Trump opens two-week window for Iran diplomacy amid escalating conflict with Israel
Washington DC: US President Donald Trump has granted a two-week window for diplomatic engagement with Iran before deciding on possible military intervention, even as Israel continues its bombing campaign targeting Iranian infrastructure, according to a CNN report.
Trump and his advisers are hoping that sustained Israeli strikes and Iran’s missile losses may pressure Tehran into halting its uranium enrichment, a core demand from Washington that Iran has long resisted. The temporary pause in escalation is also being seen as a calculated move by Trump to avoid entangling the United States in another prolonged foreign conflict.
Despite suggestions of sending Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Vice President JD Vance to the region, both remain in Washington as no formal negotiations have been scheduled. Meanwhile, European foreign ministers from Britain, Germany, and France are set to meet with Iranian representatives in Geneva on Friday to revisit Witkoff’s earlier proposal.
However, Tehran has reiterated it will not engage in talks with the US unless Israel ceases its bombing campaign. Iranian officials have accused Washington of failing to restrain Israeli aggression, further hardening their stance.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized that diplomacy remains on the table, but warned of American military strength if diplomacy fails. "Iran and the entire world should know that the United States military is the strongest and most lethal fighting force in the world," she said.
Inside the Situation Room, Trump has reviewed multiple military options, including the possible use of bunker-buster bombs on Iran's underground nuclear facility at Fordow. However, concerns over the potential for a multi-year war have led Trump and several of his advisers, including former strategist Steve Bannon, to approach the situation with caution.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been in active contact with allies, stressing the need to ensure Iran never acquires nuclear weapons. Ahead of Friday's Geneva meeting, Rubio spoke with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who reiterated, "Iran can never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon."
A senior White House official described the upcoming Geneva talks as a "temperature check" to assess Iran's willingness to engage diplomatically amid escalating hostilities.
Special Envoy Witkoff has maintained indirect channels with Tehran, but there has been no sign of a shift in Iran’s position through third-party mediators.
Tensions between Israel and Iran have sharply escalated since June 13, when Israel launched Operation "Rising Lion," striking targets linked to Iran’s nuclear program. Iran responded with retaliatory missile attacks, marking a dangerous new phase in the conflict.
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Delhi HC asks Jaideep Sengar to surrender in Unnao custodial death case
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court on Friday asked Jaideep Sengar, brother of Unnao rape case convict Kuldeep Sengar, to surrender before jail authorities in connection with his conviction in the custodial death case of the survivor's father.
A bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja was hearing a plea by the convict for further extension of interim bail upon suspension of the 10-year sentence.
It observed that the interim bail granted to Jaideep Sengar in July 2024 was last extended in April 2025 and since then, in spite of five dates, no order of any further extension or suspension of his sentence has been passed by the court.
As the senior counsel for Jaideep Sengar urged the bench to extend the period of his release on account of his health, the bench said, "You surrender and then we will see."
"Although there is no extension of interim suspension of sentence granted, we find he has still not surrendered. Before we proceed to consider his application for further extension of suspension of sentence, we require the appellant to first surrender," the bench ordered.
The senior counsel for Jaideep Sengar assured the court that he would surrender by Saturday.
The court listed the matter for hearing next week.
Jaideep Sengar, 50, sought the bail extension on the grounds that he is suffering from oral cancer.
The Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) counsel had earlier said it was not a fit case for extension of interim bail, and the prescription given by Jaideep Sengar in support of his plea was fabricated.
In his application, Jaideep Sengar said he was suffering from stage IV oral cancer, a life-threatening condition, and had developed clinical signs of recurrence.
The condition, the plea said, required continuous and specialised medical care.
The plea also informed that Jaideep Sengar has spent about four years in custody.
The high court had granted interim bail to Jaideep Sengar on July 3, 2024, for two months on medical grounds.
Kuldeep Sengar was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for the remainder of his life on December 20, 2019, for raping the minor in 2017.
On March 13, 2020, Kuldeep Sengar, along with Jaideep Sengar, was sentenced to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment by the trial court, which also imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh, in the custodial death case of the rape survivor's father.
The survivor's father was arrested, allegedly at the behest of the accused, under the Arms Act and died in custody on April 9, 2018, owing to police brutality.
The trial court said no leniency could be shown for killing a family's sole breadwinner.
