Trump says unsure Iran ceasefire needs extension, talks could be this weekend

It is not in the interest of the United States for Russia to emerge as the winner of the Iran war, German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said on Thursday.

“It’s not in our interest and it cannot be in the interest of the United States,” Klingbeil said in a joint statement with the finance ministers of Ukraine and Norway on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund spring meetings.

He added that Russia’s economy is growing due to the Middle East conflict and is benefiting from the energy situation.

Canada has called on all sides in the Iran conflict to continue negotiations toward a durable settlement while also condemning Tehran’s repression of protesters and political dissent.

“The Government of Canada urges all parties to continue negotiations for a durable end to the conflict," Ottawa said.In a response to Iran International's Mahsa Mortazavi.

"We thank Pakistan and all other parties for their work to facilitate recent negotiations and a ceasefire, and we support ongoing efforts."

Canada also stressed the importance of protecting international navigation rights in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waterways.

Ottawa also reiterated its criticism of Iran’s human rights record, condemning the use of the death penalty, violence against protesters and arbitrary arrests.

“We stand in solidarity with the Iranian people, whose voices must be heard, as they demand for their rights to be respected,” the statement said.

Some GCC and European officials believe it could take about six months for the United States to reach a deal with Iran, Bloomberg News reported.

According to the report, officials say negotiations are likely to be complex and prolonged even if current diplomatic efforts continue to move forward.

The assessment comes as Washington and Tehran explore ways to extend a fragile ceasefire and revive talks aimed at ending the conflict and addressing Iran’s nuclear program.

US and Iranian negotiators have scaled back ambitions for a comprehensive peace deal and are instead seeking a temporary memorandum to prevent a return to conflict, Reuters reported, citing two Iranian sources.

A senior Iranian official cited by Reuters said the two sides had begun narrowing some gaps, including over management of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran wants any memorandum to include the unfreezing of some of its funds in exchange for allowing more ships through the strait, the official said.

The Iranian sources said the United States is demanding a halt to Iran's nuclear enrichment work for 20 years, while Iran wants to limit it to three to five years. Tehran also wants a timetable for lifting sanctions of UN, US and EU, they said.

While Iran was not ready to send all its highly enriched uranium (HEU) abroad, part of it could be sent to a third country, the report cited one of the sources as saying.

The US military has released a list of Iranian goods it considers contraband under its blockade, saying such items may be seized from merchant vessels regardless of location.

In a notice published on Thursday, the US military said goods destined for an enemy and susceptible to use in armed conflict are subject to capture beyond neutral territory.

The list classifies arms and ammunition as “absolute contraband” and designates items such as oil, iron, steel, aluminum and certain civilian goods as “conditional contraband,” citing their potential military use.