Pakistan Urges Trump to End Iran Blockade for Talks

Pakistan's army chief, General Asim Munir, urged U.S. President Donald Trump in a phone call on Monday to lift the American naval blockade of Iranian ports, warning that it was blocking progress toward a second round of peace talks between Washington and Tehran in Islamabad.

Munir, who recently visited Tehran to meet Iranian leaders including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, described the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as the primary obstacle to negotiations. A Pakistani security source said Trump responded that he would consider the advice, though no immediate policy shift was indicated. The call highlighted Pakistan's mediating role in the escalating U.S.-Iran tensions, which have disrupted a fragile two-month ceasefire set to expire on Wednesday unless extended.

The diplomatic setback came after Iran announced it would not send a delegation to Islamabad. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated that Tehran had no plans for new talks with the United States under current conditions. Officials in Tehran cited the blockade as a violation of the truce and a sign of bad faith, pointing to excessive U.S. demands on issues like...