Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei has said that indirect talks with the United States are focused on ending the war across all fronts, while nuclear issues and management of the Strait of Hormuz are not part of the negotiations.

Iran will break any naval blockade imposed by the United States on its vessels and ports and could withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if US attacks against the Islamic Republic resume, a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader has said.

An analysis published by CounterPunch argues that the ongoing conflict involving Iran is driven less by concerns over nuclear weapons and more by broader geopolitical and strategic interests. The piece questions the official framing of the war, suggesting that nuclear-related explanations do not fully account for the scale and intensity of the confrontation.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has sharply criticized the US-Israeli approach toward Iran, saying the 2015 nuclear agreement was undermined by the United States and that its collapse contributed to rising instability in West Asia.

Russia and Belarus have once again drawn international attention after announcing a new round of joint exercises involving forces associated with the deployment and operation of tactical nuclear weapons.

On the afternoon of May 21, Russia and Belarus began a joint nuclear forces exercise, with Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko observing via video link.

Iran’s Supreme Leader has ordered that the country’s near-weapons-grade enriched uranium must not be transferred abroad, in a move that hardens Tehran’s position on a key demand in ongoing negotiations with the United States, according to senior Iranian sources.