Washington and Tehran have clashed over who holds the most leverage in their nearly two-month standoff
The US is mistaken to believe that it has the most leverage in the war against Iran, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said, as indirect talks between Tehran and Washington remain stalled.
The two sides disagree over which can outlast the other in the standoff triggered by the US-Israeli attack in late February. Pakistan-mediated negotiations have so far failed to produce a breakthrough.
“We have all the cards. If they want to talk, they can come to us, or they can call us,” US President Donald Trump said in an interview with Fox News on Sunday. “We are not sending people to travel 18 hours to [Islamabad].”
Araghchi, who visited Pakistan and Oman over the weekend before traveling to Russia, pushed back in a post on X, arguing that Trump does not hold the upper hand and outlining possible escalation scenarios.
“Add summer vacation to the [list of leverage] unless they want to cancel it for the US!” he wrote, referring to surging fuel prices.
Stalled talks and reported new framework
In response to the US-Israeli strikes, Iran partially closed the strategic Strait of Hormuz and has threatened shipping through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait via its Houthi allies in Yemen. The Trump administration, in turn, announced a blockade of the Persian Gulf targeting Iranian oil exports and warned it could destroy Iran’s entire “civilization.”
In his Fox interview, Trump claimed Iran cannot significantly reduce oil output and will soon run out of storage capacity, risking explosions “from within” its oil infrastructure – something he argued gives Washington leverage.
Araghchi reportedly declined to meet Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, for new talks in Islamabad, but asked intermediaries to convey a new proposal. According to Axios, the framework suggests reopening the Persian Gulf while postponing negotiations over Iran’s uranium enrichment program and stockpile. The US has justified its strikes on Iran by alleging Tehran is pursuing nuclear weapons.
Violence in Lebanon adding strain
The fragile US-Iran ceasefire remains under strain, partly due to ongoing Israeli strikes in Lebanon, which were expected to halt under the broader truce as well as a separate bilateral ceasefire extended last Friday.
During a cabinet meeting over the weekend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hezbollah – a Lebanese armed group aligned with Tehran – of “undermining the ceasefire” and announced further military action to “preempt immediate and emerging threats.”
Israel aims to establish control over large areas of southern Lebanon up to the Litani River. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported at least 14 deaths from Israeli strikes on Saturday. According to Beirut, more than 2,500 people have been killed and over 7,700 injured since Israel escalated hostilities with Lebanon amid the wider conflict with Iran.
