China and North Korea announced on Friday that Xi will make a state visit from Monday to Tuesday, where he is expected to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The visit comes as North Korea deepens military and political cooperation with Russia and a day after Pyongyang unveiled a new facility that South Korea’s military assessed as a uranium enrichment plant.Analysts say Beijing is seeking to reinforce its influence in North Korea as Kim expands ties with Moscow while continuing to advance his nuclear weapons program.

Xi and Kim last met in Beijing in September, where they pledged closer cooperation. China remains North Korea’s largest trading partner and key economic supporter despite international sanctions over Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile activities.

The trip will be Xi’s first visit to North Korea in nearly seven years and highlights the strategic importance both countries place on maintaining close ties amid shifting geopolitical dynamics in Northeast Asia.

State media reported that Kim visited the newly unveiled facility on Wednesday, where he reviewed operations and long-term production plans. Photos released by the Korean Central News Agency showed what appeared to be a centrifuge hall used for enriching uranium, a key component in nuclear weapons.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff assessed the site as a uranium enrichment facility and said Seoul was closely coordinating with the United States to monitor North Korean nuclear activities.

Kim said the need to strengthen North Korea’s nuclear deterrent had grown amid what he described as increasing military threats from the United States and its allies. He claimed the country’s production capacity for weapons-grade nuclear materials has more than doubled over the past five years.

The announcement underscores Pyongyang’s continued push to expand and modernize its nuclear arsenal following the collapse of nuclear diplomacy with the United States in 2019. International nuclear watchdog officials have previously reported increased activity at North Korean nuclear facilities.

The reported agreement comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran following recent exchanges of air strikes and renewed concerns over regional stability and shipping security in the Gulf. According to the Axios report, the proposed understanding would temporarily preserve the ceasefire framework while opening a diplomatic channel focused on Iran’s nuclear activities.

Neither the White House nor Iranian authorities immediately issued public confirmation of the reported arrangement. The U.S. State Department also did not publicly comment on the Axios report.
The development follows remarks by Trump earlier this week indicating dissatisfaction with the pace and scope of negotiations involving Iran.

It also comes after reports of intensified military exchanges between the two countries, underscoring the fragile security environment surrounding any prospective diplomatic process.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was photographed alongside Trump during a cabinet meeting at the White House on Wednesday, as the administration continued deliberations over Middle East policy and Iran strategy.

Any agreement to reopen structured nuclear negotiations would mark the most significant diplomatic engagement between Washington and Tehran in years. Previous talks aimed at reviving limits on Iran’s nuclear program had stalled amid disputes over sanctions relief, uranium enrichment levels and regional security guarantees.

Financial markets and regional governments have closely monitored developments involving Iran because of their potential implications for global oil supply routes, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime corridor for energy exports.

The Axios report said Trump’s final decision remained pending as administration officials reviewed the terms of the proposed understanding.

Trump’s remarks followed a second day of talks with Xi in Beijing covering Iran, Taiwan, trade and regional security, amid mounting concern over energy supplies and maritime instability linked to the conflict.
“We’ve settled a lot of different problems that other people wouldn’t have been able to solve,” Trump told reporters after the meeting.

The White House said both leaders agreed the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passed before the conflict — must remain open to international shipping.

Iran effectively curtailed most commercial traffic through the strategic waterway following U.S.-Israeli strikes that began on Feb. 28, triggering major disruption in global energy markets and renewed fears over supply-chain shocks.

Trump said Xi had also assured Washington that China would not provide military equipment to Tehran.
“He said he’s not going to give military equipment, that’s a big statement,” Trump said during an interview with Fox News’ “Hannity.”

China, Iran’s largest oil customer and one of its closest strategic partners, did not publicly confirm details of the discussions. However, China’s foreign ministry criticized the continuation of the war, saying the conflict “should never have happened” and had no justification to continue.

The war has become a growing political and economic challenge for the White House ahead of U.S. midterm elections later this year, with prolonged instability pushing up global energy costs and disrupting shipping routes across the Gulf.

Trump signaled increasing impatience with stalled diplomatic efforts involving Tehran.

“I am not going to be much more patient. They should make a deal,” Trump said in the televised interview.
Negotiations aimed at ending the conflict have remained deadlocked after Iran rejected demands to halt its nuclear program and surrender enriched uranium stockpiles. Tehran maintains its nuclear activities are intended for civilian purposes and denies seeking atomic weapons capability.

Trump suggested the issue of Iran’s uranium reserves was partly symbolic from Washington’s perspective.
“I just feel better if I got it,” he said, referring to the stockpile. “It’s more for public relations than it is for anything else.”

The White House said Xi expressed opposition to the militarisation of the Strait of Hormuz and rejected proposals linked to imposing tolls on shipping transiting the corridor, an idea Iranian officials have previously raised.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview from Beijing that China had strong economic incentives to help restore maritime traffic through the strait.

Analysts, however, questioned whether Beijing would significantly pressure Tehran, given Iran’s strategic value as a counterweight to U.S. influence in the Middle East.

The conflict has increasingly spilled into regional shipping lanes.

An Indian cargo vessel carrying livestock from Africa to the United Arab Emirates sank off Oman on Wednesday after reportedly being struck by a missile or drone, according to British maritime security firm Vanguard. India said all 14 crew members were rescued.

Separately, Britain’s UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that unauthorized personnel boarded a vessel anchored near the UAE port of Fujairah and redirected it toward Iranian waters.

Vanguard said the ship was believed to have been seized by Iranian personnel.

Fujairah, located outside the Strait of Hormuz on the Gulf of Oman, serves as the UAE’s only oil export terminal bypassing the narrow maritime chokepoint.
Diplomatic efforts linked to the broader regional conflict continued separately in Washington, where Lebanese and Israeli officials held talks on Thursday that a senior U.S. State Department official described as productive and positive.

Trump has said the objectives of the campaign against Iran include dismantling Tehran’s nuclear program, reducing its regional military capabilities and increasing pressure on the Iranian leadership.

“I just feel better if I got it, actually, but it’s I think, it’s more for public relations than it is for anything else,” Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity when asked about locating and removing Iran’s sensitive nuclear material.

Trump’s comments appeared to soften the urgency surrounding one of Israel’s central war objectives following the joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign launched against Iran on Feb. 28.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently said the conflict could not be considered finished until Iran’s enriched uranium reserves were removed from the country.

“The war is not over,” Netanyahu said in a recent interview, arguing that the nuclear material “has to be taken out” of Iran.

The remarks highlighted a possible divergence in emphasis between Washington and Tel Aviv as the conflict enters its third month amid mounting regional instability and pressure on global energy markets.

The status of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and uranium stockpiles has remained a major focus of international concern since the outbreak of hostilities, with Western governments and nuclear experts warning that enriched uranium could become a strategic bargaining point in any future settlement.

Trump made the comments while concluding a diplomatic visit to China, where discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping included the Iran conflict, global oil flows and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The ongoing war has disrupted regional shipping routes and contributed to volatility in global crude markets, while diplomatic efforts to contain escalation have intensified among major powers.

The findings suggest that the trajectory of Tehran’s nuclear program has remained broadly unchanged since last summer, despite months of conflict involving the United States and Israel. The war, launched on February 28, has largely targeted conventional military infrastructure, though Israel has struck several nuclear-related facilities.

Analysts say the unchanged timeline reflects both the limited focus of recent U.S. operations on nuclear sites and the continued existence of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Significantly delaying the program would likely require neutralizing or removing this material, they said.Earlier intelligence assessments had concluded that Iran could produce sufficient bomb-grade uranium within three to six months.

Following U.S. strikes last year on key facilities including Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan, that estimate was extended to roughly nine to twelve months.The International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, has said Iran’s existing stockpile of highly enriched uranium could be sufficient for multiple weapons if further processed.

However, inspectors have been unable to verify the location of part of this material after oversight activities were disrupted.A fragile truce agreed on April 7 has paused large-scale hostilities, though tensions remain elevated. The conflict has also disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil flows, contributing to wider energy market instability.

U.S. officials have consistently said preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon remains a central objective. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has stated that Washington aims to achieve this through a combination of military pressure and negotiations.Experts say assessing the full impact of military operations on Iran’s nuclear capacity remains difficult.

While physical infrastructure has been damaged, knowledge and technical expertise may persist, and some nuclear material is believed to be stored in hardened underground sites beyond the reach of conventional strikes.Iran has long denied seeking nuclear weapons, maintaining that its program is for civilian purposes.

U.S. intelligence agencies and the IAEA assess that Tehran halted an organized weapons development effort in 2003, though concerns remain over its enrichment capabilities and potential breakout capacity.

Citing U.S. officials familiar with the matter, the report said Trump concluded during a White House Situation Room meeting on Monday that both resuming bombing campaigns and fully stepping back from the conflict carried greater risks than maintaining a naval squeeze on Iran’s oil exports and shipping routes.

According to the report, Trump believes Iran is not negotiating in good faith and wants Tehran to suspend uranium enrichment for 20 years while accepting strict long-term restrictions on its nuclear activities. Officials said the administration views the blockade as a way to intensify pressure without immediately reopening large-scale military operations.

Trump signaled frustration publicly on Wednesday, writing on his Truth Social platform that Iran “can’t get their act together” and warning Tehran to “better get smart soon.”

“Iran can’t get their act together. They don’t know how to sign a nonnuclear deal.They better get smart soon!” Trump posted, alongside an image carrying the caption “NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!”The reported strategy would rely on the U.S. Navy continuing efforts to restrict vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports, further tightening pressure on oil exports that are central to Iran’s economy.

Analysts say the approach risks extending instability around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy transit routes.Oil markets reacted sharply to reports of a prolonged blockade, with Brent crude rising to a one-month high above $114 a barrel on concerns over sustained supply disruption and continued uncertainty over shipping through the Hormuz corridor.

The White House has not formally announced a policy shift, and Iranian officials have not publicly responded to the Wall Street Journal report.The decision suggests Washington may be preparing for a prolonged standoff in which active fighting remains limited but diplomacy remains frozen, leaving the conflict in what analysts describe as a “no-deal, no-war” phase.

The discussions, held days after a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire, marked the first direct engagement between senior U.S. and Iranian officials since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. Delegations led by U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf met over more than 20 hours at Islamabad’s Serena Hotel, with Pakistani mediators shuttling between the sides.

Despite moments when negotiators appeared close to a framework agreement, talks ultimately stalled over key issues including Iran’s nuclear program, control of the Strait of Hormuz, and access to frozen assets, according to 11 sources familiar with the discussions.

A U.S. official said Washington’s core objective remained ensuring Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon, while Iranian officials emphasized sovereignty concerns, sanctions relief, and broader security guarantees.

Iran has consistently denied seeking nuclear weapons but maintains its right to uranium enrichment.Sources described a tense and shifting atmosphere, with periods of optimism giving way to deadlock. At one stage, the sides were “80 percent” toward an understanding before unresolved political decisions derailed progress, one source said.

Pakistan played a central mediating role, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirming that efforts to bridge differences are ongoing. Officials said communication between Tehran and Washington continues through intermediaries, even after the formal talks ended.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran had reached out seeking a deal, though this could not be independently verified. A White House spokesperson reiterated that Washington’s position remains unchanged, particularly its demand that Iran abandon any pathway to nuclear weapons.

Iranian officials signaled deep mistrust, citing past negotiations and subsequent military actions, while also indicating willingness to continue discussions under defined conditions.The Strait of Hormuz remains a central point of contention, with Iran asserting control over the waterway and the United States insisting on restoring unrestricted navigation.

The dispute has had significant implications for global energy markets, contributing to volatility and supply concerns.Mediators, including Pakistani officials and regional diplomats, have continued backchannel communications in an effort to revive talks.

Both sides face mounting pressure to de-escalate, with economic costs rising and broader geopolitical risks intensifying.

Two Pakistani officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Islamabad has offered to again facilitate negotiations, although the final venue would depend on whether Washington or Tehran request an alternative location.

They described the initial round of talks as part of an ongoing diplomatic process rather than a one-off effort.The proposal follows marathon negotiations held on April 12 that ended without a breakthrough but were marked by what U.S. Vice President JD Vance described as “some progress,” particularly on Washington’s demands regarding Iran’s nuclear program.

In an interview with Fox News, Vance said Iranian negotiators had moved closer to U.S. positions on the removal of nuclear material and mechanisms to prevent future uranium enrichment, but were unable to finalize a deal, suggesting decisions may require approval from authorities in Tehran.

“There really is, I think, a grand deal to be had here,” Vance said, adding that the next step rests with Iran.The White House did not confirm whether preparations for a second round are underway. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated that U.S. negotiating positions remain unchanged and pointed to increased pressure on Iran following the implementation of a U.S. naval blockade.

Multiple sources familiar with the discussions said both sides are considering further in-person talks aimed at reaching an agreement before the ceasefire expires next week. While Islamabad remains a leading candidate to host the meeting, other locations such as Geneva are also under consideration, with timing still undecided but potentially within days.

A diplomat involved in mediation efforts said there is growing alignment on holding another round, though details on the level of representation and agenda remain unresolved.U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier that Iran had reached out seeking a deal, underscoring continued engagement between the two sides even as tensions persist.

“All U.S. Ships, Aircraft, and Military Personnel, with additional Ammunition, Weaponry will remain in place in, and around, Iran, until such time as the REAL AGREEMENT reached is fully complied with,” Trump said.He added that any failure to adhere to the terms would trigger a forceful response.

“If for any reason it is not, which is highly unlikely, then the ‘Shootin’ Starts,’ bigger, and better, and stronger than anyone has ever seen before,” he said.The remarks come amid a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran following weeks of heightened regional tensions.

The scope and durability of the truce remain uncertain as both sides continue to differ over key provisions, particularly Iran’s nuclear program.

Earlier on Wednesday, Iran said it would be “unreasonable” to proceed with negotiations toward a permanent peace agreement with Washington following intensified Israeli strikes on Lebanon, which Tehran cited as a destabilizing factor.

Significant gaps remain between the two sides on uranium enrichment. Trump has said Iran agreed to halt enrichment activities, while Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammed Bager Qalibaf, has maintained that Tehran retains the right to continue enrichment under the ceasefire terms.

Trump also reiterated that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons remains a central objective of the agreement and said the Strait of Hormuz would remain open and secure.