Hormuz Understandings at a Critical Juncture... Pakistan Points to US-Iranian Agreement

Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif spoke of observing indicators suggesting that the United States and Iran are nearing some form of arrangement regarding peace, coinciding with the start of his country’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s visit to Tehran yesterday to meet with Iranian officials.

The minister, whose country mediated the signing of an Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between the Americans and the Iranians before it collapsed amid renewed fighting around the Strait of Hormuz in early July, stated that the indicators point to the possibility of diplomatic progress that would benefit the entire region.

Although Naqvi’s visit comes at a time when Washington and Tehran have halted implementation of their commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum to end the war, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majid Al-Ansari confirmed that talks between the Sultanate of Oman and Iran regarding the opening of the Strait of Hormuz have reached an advanced stage and are at a critical juncture, noting that Doha has received positive reactions from both sides. He affirmed that his country supports any formula that ensures the security and freedom of navigation, and prevents the strait from becoming a tool for political pressure.

This development came as U.S. President Donald Trump expressed the United States’ “frustration” with Iran’s negotiating style, accusing it of dishonesty and evasion.

Trump sought to downplay the significance of domestic criticism that the conflict had triggered a wave of price hikes and disruptions in fuel supplies, insisting that the war was necessary to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. He argued that oil prices were lower than they were during the administration of his predecessor, Joe Biden.

He clarified that Washington “is not suffering from any shortage of missiles,” and relies on three strategies to deal with Tehran, including economic pressure and the possibility of returning to launch large-scale strikes.

Amid moves to reorganize Tehran’s internal and external military posture in the face of cross-border American pressure winds, Iraqi sources leaked that Iranian Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani warned leaders of Iraqi factions affiliated with the Islamic Republic during an unannounced meeting against responding to the Baghdad government’s call to restrict weapons. However, he cautioned their leaders against being drawn into armed confrontation with regular forces.

The Republican president said in statements on America’s Voice channel yesterday that the three strategies for dealing with Iran, aimed at preventing it from acquiring a nuclear weapon, are: first, close monitoring while continuing economic pressure and controlling Iranian assets; second, monitoring the deterioration of the internal situation in Iran, amid what Trump described as inflation rising to 300 percent, a decline in the currency’s value, and Tehran’s inability to pay soldiers’ salaries.

In a notable development, Trump announced that U.S. forces had completely removed mines from the Strait of Hormuz and reopened it to commercial navigation, asserting that Washington now controls the strait by 100 percent.

However, he pointed to the possibility of facing “some minor complications” due to the potential for mine fragments to fall from time to time, which could temporarily affect navigation.

He confirmed that talks with Tehran were continuing, but accused Iranian leadership of stalling and using twisted methods, describing its negotiators as “very Macron,” and noting that they might sometimes agree to understandings during negotiations, only to publicly deny them later.

On the night of Monday-Tuesday, Trump demanded that Iran pay compensation for the deaths of people, which he said Tehran caused through wars, attacks, and protests, in response to Iranians’ demand that Washington pay compensation for the current war and what they describe as U.S. violations of the Islamabad Memorandum, giving the impression that hopes for a near-term agreement allowing the opening of the Strait of Hormuz were fading.

He noted that “the US military is the only force controlling the Strait of Hormuz, which remains open to ships, except those heading to or coming from Iran.”

On the other side, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed that his country emerged victorious from the war. He stated that Iran had proven itself as an “invincible force” and amazed the world with its field and diplomatic performance, adding that Tehran had forced Washington to back down from its hardline stance. He pointed out that the US president had started the war by demanding Iran’s unconditional surrender, only to return just 20 days later seeking negotiations.

In separate remarks, during phone talks with his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul, Araghchi placed responsibility for the region’s insecurity on both the US and Israeli sides. He argued that resolving the crisis required lifting the naval blockade and halting violations, noting that consultations between Iran and the Sultanate of Oman were advancing toward establishing safe navigation mechanisms in the Strait of Hormuz.

Despite Iran’s public insistence against holding direct negotiations with Washington, Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Tehran. Pakistan is leading mediation efforts between the Iranians and Americans, with Qatar’s assistance. Meanwhile, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif told Bloomberg that the United States and Iran were nearing a “kind of understanding,” noting that indicators over the past two or three days suggested potential progress toward a peace agreement. Asif added that matters were “once again trending in favor of peace arrangements or an agreement,” viewing a lasting peace as serving the interests of the region.

Meanwhile, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Majed Al-Ansari, confirmed yesterday that talks between Oman and Iran regarding the opening of the Strait of Hormuz had reached an advanced stage and were at a critical juncture. He noted that Doha supported all efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region.

In the meantime, UAE presidential advisor Anwar Gargash affirmed that a state of “neither war nor peace” could not persist in the region, referring to the conflict between the US and Iran. He stressed that the goal was to transition to “sustainable stability” governed by “clear and shared rules,” asserting that the next phase “cannot be based on fragile foundations or arrangements detached from international law, the foundations of peaceful coexistence, respect for sovereignty, and the logic of peace.”

On another front, Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army Eyal Zamir revealed that he held an operational meeting with US Central Command (CENTCOM) commander Brad Cooper, discussing developments across all regional fronts. Amid reports of US pressure on Tel Aviv to end operations on three fronts, primarily Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza, Zamir said: “The diplomatic tracks and political negotiations underway these days are the result of the historic achievements made by the Israeli military.” He confirmed that readiness and alertness had been raised for an immediate return to intense combat, aiming to “maximize gains and shape the security reality.”

In this context, former Mossad head Yossi Cohen claimed that Israeli entities had “repeatedly toured the site of Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility to familiarize themselves with it,” considering the US bombing of the site in June 2025 as “the realization of all dreams.” Regarding Iran’s uranium enrichment levels, Cohen stated that “enriching uranium to 60 percent is still far from producing an atomic bomb.”