Pakistan-Trump tango fails, Iran makes shocking entry amid Taliban showdown; China & Russia next?

Iran is positioning itself as a key mediator in the latest Pakistan-Afghanistan crisis, offering to broker peace after deadly border clashes threatened to spiral out of control and as US influence in South Asia appears to wane. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi directly contacted Pakistani and Afghan counterparts, encouraging dialogue and proposing third-party assistance to lower tensions, even as Taliban-led talks with Pakistan in Istanbul broke down.