US defense secretary meets Iran's Araghchi at the Pentagon

WASHINGTON, United States — WASHINGTON — US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hosted Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi at the Pentagon for talks covering diplomatic relations between the two countries, regional security issues and recent developments in nuclear negotiations, officials said. The meeting addressed matters said to directly affect the interests of both the United States and Iran. No detailed readout of the discussions was released by either side following the talks. The meeting follows a period of renewed contacts between Washington and Tehran over Iran's nuclear program and security concerns in the Middle East, including the situation in Iraq and the wider Gulf region. Iran and the United States have held intermittent discussions in recent months aimed at containing tensions, though core disagreements over uranium enrichment and sanctions have remained unresolved. Further details from the Pentagon meeting had not been made public as of publication. Officials from both governments were expected to provide additional information in the coming days.