Next move is Iran's – US

GLOBAL BID: WORLD LEADERS TRY TO GET BOTH SIDES TO NEGOTIATE AGAIN

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The United States said "the ball is in the Iranian court" on ending the Mideast war, as diplomats accelerated efforts yesterday towards a new round of peace talks after weekend negotiations failed to produce a deal.

US Vice-President JD Vance had left talks hosted by Pakistan on Sunday, saying he had handed Tehran the “final and best offer”.

Iran has blamed Washington for making maximalist demands, but its leaders have not dismissed efforts by world leaders to get both sides back to the negotiating table.

Crucially, a fragile two-week truce agreed last Wednesday to give time to find a lasting ceasefire remained in place, even though a US naval blockade of Iranian ports began at the Strait of Hormuz, which had been effectively closed by Tehran.

The standoff at the strait, through which one-fifth of global oil transits, failed to dampen optimism in global markets, with Asian equities rallying while oil continued a downward slide.