WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said he had received “some pretty good news” on Iran as Pakistan intensified diplomatic efforts to broker a peace deal, while oil tankers began transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday.
According to MarineTraffic data, four liquefied petroleum gas carriers, along with several oil product and chemical tankers, were passing through Iranian waters south of Larak Island.
Additional vessels were reported to be following from the Gulf, signalling a resumption of maritime traffic in one of the world’s most critical energy corridors.
The development came hours after Trump said he had received “some pretty good news” regarding Iran, though he declined to provide further details while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One late on Friday.
“It seems to be going very well in the Middle East with Iran,” Trump said while returning to Washington from Phoenix, Arizona.
“We’re negotiating over the weekend. I expect things to go well. Many of these things have been negotiated and agreed to.”
He reiterated that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons remained the central objective.
“The main thing is that Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. You cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon, and that supersedes everything else,” he said.
Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz following a US-brokered ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon reached on Thursday.
Before the conflict, the strait accounted for roughly one-fifth of global oil trade.
Pakistan intensifies diplomatic efforts
Pakistan had earlier secured a 14-day ceasefire between the United States and Iran on April 8, helping stabilise a situation that had severely disrupted global energy supplies and maritime traffic.
Tehran on Friday declared the Strait of Hormuz “completely open” for commercial shipping for the first time since the war began, a move seen as a significant confidence-building measure.
The strategic waterway had been restricted by Iran following the launch of US and Israeli military operations on February 28, raising concerns over global oil flows and supply chains.
Pakistan has continued high-level engagement with regional stakeholders, including recent meetings in Tehran between Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Iran’s top leadership, aimed at sustaining dialogue and narrowing differences.
Pakistan’s role as a mediator has drawn increasing international attention, with officials and analysts noting its ability to maintain communication with both sides and facilitate talks at a time of heightened tensions.
As negotiations continue, Islamabad has positioned itself at the centre of diplomatic efforts to transform the fragile ceasefire into a lasting peace agreement, with Dar reiterating that flexibility from both sides will be key to ending the conflict permanently.
Pakistan seeks ‘permanent’ end to war
Pakistan has called for a “permanent termination” of the US-Israeli war on Iran, urging both Washington and Tehran to demonstrate flexibility as diplomatic efforts move closer to a potential agreement.
Speaking at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Türkiye, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Islamabad’s objective goes beyond extending the current ceasefire, focusing instead on securing a durable and comprehensive end to the conflict, reports Turkish news agency Anadolu,
Pakistan wants a “permanent termination” of the US-Israeli war on Iran, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told Antalya Diplomacy Forum on Friday, calling on Washington and Tehran to “show flexibility.”
Pakistan has been actively mediating between the United States and Iran since the war began on February 28, hosting the highest-level talks between the two sides since they severed diplomatic ties in 1979.
Islamabad’s “objective is not ceasefire extension. Our main objective is the permanent termination of war,” Dar said, stressing the need for a formal agreement between the parties.
Providing an update on the progress of negotiations, Dar expressed confidence that a breakthrough could be within reach.
About Pakistan’s ongoing mediation, Dar said: “More than 80% of the work has been done. And a couple of things are (remaining)… both parties have to show flexibility.”
