Pakistan’s military commander is scheduled to hold discussions with Iranian leadership Thursday in Tehran as part of an effort to reduce Middle Eastern tensions and facilitate a second round of diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran following nearly seven weeks of conflict.
According to the White House, any upcoming negotiations would probably occur in Pakistan’s capital city of Islamabad, although officials have not yet decided whether to restart the diplomatic process.
The United States continues its naval blockade of Iranian shipping lanes while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the Trump administration plans to intensify economic pressure on Iran through additional sanctions targeting nations conducting business with Tehran, describing the strategy as the “financial equivalent” of military bombardment.
Pakistan has become a crucial intermediary after hosting direct diplomatic discussions between Washington and Tehran in Islamabad, which officials say helped reduce disagreements between both nations. Negotiators are working to establish another round of talks before the current ceasefire ends next week.
On Wednesday evening, Trump posted on Truth Social that Israeli and Lebanese leaders would hold discussions Thursday in a fresh attempt to establish a ceasefire following the nations’ first direct negotiations in decades, which concluded Wednesday in Washington without reaching an agreement. The specific leaders Trump referenced remained unclear, and the Israeli prime minister’s office had not responded to requests for comment on the post, which appeared before dawn in both Israel and Lebanon.
The conflict has disrupted global markets and shaken the worldwide economy as shipping routes have been blocked and air attacks have devastated military and civilian infrastructure throughout the region. Oil costs have dropped amid hopes for an end to hostilities, while U.S. stock markets Wednesday exceeded records established in January.
Despite strain on the ceasefire agreement from the American blockade of Iranian ports and renewed Iranian warnings, regional officials reported advancement, telling The Associated Press that the United States and Iran had reached an “in principle agreement” to extend the truce to permit additional diplomacy. These sources requested anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations.
According to Iranian state media, Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi participated in preliminary discussions Wednesday with Pakistan’s army chief of staff Asim Munir.
However, while mediators pursued peace efforts, tensions continued to escalate.
Ali Abdollahi, commander of Iran’s joint military command, warned of halting regional trade if the United States refuses to end its naval blockade, while a recently appointed military adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei stated his opposition to extending the ceasefire.
Negotiators are working toward compromise on three primary obstacles that disrupted direct talks last weekend — Iran’s nuclear activities, the Strait of Hormuz, and compensation for wartime damages, according to a regional official participating in mediation efforts.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei stated Iran remains willing to discuss the nature and extent of its uranium enrichment, but emphasized his country “based on its needs, must be able to continue enrichment,” as reported by Iranian state media.
The violence has resulted in at least 3,000 deaths 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 lost their lives.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi described the opening window of peace during a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart, who updated him on recent developments in Iran-U.S. negotiations and Tehran’s considerations regarding next steps, according to a statement from China’s foreign ministry late Wednesday.
Wang informed Araghchi that the situation has reached a crucial moment between war and peace, stating that Iran’s sovereignty, security, and legitimate rights should be respected as a coastal nation of the Strait of Hormuz, while ensuring freedom of navigation and safety through the waterway.
Since hostilities began, Iran has restricted maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that carried one-fifth of global oil during peacetime. Tehran’s effective closure of the strait caused oil prices to surge dramatically, increasing costs for fuel, food, and other essential goods well beyond the Middle East, prompting the United States to implement a blockade on Iranian shipping.
U.S. Central Command reported Wednesday that no vessels had successfully passed the blockade since its implementation two days earlier, while 10 commercial ships followed directions from American forces to reverse course and return to Iranian waters.
The blockade aims to pressure Iran, which has exported millions of barrels of oil, primarily to Asia, since the war started February 28. Much of this oil has likely traveled through so-called dark transits that avoid sanctions and oversight, providing crucial funding that has been essential to Iran’s operations.
Meanwhile, Israel continued its aerial and ground campaign in Lebanon. The country’s National News Agency documented airstrikes and artillery bombardment across southern Lebanon Wednesday, including areas near Bint Jbeil, where Israeli forces have surrounded Hezbollah fighters.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israeli troops were preparing to “eliminate this great stronghold of Hezbollah” and would continue expanding control over areas in southern Lebanon.
Netanyahu indicated that negotiations are ongoing, with disarming Hezbollah as a primary objective.
The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that Israel targeted three paramedic teams Wednesday in southern Lebanon, first attacking one team and then two additional teams that responded to assist. The attacks resulted in three paramedic deaths and six wounded, according to the ministry.
The Israeli military had not immediately responded to requests for comment.
Israel and Lebanon have remained technically at war since Israel’s establishment in 1948, and Lebanon continues to be deeply divided regarding diplomatic engagement with Israel.
