Trump speaks to the press before he boards Air Force One for his first flight aboard the Boeing 747-8 that Qatar gifted the United States.
Day 125 | Trump optimistic of US-Iran talks in Qatar
US President Donald Trump said progress had been made Wednesday in indirect talks with Iran in Qatar, as the sides aimed to push forward their negotiations on ending the Middle East war and quell tensions following exchanges of fire.
The head of the Iranian delegation, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, later announced the talks' conclusion.
He reported that the participants had agreed "a communication channel would be established by tomorrow" to report and record violations of the parties' initial memorandum of understanding.
Iran had insisted there would be no direct negotiations in Doha on the deal to end the war, which broke out with US-‘Israeli’ strikes on Iran in late February.
"As far as things are going, the denuclearisation of Iran is moving along well," Trump told reporters as he prepared to board his new Air Force One, which was donated by Qatar last year.
"We hit them very hard... but we're getting along very well."
The memorandum of understanding, mediated by Qatar and Pakistan, culminated in a summit last month in Lucerne, Switzerland.
It includes a 60-day ceasefire pausing the war, the reopening of the blockaded Strait of Hormuz, and a timeframe for a final deal to permanently end the conflict and reach an agreement on Iran's nuclear programme.
The Qatar discussions, being held at a lower level and focused on the details of the MoU, were to "build on the progress made at the Lake Lucerne Summit", a diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Tehran denied an earlier claim by Trump that there would be direct talks in Doha, with foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei saying the country's delegation had "no plans for negotiations with the American side at any level over the coming days".
US service member missing after helicopter emergency landing in Arabian Sea
One US service member is missing and three others were injured after a US military helicopter made an emergency landing in the Arabian Sea, the US military said on Wednesday.
The military said the aircraft, an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter, was forced to make an emergency landing. The three injured personnel are in stable condition, and there are no indications the incident was caused by hostile action.
In a statement, the US Navy's Fifth Fleet said search operations are ongoing to locate the missing crew member, while an investigation has been launched into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The helicopter was deployed aboard the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier at the time of the emergency landing.
'Israel' raids West Bank village after losing contact with 'Israelis'
'Israel's' military said its forces raided the village of Mukhmas in the occupied West Bank after contact was lost with several Israelis who reportedly entered the area.
According to the military, security forces conducted extensive searches in and around the village following the raid. It said search operations will continue to "rule out suspicion of a security incident."
“Positive progress” in US-Iran indirect talks in Doha: Qatar spokesman
US and Iran negotiators made "positive progress" during indirect talks in Doha, with the next round expected after the late Iranian supreme leader's funeral, Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman said.
"Qatar & Pakistan mediators concluded separate meetings with the US & Iranian negotiators in Doha today, with positive progress made on issues related to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, building on the outcomes of the Lake Lucerne Summit," foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said Wednesday on X.
"The parties agreed to continue discussions over the coming period, with the next meeting to be scheduled at the earliest possible time following the funeral processions of the former Iranian Supreme Leader."
Iran threatens to “school Israel” after threats against Khamenei
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi issued a threat against ‘Israel’ via a post on X , stating that Iran would “school” ‘Israel’ if the United States fails to restrain it under the terms of a recent bilateral memorandum of understanding.
Araghchi’s remarks directly responded to statements by ‘Israeli’ Defense Minister Israel Katz.
Katz said that Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had been “marked for death” and indicated that ‘Israel’ would not permit Iran to develop nuclear weapons, even amid ongoing talks between Tehran and Washington.
In his message, Araghchi referenced the “Islamabad MoU” between Iran and the United States, asserting that its terms are “crystal clear and public.”
He stated that US President Donald Trump had committed America to “muzzling its pets in Tel Aviv.”
Araghchi warned that if ‘Israel’ disregards this, Iran would deliver an “immediate powerful response” to any threat against its people or leadership.
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Read more: Day 124 | US envoys Witkoff, Kushner meeting mediators in Doha
