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In a recent statement, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hinted at “slight progress” in ongoing negotiations with Iran. This comes amid a cloud of uncertainty over whether a diplomatic deal will be forged or if the region will spiral back into conflict.
Rubio’s comments followed closely on the heels of President Donald Trump’s decision to delay military action against Iran, citing “serious negotiations” as the reason for holding back. For weeks, Trump has warned that the ceasefire established in mid-April could collapse unless Iran agrees to new terms, though these terms have been somewhat fluid.
Rubio made these remarks prior to a gathering of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden. The meeting is set to explore the potential role NATO could play in monitoring the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway, once hostilities cease.
While acknowledging the progress, Rubio tempered expectations, describing the developments as “a little bit of movement” and emphasizing that discussions remain active. Despite multiple reports of advancement, a concrete agreement continues to elude negotiators.
President Trump has a pattern of setting deadlines for Iran, only to backtrack. Yet, he has also shown a willingness to pause military interventions to allow diplomatic efforts to unfold, although this restraint hasn’t always lasted. Notably, after promising to give diplomacy a chance, Trump authorized strikes in late February, just as the conflict began.
Trump said he called off attacks on Iran this week at the request of allies in the Middle East, including the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
But Trump’s decision to give the talks a chance sparked tension with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
An official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media said on Thursday that Trump and Netanyahu had a “dramatic” phone conversation on Tuesday about the status of the Iranian negotiations and that Israel is angry with Trump’s efforts to strike a deal with Iran.
The White House declined to comment on the substance or tenor of the call. Trump told reporters after the conversation that Netanyahu “will do whatever I want him to do”.
The comments are some of the first public signs of daylight between the leaders since they launched the war.
Pakistan continues peace efforts
Pakistan’s army chief was travelling on Friday to Tehran for a third round of talks with Iranian leaders this week, two Pakistani officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters.
Field Marshal Asim Munir will be joined by Pakistan’s interior minister, who has already met with Iranian leaders twice this week. Pakistan has worked to mediate a peace deal between Iran and the US since Munir facilitated face-to-face talks between the two countries in Islamabad last month.
Still, major sticking points remain.
Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for the shipment of oil, gas, fertiliser and other petroleum products. The US is blockading Iranian ports and has redirected 94 commercial vessels and disabled four others from mid-April through Thursday, US Central Command said in a social media post.
At the NATO meeting in Sweden, Rubio said he discussed reopening the strait with other foreign ministers. He said there needs to be a “plan B” if Washington and Tehran fail to reach a deal.
“Someone’s going to have to do something about it, OK?” Rubio said, insisting that Iran was not going to “voluntarily reopen” the strait.
The US and Israel have said Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. While regional officials have said Iran offered some nuclear concessions, Trump has said he wants to remove highly enriched uranium from the country and prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
Officials say Saudi Arabia and the UAE separately struck Iran
Two regional officials and a Western diplomat told The Associated Press that Saudi Arabia and the UAE separately launched multiple attacks on Iran and Iranian-backed Shiite militias in Iraq during the war. An Israeli military officer with knowledge of the situation also confirmed that the UAE proactively struck Iran at least once.
All of them spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the information.
The regional officials said the strikes on Iran targeted military facilities, including missile and drone launchers.
One of the regional officials said strikes by Saudi Arabia targeted hideouts of Iraqi militias, mainly Kataib Hezbollah, after Riyadh assessed that most of the drone attacks on Saudi Arabia came from neighbouring Iraq. He said Saudi Arabia has repeatedly briefed Baghdad about the Iraqi-originated attacks before deciding to strike.
The Western diplomat and one of the regional officials said the UAE had pushed for a collective military response from the Gulf Arab countries since the onset of the war.
Asked for comment, the UAE referred to a May 16 statement that “all measures undertaken by the UAE have been within the framework of defensive actions aimed at protecting its sovereignty, civilians, and vital infrastructure”. Saudi Arabia did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Iran has not publicly addressed being targeted by the UAE and Saudi Arabia.