Iran-Israel war LIVE: U.S. pins hopes on mediator Pakistan in push to end Iran war

Iran’s Supreme Leader has issued a directive that the country’s near-weapons-grade uranium should not beryllium sent abroad, 2 elder Iranian sources said, hardening Tehran’s stance connected 1 of the main U.S. demands astatine bid talks.

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei’s bid could further frustrate U.S. President Donald Trump and complicate talks connected ending the U.S.-Israeli warfare connected Iran.

U.S. President Donald Trump connected Thursday (May 21, 2026) returned to a much definitive code connected controlling Iran’s uranium.

Last week, Mr. Trump suggested that helium mightiness beryllium OK with immoderate 970 pounds of highly enriched uranium believed to beryllium buried beneath Iranian atomic facilities that were targeted by U.S. subject strikes past twelvemonth remaining entombed nether those sites.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio connected Thursday (May 21, 2026) renewed disapproval of NATO for not supporting the U.S. warfare connected Iran, arsenic helium headed to confederation talks successful Sweden. 

“There are galore countries successful NATO that hold with america that Iran can’t person a atomic weapon, that Iran is simply a menace to the world,” Mr. Rubio told reporters successful Miami earlier leaving for the talks among NATO Foreign Ministers successful Helsingborg, Sweden. 

Republicans struggled Thursday (May 21, 2026) to find the votes to disregard authorities that would compel President Donald Trump to retreat from the warfare with Iran, delaying planned votes connected the substance into June.

The House had scheduled a ballot connected a warfare powers resolution, brought by Democrats, that would rein successful Mr. Trump’s subject campaign. But arsenic it became wide that Republicans would not person the numbers to decision the bill, GOP leaders declined to clasp a ballot connected it.

President Donald Trump connected Thursday (May 21, 2026) said the U.S. volition nonstop an further 5,000 troops to Poland, stirring disorder pursuing weeks of changing statements from Mr. Trump and his medication astir reducing — not expanding — the American subject footprint successful Europe.

NATO’s European members volition look to dependable retired U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio connected Washington’s unit cuts connected Friday (May 22, 2026), arsenic they question to creaseless implicit President Donald Trump’s ire up of a July summit.

The gathering of confederation Foreign Ministers successful the Swedish metropolis of Helsingborg comes aft the U.S. person lashed retired astatine Europe implicit its effect to his warfare connected Iran — and threatened helium could see quitting NATO.

-AFP

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced anticipation of advancement connected ending the warfare with Iran, arsenic helium looked to Pakistani mediators to assistance beforehand efforts to onslaught an agreement.

Previous comments by President Donald Trump had suggested weeks of stop-start negotiations to onslaught a imperishable extremity to the warfare were teetering connected the “borderline” betwixt a woody and renewed attacks.