Overview
- Iran’s foreign ministry said participation depends on a halt to Israeli attacks in Lebanon, leaving Saturday’s Pakistan talks uncertain as Islamabad tightened security on Friday.
- Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains largely stalled, and President Trump warned Thursday that oil will start moving with or without Iran’s help while pressing allies to help secure the waterway.
- Following Wednesday’s heaviest Israeli strikes in Lebanon that killed more than 300 people, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled direct talks with Lebanon, with a U.S. meeting expected next week though Beirut has not confirmed.
- Kuwait accused Iran and allied groups of drone strikes overnight into Friday, a claim Iran’s Revolutionary Guard denied, underscoring conflicting accounts that could derail a fragile two‑week truce.
- The stakes are high because Hormuz normally carries about one‑fifth of seaborne oil, and the U.S. negotiating framework also touches Iran’s uranium enrichment, missile program, and possible sanctions relief.