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Abdollahian Points to ‘Initiatives’ to Resume Nuclear Negotiations

Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Al-Busaidi received his Iranian counterpart and his accompanying delegation, in Muscat on Wednesday. (Oman News)
Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Al-Busaidi received his Iranian counterpart and his accompanying delegation, in Muscat on Wednesday. (Oman News)
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Abdollahian Points to ‘Initiatives’ to Resume Nuclear Negotiations

Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Al-Busaidi received his Iranian counterpart and his accompanying delegation, in Muscat on Wednesday. (Oman News)
Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Al-Busaidi received his Iranian counterpart and his accompanying delegation, in Muscat on Wednesday. (Oman News)

Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Hossein Abdollahian announced on Wednesday that his country had heard ideas regarding negotiations to revive the 2015 nuclear deal on Iran, expressing his gratitude for the constructive role of the Sultan of Oman and its sincere intentions in this regard.
 
On the second day of his visit to Oman, which he concluded on Wednesday before heading to Beirut, Abdollahian said that Muscat “always plays a constructive role” in the nuclear talks, adding: “We have held the necessary consultations in this context.”
 
Later on Wednesday, the Omani News Agency quoted Abdollahian as saying that the Sultanate has “serious initiatives” regarding the Iranian nuclear program that “will contribute” to the revival of negotiations.
 
Oman’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the Omani and Iranian foreign ministers discussed a number of regional and international issues, and stressed the continuation of “consultation and support for all efforts aimed at consolidating security and stability in the region and encouraging dialogue and peaceful ways to resolve differences.”
 
The Iranian minister pointed to the role of Oman in facilitating the Iranian-Saudi talks and praised its efforts in mediating regional dialogues.

He also welcomed the constructive efforts made by Oman with regard to Yemen, expressing hope that those would lead to the consolidation of peace in the region.
 
Abdollahian continued: “The Islamic Republic of Iran, within the framework of its neighborhood policy and its respect for the principle of good neighborliness, welcomes the restoration of relations with Saudi Arabia and considers this matter to serve the interests of the region.”
 
The two sides also discussed the security developments in the region.

“We have made great progress in the field of energy and cooperation… as well as in trade, economy and investment. Very good matters have happened, and we hope that we will be able to complete them during the upcoming visit of the Sultan of Oman to Tehran,” the Iranian minister said.
 
Iranian sources expect Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, who received an invitation from the Iranian president, to visit Tehran in May. In June 2022, Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi paid a one-day visit to Muscat.

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World

Rubio Says Announcement Possible Later Sunday on Iran War

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks at a joint presser with India’s Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar (not pictured) following their talks in New Delhi, India, May 24, 2026. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Pool via Reuters)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks at a joint presser with India’s Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar (not pictured) following their talks in New Delhi, India, May 24, 2026. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Pool via Reuters)
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Rubio Says Announcement Possible Later Sunday on Iran War

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks at a joint presser with India’s Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar (not pictured) following their talks in New Delhi, India, May 24, 2026. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Pool via Reuters)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks at a joint presser with India’s Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar (not pictured) following their talks in New Delhi, India, May 24, 2026. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Pool via Reuters)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said an announcement was possible later Sunday on a deal with Iran that could formally end the Middle East war, insisting goals had been met.

"I do think perhaps there is the possibility that in the next few hours the world will get some good news," Rubio told reporters in New Delhi.

Rubio, who is on his first visit to India, said the emerging deal would address US President Donald Trump's concerns on the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has largely blocked in response to the US-Israeli attack.

The agreement would also start a "process that can ultimately leave us where the president wants us to be, and that is a world that no longer has to fear or worry about an Iranian nuclear weapon", he added.

His remarks came after Trump said a proposal that included opening the Strait of Hormuz had been "largely negotiated".

"An Agreement has been largely negotiated, subject to finalization between the United States of America, Iran, and the various other Countries," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Saturday.

The emerging agreement has quickly met criticism from usual supporters of Trump including Senator Ted Cruz and Mike Pompeo, Trump's secretary of state in his first term.

Both are staunch supporters of Israel and voiced opposition to Iran soon receiving benefits such as the unimpeded ability to sell its oil.

Cruz said the outcome could be a "disastrous mistake".

Asked about the criticism, Rubio said "no one has been stronger" among US presidents against Iran by launching the war, codenamed Epic Fury.

"When this conflict began with Iran, the goals were outlined, they were very simple, they were very clear -- we were going to destroy their navy, which was done," he said.

Rubio said the United States also aimed to "significantly reduce" Iran's ability to fire ballistic missiles and to "do damage to the defense-industrial base" of the country.

"Those were the objectives of Epic Fury. Those objectives were achieved," Rubio said.

World

Cyprus Votes for New Parliament with Corruption and Living Costs in Focus

A woman casts her vote in the parliamentary elections at a polling station in Nicosia, Cyprus, 24 May 2026. EPA/George Christophorou
A woman casts her vote in the parliamentary elections at a polling station in Nicosia, Cyprus, 24 May 2026. EPA/George Christophorou
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Cyprus Votes for New Parliament with Corruption and Living Costs in Focus

A woman casts her vote in the parliamentary elections at a polling station in Nicosia, Cyprus, 24 May 2026. EPA/George Christophorou
A woman casts her vote in the parliamentary elections at a polling station in Nicosia, Cyprus, 24 May 2026. EPA/George Christophorou

Cypriots ‌went to the polls on Sunday in a parliamentary election expected to deliver gains for anti-corruption campaigners and the far right, while weakening centrist parties that back President Nikos Christodoulides.

In a vote being closely watched for signs of public sentiment ahead of a 2028 presidential election, more than half a million registered voters will elect 56 lawmakers from a record field of 753 candidates, Reuters said.

Cyprus has ‌a presidential ‌system of government, but Sunday's poll ‌is ⁠a gauge of ⁠support for Christodoulides, who does not have a party of his own so relies on the backing of others to pass legislation.

Polls close at 1500 GMT, with conclusive voting results expected about two hours later.

NEWCOMERS SEEN GAINING GROUND

Three centrist parties - ⁠Diko, Dipa and EDEK - currently support ‌the president, but the ‌latest opinion polls show weaker voter backing for at ‌least two of them.

The island's other traditional ‌political forces, including the right-wing DISY and Communist AKEL parties, have also been losing ground to newer challengers.

Polls show gains for the far-right ELAM party, as ‌well as for political newcomers ALMA and Volt, which have campaigned on a platform ⁠of ⁠better accountability and rooting out corruption - an issue that is high on voters' list of priorities.

Sunday's vote might force Christodoulides to seek support elsewhere, political analysts say, with some suggesting that ELAM and DISY could be possible candidates. Neither Christodoulides nor the two parties have commented on possible post-election alliances.

The vote took place against a backdrop of persistent cost-of-living pressures, housing affordability concerns and migration, issues that have dominated political debate in the European Union member state during recent months.

World

Dozens Killed in Blast Targeting Train in SW Pakistan

Firefighters work to extinguish the burning cars at the site of bomb explosion, in Quetta, Pakistan, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Arshad Butt)
Firefighters work to extinguish the burning cars at the site of bomb explosion, in Quetta, Pakistan, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Arshad Butt)
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Dozens Killed in Blast Targeting Train in SW Pakistan

Firefighters work to extinguish the burning cars at the site of bomb explosion, in Quetta, Pakistan, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Arshad Butt)
Firefighters work to extinguish the burning cars at the site of bomb explosion, in Quetta, Pakistan, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Arshad Butt)

At least 24 people were killed on Sunday in a blast targeting a train carrying military personnel in Pakistan's turbulent southwestern province of Balochistan, a senior official said.

Army servicemen were among the victims in the attack in the provincial capital Quetta, which left more than 50 people injured, the official told AFP.

Images showed a mangled train carriage on its side as people clambered over the wreckage to find survivors.

People could be seen carrying blood-soaked victims on stretchers away from a derailed car, while armed security forces stood guard.

The official told AFP that the train carrying army personnel and their family members was going from Quetta to Peshawar in Pakistan's northwest.

The train was passing a signal at Chaman Pattak in Quetta "when an explosive-laden car hit one of the carriages that resulted in a big blast", the official said.

Windows were blown out and nearby vehicles were destroyed in the explosion.

Another official told AFP that the army personnel were travelling to celebrate the Eid holiday, which is due to start on Tuesday.

Balochistan is Pakistan's poorest province and largest by landmass. It lags behind the rest of the country in almost every index, including education, employment and economic development.

Baloch separatists accuse Pakistan's government of exploiting the province's natural gas and abundant mineral resources without benefiting the local population.