Iran and the United States exchanged written texts Saturday in Islamabad after hours of in-person expert-level negotiations at the Serena Hotel, with a third round of talks under way as of latest reports. The talks occur within a two-week ceasefire in the US-Israeli war against Iran, a conflict that began with US-Israeli attacks on February 28 and spread across the Middle East before Pakistan brokered a temporary halt on April 8. The US delegation is led by Vice President JD Vance, accompanied by Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff; Iran's side is led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, along with Supreme National Defence Council Secretary Ali Akbar Ahmadian and central bank governor Abdolnaser Hemmati. Substantive gaps remain wide: Washington seeks limits on Iranian nuclear enrichment and removal of nuclear material, while Tehran demands full sanctions relief, recognition of nuclear rights, access to roughly $7 billion in frozen assets, and a navigation framework for the Strait of Hormuz. Iran also insists any ceasefire cover Lebanon and Hezbollah, a position the US and Israel have resisted. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met both delegations separately, framing Islamabad's role as active mediator. Officials and analysts consider a breakthrough within this two-day engagement unlikely, placing expectations on establishing a pathway for sustained talks rather than concrete agreements.
Iranian armed forces attacked a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, briefly halting traffic through the waterway. The strike threatens a fragile US-Iran arrangement and could push shipping insurance costs and oil prices higher.
The US has struck Iran, with President Trump citing an Iranian attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz as justification. The action raises immediate risks for global oil flows through one of the world's most critical shipping chokepoints.
The US struck ten Iranian targets on the second consecutive day of military action, putting a fragile ceasefire under serious pressure. The escalation raises immediate risks for Gulf shipping, global oil supply, and regional stability.
Venezuela's twin earthquakes, magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, have killed at least 164 people and injured 971, interim president Delcy Rodriguez confirmed Thursday. The quakes are the country's strongest since 1900, collapsing buildings across Caracas and prompting a state of emergency, with the death toll expected to rise as
