US, Iran attacks overshadow Pakistani truce efforts
Ten consecutive days of attacks between the United States and Iran in the Middle East have cast a shadow over diplomatic efforts in Pakistan to salvage a temporary ceasefire agreement that collapsed as the two countries battled for control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni visited Pakistan, a key mediator in the conflict, aiming to revive diplomacy, but it was unclear what new arrangement could be reached to end the war.
Speaking from the Oval Office, US President Donald Trump showed a pessimistic perspective on possible negotiations, saying that the US was “not interested in the meeting”.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has largely halted, and as the fight for control over the key waterway intensifies, both sides have targeted the civilian infrastructure relied on by millions of people in the region.
Intensive US attacks have not forced Iran to loosen its grip on the strait, through which approximately one-fifth of the world’s crude oil and natural gas was transported before the war.
The United States continued its air strikes against the Islamic Republic on Tuesday, and Iran attacked a tanker in the strait, forcing the crew to abandon ship.
Iran also continued its attacks against US allies in the region.
Sirens in Bahrain and Kuwait warned residents of incoming shells on Tuesday afternoon.
In the Red Sea, Iran-backed Houthi rebels have opened a new front against Saudi Arabia by imposing a naval blockade of the kingdom, threatening global oil supplies and trade flows.
With the Strait of Hormuz closed, Saudi Arabia is relying on a pipeline to the Red Sea to deliver millions of barrels of oil to the market.
SABA, a news agency run by Yemen’s Houthi movement, said on Tuesday that six ships in the Red Sea had to be rerouted after receiving warnings from the rebel group.
The claim could not immediately be verified.
Three Houthi officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the group warned international shipping companies on Monday not to transit the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the gateway to the Red Sea at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula.
Momeni met with Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, according to two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations.
Momeni later met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
In the statement, Sharif expressed his deep concern about the recent tension between the USA and Iran and called on all parties to act with restraint and avoid actions that could further destabilize the region.
Pakistan’s political leadership and Munir played key roles in brokering the interim agreement signed between the United States and Iran last month.
Pakistani officials are trying to persuade both sides to return to the negotiating table to resolve outstanding issues under the June memorandum of understanding.
Trump told reporters that Iranian officials “desperately want to meet and we have no interest in meeting until we are ready to meet in a meaningful way.”
He said the United States would soon target the area near Mount Kazma, a fortified underground area near one of Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facilities.
Deep mistrust remains on both sides.
Iran was attacked by surprise in June 2025 and again in February while it was conducting nuclear negotiations with the United States.
The interim agreement broke down when Iran resumed attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, which was supposed to be reopened under the agreement.
The U.S. military’s Central Command said the attack targeted “Iran’s military command centers, naval capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and air defense systems.”
Iranian state media reported that explosions were heard in the provinces of Fars, Hormuzgan, Ilam, Kerman, Sistan and Baluchistan.
The UK Merchant Marine Operations center said a tanker was attacked in the Strait of Oman on Tuesday and the crew was forced to abandon ship.
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility for Monday’s attack on ships in the waterway, as well as two other attacks.
