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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.
“I judge the Pakistanis volition beryllium travelling to Tehran today. So hopefully that’ll beforehand this further,” Mr. Rubio told reporters connected Thursday (May 21, 2026).
A ceasefire connected April 8 halted the warfare launched weeks earlier by the United States and Israel, but dialog efforts, including historical look to look talks hosted successful Islamabad person truthful acold failed to output a lasting agreement.
Pakistan’s interior curate Mohsin Naqvi, who is wide considered adjacent to Pakistan’s almighty service main Asim Munir, visited Iran for the 2nd clip successful a week connected Wednesday.
Iranian media, including the ISNA quality agency, had reported based connected unnamed sources that Munir could himself sojourn Tehran arsenic aboriginal arsenic Thursday, but determination was nary remark from Pakistan authorities astir immoderate question program for the service chief.
Beijing did however, announce that Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif volition travel connected Saturday (May 23, 2026) to China, which has besides been progressive successful mediation efforts to extremity the war.
‘Borderline’
Though unfastened warfare and strikes crossed the Gulf person reduced, the impasse continues to measurement connected the satellite economy.
In April, Pakistan hosted the lone nonstop negotiations, which Munir helped mediate, betwixt US and Iranian officials to instrumentality spot since February 28, erstwhile the warfare began.
But the talks yet failed, with Tehran accusing Washington of making “excessive demands”.
Since then, the 2 sides person exchanged aggregate proposals, with the menace of renewed struggle looming each along.
“It’s close connected the borderline, judge me,” Mr. Trump told reporters Wednesday (May 20, 2026). “If we don’t get the close answers, it goes precise quickly. We’re each acceptable to go.”
He said a woody could travel “very quickly” oregon “in a fewer days”, but warned Tehran would person to supply “100% bully answers”.
Mr. Rubio besides criticised NATO allies for their refusal to assistance successful the warfare against Iran.
“He’s not asking them to perpetrate troops. He’s not asking them to nonstop their combatant jets in. But they garbage to bash anything,” helium said.
“We were precise upset astir that.”
‘Forceful response’
Tehran was connected alert for the anticipation of renewed equipped struggle with main negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf informing Washington connected Wednesday of a “forceful response” if Iran were to beryllium attacked.
“The enemy’s movements, some overt and clandestine, amusement that contempt economical and governmental pressure, it has not abandoned its subject objectives and is seeking to commencement a caller war,” Mr. Ghalibaf said.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said the Islamic republic was examining points received from Washington, portion repeating Tehran’s demands for the merchandise of its assets frozen overseas and an extremity to a US naval blockade.
Despite fiery rhetoric against Iran, Trump is nether governmental unit astatine location to find a solution arsenic vigor costs rise.
The ceasefire halted the warring but has not reopened the Strait of Hormuz, the captious waterway that usually carries astir a 5th of the world’s lipid and liquefied earthy gas.
The aboriginal of Hormuz remains a cardinal sticking constituent successful negotiations, with fears increasing that the planetary system volition consciousness much symptom arsenic pre-war lipid stockpiles deplete.
Iran imposed a Hormuz blockade arsenic portion of its retaliation successful the war, allowing lone a trickle of vessels done successful caller weeks portion introducing a toll system.
Iran’s caller assemblage overseeing Hormuz said its claimed country of power extends to Emirati waters, drafting a crisp rebuke from Abu Dhabi.
Relations betwixt Iran and the United Arab Emirates person been severely strained since the war, aft Tehran launched rocket and drone strikes against Gulf countries successful effect to US-Israeli attacks.
Hormuz carries astir a 3rd of planetary fertiliser shipments, raising concerns of higher nutrient prices and shortages if the closure drags on.
Lebanon strikes
On different beforehand successful the war, Lebanese authorities media reported that an Israeli onslaught connected Thursday damaged a infirmary successful Lebanon’s south.
Since a truce began connected April 17, Israel has continued to motorboat strikes, transportation retired demolitions and contented evacuation orders successful southbound Lebanon, saying it is targeting Hezbollah, which has besides kept up attacks.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Israeli attacks person killed astatine slightest 3,089 radical successful Lebanon since March 2.
Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the West Asia warfare with rocket occurrence astatine Israel successful retaliation for the sidesplitting of Iran’s ultimate person successful U.S.-Israeli strikes.
The United States connected Thursday (May 21, 2026) sanctioned 9 Hezbollah-linked individuals it accused of “obstructing the bid process successful Lebanon”.
