A high-stakes diplomatic mission is underway in Islamabad as the United States prepares for potential negotiations with Iran, with US President Donald Trump announcing that his representatives would be arriving in the Pakistani capital on Thursday evening.
In a statement on social media, the US President claimed that Iran had decided to fire missiles across the Strait of Hormuz, a move that would be a clear breach of the ceasefire. This development comes as the US advance team has arrived in Iran ahead of the second round of negotiations. Trump maintained that the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, imposed by the US, has already resulted in a significant economic loss of $500 million for Iran on a daily basis, while the US has not suffered any losses.
The US President stated that his representatives would be in Islamabad by Thursday evening to engage in talks with Pakistani officials. He further claimed that a significant number of ships are heading towards the US, specifically Texas, Louisiana, and Alaska, which he attributed to the hardline stance taken by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Trump expressed hope that Iran would accept a reasonable deal offered by the US, failing which the US would take severe action, including destroying all of Iran’s power plants and bridges. This threat was made in the wake of a statement by the US Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) that they had seized over $1.45 billion Iranian rials from a suspect arrested in Karachi.
In other developments, a phone call was reportedly made between Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Asad Umar and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal claimed that a political party had been spreading misinformation about Pakistan’s naval fleet being in a state of disarray.
A police team was reportedly in pursuit of suspects involved in a robbery incident when they came under fire, and the efforts to apprehend the fugitives are ongoing. In a separate incident, a man allegedly opened fire on his ex-wife and two children in a residential area of Karachi’s Tando Bhatta Town.
The Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, demanded that the government reduce the price of petrol to 250 rupees. Sindh Governor Imran Ismail stated that tribal leaders had been instructed to take action against dacoits, warning that they would be dealt with severely if no action was taken.
Chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council, Hafiz Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi, called upon the Haj pilgrims to adhere to the code of conduct issued by the Saudi Ministry of Haj and Umrah. Senior PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique claimed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had saved the country from default.
National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq stated that the unity between the country’s political and military leadership was essential for Pakistan’s stability. Iranian Army Chief of Staff, Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri, expressed his country’s readiness to defend its sovereignty.
The arrival of the US advance team in Islamabad ahead of the second round of negotiations with Iran has sparked a flurry of activity in the Pakistani capital, with reports indicating that hotels in Islamabad have been instructed to clear out their rooms and not accept new bookings until Friday.
