Overview
- Russia’s Vladimir Putin met Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghtschi in St. Petersburg on Monday and pledged political support while floating mediation, with the Kremlin stressing it will not provide open military aid.
- Talks arranged in Islamabad fell apart after President Trump canceled his envoys’ trip, and US officials planned a White House crisis meeting as Tehran blamed “excessive demands” for the deadlock.
- Iran proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz if the United States lifts its blockade of Iranian ports, according to Axios, as Iranian lawmakers discussed asserting control over the waterway and charging ship transit fees.
- With Hormuz still blocked, Brent crude rose above $108 a barrel, underscoring the risk at a chokepoint that usually carries about one-fifth of the world’s oil shipments.
- The United States deployed three aircraft carriers to the region and Israel ordered strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon after alleged ceasefire breaches, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized US strategy and signaled a separate European diplomatic push.