politics

What’s happening with Iran-US ‘talks’?

Diplomatic efforts to end the Iran war are gathering pace, even though Tehran continues to insist talks with the United States are not happening.

Here is what we know about the behind-the-scenes mediation efforts:

What is on the table?

After announcing “very good” talks with an unnamed “top person” in Iran on Monday, Trump said Tuesday that he had sent a plan and that it “all starts with, they cannot have a nuclear weapon”.

A 15-point proposal to stop the fighting was then conveyed to Iran via Pakistan, a key intermediary along with Egypt and Turkey, officials have confirmed.

But the contents are unknown and the identity of Trump’s “top person” remains a mystery, if he exists at all.

The New York Times and Al Jazeera have reported that Trump is proposing a one-month ceasefire during which the two sides would restart talks about the same issues they were discussing before the war.

These include a US demand that Iran hand over its enriched uranium stockpile, stop any further enrichment, and agree to limits on its missile programme, as well as cease support for militant groups in the region.

If Iran met US conditions and opened up the strategic Strait of Hormuz for shipping, which it has effectively closed, Trump is offering relief from all sanctions, the reports suggest.

After saying that Iran wanted to make a deal “so badly”, the US president warned Thursday that they “better get serious soon”.

UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi has said a meeting in Islamabad at the weekend is under discussion.

What does Iran say?

Publicly, Iranian officials insist no talks are taking place, but this means no direct dialogue has been established with Washington.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi admitted Wednesday that messages were “being exchanged through friendly countries or through certain different individuals”.

State-run Tasnim news agency, citing an unnamed official, reported Thursday that Iran had sent an official response to the United States on Wednesday evening.

“Iran’s response to the 15 points proposed by the US was officially sent last night through intermediaries, and Iran is awaiting the other side’s response,” Tasnim quoted the source.

What are Iran’s demands?

Unidentified Iranian officials, cited by Iran’s state-run Press TV and Tasnim, have detailed five conditions for an end to hostilities.

These include ending “aggression and assassinations”, setting up a mechanism guaranteeing that neither Israel nor the United States would resume the war, and financial compensation.

They also include a cessation of hostilities on all fronts, meaning Israel would stop bombarding Tehran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon and possibly Hamas in Gaza.

The official also said Tehran wanted international recognition of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.

The Wall Street Journal reported this week that Tehran was also seeking the closure of US military bases in the Gulf.

Can compromises be found?

Analysts say the conflict has strengthened hardliners in Tehran where the rhetoric is defiant and increasingly confident.

Trump has bombed Iran twice amid negotiations, first in June last year and again on February 28.

As for US demands, Tehran has insisted since 2003 it is not seeking a nuclear weapon but has a right to enrich uranium for civilian nuclear energy purposes.

It has also refused curbs on its ballistic missile programme or discussions about its support for militant groups such as Hezbollah, or the Houthis in Yemen.

Tehran’s demand for reparations is likely a non-starter, as is any suggestion of the US closing Gulf military bases.

It is not clear how its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz would work, or how meaningful security guarantees could be formulated, unless they involved outside powers such as Russia or China.

So is there no hope?

The outcome may come down to how badly Trump wants to end the war, and whether Iran’s leaders view their interests as being best served by a ceasefire.

Trump would walk away claiming he had destroyed Iran’s military and nuclear capabilities.

The Islamic republic could also claim victory, pointing to how its forces resisted four weeks of US and Israeli onslaught while also landing blows on US interests in the region and in Israel.

“Both sides need to be able to claim victory and save face, whatever deal they agree on,” a diplomat based in the Middle East told AFP on condition of anonymity. “The process will take some time.”

But even with a ceasefire, the question of Iran’s nuclear programme and its 440-kilogram stockpile of highly enriched uranium remains unresolved.

Some analysts believe the talks are a smokescreen as Trump prepares a ground offensive to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by force or seize Iranian oil assets.

Iran has signalled it would use its Houthi allies in Yemen to attack shipping in the Red Sea, which would open up a new front in a war of spiralling economic, political and military repercussions.

politics

Trump won’t rush Iran deal, US blockade stays until agreement signed

US President Donald Trump defended Iran negotiations Sunday, saying critics “don’t know deal details” and declaring: “I don’t make bad deals.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned a nuclear agreement cannot be achieved “in 72 hours on the back of a napkin.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he and Trump agree any final agreement must eliminate Iran’s “nuclear threat entirely.” Hezbollah’s Naim Qassem expressed hope for a deal that could include Lebanon, while Iranian media warned talks could still collapse. Follow our live coverage for the latest updates.

01:21 AM, 25 May 2026

Relationship with Iran ‘more professional, productive’ — Trump

US President Donald J. Trump defended ongoing negotiations with Iran, calling it more professional and productive — sharply contrasting them with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal negotiated under former President Barack Obama.

He also insisted the current talks are proceeding deliberately with the US maintaining leverage through a naval blockade.

11:10 PM, 24 May 2026

Rubio accuses Hezbollah of trying to ‘drag Lebanon back into chaos’

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Hezbollah in a statement Sunday of trying to plunge Lebanon “back into chaos.”

Rubio denounced what he called Hezbollah’s “reckless call to overthrow Lebanon’s democratically elected government” and said the pro-Iran armed group was “actively trying to drag Lebanon back into chaos and destruction.”

10:40 PM, 24 May 2026

Lebanon says Israeli strikes kill 2 including paramedic

Lebanon’s health ministry said two people including a paramedic from the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Committee were killed Sunday in Israeli strikes on the south that also wounded six other rescuers.

“Successive Israeli enemy strikes on the town of Arab Salim in the Nabatieh district killed two people including a paramedic from the Health Committee and wounded 10, including two Committee paramedics and four others from the Risala association,” a ministry statement said, condemning an “ongoing series of attacks on the health and emergency sector in south Lebanon”.

The Risala Scouts association rescuers are affiliated with the Hezbollah-allied Amal movement.

10:30 PM, 24 May 2026

Trump defends Iran talks, says critics ‘don’t know deal details’

US President Donald Trump has posted on Truth Social that any potential deal with Iran would be ‘good and proper,’ contrasting it with what he described as the Obama-era agreement, which he said gave Iran ‘massive amounts of cash’ and a ‘clear and open path to a Nuclear Weapon.’

Trump said the current negotiations are ‘the exact opposite,’ adding that the agreement is not yet fully negotiated and warning critics not to speculate on details that have not been finalised.

He also said past leaders “should have solved this problem many years ago,” adding: ‘I don’t make bad deals.’

10:15 PM, 24 May 2026

Iran nuclear deal can’t be done ‘in 72 hours,’ Rubio tells NYT

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told The New York Times on Sunday that an agreement with Iran had garnered regional support but a nuclear deal couldn’t be achieved “in 72 hours on the back of a napkin.”

His comments came after US President Donald Trump told his negotiators “not to rush into a deal” with Iran to end the three-month war.

“So right now, we have seven or eight countries in the region that are endorsing this approach, and we’re prepared to move forward on this approach,” he said.

09:15 PM, 24 May 2026

US media reports no US-Iran agreement expected today

CNN is reporting that no US–Iran deal is expected to be signed today, citing a senior administration official who said key details of a potential deal are still being negotiated.

Another official told the network that Iran has committed to reopening the Strait of Hormuz and disposing of its stockpile of enriched uranium, although final terms have yet to be confirmed.

09:01 PM, 24 May 2026

Hezbollah chief says hopes for Iran-US deal and that it includes Lebanon

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem expressed hope on Sunday for an agreement between his group’s backer Iran and the United States and that Lebanon would be part of its terms.

“God willing, this agreement will be finalised and there are signs of its completion, and accordingly that we too will be among those included in this agreement – an agreement of a full cessation of hostilities,” he said in a televised address.

Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that “a memorandum of understanding (MOU) would first be announced, stressing an end to fighting on all fronts, including in Lebanon”, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said US President Donald Trump had reaffirmed his support for Israel’s right to defend itself against threats, including from Hezbollah.

08:52 PM, 24 May 2026

Hezbollah chief urges Lebanon govt to abandon direct talks with Israel

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem on Sunday again urged Lebanese authorities to abandon direct talks with Israel, ahead of a fourth round of such discussions in Washington early next month.

“Direct negotiations are completely unacceptable and are a pure gain for Israel,” he said. Addressing Lebanese authorities, he added: “Abandon the direct negotiations and do not give to America so that it gives to Israel… don’t be with them and stab us in the back.”

10:02 PM, 24 May 2026

US-Iran deal could still collapse amid ‘obstruction’ claims

The United States is obstructing certain clauses of a potential agreement, including provisions related to the release of Iran’s frozen assets according to Iran’s semi-official news agency Tasnim.

The report said this means there is still a possibility the agreement could be “cancelled,” as negotiations remain ongoing and key issues remain unresolved.

08:19 PM, 24 May 2026

Hezbollah chief says group’s disarmament unacceptable

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said Sunday that his group’s disarmament was unacceptable and amounted to “annihilation”, as Lebanon prepares for a new round of direct talks with Israel in Washington early next month.

“Disarmament means stripping Lebanon of its defensive capability and the capability of the resistance (Hezbollah) and this people, paving the way for annihilation,” he said in a televised address, adding: “Disarmament is annihilation and we cannot accept it.”

A state monopoly on weapons demanded by Lebanese authorities “at this stage is aimed at targeting the resistance and is an Israeli project”, he added.

07:42 PM, 24 May 2026

Netanyahu says Trump agrees Israel has right to defence

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that US President Donald Trump had reaffirmed his support for Israel’s right to defend itself against threats on all fronts, including from Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

“President Trump reiterated Israel’s right to defend itself against threats on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” Netanyahu said in a statement following a conversation between the two leaders on Saturday night.

07:28 PM, 24 May 2026

Oman, Iran discuss navigation security and US-Iran talks

Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi has received a verbal message from Iranian Foreign Minister Dr. Seyed Abbas Araghchi during a meeting with visiting Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi and a diplomatic delegation in Muscat.

According to details, the message was delivered within the framework of ongoing consultations between the two neighbouring countries and focused on developments in Iranian-US talks mediated by Pakistan, as well as efforts to support their success.

The Foreign Minister receives a verbal message from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The message, delivered by the Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran for Legal and International Affairs, touched upon the ongoing Iranian-US talks mediated by Pakistan… pic.twitter.com/dmhqagEUq9

— Oman News Agency (@ONA_eng) May 24, 2026

Discussions also covered the resumption of safe and sustainable freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, with both sides stressing the importance of strengthening maritime security and protecting trade and supply chains in line with international law.

07:25 PM, 24 May 2026

Israel PM says he and Trump agreed any final Iran deal must end ‘nuclear threat entirely’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that he and US President Donald Trump had agreed that any final deal with Iran must fully end the Islamic republic’s “nuclear threat”.

“President Trump and I agreed that any final agreement with Iran must eliminate the nuclear threat entirely. This means dismantling Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities and removing enriched nuclear material from its territory,” Netanyahu said in a statement, referring to a conversation between the two leaders on Saturday night.

I spoke last night with President @realDonaldTrump about the memorandum of understanding to reopen the Straits of Hormuz and the upcoming negotiations toward a final agreement on Iran’s nuclear program.

06:35 PM, 24 May 2026

Trump says US will not ‘rush into a deal’ with Iran

President Donald Trump said Sunday that he had told US negotiators “not to rush into a deal” with Iran, amid anticipation that an agreement to end the war in the Middle East was close.

“The negotiations are proceeding in an orderly and constructive manner, and I have informed my representatives not to rush into a deal in that time is on our side,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account.

“The Blockade will remain in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed.”

politics

Iran ‘blinking’ over Strait of Hormuz tensions

Iran appears to be in the process of “blinking” over the Strait of Hormuz, according to ex-CIA director David Petraeus.

Speaking to CNBC’s Lisa Kim at the UBS Asian Investment Conference, Petraeus, chairman of the KKR Global Institute, said that an initial successful peace deal with Tehran would see the Strait opened without any conditions.

Iran also must not be able to control traffic, charge tolls through it, or make threats of future closure, and “it appears that that may be in the offing,” he added.

This comes come after U.S. President Donald Trump said over the weekend that talks to end the war with Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz are proceeding, but urged his negotiating team not to rush into a deal.

Peace talks face a key hurdle in Tehran’s insistence on keeping an enriched uranium stockpile within the country and levying tolls for passage via the Strait.

Petraeus, a retired U.S. general who had combat commands in both Iraq and Afghanistan, said if Iran is allowed to have some control over the critical waterway, Iran may be “strategically strengthened” despite being militarily weakened from U.S. and Israeli strikes.

“Their whole navy is largely sunk, except for fast boats, their missile capacity has been substantially reduced, headquarters, military facilities, no air force, and so forth,” he said.

However, Iran still could threaten to shut the Strait by either mining the waterway or by using drones, missiles and fast boats to hit commercial shipping, and they can prevent the strait from being restored to its pre-war state.

While the Strait is an important part of the deal in the region, Petraeus said that other issues need to be dealt with as well, including Tehran’s nuclear program and its funding for proxy groups like Hezbollah.

“They should be addressed, but it’s not at all clear to me that that’s going to be in the near future,” he said.

On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly said in New Delhi that a deal could happen today, according to France 24.

A Reuters report also said that Rubio told reporters that the U.S. ⁠will give diplomacy every chance to succeed before exploring “alternatives.”

CNBC

world

Saudi Arabia launches Red Sea shipping route

The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) has launched a new cargo shipping service linking Jeddah Islamic Port with Salalah in Oman and the Port of Djibouti, as the Kingdom accelerates efforts to strengthen maritime connectivity and position itself as a regional logistics hub.

According to Saudi state television, the service has a carrying capacity of up to 1,730 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) and is aimed at supporting the kingdom’s import and export activity while expanding links with regional and international ports.

The move forms part of Saudi Arabia’s broader logistics strategy under Vision 2030, which seeks to diversify economy and strengthen the kingdom’s role in global trade routes connecting Asia, Africa and Europe. Mawani recently launched the “Red Sea Express” cargo shipping service through King Fahd Industrial Port in Yanbu, linking Saudi Arabia with Ain Sokhna in Egypt and Aqaba in Jordan to improve regional trade and supply-chain efficiency.

The Kingdom has invested heavily in ports, shipping infrastructure and logistics corridors in recent years as GCC countries compete to become major transport and trade hubs.