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ISLAMABAD: The United States is &ldquo;very grateful&rdquo; for Pakistan&rsquo;s offer to be part of a Gaza stabilization force, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday. Rubio made the remarks during an end-of-year news conference at the State Department Press Briefing Room in Washington, DC, while responding to questions from journalists.&nbsp;When asked whether Washington had received Pakistan&rsquo;s consent to deploy troops for peacebuilding efforts in Gaza, Rubio said the US appreciated Pakistan&rsquo;s willingness to participate, or at least consider participation, in the proposed force. The proposed stabilization initiative is part of President Donald Trump&rsquo;s 20-point Gaza plan, which calls for the deployment of troops from Muslim-majority countries during a transitional phase to support security and governance as the conflict-affected Palestinian territory moves toward reconstruction and a long-term political settlement. Rubio noted that further clarity was still needed before any country could be asked to make a formal commitment. A day earlier, Pakistan&rsquo;s foreign office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi confirmed that discussions were ongoing in &ldquo;certain capitals&rdquo; and that Islamabad had not yet made a sovereign decision. &ldquo;I am not aware of any specific request made to Pakistan. We will inform you about any development if it takes place,&rdquo; he said.

Americas

US Secretary of State says additional clarity is needed before any country, including Pakistan, can be formally asked to commit troops to the Gaza stabilization force

Grateful for Pakistan’s offer to be part of Gaza stabilization force: Rubio

ISLAMABAD: The United States (US) saw a growing opportunity to expand its strategic relationship with Pakistan, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday, emphasizing that the move was not aimed at undermining Washington&rsquo;s longstanding ties with India.&nbsp;Speaking to reporters aboard his flight to Doha, Rubio acknowledged that New Delhi had historically viewed US-Pakistan engagement with caution. But he stressed that Washington&rsquo;s diplomatic approach aimed to work &ldquo;pragmatically&rdquo; with multiple partners at once.&nbsp;&ldquo;We know they&rsquo;re concerned for obvious reasons because of the tensions that have existed between Pakistan and India historically,&rdquo; Rubio said. &ldquo;But, I think they have to understand we have to have relations with a lot of different countries.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;We see an opportunity to expand our strategic relationship with Pakistan,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;&ldquo;Our job is to try to figure out how many countries we can find how we can work with on things of common interest.&rdquo;&nbsp;Rubio said US officials had been &ldquo;fully aware of the challenges&rdquo; posed by Pakistan&rsquo;s tense rivalry with India but insisted that maintaining strong ties with one did not diminish the other.&nbsp;&ldquo;They [India] have some relationships with countries that we don&rsquo;t have relationships with. So, it&rsquo;s part of a mature, pragmatic foreign policy.&rdquo;&nbsp;Rubio said Washington had already begun working to rebuild ties with Islamabad before recent regional tensions prompted renewed dialogue.&nbsp;&ldquo;Even before that conflict had started, I had already reached out to them and said look, we are interested in rebuilding an alliance, a strategic partnership with you,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;He noted that the US-Pakistan relationship had long involved counterterrorism cooperation but suggested that both sides were now exploring broader areas of collaboration.&nbsp;&ldquo;We&rsquo;d like to expand it beyond that, if possible, and [we] understand that there&rsquo;ll be some difficulties and some challenges,&rdquo; Rubio said. &ldquo;But I think it&rsquo;s a very encouraging thing that that relationship has strengthened the way that it has.&rdquo;&nbsp;Rubio repeatedly stressed that the US approach was a balancing act among multiple major regional powers.&nbsp;&ldquo;We have to have relations with a lot of different countries,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s our job.&rdquo;&nbsp;The Secretary was traveling to Doha for continued coordination on the Middle East ceasefire process, which he acknowledged remained fragile. &ldquo;Every night brings a new challenge,&rdquo; he said, adding that sustaining progress would require &ldquo;constant maintenance&rdquo; and continued high-level engagement.&nbsp;Rubio said he had just spoken with the Israeli Prime Minister before boarding and noted that more US officials would be deployed in the region in the coming days.

En route to Doha, Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the US sees opportunity to expand its strategic relationship with Pakistan, emphasizing it complements, not threatens, longstanding ties with India and seeks broader regional partnerships.

US seeks to broaden strategic partnership with Pakistan: Rubio

JERUSALEM: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday he did not envision a permanent division of Gaza, despite Israeli troops remaining in an area prioritised for reconstruction. Under a US-brokered ceasefire, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a &quot;Yellow Line&quot;, leaving them in control of around half of Gaza. The United States has said that reconstruction aid would be focused in the area under Israeli control. Rubio said that an international force, which US and regional mediators are trying to build, would move to enforce security across the Palestinian territory. Gaza&#39;s current masters, Hamas, could have no role in the future, he added. &quot;I think, ultimately, the point of the stabilisation force is to move that line until it covers hopefully all of Gaza, meaning all of Gaza will be demilitarised,&quot; Rubio told reporters on his plane between Israel and Qatar. &quot;Ultimately, the more of Gaza is demilitarised, the more of Gaza terrorism is removed from, the more of it is going to look like that green zone -- and that line will move as a result of it,&quot; he added. &quot;That&#39;s the long-term plan. The Israelis have made it abundantly clear they have no interest in occupying Gaza.&quot; The main Palestinian factions, including Hamas, have agreed to form a committee of technocrats to administer Gaza alongside the international ceasefire and reconstruction effort. But Hamas has resisted calls for its immediate disarmament, launching a crackdown on rival Palestinian gangs and armed groups in Gaza since the two-week-old ceasefire began. On Saturday, Mousa abu Marzouk, Hamas&#39;s head of international relations and legal affairs, warned: &quot;Excluding Hamas from maintaining stability in the Gaza Strip could lead to chaos and a security vacuum.&quot; Rubio was the latest top US official to come to Israel to push forward the ceasefire, arriving on the heels of Vice President JD Vance. Rubio said he expected General Dan Caine, the top US military officer, to visit Israel next week.

Middle East

Under a US-brokered ceasefire, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a "Yellow Line", leaving them in control of around half of Gaza. 

US State Secretary says he does not see permanent division of Gaza

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump on Sunday said talks on implementing a truce for Gaza will take days, while his foreign policy chief, Marco Rubio, warned that Israel needs to stop bombing for a hostage release to happen.&nbsp;&quot;They&#39;re in negotiations right now as we speak. They&#39;ve started the negotiations. It&#39;ll last a couple of days,&quot; Trump told reporters at the White House.&nbsp;&quot;We&#39;ll see how it turns out. But I&#39;m hearing it&#39;s going very well,&quot; he added.&nbsp;In a text exchange with CNN released Sunday, Trump said &quot;yes&quot; when asked if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was on board with ending the military campaign in Gaza. Trump urges negotiators to &#39;move fast&#39;In a separate post on his Truth Social platform, Trump urged Hamas and Israeli negotiators to &quot;move fast,&quot; adding that there had been &quot;very positive discussions&quot; with the Palestinian group. &quot;There have been very positive discussions with Hamas, and countries from all over the World (Arab, Muslim, and everyone else) this weekend, to release the hostages, end the war in Gaza, but, more importantly, finally have long sought PEACE in the Middle East,&quot; he said. &quot;These talks have been very successful, and are proceeding rapidly. The technical teams will again meet Monday, in Egypt, to work through and clarify the final details. I am told that the first phase should be completed this week, and I am asking everyone to MOVE FAST.&quot; Negotiators from Israel and Hamas were set to hold talks in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh, with Netanyahu expressing hope that hostages held in Gaza could be released within days. However, Hamas called for a swift start to a hostage-prisoner exchange with Israel. &quot;Hamas is very keen to reach an agreement to end the war and immediately begin the prisoner exchange process in accordance with the field conditions,&quot; a senior Hamas official told AFP on condition of anonymity. Separately, Rubio called for a halt to Israeli bombing on Gaza.&nbsp;&quot;I think the Israelis and everyone acknowledge you can&#39;t release hostages in the middle of strikes, so the strikes will have to stop,&quot; the secretary of state told CBS News talk show &quot;Face the Nation.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;There can&#39;t be a war going on in the middle of it.&quot;&nbsp;The diplomatic push follows the positive response by Hamas to Trump&#39;s roadmap for an end to the fighting and the release of captives in Gaza in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails.&nbsp;Rubio told NBC&#39;s &quot;Meet the Press&quot; that there were &quot;logistical challenges&quot; to address to pave the way for the hostage release.&nbsp;He also predicted that the longer-term goals would be &quot;even harder&quot; to attain, in terms of how the war-ravaged territory will be governed and disarming militants.&nbsp;&quot;You can&#39;t set up a government structure in Gaza that&#39;s not Hamas in three days. I mean, it takes some time,&quot; Rubio told NBC.&nbsp;Trump told CNN he expected clarity &quot;soon&quot; on whether the Palestinian group that carried out the deadly October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that triggered the conflict was committed to peace.&nbsp;The US president added that if Hamas were to refuse to cede power, they would face &quot;Complete Obliteration!&quot;

US president urges negotiators to 'move fast'; Hamas calls for swift start to hostage-prisoner exchange; Rubio says Israel must pause bombing for hostages to be safely released.





Trump says Gaza deal talks to go on 'couple' days

ISLAMABAD: The top US diplomat Marco Rubio issued a blunt call to his Russian counterpart to halt the &quot;killing&quot; in Ukraine Wednesday, as Washington&#39;s stance on Moscow hardens, AFP reported. Rubio &quot;reiterated President (Donald) Trump&#39;s call for the killing to stop and the need for Moscow to take meaningful steps toward a durable resolution of the Russia-Ukraine war,&quot; State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said. Lavrov fired back and &quot;stressed the unacceptability of the schemes promoted by Kyiv and some European capitals aimed at prolonging the conflict,&quot; according to a readout of their conversation supplied by the Russian side. Unexpected turn&nbsp;Rubio&#39;s comments came after President Volodymyr Zelensky praised Trump following the US president&#39;s unexpected turn against Russia Tuesday, in which he suggested that Kyiv could not only win the war and re-take its territory -- but could even expand it. But the Ukrainian leader cast doubt Wednesday on NATO&#39;s ability to guarantee Kyiv&#39;s security. &quot;Because international institutions are too weak, this madness continues. Even being part of the long-standing military alliance doesn&#39;t automatically mean you are safe,&quot; Zelensky told the UN General Assembly. &lsquo;Good meeting&rsquo;Zelensky said he had a &quot;good meeting&quot; with Trump, who has ruled out NATO membership for Kyiv and berated the Ukrainian leader at a February encounter at the White House before warming to him. &quot;Of course we are doing everything to make sure Europe truly helps and of course, we count on the United States,&quot; Zelensky said. Trump&#39;s suggestion Tuesday that Kyiv could win, with support from the European Union and NATO, marked an extraordinary shift after months of saying Ukraine would not get back swaths of territory taken by Russia, AFP reported. Trump said Ukraine could regain all its land and suggested, without elaborating, that Kyiv could &quot;maybe even go further than that!&quot; In a social media post on White House X handle, President Trump said &ldquo;Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act.&rdquo;&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1970564074850123952&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard%2F&sessionId=0694ba007bfe0945f9eda993896e78df390988cc&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 686px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1970564074850123952">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&ldquo;In any event, I wish both Countries well. We will continue to supply weapons to NATO for NATO to do what they want with them. Good luck to all!&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&#39;Big fat missiles&#39;&nbsp;The US leader&#39;s comments marked his latest in a series of policy switches on Ukraine, including a sudden pivot to peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin early this year that stunned allies, AFP reported. Zelensky, in his speech at the UN, appealed: &ldquo;Be the force that acts. Act together. Unite at last to stop Russia&rsquo;s war. We know how to guarantee security. What we need now is a strong push &ndash; to force Russia toward peace.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1970614234179674386&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard%2F&sessionId=0694ba007bfe0945f9eda993896e78df390988cc&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 456px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1970614234179674386"></iframe></div></div>Zelensky warned Wednesday that Europe could not afford to lose strategically located Moldova to Russian influence and let it follow Belarus and Georgia into Moscow&#39;s orbit, AFP reported. Moldova, a former Soviet republic, goes to the polls on Sunday with pro-EU President Maia Sandu facing a barrage of deepfake videos and other disinformation linked to Russia. Zelensky also sounded the alarm over the development of autonomous drones and unmanned aerial vehicles capable of shooting down other drones and targeting critical infrastructure. &lsquo;Friends and weapons&rsquo;&quot;We are now living through the most destructive arms race in human history, because this time it includes artificial intelligence,&quot; he said, adding that the only real security guarantees are &quot;friends and weapons.&quot; &quot;If the world can&#39;t respond even to all threats, and if there is no strong platform for international security, will there be any peace left on earth?&quot; The wartime leader, who has a packed itinerary of meetings with world leaders while in New York for the UN&#39;s signature diplomatic week, stressed that Ukraine had been forced to ramp up its military production. &quot;Ukraine doesn&#39;t have the big fat missiles dictators love to show off in parades, but we do have drones that can fly up to 2,000, 3,000 kilometers. &quot;We had no choice but to build them to protect our right to life.&quot;

Europe

US Secretary Marco Rubio urged Russia to stop the killing in Ukraine, echoing Trump’s surprising shift supporting Kyiv's victory. Zelensky, citing weak global institutions, urged unified action to resist Russia and defend democracy.

US Secretary Rubio calls for Russia to stop 'killing' in Ukraine

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;Israel widened its ground operation in Gaza City on Tuesday, pressing further into the heart of the blockaded enclave as the humanitarian crisis worsens and international criticism mounts.&nbsp;Israel claims its expanded military offensive seeks to dismantle Hamas&rsquo;s control over Gaza City and secure the release of hostages, despite the enclave being heavily devastated by its forces since October 2023. US confirms support for Israel&nbsp;U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is on a diplomatic trip to Israel,&nbsp;confirmed broad American support for the Israeli offensive.&nbsp;He also warned that diplomatic efforts have a &ldquo;narrow&rdquo; timeframe. Rubio, following talks with Netanyahu,&nbsp;stated openly that the conflict will only conclude with Hamas&rsquo;s &lsquo;elimination&rsquo; and the release of all hostages. Hamas, in contrast, demands prisoner releases, a lasting ceasefire, and Israeli withdrawal before considering hostage negotiations. Latest Israeli offensive against Gaza&nbsp;Palestinian residents reported heavy bombardment across Gaza City. One strike destroyed a house in the west, killing at least five Palestinians, including two children, according to a local hospital.&nbsp;&nbsp;Another attack damaged three houses in the southwest, with medics searching for survivors amid the rubble. A Gaza resident described it as a &ldquo;heavy night.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that ending the conflict required eliminating Hamas and securing the release of the remaining 48 hostages. About 20 are believed to be still alive. He rejected calls for an interim ceasefire.&nbsp;Meanwhile, Hamas demanded the release of Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire, and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza before freeing hostages.&nbsp;More than 64,871 Palestinians, including 18,000 children, have been killed, according to Gaza&rsquo;s Health Ministry. Israel laid siege to the blockaded enclave in October 2023. Israel launches expanded operation in Gaza&nbsp;The Israeli military announced Tuesday it expanded operation in Gaza aimed at destroying allegedly Hamas&rsquo; military &lsquo;infrastructure&rsquo; has officially begun.&nbsp;Residents have been urged to move south, although overcrowding and lack of transportation make evacuation difficult for many.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Israeli Defense Minister said the occupying forces would continue their mission until Hamas was &lsquo;defeated&rsquo; and hostages<a id="_anchor_1" href="#_msocom_1" name="_msoanchor_1" style="font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 115, 230);"></a> were &lsquo;freed&rsquo;.Rubio, who is departing Israel for Qatar, said that a prolonged war is worse, and the goal remains a negotiated settlement with Hamas defeated. Over 220,000 Palestinians have fled northern Gaza after Israeli warnings, but many remain in the overcrowded south. Families of hostages held by Hamas gathered outside Netanyahu&rsquo;s residence, pleading for a halt to the operation to protect their loved ones. Both Netanyahu and Rubio insist the conflict will only end with Hamas&rsquo; elimination and hostage release, rejecting calls for an interim ceasefire. Hamas demands the release of Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire, and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza before freeing the hostages.

 FILE - Palestinians run for cover during an Israeli airstrike on a high-rise building in Gaza City, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, after the Israeli army issued a warning. (AP PhotoYousef Al Zanoun, File) 

Asia

While the Israeli military has not confirmed if the offensive has officially begun, the U.S. State Secretary indicated the operation may have already started. 

Ground offensive to occupy Gaza begins

Reuters

ISLAMABAD: The U.S. military launched a second missile strike on a suspected Venezuelan &lsquo;drug trafficking&rsquo; vessel in international waters, escalating tensions with Caracas.&nbsp;The Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro, has been accused of leading a cocaine cartel.&nbsp;&nbsp;Caracas vowed to defend itself against what it calls U.S. aggression.&nbsp;US military build-upThe Trump administration dramatically increased pressure on Venezuela, deploying over 4,000 troops, warships armed with Tomahawk missiles, an attack submarine, and military aircraft in the southern Caribbean. &nbsp;&nbsp;President Donald Trump confirmed the strike killed three men aboard the boat, which he linked to the Venezuelan cartel Tren de Aragua, allegedly headed by Maduro himself.&nbsp;&nbsp;U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio supported the attacks, saying the strikes caused a significant drop in drug shipments headed to the U.S. &quot;We have 100 percent fidelity and certainty that that boat was involved in that trafficking of those drugs that ultimately were destined to reach the United States of America,&quot; Rubio said.&nbsp;Venezuelan responseThe Venezuelan president, speaking in Caracas, denounced U.S. actions as aggressive and blamed Rubio for the breakdown in communications between the two governments. Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello disputed U.S. claims. He stated the 11 people killed in an earlier strike were not drug trafficking and raised questions about why arrests were not made if drugs were aboard.&nbsp;Maduro said Venezuela had the right to defend itself fully and urged citizens to remain &lsquo;alert&rsquo;.&nbsp;&nbsp;Military posturingVenezuelan fighter jets flew close to the USS Jason Dunham, a move the U.S. Pentagon called &ldquo;highly provocative&rdquo;. While Trump avoided confirming further strikes on the Venezuelan mainland, there are worries that the September 2 strike marked the start of a broader campaign to disrupt &lsquo;narcotics trafficking&rsquo; and possibly remove Maduro from power.&nbsp;&nbsp;

US conducts second strike on Venezuelan vessel, Maduro vows defense

Caracas vowed to defend itself against what it calls U.S. aggression.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar received a phone call from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Pakistani Foreign Office said Saturday, signaling ongoing progress in relations between Islamabad and Washington. &ldquo;The two officials expressed satisfaction with the positive trajectory of bilateral ties, reaffirmed their commitment to deepen cooperation, and discussed various regional and international matters,&rdquo; the statement added. However, the foreign office did not provide specific details about the conversation.&nbsp;This call follows a period of warming relations between the two countries, a notable shift after years of diplomatic distancing. On September 9, Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar also spoke to Secretary Rubio, during which they exchanged views on bilateral matters and ongoing regional issues.&nbsp;The improving relationship comes in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump&rsquo;s intervention earlier this year, when he brokered a ceasefire between Pakistan and India after a brief but intense four-day military conflict along their shared border in May. The clash resulted in over 70 casualties on both sides and heightened tensions in the region.&nbsp;In June 2025, Pakistan&rsquo;s army chief was invited to an unprecedented lunch at the White House hosted by President Trump, where they discussed the Iran-Israel conflict and other regional security concerns. This event marked a high-level engagement between the U.S. and Pakistan military leadership, further emphasizing the thaw in relations.&nbsp;Trade relations have also been a key component of the renewed partnership. Just last week, Pakistan announced the finalization of a &ldquo;landmark&rdquo; trade deal with the U.S. aimed at reducing tariffs and deepening economic ties between the two nations. Concurrently, President Trump unveiled a new partnership to develop Pakistan&rsquo;s oil reserves, signaling increased U.S. investment and cooperation in the South Asian country&rsquo;s energy sector.&nbsp;In their recent conversation, Rubio and Dar covered a range of bilateral matters and regional challenges, with both sides agreeing to maintain ongoing dialogue and cooperation on shared interests. Analysts view these exchanges as part of a broader diplomatic reset after years of estrangement, particularly following the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan in 2021, which led to a decline in high-level communications.&nbsp;For Pakistan, the U.S. remains a critical economic partner. Official data shows that Pakistan&rsquo;s exports to the U.S. reached $5.44 billion in the fiscal year 2023-2024, with a 10 percent increase recorded from July 2024 to February 2025 compared to the previous year. These figures highlight the importance of the U.S. market for Pakistan&rsquo;s export-driven economic growth.&nbsp;Facing a prolonged macroeconomic crisis, Pakistan has prioritized enhancing trade and foreign investment to stabilize its economy. While inflation rates have eased in recent years, the government is focused on achieving sustained growth through exports and comprehensive financial reforms.&nbsp;The ongoing dialogue between Secretary Rubio and Foreign Minister Dar reflects both countries&rsquo; commitment to building a more cooperative relationship grounded in economic partnership, security cooperation, and regional stability. As the two nations continue to strengthen ties, observers will be watching closely for further developments in trade agreements and diplomatic engagements.

Foreign Affairs

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar discuss strengthening bilateral relations, trade cooperation, and regional security amid improving ties.

Articles tagged with "Marco Rubio"