ISLAMABAD (AP) — Behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts continued Tuesday as officials worked to organize another round of negotiations between the United States and Iran following Washington’s implementation of a naval blockade at Iranian ports, while Tehran issued warnings of potential retaliatory strikes throughout the conflict-torn region.
President Donald Trump indicated that another round of negotiations could take place “over the next two days,” informing the New York Post that discussions might once again occur in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres agreed with this assessment, stating it’s “highly probable” that negotiations will resume. He referenced a discussion he held with Pakistan’s deputy prime minister, Ishaq Dar.
In Washington, the first face-to-face discussions in decades between Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the United States wrapped up with positive results, the State Department reported.
Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter stated that both nations are “on the same side of the equation” regarding “liberating Lebanon” from Hezbollah militants. Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad described the session as “constructive” while calling for an end to the current conflict between Israel and Iran-supported Hezbollah forces. This war has forced over 1 million Lebanese people from their homes since March.
Israel and Lebanon have remained technically in a state of war since Israel’s establishment in 1948, with Lebanon continuing to be sharply divided regarding diplomatic relations with Israel.
Initial negotiations held in Pakistan over the weekend, designed to permanently resolve the US-Iran conflict, failed to reach any agreement. The White House identified Iran’s nuclear program as a primary obstacle.
A US official stated Tuesday that additional discussions with Iran remain under consideration, though no meetings have been confirmed. The official requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the negotiations.
Pakistan’s finance minister, Muhammad Aurangzeb, informed The Associated Press that “our leadership is not giving up” on efforts to help resolve the US-Iran conflict.
“We’ll keep at it,” Aurangzeb stated Tuesday.
While the ceasefire appeared stable, the standoff over the crucial Strait of Hormuz threatened to restart fighting and worsen the regional conflict’s economic impact.
The conflict, now entering its seventh week, has disrupted markets and shaken the global economy as shipping routes have been blocked and airstrikes have devastated military and civilian infrastructure throughout the region.
The violence has claimed at least 3,000 lives in Iran, over 2,100 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel, and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab nations. Thirteen American service members have also died.
The blockade aims to pressure Iran, which has shipped millions of oil barrels, primarily to Asian markets, since fighting began February 28. Much of this oil likely moved through covert transportation methods that avoid sanctions and monitoring, providing crucial revenue for Iran’s operations.
US Central Command reported Tuesday that no vessels successfully passed the blockade during the initial 24-hour period, while six commercial ships followed US military directions to reverse course and return to an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman.
Oil tankers approaching the strait Monday changed direction shortly after the blockade began, though one vessel reversed course again and passed through the waterway.
The tanker Rich Starry had been positioned off the United Arab Emirates coast, according to shipping data company Lloyd’s List, which referenced information from energy cargo-tracking firm Vortexa. It remained unclear whether the tanker had previously docked in Iran, though the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control listed it as connected to Iranian shipping.
Lloyd’s List, using ship registry and tracking information, indicated the vessel belongs to a Chinese shipping company and was destined for China with a planned stop at an Omani port south of the strait. The ship modified its broadcast signal Tuesday evening to remove its previous destination of Sohar, Oman, according to maritime analytics firm MarineTraffic tracking data.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that Chinese tankers would be prohibited from passing through the strait. “So they’re not going to be able to get their oil,” he informed reporters Tuesday.
In unusual public criticism apparently aimed at Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping stated that nations should “oppose the world’s retrogression to the law of the jungle.” Xi emphasized that countries should work to “jointly safeguard genuine multilateralism.”
Since the conflict began, Iran has restricted maritime traffic, with most commercial vessels avoiding the waterway. Tehran’s effective closure of the strait, which handles one-fifth of global oil transit during peaceful times, has caused oil prices to surge, increasing costs for gasoline, food, and other essential goods well beyond the Middle East.
Trump has warned he will destroy any Iranian military ships that challenge the US blockade. Iran has promised to target Persian Gulf ports if attacked.
French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will jointly lead a conference Friday for nations willing to provide warships to escort oil tankers and container ships through the strait. The deployment will occur “when security conditions allow,” Macron’s office announced Tuesday.
The Israel-Lebanon discussions in Washington were “productive,” the State Department confirmed, noting that “all sides agreed to launch direct negotiations at a mutually agreed time and venue.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who facilitated the discussions, had minimized expectations for immediate results.
Israeli ambassador Leiter stated after the talks that both countries found common ground in multiple areas.
“The Lebanese government made it very clear that they will no longer be occupied by Hezbollah, and Iran has been weakened. Hezbollah is dramatically weakened,” he explained. “This is an opportunity.”
Lebanon’s top US envoy Moawad issued a brief statement calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah and the safe return of Lebanese civilians displaced by the fighting.
Following the ceasefire in Iran, Israel continued its air and ground operations, maintaining that the truce does not cover fighting in Lebanon. However, it has suspended strikes in Beirut, the country’s capital since April 8, after a devastating bombardment that struck multiple crowded commercial and residential areas in central Beirut and killed over 350 people in a single day.
These casualties prompted international condemnation and Iranian threats to abandon the ceasefire.
Lebanese officials have advocated for a ceasefire. Israel has structured the negotiations around Hezbollah’s disarmament and a possible peace agreement, without publicly promising to stop hostilities or withdraw its forces.
Israel wants Lebanon’s government to take responsibility for disarming Hezbollah, similar to what was outlined in a November 2024 ceasefire. However, the militant organization has withstood decades of efforts to reduce its power and announced Monday that it will not honor any agreements that might emerge from the talks.
