Pakistan, Qatar Signal Progress in US-Iran Talks Despite Fresh Shipping Attacks

Pakistan and Qatar, the key mediators in the ongoing conflict, indicated on Tuesday that negotiations between the United States and Iran are progressing, even as new attacks on commercial shipping were reported in regional waters.

Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said in an interview that recent signals suggest the two sides are close to reaching an arrangement. "The signals in the last two three days are that we are close to some sort of an arrangement," he stated. This follows a meeting in Tehran between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

Qatar's Foreign Ministry also said that separate talks between Oman and Iran regarding the management of the Strait of Hormuz have reached an advanced stage. The strait is a critical waterway through which a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flowed before the war.

These diplomatic signals offer a glimmer of hope after prospects for a deal appeared to dim on Monday. Iran has stated it is nearing a final pact with Oman on new shipping lanes but insists the waterway will not reopen unless the US meets conditions, including compensation and an end to sanctions. Washington, however, has made new demands. President Donald Trump said the US would seek reparations from Iran for damage over a 50-year period.

Despite the diplomatic momentum, the threat to maritime trade remains acute. Yemen's Transport Ministry reported that four crew members were killed in a suspected Houthi attack on a cargo vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb strait. If confirmed, this would be the first fatalities in a Houthi strike on shipping since the war began. Separately, a container ship was reportedly hit by a missile in the Gulf of Oman, with sources suggesting a US attack after the crew ignored warnings related to the naval blockade on Iranian ports.

Oil prices fell back on Tuesday after hitting a one-week high, reflecting some market optimism about a potential deal, though prices remain significantly higher than pre-war levels.