US and Iranian officials met in Islamabad with Pakistan mediators as Tehran laid out its red lines, including demands on the Strait of Hormuz, asset releases, and a regional ceasefire.
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Sources reveal that Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is recovering from severe, disfiguring injuries following an airstrike that killed his father at the start of the war.
The mines, which were laid by small boats and without a clear record of where they were placed, make the Strait of Hormuz almost impossible to transit.
US intelligence reports that China is preparing to deliver air defense systems to Iran within weeks, using third countries to conceal the shipments, as tensions rise in the region.
Trump says empty oil tankers heading to US to load up with oil, gas • Iran’s Mojtaba Khamenei suffers disfiguring wounds • Iran says US has agreed to release frozen Iranian assets, US denies report
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had said that Iran's missiles had been "depleted and decimated" during a press conference, with US officials concerned that Iran may use the ceasefire to rearm.
The report said the request was still under review by Netanyahu, with Lebanon earlier on Friday saying that the US would be mediating the talks.
White House officials said they were skeptical that the talks could immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as both sides accused each other of breaking commitments made to secure the ceasefire.
One source said that funding so far was under $1 billion, but did not provide further details. The Iran war "has affected everything," exacerbating previous funding difficulties, the source said.
The sources shared that IRGC Commander-in-Chief Ahmad Vahidi is attempting to curb the authority of Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
