As U.S.-Iran negotiations stall, the Trump administration has expanded outreach beyond Oman, Pakistan, Turkey and Qatar to include Austria and Greece, whose foreign ministers met or called Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week before promptly phoning Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Analysts note this isn't formal mediation but a sign of desperation as Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global oil normally flows, pressures even neutral countries to intervene. Vice President JD Vance said the immediate priority is cheap oil and gas, notably dropping earlier language about keeping the strait toll-free.
The State Department says it made no requests of Austria or Greece and won't discuss the timing of their calls, while a European diplomat briefed on the matter said the coordination was no accident. Austria offered to host further talks, while Greece stressed freedom of navigation given its shipping interests in the region.
The full dispatch is available from the source below.