{ "title": "Belgian PM hopes for \u201cstability in Middle East\u201d, as US and Iran begin negotiations", "modified_at": "2026-04-11 17:04:23", "published_at": "2026-04-11 17:04:00", "url": "https://www.belganewsagency.eu/belgian-pm-hopes-for-stability-in-middle-east-as-us-and-iran-begin-negotiations", "short_url": "http://prez.ly/oRBd", "culture": "en_BE", "language": "EN", "slug": "belgian-pm-hopes-for-stability-in-middle-east-as-us-and-iran-begin-negotiations", "body": "

Negotiations between the US and Iran have begun in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. Speaking to VRT NWS, prime minister Bart De Wever said he hopes for “stability in the region, including in Lebanon”.

“It is very difficult to predict what this phase of negotiations will yield,” De Wever told VRT NWS. “It is all very unstable at the moment. What you say today may be completely outdated by tomorrow.”

“The players in these negotiations are characterised by unpredictability and impulsiveness,” he stated. “To date, very little has happened in a planned manner in this war. Or if it has, it has not been noticed.”

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“At the moment, we are mainly looking at what is happening in the Strait of Hormuz. That is the most important thing for us economically, but the situation there still seems precarious. The government has agreed that we are prepared to deploy our navy once there is a lasting ceasefire.”

“We want stability in the Middle East: not only in Iran, but also in the wider region, such as in Lebanon,” he concluded. "This conflict has brought us nothing but bad news in the short term. If it flares up again now, we are heading for a structural problem with a very significant economic impact. I do not assume that will be the case, but I am not sure either, to be honest."

 

Media facilitation center for US–Iran peace talks in Islamabad © PHOTO Aamir QURESHI / AFP

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