Sergey Lavrov, the foreign minister of Russia, spoke overnight with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, amid concerns over a potential renewal of fighting between the United States and Israel and Iran.
Lavrov said that “the fighting must not resume” and added that Russia is ready to assist in any way necessary.
According to information obtained by Israel Hayom, the US is not willing to set another date for talks with Iran at this stage. At the same time, grim economic data point to a sharp deterioration and an increasing pressure to renew contacts with the Americans.
by Danny Zaken Published on 04-13-2026 22:38 Last modified: 04-14-2026 00:05
US rejects Iranian request for another meeting in Pakistan
An Iranian civilian walks past a destroyed building in Tehran. Photo: EPA
Immediately after the breakdown of the Iran-US talks in Pakistan, the Pakistanis began trying to arrange another meeting in Islamabad. While those efforts by the Pakistani mediators were being reported, information obtained by Israel Hayom shows that at this stage the Americans are not prepared to set another date for talks.
The US intends to fully leverage the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Washington’s precondition was the full reopening of the strait, as had previously been agreed, a condition the Iranians did not meet.
According to CNN, senior officials in President Donald Trump’s administration are discussing a possible additional meeting with the Iranians, in Geneva or in Islamabad.
טראמפ על רקע הורמוז , רויטרס, AFP
US President Donald Trump against the backdrop of the Strait of Hormuz | Photo: Reuters, AFP
Rift at top of regime deepens
Iran’s regime, led by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has almost no reserves left to continue the fighting, according to assessments by diplomatic and security officials in the US and the Middle East. Those officials say the situation is expected to worsen further if the Strait of Hormuz is closed, and that Iran’s political leadership is therefore likely to press the Guard’s leadership to renew contacts with the US in order to secure relief.
Differences between senior Guard commanders Ahmad Vahidi and Ali Abdollahi and the civilian political leadership are deep, and growing. Their refusal to allow Foreign Minister Masoud Pezeshkian and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf to discuss the nuclear issue without an immediate return in the form of sanctions relief was what led to the collapse of the talks in Pakistan.
נשיא איראן, מסעוד פזשכיאן , אי.פי
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Photo: AP
Intelligence reaching the US, Israel and Gulf states involved in the issue shows that Iran’s foreign currency reserves have been almost entirely depleted. The formal economy run by Pezeshkian’s government is showing exceptionally high unemployment, triple-digit inflation, a currency that continues to slide and the near-total blockage of almost every source of income.
Economic collapse?
Reports indicate that Iran’s Finance Ministry and central bank are sending Pezeshkian daily warnings about the state of the economy and that Iran will struggle to recover even if the war ends now, unless sweeping reforms are introduced and resources are redirected toward the economy.
According to a report by opposition-linked Iran International, officials at the central bank of the Islamic Republic warned the government that if the current situation continues, inflation will reach 180% and another 2 million people will join the ranks of the unemployed. The report said central bank governor Abdolnaser Hemmati stressed to Pezeshkian that Iran must reach an agreement with the US and lift internet restrictions in order to improve the economic situation.
Hemmati took part in the talks in Islamabad and presented Iran’s demand for sanctions to be lifted and frozen assets to be released. He made clear that without immediate income, large parts of Iran’s population would face the danger of hunger.
Iran, today. Photo: EPA
The Americans made clear that they would be prepared to release the frozen funds, provided the money was directed to civilian needs. The economic discussion made no progress because of disagreements over the nuclear issue and over Iran’s refusal to reopen Hormuz, as it had undertaken to do as a condition for a ceasefire.
The intelligence also points to the collapse of Iran’s second economy, the one run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Guards control numerous companies that dominate Iran’s energy sector, including oil exports, as well as mining, aviation, pharmaceuticals, heavy industry and more. Almost all of those sectors, except oil, have nearly ceased operating. The meaning is a reduction in the regime’s offensive capabilities.
Another aspect, no less important, is the freezing of bank accounts and financial assets belonging to companies tied to the Guards and to their senior figures, meaning a direct blow to the personal wealth of the Guard’s top brass.
Middle East expert Yoni Ben Menachem warns that behind Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statements lies a structured plan to build a new Sunni axis that could replace Iran’s regional role.
Ben Menachem, a researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, cautions that Turkey is emerging, in his view, as an increasing strategic threat to Israel. He argues that the policies led by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan go far beyond public rhetoric. According to him, “Turkey is the new Iran.”
Ben Menachem’s assessment corresponds to steps taken by Ankara in recent years to position itself as a regional leader, partly by taking an active role in defending the Palestinian cause and opposing Israeli interests in the region.
On Sunday, Erdogan accused Israel of carrying out atrocities against Palestine and Lebanon and threatened potential military action against the Jewish state, similar to its past interventions in Karabakh and Libya.
These latest comments, along with the already strained relations between Ankara and Jerusalem, could lead the two regional powers to sever ties completely, as MK Amichai Eliyahu suggested in his response to Erdogan on Sunday.
Alongside the diplomatic front, Turkey is also strengthening its military presence in Syria, in coordination with Ahmed al-Sharaa. However, Ben Menachem notes that Ankara has so far been cautious about approaching southern Syria, due to concerns over a direct confrontation with Israel.
Regarding Turkey’s leadership, Ben Menachem described Erdogan as the most dangerous figure from Israel’s perspective and also identified Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan as another key power player in Ankara. He noted reports of tensions between the two, linked to Fidan’s alleged ambitions to eventually succeed Erdogan, though he added it remains unclear whether such a scenario will materialize.
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