Iranian foreign minister heads to Russia, Trump says ’call us’ to negotiate

US President Donald Trump said Iran could telephone if it wants to negotiate an end to their two-month war, as Tehran`s foreign minister landed in Russia on Monday to seek support from President Vladimir Putin.

Iran’s president has strongly defended the country’s right to pursue nuclear development, pushing back against US pressure as negotiations between Washington and Tehran remain unresolved amid an ongoing regional conflict.

The United States military has warned it will impose a sweeping naval blockade on Iran starting Monday, escalating pressure on Tehran after recent peace negotiations ended without agreement. 

High-stakes negotiations between the United States and Iran have ended without an agreement, raising concerns over the future of a fragile two-week ceasefire. 

US President Donald Trump has agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran, halting planned military strikes just hours before a deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The US, Iran and a group of regional mediators are discussing the terms for a potential 45-day ceasefire that could lead to a permanent end to the war, Axios reported on Sunday (5 April), citing four US, Israeli and regional sources with knowledge ⁠of the talks.

Millions of migrant workers across Gulf countries are facing increasing threats to their safety, income and basic rights as regional tensions escalate, according to Human Rights Watch.

The United States has delivered a 15-point proposal to Iran aimed at ending the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, according to a report by The New York Times. 

Iran on Monday firmly denied engaging in direct negotiations with the United States after Donald Trump said Washington had held `productive` discussions with Iranian officials, prompting him to delay planned military action targeting Iran’s power infrastructure.

Iran has called on regional governments to remove American military forces from their territories as tensions escalate following the ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel.

US intelligence agencies believe the leadership of Iran remains firmly in control despite nearly two weeks of intense military strikes by the United States and Israel, according to officials familiar with the latest assessments.

Iran has declared it will keep the strategic Strait of Hormuz closed for oil exports as long as its conflict with the United States and Israel continues, escalating fears of a prolonged global energy crisis.

Iran has appointed Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new supreme leader, just over a week after the killing of his father, Ali Khamenei, in joint United States-Israeli strikes that have sharply escalated tensions across the Middle East.

Iran’s powerful Assembly of Experts has reportedly selected Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as the country’s next top authority, according to media reports citing informed sources.

A senior commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards has warned that Tehran will attack any vessel attempting to pass through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions in an already volatile region.

Iran has firmly ruled out negotiations with the United States, dismissing claims by US President Donald Trump that Tehran’s new leadership is seeking dialogue.