US-Iran nuclear and security talks in Islamabad stretched into a third round Sunday, with expert-level delegations exchanging written texts and working through economic, military, legal, and nuclear committee discussions at the Serena Hotel. The engagement takes place during a two-week ceasefire in the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, a war that began with US-Israeli strikes on February 28 and paused after Pakistan brokered a 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 delegation is headed by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, with Supreme National Defence Council Secretary Ali Akbar Ahmadian and central bank governor Abdolnaser Hemmati also at the table. The two sides entered negotiations with sharply divergent demands. Washington is pressing for restrictions on Iran's nuclear enrichment and removal of nuclear material; Tehran is seeking full sanctions relief, recognition of its nuclear rights, access to roughly $7 billion in frozen assets, and a framework governing Strait of Hormuz navigation. Iran's pre-condition that Israeli strikes in Lebanon cease nearly derailed talks on Friday. Analysts and officials caution that the breadth of unresolved issues, including regional proxy networks, missile ranges, and sequencing of concessions, makes a substantive breakthrough within this initial engagement unlikely.
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
