who gathered in Brussels also adopted a joint declaration in support of Kyiv unanimously for the first time in more than a year, after Orbán repeatedly refused to back EU statements on Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukraine and Germany signed an agreement on anti-ballistic capabilities, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday, calling on other Western allies to join the effort and deliver results by winter. Speaking at a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, known as the Ramstein group, Zelensky said Ukraine urgently needs long-range artillery and unmanned vehicles. He also asked to develop additional financial instruments to finance the Ukrainian army long term. “Russian ballistic missiles remain a problem and we need an answer to that problem,“ he said. “By this winter, we should see concrete outcomes from our joint work on anti-ballistic defence. This is something we all need, not only Ukraine, and it is a long-term effort.” Zelensky’s office said Ukraine and Germany would develop anti-ballistic capabilities and jointly produce the TerMIT, an unmanned ground vehicle that can carry up to 300kg of ammunition, gear and water to frontline positions. The unmanned vehicles would be produced in Germany. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said several German companies are interested in the project. Zelensky said Fire Point, Ukraine’s largest missile and drone maker, is one of the participants in the initiative. – Bernama-dpa UN aid chief demands ‘dignity’ for Gaza GENEVA: People living in Gaza deserve to regain their “dignity” rather than merely survive, the United Nations aid chief said on Thursday as he criticised Israeli obstructions to the distribution of humanitarian assistance. Tom Fletcher acknowledged that the flow of aid has improved since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect on Oct 10, with an average of 100 deliveries entering the Palestinian territory each day. However, he said: “These fragile gains are the bare minimum of what Palestinians need and what we can provide, what international law demands. “We cannot allow the summit of our ambition and our will to be a world in which children have sufficient calories to survive and are spared constant bombing, yet remain hungry, bitten by rats, homeless and out of school. “It is not enough to silence the weapons, we must restore dignity.” – AFP

GENEVA: Switzerland announced yesterday that planned talks following up on the deal to end the Middle East war have been postponed, hours after US Vice-President J.D. Vance’s departure for the Alpine country was cancelled. The signing of the accord this week was intended to end the conflict in Iran, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and begin a 60-day period for talks on wider issues, including Tehran’s nuclear programme. The deal was also meant to halt the fighting in Lebanon but Israel’s military yesterday announced new strikes against Hezbollah targets in the nation’s south. “The planned talks between the United States, Iran, Qatar and Pakistan have been postponed,” the Swiss Foreign Ministry said. “Switzerland remains ready to facilitate these talks. The relevant preparatory work at Burgenstock is continuing,” it added, without providing a new date for the talks. This follows an announcement on Thursday from the White House that Vance’s trip was cancelled, with a spokesperson saying the “logistics of these negotiations have never been simple or predictable”. “We look forward to beginning technical talks as soon as possible.” In Iran, the Tasnim agency said “nothing has been confirmed” about the Iranian delegation’s trip to Switzerland. The agreement has been signed separately by US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said on Thursday he has approved the accord, despite reservations, even as the

o ‘Nation remains ready to facilitate negotiations, relevant preparatory work at Burgenstock continuing’

signing, the United States expects Hezbollah to halt drone and rocket attacks on Israel and for Israel to refrain from “going wild in Lebanon”. Israel has been waging an offensive on Lebanon since March 2, killing 3,912 people, injuring 11,873 others and displacing more than one million, according to the latest official figures. Israel continues to occupy areas in southern Lebanon, some for decades and others since the latest conflict between the two sides. During the recent military campaign, Israeli forces advanced more than 10km into Lebanese territory. – Bernama-Anadolu the country’s Supreme National Security Council, said ships “seeking passage through the Strait of Hormuz must submit their request” to a new government body tasked with overseeing the waterway. In keeping with the terms of the deal, it added that “no fees whatsoever will be collected from applicants for a period of 60 days”. The deal is aimed at bringing an end to the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, which saw five weeks of all-out war until a ceasefire was struck in early April. However, fighting has not stopped in Lebanon, with Tehran-backed Hezbollah saying yesterday its fighters destroyed three Israeli tanks in the country’s south and clashes are “ongoing”. Israel has yet to confirm if its tanks were hit but its military said yesterday it was striking Hezbollah targets in several areas of southern Lebanon. Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war in March by attacking Israel to avenge the killing of Iran’s supreme leader at the start of the US-Israeli campaign. Some in Tehran were downbeat at the prospects for peace. “I have no hope that this is a lasting agreement. Maybe after the 60 days, they start fighting again,” said Mina, 54, a psychologist from Tehran. Under the text, Washington commits to immediately waive oil sanctions crippling Iran’s economy. And once a final agreement is reached on Iran’s nuclear programme, the United States will facilitate the release of a US$300 billion (RM1.24 trillion) reconstruction fund supported by regional nations. Trump’s decision to end the war, in which 13 US service members were killed and a vast proportion of US ammunition stockpiles was used, has unsettled some of his allies at home. US Senator Bill Cassidy from Trump’s Republican Party described it as the “worst foreign policy blunder in decades”. But Trump argued that using military force to wring more concessions out of Tehran would have been counterproductive. “The only way I can get tougher is if I go in there for another two or three weeks and continue to bomb the hell out of them. Right? But what does that get us? The Strait of Hormuz will not be open. “We would not have oil for months. This is the kind of thing that could cause a worldwide depression.” – AFP

United States lifted a blockade of Iranian ports. Mojtaba Khamenei, who took over after his father and longstanding ruler Ali Khamenei was killed in an airstrike on the first day of the war on Feb 28, added that he holds a “different view” on the deal, without elaborating. “But I issued my permission due to the commitment” made by officials to “protect the rights of the Iranian nation”, he said. “Face-to-face negotiations” with the United States will be held but that does not “mean accepting the enemy’s point of view”, he added. Yesterday, Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that Tehran would give a “decisive” response if the agreement was breached. American forces on Thursday lifted their naval blockade of Iranian ports that had prevented ships from sailing to or from the Islamic republic, the US military said, adding that American warships “will remain in the general area”. Activity was still muted in the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic bottleneck for energy shipments that Iran blockaded during the conflict. Three Saudi oil tankers left the Gulf through the strait on Thursday, as did a French vessel loaded with liquefied natural gas, maritime trackers said. Iranian state TV, citing a statement from

A man walking with his children past a destroyed building after returning to the southern Lebanese village of Nabatieh. – AFPPIC

Washington penalises Lebanese officials WASHINGTON: The United States sanctioned two Lebanese officials and companies on Thursday allegedly linked to a Hezbollah business network, accusing them of obstructing Lebanon’s peace process and delaying the disarmament of the militant group, Anadolu Ajansi reported, citing a statement from the US Treasury Department. “Hezbollah must disarm for Lebanon to achieve a secure and prosperous future,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a statement.

biggest obstacle to Lebanon’s recovery and future, and holds the state hostage to a permanent state of conflict”. Earlier on Thursday, US President Donald Trump said he expects a “complete ceasefire on all fronts”, including Lebanon, Hezbollah and Israel, following the signing of a US-Iran agreement aimed at ending the Middle East conflict. US Vice-President J.D. Vance on Thursday criticised recent Israeli strikes on Beirut that disrupted negotiations with Iran, saying civilian casualties are “not acceptable”. Vance said in the wake of the Iran deal

In a separate statement, the US State Department said “Hezbollah is the single