Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday seemed to mock the US’s aim to resume operations at the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway facing disruptions since the start of the US-Iran war a few weeks back. “The goal of the war seems to have shifted to opening the Strait of Hormuz, which was open before the war,” he wrote in a post on X.
Asif’s remark comes even as Pakistan is trying to position itself of a key role in potential talks between Washington and Tehran, with reports suggesting Islamabad could be the venue for negotiations. Follow live updates on Iran-US war here.
According to news agency Reuters, two officials from Pakistan have said that the US’s ceasefire proposal includes sanctions relief, a rollback of Iran’s nuclear program, limits on missiles and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Reprieve to India, Pak on Hormuz passage
As the US and Israel escalated military operations against Iran at the start of the war, Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most critical oil chokepoint, saw a blockade as vessels carrying oil faced difficulty clearing the passage. Iran, that earlier claimed to have closed the waterway for operations, later clarified that the closure only applied to the US and Israel.
In a more recent development, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said that the country has allowed ‘friendly nations’ like India, Pakistan, Iraq, China and Russia to use the Strait of Hormuz.
Resuming of operations at the strait is among the key demands raised by the US in its 15-point ceasefire proposal handed to Iran through intermediaries in Pakistan. “Ensuring the Strait of Hormuz remains open” was one of the points, as cited by Channel 12 report earlier. However, there hasn’t been any official confirmation on the details of this proposal.
Also Read: What do US and Iran want as uncertainty looms over negotiations amid war? A list of demands
Pak’s offer on Iran-US truce
Pakistan recently offered to mediate peace negotiations between Iran and the US. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a tweet said that the country was ready to be the host to “facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks” to settle the conflict. His offer was also amplified by US President Donald Trump, who shared a screenshot of the post on his Truth Social account, but didn’t provide any more details.
Even as the US stresses that negotiations are underway with Iran, it is reportedly mobilising troops in the Middle East amid the ongoing West Asia conflict. On the other hand, Iran has totally denied claims of any direct or indirect talks with the US.
Also Read: Iran says it ‘targeted’ F-18 fighter jet, releases video; US Central Command rejects claim
“Messages being conveyed through our friendly countries and us responding by stating our positions or issuing the necessary warnings is not called negotiation or dialogue,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in a state television interview on Wednesday.
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