Trump says he will consider advice from CDF Munir on Hormuz blockade, Pakistani source says
- Strait of Hormuz blockade being a hurdle to peace talks
ISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump told Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Asim Munir that he would consider Munir’s advice on the Strait of Hormuz blockade being a hurdle to peace talks with Iran when the two spoke by phone, a Pakistani security source said on Monday.
Pakistan has continued to position itself as a key diplomatic bridge between the United States and Iran, sustaining backchannel engagement and offering its soil as a venue for dialogue. Even as tensions flare and negotiations stall over core disagreements such as sanctions, blockades, and security demands, Islamabad has maintained contact with both sides, relaying proposals and urging restraint to preserve fragile ceasefire arrangements.
Concerns grew on Monday that the ceasefire between the United States and Iran might not hold after the US said it had seized an Iranian cargo ship that tried to run its blockade and Iran vowed to retaliate.
Efforts to build a more lasting peace in the region likewise appeared to be on shaky ground, as Iran said it would not participate in a second round of negotiations that the US had hoped to kick off before the ceasefire expires on Tuesday.
Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday that the United States was not serious about pursuing diplomacy, citing what it called “violations” of their two-week ceasefire.
“While claiming diplomacy and readiness for negotiations, the US is carrying out behaviours that do not in any way indicate seriousness in pursuing a diplomatic process,” said ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei in a weekly press briefing.
Iran has been at war with Israel and the United States since February 28 when strikes killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, triggering a conflict that has engulfed the region.
Tehran and Washington have since held a round of negotiations which failed to culminate in a deal to end the war. It took place against the backdrop of a fragile two-week ceasefire which began on April 8.
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