Summary

On Sunday, Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi urged extending a ceasefire and continuing negotiations after meeting JD Vance, while Pope Leo XIV condemned war and called for peace through dialogue. Ceasefire Call After Vance Meeting Albusaidi said in a post on X that he met Vance "just hours before the war began," and came away with the impression that both the vice president and President Donald Trump had "a genuine and strong preference to avoid the entanglements of war." He urged all sides to keep diplomacy alive, writing, "I urge that the ceasefire be extended and talks continue." While acknowledging the difficulty of negotiations, he added, "Success may require everyone to make painful concessions, but this is nothing as compared to the pain of failure and war." Albusaidi made his comments in response to a post by Pope Leo, who issued a stark warning against violence, stating, "God does not bless any conflict." He added that followers of Christ are "never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs." Pope Leo emphasized that "military action will not create space for freedom or times of peace," arguing that lasting peace comes "only from the patient promotion of coexistence and dialogue among peoples." US-Iran Talks Collapse, Strait Of Hormuz Tensions Escalate Vance said U.S. negotiators left Pakistan without a deal, stressing Washington did not compromise on core demands, including a firm commitment from Iran not to pursue nuclear weapons. He said the failure was "bad news for Iran" and reiterated that U.S. red lines remained unchanged. Iran blamed the breakdown on "excessive" U.S. demands, with officials including Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Seyed Abbas Araqchi saying they defended national interests and rejected terms related to the Strait of Hormuz and nuclear materials. Separately, Trump said most issues had been agreed upon, but the nuclear question remained unresolved, adding, "the only point that really mattered, NUCLEAR, was not." He announced a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and warned of force against any threats, stating the U.S. was "locked and loaded" and would respond to aggression. Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Photo Courtesy: Joey Sussman on Shutterstock.com © 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. To add Benzinga News as your preferred source on Google, click here.