The Gulf states are watching closely how Pakistan is angling to push along the US-Iran talks that appeared to falter several days ago. Pakistan wants a new round of talks.
On Wednesday, Asim Munir, head of the Pakistan Army, went to Tehran for talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The goal was to smooth the way for a new round of talks.
The Pakistani general carried with him Washington’s messages for Iran as well, Turkish media outlets reported.
Saudi-based newspaper Arab News reported: “Optimism grew on Thursday that the war in the Middle East may be near an end, with a key Pakistani mediator in Tehran and the administration of President Donald Trump talking up hopes for a deal that would open the crucial Strait of Hormuz.”
This appears to be official state messaging from Riyadh. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are allies, and they have a new military alliance that has strengthened their ties. They are large states on both sides of Iran. Pakistan is also close friends with Turkey and has warm ties with Washington and China.
If one were to map out this system of relationships, it looks something like this: Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia are three large Muslim states that are economically powerful and have strong militaries. Iran, a mostly Shi’ite and Persian country, is in the middle. China and the US are at opposite ends of the poles that intersect with this kind of triangle of states.
Ankara, Islamabad, and Riyadh believe that joint work can convince the US to climb down from carrying out new strikes. Washington appears to prefer a naval blockade for now, which it considers a kind of economic bombing campaign. The countries in the region prefer that to more war.
“US and Iranian officials were weighing a return to Pakistan for further talks as early as the coming weekend, after negotiations ended on Sunday without a breakthrough,” Arab News reported. “Pakistan’s army chief and key figure in the mediation, Field Marshal Asim Munir, arrived in Tehran on Wednesday to try to prevent a renewal of the conflict.”
“We feel good about the prospects of a deal,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a news conference on Wednesday.
“Pakistan’s military confirmed Munir had arrived in Tehran,” Arab News added. “A senior Iranian source told Reuters that Munir, who had mediated the last round of talks, would seek ‘to narrow gaps’ between the two sides.”
Iran has welcomed the visit of the Pakistanis. Pakistan’s prime minister went to Qatar to cement the peace efforts.
“The office of Shehbaz Sharif said in statements that his delegation had arrived in Doha after a trip to Saudi Arabia, and he was expected to meet with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani,” Arab News reported. “The Pakistani premier is due later in Turkey.
“The talks last weekend broke down without an agreement to end the war, which Trump began alongside Israel on February 28, triggering Iranian attacks on Iran’s Gulf neighbors as well as reigniting the Israel-Hezbollah conflict. Thousands of people have been killed, mostly in Iran and Lebanon, while soaring energy costs have rattled investors and policy-makers around the world.”
China purchases Iranian oil, US says Iran blockade is working
Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent addressed the issue of China’s purchase of Iranian oil. The US wants to prevent Iranian oil being shipped around the world. Some Iranian oil is currently sitting in oil tankers off the coast of Iran.
“The US Treasury had warned two Chinese banks not to process Iranian money or face sanctions, [Bessent] said, without naming the banks,” Arab News reported. “China previously bought more than 80 percent of Iran’s shipped oil.”
Trump hinted at US-China talks in a post about Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump was supposed to have gone to China sometime over the past month, but the trip was postponed.
Meanwhile, US Central Command said the US blockade of Iran was working. Iran said at least one Iranian supertanker had crossed the blockade line and made it to Iran’s Imam Khomeini Port.
“The empty Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) RHN entered the Gulf on Wednesday, data from LSEG and Kpler showed,” Arab News reported. “It was not immediately clear where the VLCC, which is capable of carrying 2 million barrels of oil, is heading. The tanker’s entry into the Gulf comes a day after US-sanctioned VLCC Alicia passed through the Strait of Hormuz. The Alicia is heading to Iraq, Kpler data showed.”
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Jeddah on Wednesday.
The reports of the meetings come as the US appears to be pushing for Israel and Lebanon to have talks and a ceasefire. The first talks happened earlier this week at the ambassadorial level in Washington. Iran wants Lebanon included in the ceasefire.