What we're covering
• Hectic diplomacy: Iran’s foreign minister has landed back in Pakistan for a meeting with mediators, after holding talks with another key mediator Oman. Abbas Araghchi said earlier that it’s not clear if Washington is “truly serious about diplomacy” after US President Donald Trump scrapped plans for his envoys to visit Pakistan.
• Peace talks stalled: Trump said talks will continue by phone after Iran declined to meet directly with American negotiators. Trump said he’s since received a new proposal from Tehran, offering “a lot but not enough.” He did not provide details.
• In Lebanon: The fragile ceasefire is under growing pressure as Israel and Hezbollah have increased attacks on each other despite a US-brokered extension to the ceasefire that was supposed to halt fighting for three more weeks.
• Economic standoff: In the absence of a deal, a US naval blockade is causing rising food prices and unemployment for everyday Iranians, while Tehran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has economic ripple effects around the world.
Why Iran's top diplomat is visiting Russia during his overseas tour
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has just visited key mediators in Pakistan and Oman, and he is now heading to Russia, highlighting the countries’ long standing partnership.
Russia has remained a critical diplomatic ally for Iran throughout the conflict with the United States. The Kremlin has repeatedly offered to take custody of Iran’s enriched uranium, proposing to store or reprocess it on Russian soil.
While this could theoretically resolve some of the key US demands in negotiations to end its war with Iran, US President Donald Trump reportedly rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin’s offer, presumably wanting to stave off Moscow – already a global leader in nuclear energy – from gaining even more leverage.
Beyond uranium, Iran and Russia signed a 20-year treaty in January 2025 strengthening their economic, military and political partnership. Russia views US strikes on Iran as “unprovoked aggression,” but crucially, the agreement signed by Tehran and Moscow stopped short of a mutual-defense pact.
Earlier this week, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he “highly appreciated” Islamabad’s mediation efforts between Iran and the US in a call with his Pakistani counterpart Mohammad Ishaq Dar, while voicing Moscow’s “readiness to contribute.”
In March, CNN reported that Russia was providing Iran with intelligence about the locations and movements of American troops, ships and aircraft, according to multiple people familiar with US intelligence reporting on the issue – the first indication that Moscow sought to get involved in the war.
Araghchi’s trip to Moscow today is a sign that Tehran will be looking to consult its partners in the Kremlin amid the conflict.
Iran's foreign minister departs Pakistan for Russia, Iranian state media says
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has departed Pakistan and is now on his way to Moscow, Russia, according to Iran’s official state news agency IRNA.
During his trip to Moscow, Araghchi will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and “consult with Russian officials on the latest status of the negotiations, the ceasefire and surrounding developments,” IRNA reported, citing Iran’s ambassador to Russia.
In Pakistan, Araghchi reportedly held another round of consultations with local officials, IRNA said earlier today. CNN has reached out to Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment on the trip.
This post has been updated with additional information.
Who is Abbas Araghchi?: Iranian foreign minister and veteran negotiator
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has a wealth of negotiating experience, with nearly 30 years in a variety of diplomatic roles.
Now 63, Araghchi was born in the central city of Esfahan and volunteered to fight in the Iraq-Iran war as a teenager, as did tens of thousands of young Iranians. After receiving a doctorate from the University of Kent in England, Araghchi joined the Iranian Foreign Ministry, and over the past 20 years has been a member of Iranian delegations on nuclear issues.
Other negotiators described him as highly competent with a command of the details. He was instrumental in negotiating the 2015 agreement with the West, Russia and China that set limits on Iran’s nuclear program before US President Donald Trump quit the accord in his first term.
Araghchi was appointed Foreign Minister in 2024 by President Masoud Pezeshkian, with a mandate to secure sanctions relief. He was soon negotiating with US envoy Steve Witkoff on Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missiles programs – talks that ultimately failed.
Dozens of senior Iranian officials have been assassinated in airstrikes since the conflict began at the end of February, but Araghchi does not appear to have been a target, perhaps because he is seen as a possible interlocutor in any settlement.
But to many commentators, Araghchi has been eclipsed by other officials closer to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and to the new supreme leader. A post on X declaring the Strait of Hormuz open a week ago sparked criticism at home and a quick reversal, with one semi-official news agency criticizing him for a “flawed and incomplete tweet.”
Iran's internet shutdown is now in its ninth week – but not for everyone
Iran’s government-imposed communications blackout is now in its ninth week, shutting off most of the population from the outside world, internet monitoring watchdog NetBlocks said today.
“The ongoing measure remains in effect, impeding independent reporting and documentation nationwide,” NetBlocks posted on X.
The watchdog has previously branded the crackdown the “longest nation-scale internet shutdown on record in any country.” But what makes the current blackout different is not just its massive scale, experts say.
The ongoing restrictions have been in place since the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, following a shorter internet shutdown in January as anti-regime protests spread across the nation, sparking a brutal clampdown by Iranian authorities.
Death toll in Lebanon since March 2 passes 2,500, health ministry says
At least 2,509 people have been killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon since March 2, the Lebanese health ministry said in an update today.
In addition, more than 7,750 people have been wounded in those same attacks, the ministry said in a statement.
The fragile ceasefire in Lebanon is under strain as Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have increased attacks on each other despite a recent US-brokered extension to the truce that was meant to halt fighting for another three weeks.
Earlier today, the Israeli military issued fresh evacuation orders for residents in several areas of southern Lebanon.
View from Pakistan: Islamabad opens up again as peace efforts stall
The trappings of imminent talks in Islamabad have given way to almost normal life.
The road closures and checkpoints to help secure possible locations – but which frustrated locals – are gone. The ‘red zone,’ as it is known, is a government and diplomatic hub, and it has been the base for some of the United States’ security and logistics teams, who routinely protect US leaders overseas. They are also beginning a draw down.
Ever since US President Donald Trump announced his Vice-President JD Vance could be coming for face-to-face talks with Iranian officials more than a week ago, the city has been snarled by traffic diverted to smaller roads, while local traders complain they have taken a hit to business.
The city is doubly invested in the talks, not just to enjoy the vibe of a city feeling it might just help world peace, but also hoping a potential deal to open the Strait of Hormuz could also end the energy saving that has thrust swathes of the capital into darkness and forced factories and restaurants to shut early.
Hotels used by the negotiating teams still remain shuttered to the public. Although the Iranian foreign minister, who just returned here following his late-night dash from Islamabad to talks in Oman, isn’t expected to need it. Iranian state media says he’ll be on the ground only briefly, updating Pakistani mediators before heading to meetings Moscow, Russia.
No one is ruling out another lockdown, and US advance teams could get back here in a hurry – it all depends on what progress may happen in later talks and phone calls.
Trump and Starmer discuss “urgent need” to relieve ships in Strait of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed on Sunday the “urgent need to get shipping moving again” in the Strait of Hormuz, as thousands of seafarers remain trapped in the gulf.
The two leaders talked on the phone about the situation in the Middle East, and Starmer warned of “severe consequences on the global economy and the cost of living of people in the UK,” according to a readout from Downing Street.
Their call comes as Tehran warned earlier on Sunday that the waterway would “under no circumstances” return to its previous state after a weeks-long Iranian blockade that has sent oil prices soaring and piled pressure onto the global economy. The United States has responded with a naval blockade on Iran, which is strangling the Islamic Republic’s main economic corridors.
On Sunday, shipping barely trickled through the strait, marine tracking data appeared to show – with just a handful of vessels making the journey.
Britain’s prime minister had called Trump after a suspected gunman stormed the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, DC, late Saturday, where the president was attending alongside administration officials and journalists. The US president and top officials were rushed to safety after shots were fired near stairs leading down to the main ballroom.
Iran's foreign minister has landed in Pakistan, Iranian state media says
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has landed in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, having recently departed from Oman, according to Iran’s official state news agency IRNA.
Upon his arrival to Nur Khan airbase on the outskirts of Islamabad, Araghchi was received by Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan’s interior minister, and Reza Amiri Moghadam, Iran’s ambassador to Islamabad, IRNA reported on Sunday.
Araghchi is expected to hold another round of regional consultations with Pakistani officials, IRNA said. CNN has reached out to Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment on the trip.
CNN reported earlier that Araghchi left the Omani capital of Muscat and was heading back to Islamabad, according to an Iranian source. After a short stopover in Pakistan, he will then travel to Moscow, Russia, the source added.
The foreign minister’s private plane also took off from Tehran and is due to land soon at Nur Khan Air Base, according to the source.
Iran's foreign minister thanks Oman for “prudent stance” on US-Israeli war
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi thanked Oman for its diplomatic efforts and warned US military presence in the region was causing “insecurity and division,” as he continued his diplomatic tour on Sunday even as as discussions between Tehran and Washington remain stagnant.
Araghchi, who met with the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq al-Said, expressed appreciation for the country’s “prudent stance regarding the imposed American-Israeli war,” according to Iran’s semi-official outlet, Tasnim News Agency.
The Sultan of Oman also called for “stability and security,” according to Iran’s state-affiliated Fars News Agency.
“I hope that the war will end as soon as possible and definitively, and that we will witness the return of stability and security to the region,” the Sultan said, Fars reported.
Diplomatic tour continues: Araghchi visited the Omani capital on Sunday before heading back to Pakistan and eventually to Russia. The latest push by mediators to facilitate a second round of talks between US and Iranian officials in Islamabad fell through earlier this week, when US President Donald Trump cancelled his envoys’ trip after Iran declined to meet directly with American negotiators.
Hormuz traffic remains at an effective standstill amid Iran's fresh pledge to exert control
The number of vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of global crude oil typically flows, remains severely curtailed compared to pre-war levels, according to ship tracking data.
Only a few vessels have crossed the key waterway so far today, data from MarineTraffic, a maritime intelligence provider, appears to show.
The vessels listed by MarineTraffic include a partially loaded oil and chemical tanker, Deepblue, which traversed the strait from the Gulf of Oman into the Persian Gulf earlier today, passing by Iran’s Larak island.
Meanwhile, another vessel named Cstar Voyager, a laden cargo ship, crossed the waterway in the opposite direction to exit the Persian Gulf, MarineTraffic data shows.
CNN cannot independently verify the journeys as shipping data can sometimes show irregularities due to signal gaps and spoofing – the transmission of false signals to mislead tracking systems.
New warning by Iran: The latest crossings come as Tehran doubles down on its pledge to continue exerting maximum control over the chokepoint, with an Iranian official saying the strait will “under no circumstances” return to its previous state.
Fragile ceasefire in Lebanon under pressure as Israel, Hezbollah increase attacks
The fragile ceasefire in Lebanon is under growing pressure as Israel and Hezbollah have increased attacks on each other despite a US-brokered extension to the ceasefire that was supposed to halt the fighting for another three weeks.
On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military is “operating with force” in Lebanon, as he accused Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire agreement, though the Iran-backed militant group is not a party to the agreement. Netanyahu said Israel’s strikes are “according to rules agreed upon with the United States.”
On Saturday evening, Netanyahu ordered the military to “vigorously attack” Hezbollah targets in Lebanon following rocket and drone fire into Israel. The Israeli military said it struck Hezbollah military structures and a rocket launcher overnight.
Earlier Sunday, Hezbollah said it launched an attack on Israeli forces in Taybeh, in southern Lebanon, with a loitering glider, after the group accused Israel of violating the ceasefire. Hezbollah said the attack “achieved a confirmed hit.” Israel subsequently issued an evacuation order for several areas in southern Lebanon.
For context: Two weeks ago, Trump said on social media that “Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer. They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A.” Trump announced a three-week extension of the ceasefire on Thursday and said he hoped to host Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Washington – a meeting that appears increasingly untenable.
Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed at least 2,496 people, including at least 177 children, since the beginning of the war, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health.
Iran’s foreign minister visits Oman, and death toll in Lebanon climbs: Get up to speed for the day
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stopped through Oman on Sunday after convening with Pakistani mediators on Saturday – as the US pulled back a negotiating delegation slated to visit the Pakistani capital. Araghchi is expected to return to Islamabad on Sunday night.
Elsewhere, in Lebanon, the death toll of Israel’s campaign rose to at least 2,496 people killed since March 2, according to the Lebanese Public Ministry of Health – marking a steep jump following the last update on April 17. The Israeli military threatened to keep striking what it says are targets of the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah despite a ceasefire that was recently extended.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Araghchi presses on with diplomatic tour: The Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met the Sultan of Oman on Sunday, as he continued holding talks with countries aiming to mediate the conflict. The Iranian foreign minister is set to return to Islamabad, Pakistan, on Sunday night, according to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency.
- Negotiations stalled: Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian warned Tehran would not accede to “forced negotiations” with the US, citing “hostile actions.” A day earlier, US President Donald Trump cancelled plans for his envoys to visit Islamabad – leaving US-Iranian negotiations at a stalemate.
- “Life became increasingly fragile”: Residents in Tehran have recounted the mental and physical trauma of trying to cope with war and bombardment. An Iranian-American photojournalist, Maryam Rahmanian, captured portraits of her fellow civilians, reflecting, “Some were focused on protecting loved ones. Others tried to hold on to a sense of normal life as that life became increasingly fragile.”
- Regime executes alleged Iranian protester: Iranian authorities executed at least two people this weekend – including one man for allegedly participating in anti-regime demonstrations earlier this year, according to the semi-official outlet, Tasnim news agency.
Israeli military issues fresh evacuation orders in southern Lebanon despite ceasefire
The Israeli military has issued fresh evacuation orders for residents in several areas of southern Lebanon, despite a fragile ceasefire that was recently extended by three weeks.
Urgent evacuation orders were issued for seven villages in the south of the country, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Sunday. All the areas appear to be north of the Litani River, which bisects Lebanon.
For context: Earlier this week, a ceasefire in Lebanon was extended for three weeks, but Israel has insisted that its forces will remain in southern Lebanon and fighting has persisted between Israel and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
Iranian official says Hormuz will not return to previous state, citing order from supreme leader
Iran’s Deputy Parliament Speaker Ali Nikzad has warned the choked Strait of Hormuz will “under no circumstances” return to its previous state, citing an order from the country’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Iranian semi-official media said on Sunday.
“We will under no circumstances return the Strait of Hormuz to its previous state, because this is an order from the Leader of the Revolution,” Mehr News Agency cited Nikzad as saying, referring to an order from Khamenei, who has still not been seen or heard in public since he was announced as leader.
Like the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab al-Mandab is another critical shipping chokepoint between Yemen and Africa.
In Khamenei’s first puported message as supreme leader earlier this year, he rattled global markets by doubling down on keeping closed the strait, which has become a key focal point of the US-Israeli war with Iran.
Iran executes two people, including one for role in January protests, Iranian media says
Iran has executed at least two people this weekend, including one for his alleged involvement in anti-regime protests earlier this year, according to Iranian semi-official media.
On Saturday, Iran executed Erfan Kiani after authorities accused him of “damaging and setting fire to public and private property,” as well as engaging in “violent acts” in the city of Esfahan during January’s anti-government protests, semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.
Earlier today, a man named Amer Ramesh was executed having been charged with “armed rebellion through bombings and ambushes against military forces” and membership of the separatist group Jaish al-Adl, according to the news agency Mizan, which is affiliated with Iran’s judiciary.
These are the latest in a string of recent killings, with Iran having executed four other people earlier this week after claiming the men were linked to Israeli intelligence services, Mizan News Agency reported.
Remember: US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran agreed to stop the execution of eight women protesters, crediting his direct appeal to Iranian leaders, though Tehran has pushed back on his assertions that the women were going to be executed.
Iran's foreign minister met with Sultan of Oman during regional visit
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with the Sultan of Oman during a visit to the Omani capital of Muscat, Iran’s state broadcaster, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), reported Sunday.
During the meeting, which took place at Al Baraka Palace on the city’s outskirts, the two discussed the latest developments in the region and latest efforts to end the US-Israeli war with Iran, IRIB reported.
Oman has played an significant role in the peace efforts by serving as a diplomatic bridge between the US and Iran. It controls the southern side of the key Strait of Hormuz waterway.
Pezeshkian says Iran will not enter "forced" negotiations under US pressure
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Tehran will not enter into “forced negotiations” with the United States while facing pressure and threats, according to Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB.
In a phone call with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pezeshkian said ongoing US actions were undermining trust and complicating any path to dialogue. He added that progress would remain difficult unless “hostile actions and operational pressures” from Washington are halted.
Pezeshkian said Washington must first remove “operational obstacles, including the blockade” of ships traveling to and from Iranian ports to create the conditions for resolving issues.
Sharif assured Pezeshkian that Islamabad “would continue its sincere and honest endeavors to promote regional peace and security,” according to a readout of the call from the Pakistani Prime Minister’s Office.
In a post on X, Sharif expressed appreciation for Iran’s decision to send a high-level delegation led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to Islamabad for talks aimed at ending the war.
The Iranian delegation left Islamabad on Saturday and arrived in Muscat, Oman, for further regional talks. US special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner were expected to travel to Islamabad on Saturday, but Trump canceled their trip at the last minute.
Iran foreign minister expected to return to Pakistan, state media reports
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to return to Pakistan after his visit to Oman this weekend, according to Iran’s official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
Araghchi previously said he left Islamabad for Oman on Saturday after a “fruitful visit,” though he did not meet with any US negotiators in the Pakistani capital.
IRNA also reported that the Iranian delegation that had accompanied Araghchi in Pakistan had returned to Tehran while the foreign minister was in Oman, and that the group would also likely return to Islamabad on Sunday night.
Iran and the US are in an economic standoff as talks stall
A United States naval blockade on Iran is strangling the Islamic Republic’s main economic corridors — leaving Tehran facing a looming oil storage crisis and its citizens grappling with rising food prices and surging unemployment.
Yet unless Washington is prepared to impose its naval blockade for months longer, it will be difficult to completely dismantle an Iranian economy that has spent years adapting to US pressure and crippling sanctions.
And as much as Iran is suffering, its leaders will be aware that Trump is under pressure too, with the US president facing growing backlash over the war domestically and crucial midterms looming. Tehran may have calculated that Trump will blink first.
Only three months ago, the Iranian government was on the brink of collapse after people took to the streets nationwide to protest the poor handling of the economy. That same government was given a lifeline when the US and Israel launched its attacks, and it is now using the pretext of war to justify dire economic conditions to a nation of 92 million.
“Iran had already faced the maximum pressure campaign in Trump’s first term, and it was forced to cut its oil production by half,” Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, CEO of think tank the Bourse & Bazaar Foundation, told CNN.
How some everyday Iranians are coping with war
When bombs started falling on Tehran in February, we heard much about the political ramifications, including from the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader.
But what about the ordinary people who call the capital home?
Maryam Rahmanian, an Iranian-American photojournalist living in Tehran, wants to tell their stories.
She took portraits of civilians who decided to stay in the city, asking them what the war meant to them and how it has affected their lives.
The accounts include that of Salemeh, 35, who said traumatic scenes have left a heavy toll on her mental health. “I jump at every noise, wondering if something has been hit again,” she said.
Akram, a 63-year-old Tehran resident, said the destruction and loss reminds her of how it was during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. “It feels as if history is repeating itself in front of my eyes,” she told Rahmanian.
And Rezvaneh, a 22-year-old Korean language instructor, described how the lack of internet has left her without work.
