Pakistan Says US, Iran May Be Nearing Deal on Strait of Hormuz

Pakistan signaled on Tuesday that the United States and Iran may be moving closer to a peace arrangement, even as both sides hardened their positions and fresh attacks on shipping highlighted the ongoing risks to regional trade. Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told reporters in Islamabad that recent signals indicated the two countries were nearing some sort of deal concerning the Strait of Hormuz. "Things are shaping up again in favor of a peace arrangement or a deal," Asif said. "The signals in the last two three days are that we are close to some sort of an arrangement."

The comments came as Pakistan intensified its diplomatic efforts. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Tehran on Tuesday for high-level meetings with Iranian officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The visit, Naqvi's sixth to the Iranian capital since the conflict began, aims to follow up on the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding and revive Pakistan's mediation role. A diplomatic source said the principal objective is to keep Pakistan's mediation channel active and advance the broader process that emerged from the June agreement.