Pakistan Mediates US-Iran Peace Talks Amid Hormuz Tensions

Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi traveled to Tehran on August 11, 2026, to revive diplomatic mediation between the United States and Iran. The visit comes as a 60-day memorandum of understanding, brokered in June by Pakistan and Qatar, is set to expire this Sunday. Naqvi met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, and Petroleum Minister Mohsen Paknejad to discuss regional security and the unblocking of the Strait of Hormuz.

Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz have escalated following U.S. accusations that Iran attacked commercial ships. The United States Armed Forces have imposed a blockade on Iranian ports and recently fired on a Panama-flagged cargo ship. While President Donald Trump asserts that U.S. forces maintain "total control" of the waterway, Iran seeks to control the route and charge passage fees, while finalizing a joint management arrangement with Oman.

Peace negotiations remain deadlocked over financial demands: Donald Trump is seeking conflict compensation from Iran, while Tehran demands war reparations as a precondition for resolution. Despite this, Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif indicated that the two nations are close to an arrangement. Parallel to these mediation efforts, Naqvi and President Pezeshkian discussed expanding bilateral trade to $10 billion and increasing cooperation in petroleum refining and security. Meanwhile, Pakistan condemned recent Houthi attacks in the Red Sea that killed three Pakistani nationals.