Rubio Reports Slight Progress in Iran Talks as Pakistan Launches 3rd Mediation Round
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · May 22
Rubio Reports Slight Progress in Iran Talks as Pakistan Launches 3rd Mediation Round
17 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · May 22
Rubio said talks with Iran showed “a little bit of movement” ahead of a NATO meeting in Sweden, the clearest sign yet that negotiations are still alive after Trump paused planned strikes this week.
Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir arrived in Tehran for a third round of mediation talks in recent days, extending Islamabad’s push after hosting face-to-face U.S.-Iran contacts last month.
Major obstacles remain centered on the Strait of Hormuz: Iran has effectively closed the waterway, while U.S. forces have redirected 94 commercial vessels and disabled four others since mid-April.
Rubio said NATO ministers discussed reopening the strait and the need for a “plan B” if diplomacy fails, underscoring fears that the mid-April ceasefire could collapse.
The diplomatic push is unfolding amid strains with Israel over Trump’s pause and fresh reports that Saudi Arabia and the UAE separately struck Iranian and Iran-backed targets during the war.
With the war costing billions daily, what diplomatic off-ramp can satisfy both U.S. objectives and global economic stability?
How will the world avert a catastrophic food crisis as the Iran conflict cripples global fertilizer shipments?
Is the Iran war accidentally forging a new Middle East power structure independent of traditional U.S. influence?