Iran Makes Massive Nuclear Concession

"Iran has reportedly offered to stop enriching uranium as President Donald Trump presses Tehran for nuclear commitments before granting broader economic relief.

Saudi broadcaster Al Hadath reported Monday that Iran had agreed to halt enrichment in return for eased U.S. sanctions, citing sources familiar with the matter. The reported concession comes with the two sides still at odds over the terms of a potential deal and who must act first.
Washington wants firm commitments on Iran’s nuclear program. Trump is prepared to offer sanctions relief and access to frozen Iranian funds if Tehran takes concrete nuclear steps, according to weekend reports.
Qatar and Pakistan are working to bring the sides back to the negotiating table." Breitbart

Saudi Arabia announces start of Red Sea defence alliance

"Saudi Arabia and 13 other countries have confirmed the creation of a maritime military coalition to safeguard freedom of navigation through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, with more nations expected to join.

Bahrain, Bangladesh, the Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Turkey and Yemen are the first to sign up.
The ministry described the coalition as “an open international coalition that welcomes the accession of all countries that align with its goals and principles”, adding that it continues to receive new membership applications.
Details of how the alliance would work are still being formulated, but, according to the ministry, member states will exchange information and intelligence, develop operational planning, and conduct joint naval exercises and drills, in addition to building military capabilities and carrying out joint naval operations." msn

5.4 Earthquake - 63 km NNE of Barkhan, Pakistan

"A strong magnitude 5.4 earthquake hit 102 km (64 mi) away from Dera Ghazi Khan, Punjab
Province, Pakistan, in the morning at 8.06 am local time (Asia/Karachi GMT +5). The depth of the quake could not be determined, but is assumed to be shallow. The quake was not felt (or at least not reported so)." VD

Afghanistan says Pakistan air raids killed 13 people, including children

"Afghanistan has accused Pakistan’s military of killing at least 13 people, most of them children, in air attacks on the provinces of Kunar, Khost and Paktika.
The attacks were the deadliest in weeks and follow a period of relative calm at the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
Zabihullah Mujahid, chief spokesman for Afghanistan’s Taliban government, said in a post on X that the victims of the attacks included 11 children, one woman and an elderly man." msn

Suicide bomber kills at least 23 and injures over 70 at Pakistan railway track

A suicide bomb killed 23 people and wounded 70 others on a railway in Pakistan, with the

Balochistan Liberation Army, a separatist militia group, claiming responsibility for the attack on a passenger train.
The suicide bomb attack derailed the passenger train and caused two cars to catch fire, according to the Associated Press. The attack, which occurred in the city of Quetta in the western Balochistan province, marks the latest target from the BLA, which is designated as a terrorist group by the U.S. State Department." msn

Iran wants to hand over nuclear stockpile to Russia

"Iran

is allegedly ready to hand over its highly enriched uranium stockpile to Russia, the Saudi
news broadcaster Al Hadath has reported. The idea was floated as part of the latest peace proposal Tehran sent to the US via Pakistan, the outlet said on Monday, citing a leaked document it had obtained." RT

"They'll Be Laughing No Longer": Trump Rejects Iran Peace Deal Response As "Totally Unacceptable"

"Trump calls Iran's peace proposal response "totally unacceptable"

Iran warns of 'decisive, immediate' response to British or French

warships approaching Hormuz Strait.
Iran responds Sunday to U.S. peace proposal, finally submitting something official to Pakistan. Details not initially disclosed. Trump TS: Iran "playing games with the United States."
IRGC new warning: will unleash "heavy attack" on U.S. bases in region if more Hormuz aggression persists." 

ZeroHedge

Iran drops blockade demand in bid to restart high-stakes U.S. talks

"Tehran has dropped its demand that Washington lift its blockade before negotiations begin, instead proposing parallel talks on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, security guarantees and

Iran’s nuclear program, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Iran has signaled through intermediaries that it is ready to hold a new round of talks in Pakistan as early as the beginning of next week if Washington accepts the new proposal as a basis for negotiations, WSJ reported.
Earlier reports said Iran had passed Pakistan the text of a new plan for talks with the United States. Its core demand remains ending the war and finding a framework for a peace settlement.
Trump has already criticized Tehran’s latest offer. He said he was unhappy with the document and doubted a quick deal was possible." NV

Trump cancels Pakistan trip by envoys for Iran talks

"President Donald Trump has announced the cancellation of a planned trip by American

envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan for talks with Iran.
Trump said there is no point in the delegation making an 18-hour flight to Pakistan, arguing that the U.S. holds all the leverage in the conflict with Iran. He added that the Iranians can call the U.S. at any time." Pravada

Trump Announces Blockade Of Hormuz Strait

"President Donald Trump announced Sunday announced that the United States Navy will immediately begin blockading the Strait of Hormuz, marking a dramatic escalation in tensions with Iran following the failure of high-stakes peace negotiations in Pakistan.

“So, there you have it, the meeting went well, most points were

agreed to, but the only point that really mattered, NUCLEAR, was not. Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz,” the president posted on Truth Social.
“At some point, we will reach an ‘ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO IN, ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO OUT’ basis, but Iran has not allowed that to happen by merely saying, ‘There may be a mine out there somewhere,’ that nobody knows about but them. THIS IS WORLD EXTORTION, and Leaders of Countries, especially the United States of America, will never be extorted,” Trump continued, speaking in reference to Iranian mine placement.
In addition, Trump instructed the Navy to seize any vessel that pays a toll to the Iranian regime in order to navigate the strait. “No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas. We will also begin destroying the mines the Iranians laid in the Straits. Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!” he continued." 

TP

US, Iran, and Pakistan hold direct three-way talks in Islamabad

"The United States and Iran are engaging in a rare face-to-face meeting on Saturday in Pakistan, where mediators are trying to get both sides to resolve their differences to ensure

peace in the Middle East.
The war with Iran halted after a tentative two-week ceasefire was secured on Tuesday. The peace talks in Islamabad are meant to bring about a long-term deal that ends the six-week conflict.
Vice President JD Vance is leading the American delegation in the negotiations alongside Steve Witkoff, special envoy to the Middle East, and Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Donald Trump." msn

U.S., Iran, Israel Agree To 2-Week Ceasefire; Tehran Will Allow Safe Passage Via Hormuz For Two Weeks

"President Trump agrees to a two-week ceasefire with Iran

, conditional on them "agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz"
Iran accepts Pakistan's two-week ceasefire proposal, with the deal approved by the New Supreme Leader; Iran also says safe passage via Hormuz "Possible" for two weeks
Israel has reportedly agreed to suspend bombing while talks are ongoing." ZeroHedge

Nine Killed as pro-Iran Protesters Attack U.S. Consulate in Pakistan’s Karachi

"At least nine people were killed during pro-Iran protests outside the United States consulate in the Pakistan megacity of Karach, with

dozens more injured as they tried to storm the diplomatic outpost.
Hundreds of pro-Iranian Shiite Muslim protesters surrounded the consulate.
Nine people died from gunshot wounds, according to the hospital record seen by AFP, while a rescue service spokesman said 20 others were wounded as security forces and police opened fire to disperse the mob." 

Breitbart

Blasts rock Kabul as Pakistan and Afghanistan exchange strikes

"Multiple explosions shook the Afghan capital, Kabul, and several other regions early Friday morning as Pakistan and Afghanistan exchanged military strikes across their volatile border, accusing each other of escalating the conflict.

Islamabad launched Operation Ghazab Lil Haq (“Wrath of Justice”) hours after Afghan forces conducted cross-border attacks against Pakistani military positions. Residents of the Afghan capital reported hearing at least three blasts, but authorities have not confirmed the precise locations of the explosions.
“The cowardly Pakistani military has carried out airstrikes in certain areas of Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia; fortunately, there have been no reported casualties,” Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid wrote on X." RT

5.5 Earthquake - 86 km west of Usta Muhammad, Balochistan, Pakistan

"An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 occurred only 9 minutes ago 75 km northwest of Usta Muhammad, Pakistan, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) reported.
The quake hit at a moderately shallow depth of 35. km beneath the epicenter near Usta Muhammad, Jafarabad District, Balochistan, Pakistan, in the morning at 11:30 am local time." VD

Suicide Bomb Rocks Pakistan's Capital, Over 30 Dead & 169 Wounded

"At least 31 people were killed and 169 others injured when a suicide bomber struck a Shia mosque on the outskirts of Islamabad during Friday prayers, Pakistani officials said, in one of the capital’s deadliest attacks in over a decade.

The blast happened in the Khadija al-Kubra Imambargah mosque in the outskirts of Islamabad, with police saying the attacker had been stopped at the mosque gate before opening fire and setting off explosives among worshipers.
No group claimed responsibility yet; however, conflict monitor ACLED said the attack "bears the hallmarks of the Islamic State," while officials noted that Shia communities, a minority in Pakistan, have repeatedly been targeted in sectarian violence by extremist groups, including the Islamic State and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan." ZH

Avalanche claims 9 lives in Pakistan’s Chitral District

"An avalanche claimed nine lives and injured a 9-year-old child of the same family in
Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. In Murree, approximately 60 km (37 miles) northeast of Islamabad, authorities closed access roads to prevent vehicles from getting stranded. The Islamabad district administration and PDMA instructed travelers to avoid mountain routes and mobilized machinery to clear accumulated snow from key highways."W

Trump's new Board of Peace could tackle Russia-Ukraine war

"U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled his new Board of Peace during a signing ceremony in Davos on Jan. 22, in an event attended by leaders and officials from 19 signatory states.
The new body is launched primarily to oversee the ceasefire in Gaza, but U.S. officials said it would be expanded to other conflict regions.

A White House official confirmed to the Kyiv Independent that the Board could play a role in other situations, subject to the chairman's discretion and the consent of the relevant states, without ruling out engagement on Russia's war in Ukraine.
"This is not just a 'Board of Peace,' this is a board of action," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said after signing.
"It is going to be a successful effort, and you see it reflected here today among countries of different backgrounds from different parts of the world."
Countries represented at the opening ceremony included Turkey, Hungary, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Argentina, Pakistan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.
Others, including Belarus, Israel, and Vietnam, have also said they would join the Board, while France, Norway, and Sweden have rejected." KI

M5.6 earthquake kills one and damages dozens of homes in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

"A shallow M5.6 earthquake struck near Barishal, Gilgit-Baltistan, at 11:21 LT (06:21 UTC) killing one person and injuring two.
Dozens of houses were damaged across mountain districts, while landslides blocked roads, including sections of the Karakoram Highway." W

Pakistani airstrike kills nine children – Afghanistan

"A late-night Pakistani airstrike on a home in the southern Afghan province of Khost has killed

at least nine children, a Taliban administration spokesman said on Tuesday.
The Khost bombing also killed a woman, and strikes in Kunar and Patrika injured four civilians, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid stated on X.
“Last night at around 12 o’clock in the Gorbuz district of Khost province, in the Mughalgai area, the Pakistani invading forces bombed the house of a local civilian resident, Waliat Khan, son of Qazi Mir,” Mujahid said. “As a result, nine children [five boys and four girls] and one woman were martyred, and his house was destroyed.” RT