DUBAI – As the clock ticks down to the end of a fragile ceasefire, Pakistan is taking proactive steps to facilitate a fresh round of discussions between the United States and Iran. However, escalating tensions near the Strait of Hormuz have cast doubt on whether these talks will proceed as scheduled.
This past weekend saw the United States seize an Iranian-flagged cargo ship, alleging it had attempted to bypass a blockade of Iranian ports. In response, Iran’s military leadership has promised retaliation, with Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi conveying to his Pakistani counterpart that the American actions represent “clear signs” of insincerity ahead of the anticipated negotiations, according to reports from Iranian state media.
Amid this rising tension and with the ceasefire set to conclude midweek, Pakistan has ramped up its diplomatic efforts, engaging both Washington and Tehran extensively in the past day. Two Pakistani officials, speaking anonymously due to lack of authorization to discuss the matter publicly, indicated that the aim is to hold the talks on Tuesday as originally planned.
U.S. President Donald Trump previously announced that American negotiators were scheduled to arrive in Pakistan on Monday. However, it remains uncertain if these plans will proceed unchanged. While Iran has not officially addressed the potential talks, Iranian state media, relying on unnamed sources, have suggested that the discussions might not go forward.
The situation has further deteriorated with Iran restricting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway linking the Persian Gulf to broader global waters, following a joint U.S. and Israeli attack on February 28 that ignited the conflict. The U.S. has responded by implementing a blockade on Iranian ports.
Approximately 20% of the global oil supply typically traverses this strategic passage, along with essential shipments of fertilizers, natural gas, and humanitarian aid crucial for countries like Afghanistan and Sudan.
Iran says more than 3,000 have been killed in country so far
Since the war started, at least 3,375 people have been killed in Iran, according to a new toll released Monday in official Iranian media by Abbas Masjedi, the head of Iran’s Legal Medicine Organization. He did not break down casualties among civilians and security forces, instead just saying that 2,875 were male and 496 were female. Masjedi said 383 of the dead were children 18 years old and under.
More than 2,290 people have also been killed in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 U.S. service members throughout the region have been killed.
Oil prices on the rise again after renewed conflict in Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz has also sent oil prices skyrocketing and given rise to one of the worst global energy crises in decades.
Oil prices recovered slightly following Iran’s announcement that the strait was being reopened a 10-day truce between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon took hold on Friday.
But then Trump said the U.S. blockade “will remain in full force” until Tehran reaches a deal with the U.S. and on Sunday the military seized the Iranian cargo ship, the first interception since the blockade began last week.
Iran’s joint military command called the armed boarding an act of piracy and a ceasefire violation, the state broadcaster said, and vowed to again enforce restrictions imposed early in the war. Already on Saturday, Iran fired at ships trying to transit.
Oil prices were up again in early trading on Monday, with Brent crude, the international standard, at about $95 a barrel — up more than 30% from the day the war started.
Iran early Monday warned it could keep up the global economic pain as ships remained unable to transit the strait, with hundreds of vessels waiting at each end for clearance.
Security of the strait is not free and “the choice is clear: either a free oil market for all, or the risk of significant costs for everyone,” Mohammad Reza Aref, first vice president of Iran, said in a social media post calling for a lasting end to military and economic pressure on Tehran.
___
Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Rising from Bangkok.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
