(2026-05-23). Iran says US 'betrayals, contradictions, excessive demands' disrupting talks. tribune.com.pk 
Iran on Saturday attributed difficulties in the Pakistan-mediated negotiations between Tehran and the United States to what it described as Washington's repeated failure to uphold its commitments, contradictions, and excessive demands, according to Press TV. | It stated that Iran's UN mission warned that the US's excessive demands and obstructionism pushed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty into "free fall." | The mission stressed that without genuine progress on nuclear disarmament, the NPT had no future. "The NPT Review Conference failed for the third consecutive time due to obstructionism by the United St…
(2026-05-23). Three months in, is Trump losing the Iran war? tribune.com.pk 
US President Donald Trump may have won just about every battle against Iran, but three months after attacking Iran in a war responsible for the deaths of thousands of Iranian civilians, he now faces a bigger question: Is he losing the war? | With Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz, its resistance to nuclear concessions and its theocratic government largely intact, doubts are growing that Trump can translate the US military's tactical successes into an outcome he can frame convincingly as a geopolitical win. | His repeated claims of complete victory ring hollow, some analysts say, as the t…
(2026-05-23). UN event on nuclear non-proliferation treaty stumbles, US and Iran clash. scmp.com A four-week United Nations conference reviewing the treaty to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons ended on Friday without agreement as the United States and Iran sparred over Iran's nuclear programme. | Vietnam's UN Ambassador Do Hung Viet, who chaired the conference, announced that there was no consensus among the 191 parties to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty on even a watered-down final document. He did not say which country or countries blocked a consensus.
(2026-05-23). Iran weighs peace proposal, accuses US of 'excessive demands'. newarab.com 
(2026-05-23). How China wins by avoiding war. scmp.com Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing in a much weaker position than he did more than four years ago, when he launched his invasion of Ukraine shortly after his last visit. | US President Donald Trump left Beijing after much fanfare. However, he was criticised back at home for failing to deliver on any key aspect of American interests, such as committing China to pressuring Iran to end the war on US terms. His popular support is at a historic low.
(2026-05-23). From Deterrence to Attrition: The Message Iran's Resistance Sent to the China-U.S. Rivalry. moderndiplomacy.eu Assessments of Trump's recent trip to China indicate that the Iran-U.S. confrontation has moved beyond a regional crisis and has become a decisive variable in the great-power competition between Washington and Beijing. A crisis that, at the outset, appeared in America's strategic imagination to be containable and limited has now become a test of the …
(2026-05-23). Israel thrusts reluctant UAE into open over defence ties. scmp.com For months, the United Arab Emirates had denied Iran's accusations that it was in league with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or hosting his country's military personnel. | Then, US ambassador to Israel Mick Huckabee handed Tehran a propaganda gift and Abu Dhabi a diplomatic headache all in a single sentence.
(2026-05-23). CDF Munir discusses regional developments, de-escalation efforts in meeting with Iran's FM Araghchi. tribune.com.pk 
Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran on Friday as Islamabad steps up diplomatic efforts to help mediate between Iran and the United States, Iran's state media reported on Saturday. | Both sides exchanged views on the latest diplomatic initiatives aimed at preventing further escalation and ending the Iran war in talks that lasted late into the night, the report said. | Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir met Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran for talks on regional developments an…
(2026-05-23). CDF Munir meets Iranian President Pezeshkian for high-level talks to advance diplomacy. tribune.com.pk 
Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran for high-level talks to advance diplomatic initiatives, according to Press TV. | Pakistani Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran for high-level talks to advance diplomatic initiatives. | Follow: t.co/B3zXG74hnU pic.twitter.com/YAt0muXJi4 | — Press TV üîª (@PressTV) May 23, 2026 | Reuters reported that Iran's top negotiator and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also met Pakistani Army C…
(2026-05-23). NATO considering resuming mission in Iraq after Iran war evac. newarab.com 
"The general staff is working on various options" to allow the mission to return to Iraq, said French General
(2026-05-23). How Pak-Iran Alignment Could Redefine South Asian Power Dynamics. thinktank.pk The resurgence of Pakistan-Iran relations despite international pressure is an indication of a big regional change. In the coming years, the relations could be mainly assisted by the oil and gas trade which could make Pakistan a hub for regional development. The growing friendship could lead to a new era of regional stability. Pakistan-Iran relationship …
(2026-05-23). 27 countries seek access to World Bank funds since Iran war. scmp.com Twenty-seven countries have moved since the Iran war started to put in place crisis instruments that could quickly access funding from existing World Bank programmes, according to an internal document viewed by Reuters. | The World Bank document did not name the ‚Äåcountries or the total amount of funds potentially being sought. The World Bank declined to comment.
presstv.ir (2026-05-19). Inside Iran's agricultural revolution and 85% self-sufficiency
According to Minister of Agriculture Gholamreza Nouri, 85 percent of food and basic commodities are produced domestically, and Iran possesses relative self-sufficiency in meeting the food needs of its population of over 86 million people.