U.S. Senator Marco Rubio said negotiations aimed at ending the conflict with Iran have stalled as the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz disrupts fuel flows and pushes up costs worldwide. Speaking to Fox News, Rubio described a recent Iranian offer as better than expected but said Tehran’s divided leadership and the unresolved issue of its nuclear intentions continue to block a settlement. He warned any deal must prevent Iran from advancing toward a nuclear weapon.
Iran has been stepping up diplomatic outreach to strengthen its position. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and traveled over the weekend to Oman and Pakistan. An announced U.S. envoy visit to Islamabad was canceled after Araghchi departed, according to U.S. officials.
Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz have translated into concrete confrontations at sea. U.S. Central Command reported that a U.S. guided-missile destroyer prevented an Iranian oil tanker from entering an Iranian port. Shipping through the strait has been largely halted since Tehran moved to exert control in response to U.S. and Israeli strikes, and U.S. forces have placed restrictions on Iranian ports to increase pressure on Tehran to accept Washington’s terms for ending the conflict.
The fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon has also been tested. While a temporary truce negotiated in Washington remains in force in parts of Beirut, Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon have continued and Hezbollah has launched several drone attacks toward Israeli positions. Iran has linked progress in U.S.-Iran talks to a halt in Israeli operations in Lebanon.
The prolonged disruption of the Hormuz shipping lane has drawn criticism from global leaders worried about energy security and rising living costs. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz accused the U.S. administration of lacking a clear exit strategy and suggested Iranian leaders were stalling on negotiations. At the United Nations, Bahrain—whose refineries were struck by Iranian drones—convened a high-level session calling for the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened; the majority of delegations supported Bahrain’s demand, while Russian and Chinese representatives blamed the situation on U.S. and Israeli military actions. The Bahrain statement did not mention the U.S. restrictions on the passage.
Australia’s foreign minister, Penny Wong, has begun a diplomatic tour of Japan, China and South Korea to coordinate on energy security amid concerns about export controls and supply disruptions. Wong stressed the region’s heavy reliance on oil transiting the strait and said affected countries were engaging closely on the issue.
Meanwhile in Iraq, political leaders have agreed on a compromise prime minister-designate, Ali al-Zaidi, a banker and political newcomer, after months of deadlock following the election. Zaidi is viewed as an alternative candidate after U.S. objections scuttled the nomination of Iran-backed former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki. Zaidi faces scrutiny because he previously ran an Iraqi bank that had been denied access to U.S. dollars amid concerns about funds moving to Iran. The Iraqi parliament has one month to approve his cabinet and political program.
Reporting contributions: Kat Lonsdorf in Beirut, Jane Arraf in Amman, and Tina Kraja in Washington, D.C.