Araghchi’s Pakistan visit unrelated to nuclear talks, Iranian MP says

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US special envoy Steve Witkoff and White House adviser Jared Kushner will travel to Islamabad on Saturday for talks with Iran, after Tehran initiated contact with the Trump administration, the White House said.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Iran had requested in-person discussions, adding that “the Iranians want to talk in person,” in remarks aired on Newsmax.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) continues to maintain a potent asymmetric naval threat in the Strait of Hormuz despite heavy losses to Iran’s conventional naval forces, a Hudson Institute report said.

The report said the IRGC relies on so-called “mosquito fleet” tactics, including swarm operations, naval mines and drones, to preserve its ability to disrupt maritime traffic in the Gulf.

"Many of the IRGC Navy’s fast-attack crafts are inexpensive, lightly built, highly mobile, and often armed with short-range anti-ship missiles, rockets, and heavy machine guns. Some vessels are even configured as explosive-laden suicide crafts," the report said.

It added that while Iran’s conventional navy has been significantly degraded, its asymmetric capabilities remain largely intact.

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The US Navy tested a new long-range air-launched weapon designed for maritime strike and sea mining missions, USNI News reported on Wednesday, citing service officials.

Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) said the system, referred to as the JDAM Long Range (GBU-75) in the test briefing, is a Boeing-developed extension of the Joint Direct Attack Munition concept.

Officials said Navy aircraft conducted multiple test flights, with the weapon travelling more than 200 nautical miles and designed for a range of up to 300 nautical miles.

The system extends stand-off range beyond existing weapons such as the Harpoon and SLAM-ER missiles, which reach about 140–150 nautical miles.

The US Central Command said on Friday the guided-missile destroyer USS Rafael Peralta enforced Washington’s blockade on Iranian ports by directing an Iranian-flagged vessel attempting to sail toward Iran.

Former US deputy national security adviser Victoria Coates said on Friday Iran’s leadership has effectively collapsed, leaving Tehran confused and unable to respond coherently to current developments.

Speaking on Fox News, Coates said the situation facing Iran is not a matter of negotiation, but of pressure and ultimatums backed by the threat of force.

“This really isn’t a discussion… it’s saying, here are the terms: if you want to survive as an entity, you will accept this—if you won’t, we’re going to go in and destroy you,” Coates said.