US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has expressed hope that Pakistani mediation efforts could help advance negotiations aimed at ending the war with Iran.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Rubio said Pakistani officials were expected to travel to Tehran in an effort to move discussions forward, reports AFP.
“I believe the Pakistanis will be travelling to Tehran today. So hopefully that will advance this further,” he said.
Earlier remarks by US President Donald Trump suggested that negotiations remained fragile, with talks standing on the “borderline” between a breakthrough and renewed military escalation.
A ceasefire reached on 8 April halted weeks of fighting launched by the United States and Israel. However, efforts to secure a permanent agreement have yet to succeed despite several rounds of negotiations, including rare direct talks hosted in Islamabad.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited Iran for the second time within a week on Wednesday. He is widely considered close to Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir.
Iranian media outlets, including ISNA, reported citing unnamed sources that Munir could visit Tehran as early as Thursday. Pakistani authorities, however, did not confirm any such travel plans.
Meanwhile, China announced that Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will visit Beijing on Saturday. China has also remained involved in mediation efforts linked to the conflict.
Though large-scale fighting across the Gulf has eased since the ceasefire, uncertainty surrounding negotiations continues to weigh on the global economy.
Pakistan hosted the only direct talks between US and Iranian officials since the conflict began on 28 February. Munir reportedly helped mediate those discussions. The negotiations later stalled after Tehran accused Washington of making “excessive demands”.
Since then, both sides have exchanged several proposals while concerns over renewed conflict persisted.
Trump told reporters on Wednesday that an agreement could come “very quickly” or “in a few days”, but warned Iran must provide “100 per cent good answers”.
Rubio also criticised members of NATO for refusing to support the campaign against Iran.
“He’s not asking them to commit troops. He’s not asking them to send fighter jets. But they refuse to do anything,” Rubio said.
Iranian officials meanwhile warned of a strong response if attacks resume.
Chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Washington still appeared interested in restarting military operations despite economic and political pressure.
“The enemy’s movements, both overt and clandestine, show that despite economic and political pressure, it has not abandoned its military objectives and is seeking to start a new war,” he said on Wednesday.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran was reviewing proposals received from Washington. He repeated Iran’s demands for the release of frozen assets and an end to the US naval blockade.
Despite his strong rhetoric against Iran, Trump faces growing domestic pressure to reach a settlement as energy prices continue to rise.
Although the ceasefire ended direct fighting, the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed. The vital waterway usually carries around one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.
Iran imposed restrictions on Hormuz during the conflict, allowing only limited vessel movement while introducing a toll system. Iranian authorities overseeing the strait also claimed their area of control extends into Emirati waters, drawing criticism from the United Arab Emirates.
Relations between Iran and the UAE have remained tense since Tehran launched missile and drone strikes against Gulf states in retaliation for US-Israeli attacks.
The disruption in Hormuz has also raised fears over global food supply chains as the route handles nearly one-third of global fertiliser shipments.
Elsewhere in the region, Lebanese state media reported that an Israeli strike damaged a hospital in southern Lebanon on Thursday.
Since a truce began on 17 April, Israel has continued strikes, demolitions and evacuation orders in southern Lebanon, saying it targets Hezbollah positions. Hezbollah has also continued attacks.
Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli attacks have killed at least 3,089 people in the country since 2 March.
Hezbollah entered the conflict after launching rocket attacks on Israel following the killing of Iran’s supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes.
The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on nine individuals linked to Hezbollah, accusing them of obstructing Lebanon’s peace process.
