Reuters: U.S. negotiators are scheduled to leave for Pakistan on Saturday, but Iran said its officials did not plan to meet the Americans to discuss ending the war that has killed thousands and roiled global markets.
President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are due to depart on Saturday morning for talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, the White House said…
Iran’s foreign minister in Islamabad as Pakistan pushes to restart peace talks
US-Iran peace talks: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has been meeting with Pakistani officials after arriving in Islamabad yesterday. US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to depart for Pakistan today for peace talks with Iran, but Tehran has denied there are plans for direct negotiations with the US…
Iran’s Araghchi Arrives in Pakistan With US Talks Still in Limbo
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will meet only with Pakistani officials to convey Iran’s “observations,” with no talks planned with the US delegation, a spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Saturday…
Iran talks to resume this weekend without Vance
The decision not to send Vance, U.S. officials say, reflects the lower level of these talks after the last trip failed to result in a deal. The Iranians, likewise, will not be sending their top negotiator, Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Witkoff and Kushner are set to depart for Islamabad on Saturday…
Americans blame Trump for gas price surge in midterm election year, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
Some 77% of registered voters in the poll, which concluded early this week, said Trump bears at least a fair amount of responsibility for the recent rise in gas prices, which was sparked by his decision to launch a war on Iran along with U.S. ally Israel.
The view was widely shared across the political spectrum, with 55% of Republican voters, 82% of independents and 95% of Democrats pinning blame on the president for the higher costs…
U.S. targets China’s shadow trade with Iran in sweeping sanctions
The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday imposed sweeping sanctions on 40 shipping firms and vessels, as well as a Chinese oil refinery, in a widening crackdown on maritime business with the Iranian regime…
Iran’s Leadership Divisions Frustrate Efforts to Make Progress in Talks
Hard-line leaders in Iran are increasingly putting pressure on its representatives not to compromise. They have taken to the domestic press and social media to blast Iran’s top negotiators—parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Araghchi—for engaging in discussions about Iran’s nuclear program in the first round of talks…
The narrow path to a US-Iran deal
For there to be any chance of a durable settlement, there has to be a serious negotiation, not erratic statements on social media, and with teams that can address the details of the nuclear programme. Iran’s regime, pummelled by war but still standing, is now led by hardliners who are more distrustful of the US than ever (Iran was attacked twice before while holding talks with the US). The more Trump demands, and claims, surrender, the more he undermines the more moderate elements that may be arguing for compromise…
U.S. Energy Exports Hit Records as World Adjusts to a Closed Persian Gulf
The frenzy shows no signs of slowing: More than 60 empty crude supertankers were steaming toward the Gulf Coast as of Wednesday, roughly triple prewar levels and a sign that U.S. exports will only rise further in the months ahead…
Jet Fuel Shortages Could Make Travel a ‘Total Mess’ This Summer
Facing sky-high fuel costs linked to the war in Iran, airlines are cutting routes and raising prices. European vacations are looking a lot less affordable…
US freezes $344 million in cryptocurrency said to be linked to Iran
The move, first reported by CNN, comes as shaky diplomatic efforts to reach a deal to end the war continue to stall and the global economy reels from its impact. The administration has sought to increase economic pressure on Iran during the tenuous ceasefire. It’s unclear if the large sum of money seized will have an impact on Tehran or its approach to the war and negotiations…
Rubio’s Absence From Iran Talks Highlights Stay-at-Home Role
Mr. Trump has outsourced much of his diplomacy to others, including his friend Steve Witkoff, a wealthy associate from the world of Manhattan real estate, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Mr. Witkoff and Mr. Kushner have spearheaded diplomacy with Israel, Ukraine and Russia, as well as Iran, whose delegation they will meet for the second time this month in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital…
Trump Stumbled Into a Global Economic War. Xi Jinping Was Ready
As the US and Chinese leaders prepare to meet, the Iran conflict underscores Beijing’s resilience and the limits of Washington’s leverage…