LONDON: Iran said Taliban representatives from Afghanistan negotiated with Iranian officials in Tehran on Sunday, as the Islamic Republic seeks to advance peace talks in the neighboring country to curb the influence of other Islamist groups.
The talks were held with the knowledge of Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani and were intended to set parameters for negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said on Monday.
“A Taliban delegation was in Tehran yesterday. They had comprehensive negotiations with the Iranian deputy foreign minister,” Bahram Qasemi said in a news conference broadcast live on state television.
The Taliban, seeking to re-impose strict Islamic law in Afghanistan after their 2001 overthrow, say the presence of international forces there is the main obstacle to peace. Even as the peace process gathers momentum, fighting has continued with heavy casualties on both sides.
Groups Bands of Islamic State fighters have been increasingly active in Afghanistan in recent years, clashing with both government and Taliban forces and alarming neighboring nations.
Taliban sources said this month that they had also negotiated with the US officials over proposals for a six-month cease-fire in Afghanistan and a future withdrawal of foreign troops.
Also in December, Afghan forces abandoned a remote western district bordering Iran, leaving the area to the Taliban after the government failed to resupply troops stationed there.
Iran says Afghan Taliban arrived in Tehran, held peace talks
Iran says Afghan Taliban arrived in Tehran, held peace talks
- The talks are designed to set parameters for negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government
- “A Taliban delegation was in Tehran yesterday. They had comprehensive negotiations with the Iranian deputy foreign minister,” Bahram Qasemi said
Israel hands Trump another international award, after Nobel snub
- The only other non-Israeli to have received this version of the honor is Indian conductor Zubin Mehta, in 1991
- Trump has long insisted that the Nobel Peace Prize stakes do not faze him — he dusted down the nonchalant refrain when he missed out again in 2025 — while also voicing frustration at being overlooked
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump will receive Israel’s highest civilian honor in 2026, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Monday that his country will break with decades of tradition to recognize a non-citizen.
Speaking after a cordial Florida meet-up with Trump, Netanyahu said the move reflected “overwhelming sentiment” in Israel in appreciation of the US president’s support for the country.
“President Trump has broken so many conventions to the surprise of people, and then they figure out, ‘oh, well — maybe, you know, he was right after all,’” Netanyahu said to reporters.
“So we decided to break a convention too or create a new one, and that is to award the Israel Prize.”
Netanyahu hailed Trump as Israel’s “greatest friend ever” in October — praise that followed militant group Hamas freeing the last 20 surviving hostages taken in the October 7 2023 attacks, under a Gaza peace deal brokered by Trump and his team.
“I have to say that this reflects the overwhelming sentiment of Israelis across the spectrum,” the Israeli leader said of Trump’s award.
“They appreciate what you’ve done to help Israel and to help our common battle against the terrorists and those who would destroy our civilization. So again, that’s an expression of thanks and appreciation.”
Normally, the Israel Prize is reserved for Israeli citizens or residents, with the lone loophole being a category for “special contribution to the Jewish people.”
The only other non-Israeli to have received this version of the honor is Indian conductor Zubin Mehta, in 1991.
Trump, clearly tickled, said the award was “really surprising and very much appreciated,” hinting that he might jet to Israel for the ceremony, traditionally held on the eve of the Middle Eastern country’s Independence Day.
For Trump, the accolade is another jewel in his self-styled crown as a global peacemaker.
In speeches and interviews, he regularly claims — falsely — that he has “stopped eight wars,” portraying himself as uniquely capable of imposing order on global conflicts through his force of personality and deal-making.
Trump has long insisted that the Nobel Peace Prize stakes do not faze him — he dusted down the nonchalant refrain when he missed out again in 2025 — while also voicing frustration at being overlooked.
This latest award follows Trump recently being granted the FIFA Peace Prize, another nod to his diplomatic ambitions via symbolic validation that still falls short of the Nobel honor he openly covets.
