Pakistan, a mediator between the U.S. and Iran, on Wednesday requested that U.S. President Donald Trump grant a two-week extension to a deadline he imposed on Iran to end its blockade of Gulf oil.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif © Mena Today
Pakistan, a mediator between the U.S. and Iran, on Wednesday requested that U.S. President Donald Trump grant a two-week extension to a deadline he imposed on Iran to end its blockade of Gulf oil.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran is positively reviewing Pakistan's request for a two-week ceasefire. The White House said Trump is aware of Pakistan's proposal, saying a response will come.
"To allow diplomacy to run its course, I earnestly request President Trump to extend the deadline for two weeks. Pakistan, in all sincerity, requests the Iranian brothers to open Strait of Hormuz for a corresponding period of two weeks as a goodwill gesture," Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a post on X.
Trump has given Iran until 8 p.m. EDT (0000 GMT) in Washington - 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday in Tehran - to end its blockade of Gulf oil or see the U.S. destroy every bridge and power plant in Iran.
Sharif urged "all warring parties" to observe a ceasefire everywhere for two weeks "to allow diplomacy to achieve conclusive termination of war".
He added that diplomatic efforts to settle the war peacefully were "progressing steadily, strongly and powerfully with the potential to lead to substantive results in near future".
Sources told Reuters on Tuesday that talks between the U.S. and Iran were at risk of being derailed following Tehran's attacks on Saudi Arabian industrial facilities.
Pakistan has been the main go-between for proposals shared by Iran and the United States, but there has been no sign of a compromise.
Reporting by Gursimran Kaur
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he had agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran, less than two hours before his deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face widespread attacks on its civilian infrastructure.
Iran wants to charge fees for ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz as part of its proposals to end the war with Israel and the United States after blocking most traffic through the crucial energy waterway for weeks.
Qatar's Prime Minister has issued one of the Gulf's most direct condemnations of Iran's military campaign, demanding an immediate halt to what he called "unjustified Iranian attacks" on Qatar and neighbouring countries.
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