Sergei Aksyonov, the Moscow-appointed governor of Crimea, said the strike occurred in the northern part of the peninsula. He reported that one person was killed and two others were wounded, including one who was in serious condition, but did not provide further details about the nature of the attack.

The latest strike follows an increase in Ukrainian attacks targeting infrastructure in Crimea, reflecting Kyiv’s effort to disrupt Russian military logistics and isolate the strategically important Black Sea peninsula.

Russia seized Crimea in 2014 and subsequently annexed the territory, a move rejected by Ukraine and widely regarded as illegal by much of the international community. Western officials and analysts say Ukraine’s growing use of long-range strikes has increased pressure on Moscow even as Russian battlefield advances have slowed in recent months.

The attack came hours after Zelensky and Putin separately spoke by telephone with Trump about prospects for ending the conflict.

In a message posted on X late Saturday, Zelensky said he had called Trump to congratulate him on the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence. He said the two leaders discussed developments along the front line and agreed to continue their discussions in person during the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara.

Zelensky said there remained a genuine opportunity to end the war and described continued U.S. engagement as an important factor in achieving that objective.

The Kremlin separately described Putin’s conversation with Trump as constructive. Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said the call lasted nearly 90 minutes and marked the fourth conversation between the two leaders this year.

According to Ushakov, Putin congratulated Trump and the American people on the anniversary of U.S. independence. He said Trump reiterated his willingness to support a rapid end to hostilities and pursue a peaceful settlement, while U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would continue mediation efforts and remained prepared to visit Moscow.

Ushakov said Putin again stressed that Russia favors a diplomatic resolution provided that what he described as Moscow’s fundamental positions are taken into account.

The Russian president also accused Ukraine and its European allies of seeking to prolong and intensify the conflict, according to Ushakov, arguing that European governments had misjudged the military situation.

Ushakov further said Putin told Trump that Russian forces continued to make gains along the front and cited the capture of the Ukrainian stronghold of Kostyantynivka as an important step toward securing the entire Donetsk region.

Ukraine denied Russia’s claim that Kostyantynivka had been captured.

The latest diplomatic contacts highlighted renewed international efforts to explore a negotiated settlement even as fighting continues across multiple fronts and both sides maintain sharply differing positions on the conditions for ending Europe’s largest armed conflict since World War II.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, who headed Tehran’s delegation, said the discussions ended with an agreement to create the communication mechanism by Thursday. The channel is intended to document and report breaches of the memorandum of understanding reached last month as the two sides work toward implementing its provisions.

Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One, Trump said progress was being made in the negotiations and expressed optimism about efforts related to Iran’s nuclear program.

“As far as things are going, the denuclearization of Iran is moving along well,” Trump said. Referring to recent military action, he added that although the United States had struck Iran hard, relations in the negotiations were progressing positively.

Iran maintained that the discussions in Doha remained indirect. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei rejected earlier suggestions that direct negotiations would take place, saying Tehran had no plans to hold direct talks with U.S. officials at any level in the coming days.

According to Gharibabadi, negotiators also discussed Iranian assets frozen abroad, an issue Tehran has consistently linked to any broader settlement. He said officials reviewed the use of part of an initial $6 billion and agreed that essential goods required by Iran would be purchased and made available.

A diplomat familiar with the negotiations told AFP that the technical discussions were designed to advance implementation of the memorandum of understanding reached during last month’s summit in Lucerne, Switzerland. The agreement, mediated by Qatar and Pakistan, established a 60-day ceasefire, called for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and outlined a timetable for negotiations covering both the conflict and Iran’s nuclear program.

The diplomat said U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff did not participate in the technical talks. Both officials instead met Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani on Tuesday to discuss the negotiations and regional developments, including the situation in Lebanon, according to Qatar’s Foreign Ministry.

The office of Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, said Kushner and Witkoff also met the ruler on Wednesday as diplomatic efforts continued.

Anna Jacobs, a non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute, said the negotiations remained at an early stage but described the continuation of dialogue as a positive sign following recent hostilities.

She said the fact that both sides continued engaging after clashes in the Gulf suggested efforts to preserve the diplomatic process despite disagreements.

Implementation of the ceasefire has faced early challenges. Since the memorandum was signed, Iran and the United States have exchanged military strikes in the Gulf. Tehran targeted a commercial vessel it said had deviated from an approved route through the Strait of Hormuz, while U.S. Central Command said it subsequently struck 10 Iranian military targets.

Iran later launched strikes against U.S. military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, actions that drew condemnation from both Gulf states.

Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said earlier this week that implementation difficulties were inevitable following a conflict of such magnitude, particularly given what he described as the involvement of Israel. He said Tehran’s delegation in Doha would prioritize implementation of provisions related to the Strait of Hormuz and the conflict in Lebanon.

Recent days have seen a decline in exchanges of fire, while oil prices eased as markets responded positively to the continuation of diplomatic engagement between Washington and Tehran. Fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement has also remained relatively subdued, although Tehran continues to insist that any final agreement must include an end to the conflict in Lebanon and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied areas in southern Lebanon.

Speaking before boarding Air Force One, Trump described the discussions in Doha as “very good meetings” and said efforts related to Iran’s nuclear programme were moving in a positive direction.

“We hit them very hard… but we’re getting along very well,” Trump told reporters.

The negotiations follow a memorandum of understanding brokered by Qatar and Pakistan and agreed at a summit in Lucerne, Switzerland, last month. The framework includes a 60-day ceasefire, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a timetable for negotiating a permanent agreement addressing Iran’s nuclear programme and the broader regional conflict.

A diplomat familiar with the talks, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations, confirmed that technical-level discussions were underway in Doha with Qatari and Pakistani mediators. The diplomat said the meetings were focused on implementing the memorandum and building on agreements reached in Lucerne.

Iran rejected earlier suggestions that direct negotiations with the United States were taking place.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Iran’s delegation was headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi and stressed that Iranian officials had no plans to hold direct negotiations with U.S. representatives during the current round of talks.

The diplomat also said U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were not participating in the technical discussions after meeting Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Tuesday.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said the meeting reviewed ongoing U.S.-Iran negotiations under the memorandum of understanding as well as developments in Lebanon. The office of Qatar’s Emir later confirmed that Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani also met the two U.S. envoys.

Analysts said the negotiations remained at an early stage despite positive public messaging.

Anna Jacobs, a non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute, said continued engagement after recent military exchanges was a constructive sign, although many disagreements were still being addressed privately.

H.A. Hellyer of the Royal United Services Institute said differing public statements from Washington and Tehran reflected limited transparency surrounding the talks.

Implementation of the agreement has faced challenges since it was signed. Iran and the United States exchanged military strikes after Tehran targeted a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting U.S. strikes on Iranian military positions. Iran later launched attacks on U.S. bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, which both countries condemned.

Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said implementation issues were expected following a conflict of such scale and that the Doha talks would focus on provisions relating to the Strait of Hormuz and the conflict in Lebanon.

Recent exchanges of fire have eased in the lead-up to the negotiations, while hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah have also remained relatively subdued.

President Donald Trump announced in a social media post that Iran had requested the meeting, saying it would take place in the Qatari capital without providing further details.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later confirmed that Witkoff and Kushner would attend the discussions, while technical-level negotiations would continue on the sidelines.

“Special Envoy Witkoff and Jared Kushner will be flying to Doha for high-level meetings this week, as we continue to discuss the memorandum of understanding. On the sidelines of those high-level talks will be the technical talks,” Leavitt told Fox News.

Washington and Tehran signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding on June 17 aimed at ending four months of conflict. The agreement included commitments to halt hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic maritime route through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies normally pass.

The agreement has come under pressure following exchanges of strikes over the weekend after an Iranian projectile struck a commercial cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. Both Washington and Tehran accused each other of violating the interim ceasefire.

Leavitt said the United States remained committed to the agreement while warning that any further attacks would draw a response.

“There were attacks on commercial vessels that the United States of America, directed by the president, responded to, and that will continue to happen, but we hope we don’t see that. The president obviously wants to see the peace process play out,” she said.

The Doha meeting is expected to focus on implementing the memorandum of understanding and reducing tensions after the recent maritime incidents threatened to undermine the diplomatic process.

The meeting at the Swiss resort of Buergenstock brought together U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Iranian officials and mediators from Qatar and Pakistan in the first diplomatic engagement since Washington and Tehran agreed a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending months of regional conflict.

The accord, reached last week, calls for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a halt to hostilities across the region, including in Lebanon, where Israeli forces have been fighting Hezbollah since March. Iran has accused Washington of failing to ensure implementation of those commitments and said substantive negotiations would not proceed until conditions on the ground improve.

“Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble. If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!” Trump said in a statement, signaling the possibility of renewed military escalation despite ongoing diplomatic efforts.

Iranian officials responded by narrowing the scope of Sunday’s discussions. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the talks would focus only on implementation of the memorandum rather than broader issues such as Iran’s nuclear program, arguing that commitments related to Lebanon had not been fulfilled.

Baghaei said Tehran’s decision to close the Strait of Hormuz again stemmed from continued Israeli military operations in Lebanon despite a ceasefire announced on Friday. Iran’s Fars news agency cited a military source as saying no new permits were being issued for ships seeking to transit the strategic waterway.

The move has renewed concerns over global energy supplies. The strait serves as one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes, and its earlier closure during the conflict caused major disruptions to international energy markets.

U.S. officials questioned Iran’s assertion that the waterway had been fully closed. However, shipping data indicated a sharp decline in vessel movements following Tehran’s announcement, with significantly fewer tankers reported transiting the passage compared with recent days.

At the talks, Vance sought to project optimism, saying progress had been made toward reducing violence in Lebanon despite continuing instability.

“These things are always a little bit messy,” he told reporters.

Earlier on Sunday, Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir on the sidelines of the negotiations. The meeting featured cordial exchanges among the participants as diplomatic efforts continued to secure broader regional stability.

Under the memorandum, Washington and Tehran are expected to hold 60 days of negotiations covering Iran’s nuclear activities, sanctions relief and economic measures. Iran has said initial economic benefits, including sanctions waivers and access to frozen assets, must be delivered before more substantive commitments can be discussed.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed confidence that negotiations could support economic recovery and said initial progress had already enabled Tehran to regain access to part of its financial resources.

Despite diplomatic engagement, conditions in Lebanon remain fragile. Lebanese authorities reported 20 deaths from Israeli strikes on Saturday, while military teams continued clearing unexploded ordnance from southern towns. Reuters journalists observed residents returning to parts of southern Lebanon on Sunday, suggesting a tentative improvement in security conditions despite the absence of a durable ceasefire.

The negotiations represent the most significant direct diplomatic engagement between Washington and Tehran since the outbreak of hostilities earlier this year, but sharp disagreements over Lebanon and maritime access underscore the challenges facing efforts to secure a lasting regional settlement.

Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said the meeting took place in the Kremlin in a tête-à-tête format but declined to provide details of the discussion.

Schroeder, who served as Germany’s chancellor from 1998 to 2005, has maintained close ties with Putin and later worked for Russian state energy companies, drawing criticism in Germany and across Europe.

The meeting comes weeks after Putin suggested Schroeder could serve as a partner in discussions on future European security arrangements. The proposal was swiftly rejected by European Union officials, with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas arguing that Schroeder could not act as a neutral intermediary.

Ushakov also said Russia maintains numerous informal international contacts and disclosed that a future visit to Moscow by U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner is being prepared, although no dates have been finalized.

The developments occur amid continuing diplomatic efforts related to the conflict in Ukraine and broader tensions between Russia and the West.

Mohammad Jafar Asadi, a senior figure in Iran’s military central command, said evidence showed that Washington was not committed to its promises or agreements, according to remarks published by Iran’s Fars news agency.“A renewed conflict between Iran and the United States is likely,” Asadi said, adding that previous developments had demonstrated that the United States could not be trusted to uphold commitments.

His comments came hours after President Donald Trump said he was dissatisfied with a new Iranian negotiating proposal delivered through mediator Pakistan on Thursday.“At this moment I’m not satisfied with what they’re offering,” Trump told reporters, blaming delays in diplomacy on what he described as “tremendous discord” inside Iran’s leadership.

“Do we want to go and just blast the hell out of them and finish them forever or do we want to try and make a deal?” Trump said, adding that he would prefer to avoid military escalation “on a human basis.”The war, launched by the United States and Israel in late February, has been paused since April 8 after a ceasefire took hold following weeks of strikes across the region.

One round of peace talks in Pakistan failed to produce a breakthrough.Iran’s judiciary chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, said on Friday that Tehran had never avoided negotiations but would not accept peace terms imposed by outside powers.

The White House has not disclosed details of the latest Iranian proposal. Axios reported that U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff had proposed amendments that would return Iran’s nuclear program to the center of negotiations, including demands that Tehran not move enriched uranium from bombed facilities or restart activity there during talks.

News of the proposal briefly pushed global oil prices down by nearly 5%, though prices remain significantly above pre-war levels because of continued disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy shipping routes.Iran has maintained effective control over the strait since the conflict began, severely disrupting flows of oil, gas and fertilizer exports, while the United States has responded with a blockade targeting Iranian ports.

Washington said late Friday it had approved major arms sales to regional allies, including a $4 billion Patriot missile deal with Qatar and nearly $1 billion in precision weapons systems for Israel.In Washington, lawmakers are also debating whether Trump violated the legal deadline for seeking congressional approval for the military campaign.

Administration officials argue that the ceasefire paused the 60-day clock requiring congressional authorization, while opposition Democrats dispute that interpretation.Trump told congressional leaders that “there has been no exchange of fire between United States Forces and Iran since April 7” and said hostilities had effectively “terminated.”Inside Iran, the economic impact of the war continues to deepen.

New U.S. sanctions targeting Iranian currency firms and disruptions to trade have worsened inflation, which has reportedly surged above 50%.“For many people, paying rent and even buying food has become difficult,” one Tehran resident said, reflecting growing public anxiety over the prolonged crisis.Supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Friday urged business owners to avoid layoffs and called for what he described as “economic and cultural jihad” in response to mounting economic pressure and external threats.

According to Iran’s ISNA news agency, Araghchi was due to convey “Iran’s positions and views on the framework of any understanding to completely end the war” during fresh meetings with Pakistani officials.

The minister had visited Islamabad a day earlier, meeting Army Chief Asim Munir, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar before flying to Muscat, where he met Haitham bin Tariq as regional diplomacy intensified.Other Iranian envoys returned to Tehran for consultations and to obtain instructions related to ending the conflict, ISNA reported.

Before those talks, the White House had said Trump’s peace envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner were preparing to travel to Pakistan for further indirect negotiations.Trump later scrapped the trip, telling Fox News there was no reason to continue “sitting around talking about nothing,” while criticizing Tehran’s negotiating position.

“They gave us a paper that should have been better and interestingly immediately when I canceled it, within 10 minutes, we got a new paper that was much better,” Trump said, without giving details.Asked whether canceling the trip meant a return to open conflict, Trump said: “No, it doesn’t mean that. We haven’t thought about it yet.”Araghchi described his initial Pakistan visit as “very fruitful” but questioned Washington’s seriousness about diplomacy.“

Have yet to see if the U.S. is truly serious about diplomacy,” he said.Pressure for a diplomatic breakthrough has intensified as the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively blocked, disrupting one of the world’s most important oil and gas shipping routes and driving energy prices sharply higher.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had no intention of lifting the blockade.“Controlling the Strait of Hormuz and maintaining the shadow of its deterrent effects over America and the White House’s supporters in the region is the definitive strategy of Islamic Iran,” the Guards said on Telegram.

The United States has responded by tightening restrictions on Iranian ports and increasing maritime enforcement actions against vessels linked to Tehran’s energy exports.Iran’s military accused Washington of “blockading, banditry and piracy” and warned that continued pressure would trigger a response.

Regional tensions also escalated on the Lebanese front, where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered strikes against Hezbollah targets after accusing the group of violating a ceasefire recently extended for three weeks.

Lebanese state media reported Israeli strikes in several southern districts, while Lebanon’s health ministry said attacks in Nabatieh and Bint Jbeil killed six people.Israel’s military said it had killed multiple Hezbollah operatives, including fighters allegedly transporting weapons.

Although Trump had earlier expressed optimism about peace after meetings with Israeli and Lebanese envoys, Hezbollah parliamentary bloc leader Mohammed Raad urged Lebanon to withdraw from negotiations, warning that any agreement without broader consensus would be politically unsustainable.

Araghchi is expected to travel to Moscow after completing the Islamabad consultations.

Trump said he had ordered envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner not to travel to Islamabad, where mediation efforts had been centered following the arrival of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi for talks with Pakistani officials.

Speaking before departing Florida and later in comments to Fox News, Trump said the revised Iranian offer failed to meet U.S. expectations and dismissed the value of sending negotiators for extended talks.“I’ve told my people a little while ago they were getting ready to leave, and I said, ‘Nope, you’re not making an 18-hour flight to go there,’” Trump said, according to Fox News.

“We have all the cards. They can call us anytime they want.”In a post on Truth Social, Trump added that there was “tremendous infighting and confusion” within Iran’s leadership and said, “Nobody knows who is in charge, including them.”

The cancellation dealt a setback to mediation efforts in Islamabad, where Araghchi had concluded meetings with Pakistani leaders without direct contact with U.S. representatives.

Araghchi described the visit as “very fruitful,” while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that Tehran would not accept what he called “imposed negotiations” conducted under threats or blockade.

Iran urged Washington to remove operational restrictions, including measures affecting Iranian ports, while maintaining that it would not accept maximalist demands.“Principally, Iranian side will not accept maximalist demands,” an Iranian diplomatic source in Islamabad told Reuters.

Tensions remain elevated across the region despite a ceasefire currently in force after a conflict that began on Feb. 28 with U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran. Tehran later launched retaliatory strikes against Israel, U.S. military bases and Gulf states, escalating fears of a broader regional war.

The standoff has also disrupted maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy corridor, while U.S. restrictions on Iranian oil exports remain in place, pushing energy prices to multi-year highs and adding pressure to global inflation and growth.

In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered forces to strike Hezbollah targets in Lebanon “forcefully,” testing a fragile three-week ceasefire and underscoring the broader instability surrounding the negotiations.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had said earlier that Washington had seen some progress from Iran in recent days and hoped for further movement over the weekend.Vice President JD Vance, who led an earlier unsuccessful round of indirect talks in Islamabad this month, had also been prepared to travel again if negotiations advanced.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran still had an opportunity to reach an agreement if it made verifiable commitments on its nuclear program.“All they have to do is abandon a nuclear weapon in meaningful and verifiable ways,” Hegseth said.

Iran’s foreign ministry later confirmed that no direct meeting with U.S. officials had been planned during Araghchi’s visit and said Tehran would instead convey its position through Pakistan as mediator.

The White House said Witkoff and Kushner would hold an “in-person conversation” with Iranian representatives in Islamabad, but Iranian state media reported that direct negotiations were not planned and that Pakistan would instead act as an intermediary.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who arrived in Islamabad on Friday, delivered Tehran’s negotiating demands and concerns over U.S. conditions to Pakistani officials, a Pakistani source involved in the discussions told Reuters.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said Araghchi’s visit focused on “ongoing efforts for regional peace and stability,” without explicitly confirming face-to-face engagement between Iranian and American officials.

Security across Islamabad was tightened sharply before the talks, with major roads sealed, military checkpoints reinforced, and troops deployed around the capital’s airport and heavily fortified Red Zone.Residents reported widespread disruption as police and soldiers controlled key intersections, helicopters circled overhead, and airport access routes were placed under heightened surveillance following the Iranian delegation’s arrival late Friday.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the renewed talks followed an Iranian request for direct engagement after President Donald Trump urged Tehran to return to negotiations.“The Iranians reached out, as the president called on them to do, and asked for this in-person conversation,” Leavitt said, adding that the talks would “hopefully move the ball forward toward a deal.”

Vice President JD Vance, who led a first round of negotiations in Islamabad earlier this month that ended without agreement, remained on standby to travel if required.Iranian state television, however, said Araghchi had no intention of meeting U.S. officials directly and that Islamabad would serve only as a channel for conveying Tehran’s proposals to Washington.

Iran’s military on Saturday warned it would respond if the United States continued what it described as a blockade of Iranian ports, calling the move “banditry” and “piracy.”In a statement carried by state broadcaster IRIB, Iran’s central military command Khatam Al-Anbiya said that if “the invading U.S. military continues blockading, banditry, and piracy in the region,” it would face retaliation from Iran’s armed forces.

“We are ready and determined, while monitoring the behavior and movements of enemies,” the statement said.Iran’s Defense Ministry separately said Washington was seeking a “face-saving” way to withdraw from the war.

“Our military power today is a dominant force, and the enemy is looking for a face-saving way to escape the war quagmire it has become trapped in,” ministry officials were quoted as saying by ISNA.Diplomatic efforts have stalled in recent weeks as Iran refused to rejoin formal negotiations while a U.S. naval blockade on its ports remained in place.

At the same time, Tehran has imposed a de facto restriction on the Strait of Hormuz, allowing only limited shipping through the strategic waterway that handles roughly one-fifth of global oil trade.The disruption has unsettled energy markets and raised concerns over broader supply chain instability.

Oil prices fell on Friday as hopes grew that the Islamabad talks could lead to de-escalation.European Council President Antonio Costa said the immediate reopening of the strait was essential.“The strait must immediately reopen without restrictions and without tolling,” Costa said.

“This is vital for the entire world.”Major Wall Street indexes closed at record highs on Friday as investors responded positively to corporate earnings and expectations of diplomatic progress.Meanwhile, Washington expanded its military presence in the region with the deployment of its third aircraft carrier, the USS George H.W. Bush, to the Middle East.

Araghchi is expected to travel next to Oman and Russia for further consultations on ending the conflict launched on Feb. 28 between Iran, Israel, and the United States.

The Islamabad talks are being closely watched as a potential turning point for whether the current ceasefire evolves into a broader settlement or gives way to renewed confrontation across the region.