Mediator Pakistan says encouraging US, Iran to resume talks

Pakistan said Thursday it will keep pushing the United States and Iran to halt hostilities and resume technical-level talks under a memorandum of understanding it helped broker last month.

Foreign Office spokesman Tahir Andrabi confirmed the position at a briefing in Islamabad, where he acknowledged that implementing the agreement has run into difficulties.

What is the Pakistan-brokered MoU between the US and Iran?

The memorandum of understanding, mediated by Pakistan last month, calls on the United States and Iran to end hostilities and return to technical-level negotiations. Andrabi said implementation is facing challenges, but Islamabad will continue urging both sides to honor the deal and resume talks in line with its terms.

"While the implementation of the MoU is facing challenges, Pakistan will continue to encourage all sides to end violence and resume technical-level talks in accordance with the MoU," Andrabi told reporters. His remarks came as Washington and Tehran remained locked in a sixth day of renewed fighting, despite the preliminary agreement reached in June.

Why does Pakistan want the Strait of Hormuz situation resolved?

Andrabi said Pakistan hopes for an early normalization of the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic Gulf shipping route at the center of the renewed conflict. He stressed the importance of protecting maritime navigation through the waterway.

"We express the hope for an early normalization of the situation in Strait of Hormuz and underscore the importance of ensuring the continued safety, security and freedom of maritime navigation," he said. Iran has said it controls the strait, a key corridor for global oil and gas shipments.

How has the conflict affected global oil prices?

The United States has carried out strikes on Iran this week, drawing retaliatory Iranian attacks on American interests in the Gulf. The escalation has pushed global oil prices higher and stoked inflation concerns in countries well beyond the conflict zone.

Andrabi said Pakistan recognizes the urgent need to address the fallout on global energy supplies, along with trade and food security. Islamabad's mediation push comes as fears grow that the standoff could disrupt commodity markets far beyond the Gulf region.

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