NPR News: 05-16-2026 3PM EDT

The Pakistani interior minister, Mohsin Naqvi, met with his counterpart in Tehran, Eskandar Momeni, according to Iranian state-backed media. The meeting was reported without further detail, but it positions Pakistan as an interlocutor in efforts to mediate an end to the war that began when the US and Israel began striking Iran in late February. While a ceasefire has held for weeks, both Iran and the US are blockading the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow sea route that funnels about a fifth of the world's oil and gas and about a third of globally traded fertilizer. That blockade has wreaked havoc across the globe, contributing to rising gas prices and fertilizer shortages.

UN seeks aid for Cuba as US refuses to contribute

The United Nations is trying to raise more money for food aid to Cuba, where a major energy crisis threatens health care and food production on the island. NPR’s Michele Kelemen reports that the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says it has raised only 30% of the $94 million it needs for Cuba’s fuel shortage. The State Department told NPR that the US will not give any money to the UN in Cuba, saying the UN has “long colluded with the regime.” The statement went on to explain that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has offered $100 million in goods to be delivered by the Catholic Church or other “independent and respected organizations.”