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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was asked in a Fox News interview about Iran's latest proposal, which would postpone discussions on its nuclear programme but end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz if the US lifts its blockade and ends the war. "There's no doubt in my mind that at some point in the future, if this radical clerical regime remains in charge in Iran, they will decide they want a nuclear weapon," Rubio said. "That fundamental issue still has to be confronted," he said. "That still remains the core issue here." Asked if he thinks the Iranians are serious about a deal, Rubio said they are skilled negotiators looking to buy time. "We can't let them get away with it," Rubio said. "We have to ensure that any deal that is made, any agreement that is made, is one that definitively prevents them from sprinting towards a nuclear weapon at any point.
With the United States trying to squeeze Iran by blockading goods from entering or exiting its ports, food suppliers are rerouting imports via the Caspian Sea to ensure food keeps getting into the country. The head of the Association of Iran's Food Industries said Monday that alternative import routes are being "incorporated into the supply chain for essential goods". "At present, there is no problem with the country's food security, but maintaining this situation requires careful planning," Mohammad Reza Mortazavi said, according to the state-owned Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. The Caspian is the world's largest inland body of water and its southern coastline stretches more than 430 miles (700 km) in northern Iran. Iran is a net importer of food staples like grain and cooking oil.
Iran's foreign minister arrived in Islamabad again on Sunday as Pakistan's political and military leadership scrambled to reignite ceasefire talks between Tehran and Washington. Abbas Araghchi had left Pakistan's capital late Saturday, creating confusion around an expected second round of talks, but he returned to Islamabad before continuing on to Moscow, Iranian state media said. He had been in Oman, which previously mediated talks and is located on the other side of the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Two Pakistani officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the efforts, did not say when the Americans might return to the region to follow up on historic face-to-face talks earlier this month. The White House on Friday said it would dispatch envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Islamabad for a second round of talks. But shortly after Araghchi's departure was reported, President Donald Trump said he had called off the mission because of a lack of progress with Iran. "The
Large parts of Pakistan's capital remain under a tight security lockdown for over a week on Saturday, even as uncertainty persisted over the proposed second round of talks between the US and Iran. Arterial roads leading into Islamabad are sealed, while the Red Zone, housing key government buildings and diplomatic missions, remains under a strict security cordon. In the adjacent commercial 'Blue Area', markets are deserted, cafes are running short of supplies, and public transport disruptions with no service at bus terminals have left commuters stranded. For residents, uncertainty has become the hardest part. Islamabad is a city of transients, where many residents work during the week and return to family homes at the weekend. This is the second lockdown in recent weeks. Islamabad was earlier sealed on April 11 for talks between the US and Iranian delegations that ended without a deal. The city briefly reopened before restrictions were reimposed as Pakistan prepared to host another
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Friday that the US does not plan to renew a waiver allowing the purchase of Russian oil and petroleum products that are currently at sea. And, he said, a renewal of the one-time waiver for Iranian oil at sea is totally off the table. "Not the Iranians," Bessent told The Associated Press. "We have the blockade, and there's no oil coming out." "And we think in the next two, three days, they're going to have to start shuttering production, which will be very bad for their wells." Bessent's statements come as the world is on edge over the US-Israeli war in Iran, and global energy markets have been ensnarled by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The US originally issued a waiver for Russian oil sales and petroleum products in March with the intent of stabilising global energy markets after crude oil prices surged above USD 100 per barrel. The Treasury Department renewed the waiver two days after Bessent said at the White House that he had no plan