Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to travel to Islamabad by this weekend to attend the proposed second round of the US-Iran talks, according to news agency AP. Araghchi may arrive in Islamabad on Friday night with a small delegation for the talks, the report added.
Separately, a US logistics and security team is already in the Pakistani capital, news agency Reuters cited a government source.
The development comes amid Islamabad’s ongoing efforts to mediate between Washington and Tehran following the first round of talks held on April 11. However, Tehran has so far not sent a delegation for the second round, and discussions that were expected earlier this week did not take place.
US President Donald Trump earlier announced an indefinite extension of the ceasefire with Iran at Pakistan’s request, as Islamabad sought more time for diplomatic outreach.
Meanwhile, tensions remain elevated in the Strait of Hormuz, the shipping route that handles nearly a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas supplies during peacetime.
Iran has continued to tighten its grip on movement through the strait, having attacked three vessels earlier this week, while the US has sustained its blockade of Iranian ports and directed its forces to “shoot and kill” small boats suspected of laying mines.
The US has also increased its military presence in the region. According to US Central Command, three aircraft carriers, USS George H.W. Bush, USS Abraham Lincoln, and USS Gerald R. Ford, are currently deployed across the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, and Red Sea, respectively.
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This marks the first such deployment since 2003 and includes around 200 aircraft and 15,000 personnel.
The ongoing conflict has also impacted global energy markets, with Brent crude rising above $107 per barrel in spot trading on Friday, up nearly 50% since February 28, when the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran.
