"Concern over the foreign minister’s initiatives cannot be denied, and the outcome of his two previous rounds of talks with the American side is the war now facing us," the report said.
Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff will head to Pakistan on Saturday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters outside the White House. “We hope that positive developments will come from this meeting."
In a statement on X, the ministry said the move follows the temporary shutdown of its diplomatic mission in March amid the deteriorating security situation linked to the regional conflict.
“Following the temporary closure of the Swiss Embassy on 11 March due to the security situation, a Swiss team has returned to Tehran as of 20 April,” the ministry said.
“Four staff travelled overland via Azerbaijan and are now preparing the gradual resumption of operations.”
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stepped down as head of Iran’s negotiating team amid internal disputes, with Saeed Jalili seen as a possible replacement and Araghchi seeking control of the talks. Iran International has learned.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will begin a regional tour on Friday, visiting Islamabad, Muscat and Moscow, state media reported.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said at a Pentagon briefing that Iran has “an important choice” to make a “good deal” if it abandons its nuclear programme in verifiable ways.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on Friday that the blockade on Iran was expanding in scale and extending globally.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was expected to arrive in Islamabad with talks with the United States likely, a Pakistani source told Reuters
Iran said it will resume some international flights from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Airport on Saturday, including routes to Istanbul and Muscat.
Islamabad remains under lockdown as officials told Reuters that US-Iran talks could still be held “any day” despite delays.
Iran’s internet blackout entered its 56th day, with international connectivity largely cut for over 1,300 hours, as the longest recorded national shutdown continued amid conflict and worsening conditions.
The United States Treasury Department froze $344 million worth of cryptocurrency over suspected links to Iran, CNN reported on Friday, citing a US official.
"Working with blockchain analytics experts, the US government has observed evidence of material links to the Iranian regime, including confirmed transactions with Iranian exchanges and a series of transactions routed through intermediary addresses that interact with Central Bank of Iran-associated wallets," the official said. The move is aimed at further pressuring Iran through economic means. "We will follow the money that Tehran is desperately attempting to move outside of the country and target all financial lifelines tied to the regime," US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent shared in a statement.
Tether Limited Inc. previously announced it supported the freezing of the crypto assets after being approached by the US government. However, the digital currency firm didn't specify the exact reasons behind the action, stating only that there was information about "unlawful conduct."
The White House confirmed on Friday that US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner will travel to Pakistan on Saturday for direct talks with Iranian representatives, confirming earlier reports.
According to spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, the meetings were requested by Tehran and will be mediated by Pakistani officials, described as key facilitators in the process.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is also expected to attend over the weekend, raising expectations for the second round of negotiations following recent discussions led by Vice President JD Vance.
https://breakingthenews.net/Article/WH-confirms-Witkoff-Kushner-to-Pakistan-tomorrow/66147498
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio and European Union Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic met at the Department of State on Friday to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on critical minerals.
"This shows a growing awareness and commitment throughout the world, particularly with our allies in the West and Europe, the importance of supply chains and critical minerals for the success of our economies and national security," Rubio shared during the signing, stressing that diversifying supply chains is a must.
The US official described the deal as an "important achievement." On his part, Sefcovic said that today's actions are "important for strengthening the relationship" between Brussels and Washington.
https://breakingthenews.net/Article/US-EU-sign-agreement-on-critical-minerals/66146561
