Pakistan Mediates Secret Peace Talks Between United States and Iran

TEHRAN – Negotiations between the United States and Iran to end the ongoing war are facing significant hurdles, with major disagreements persisting over Tehran’s uranium stockpile and control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Pakistani Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi held another round of talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Tehran on Friday, two days after presenting the latest US message. While US Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted “some good signs,” he stated there could be no solution if Tehran enforces a tolling system in the strategic strait.

The war, which began on February 28, has caused a severe global energy shock, with surging oil prices stoking inflation fears. US President Donald Trump said his country would eventually recover Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. “We will get it… we’re not going to let them have it,” Trump told reporters. In response, two senior Iranian sources said Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei had issued a directive that the uranium should not be sent abroad.

Trump also rejected Tehran’s intention to charge fees on ships using the strait, calling it an “international waterway.” The US president faces domestic pressure over high fuel prices ahead of November midterm elections.

Tehran’s latest offer reportedly repeats previously rejected terms, including demands for control of the strait, war reparations, and the lifting of sanctions. The conflict, which US and Israeli leaders said aimed to curb Iran’s nuclear program and regional influence, has devastated global energy markets, with traffic through the Strait of Hormuz falling to a trickle.