These are the updates for Tuesday, February 25, 2025 as Republicans endeavour to pass a budget bill through the House.

Iran will not succumb to pressure and sanctions imposed by Washington, the Islamic Republic's top diplomat said on Tuesday after meeting his Russian counterpart, days after Moscow held initial talks with the U.

Netanyahu has long expressed his opposition to Iran, its nuclear programme and its proxies, which include Palestinian militant group Hamas with which Israel has been fighting in G

A speedy resumption of oil exports from Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region would help offset any fall in Iranian exports. Reuters previously reported that the White House is piling pressure on Iraq to allow Kurdish oil exports to restart or face sanctions alongside Iran.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has volunteered to mediate negotiations between US President Donald Trump and Iran to ease tensions over the nuclear program, with indications from both sides showing openness to dialogue.

Abbas Araghchi criticized what he described as "verbal tensions" and "quick-tempered policies" after the Trump-Zelensky meeting.

An Iranian cleric walks past a Jewish symbol of a menorah, shaped to spell the Hebrew words "shalom olam," meaning "world peace," during a ceremony commemorating the Jewish soldiers who died in the Iran-Iraq war (1980-88) at a Jewish cemetery in southern Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 6, 2025. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

With Iran already wounded economically and diplomatically, hard-liners forced out two top officials and blocked talks with the United States, freezing President Masoud Pezeshkian’s agenda.

Vladimir Putin has agreed to 'play mediator' by helping Donald Trump to engage in direct talks with Iran. The Russian leader's unexpected new role as middle-man comes amid Trump 's reported to desire to "broker" a nuclear deal with the nation.

Iranian officials told The Telegraph that Tehran was considering the request from Putin. In recent months, things have changed drastically for Iran following Trump's return to the White House. While Iran's 85-year-old supreme leader in August opened the door to negotiations with the West, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei slammed it shut again in February.

Russia has offered to mediate between the United States and Iran, a source briefed on discussions told Reuters on Tuesday, as the Kremlin vowed to do everything possible to facilitate a peaceful solution to tensions over Tehran's nuclear program.