WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran contacted Washington directly and wants to strike a deal, expressing hope that the war is moving towards its end.
The remarks, made on Wednesday, came amid rising tensions between the two countries over the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway through which a large share of the world’s oil supply passes.
According to foreign media reports, Trump said Iran had reached out directly to Washington seeking an agreement, describing the current state of the conflict as nearing its conclusion.
Asked how he would describe the stage of the war the United States is in, Trump said he hoped the two sides were moving towards the end of the war.
Later, after landing in North Carolina, he told reporters that Iran wants to make a deal and that Washington would see how it works out. When pressed on whether he had heard from Iran directly or through intermediaries, Trump said he had heard from them directly.
There was no immediate response from Tehran to Trump’s claims in the reports.
The comments come amid heightened tension over the Strait of Hormuz, even though a memorandum signed in June had agreed to reopen the strategic waterway as part of a broader peace agreement.
In February, the United States and Israel launched large-scale strikes on Iran, targeting government buildings, military sites, missile infrastructure and air defences. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Israel and on US bases in the region.
The conflict has since spread across the region. Iran also closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for oil shipments, triggering a global oil crisis.
Pakistan has been an active voice for de-escalation throughout the crisis. Islamabad hosted talks between the United States and Iran in April during a ceasefire period, underscoring its standing as a neighbour of Iran and a trusted partner of both Washington and the Gulf states.
Although those talks did not produce a lasting settlement at the time, Pakistan has consistently called for dialogue, respect for sovereignty and the reopening of shipping lanes.
The Strait of Hormuz links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea and has long been regarded as the world’s most important oil chokepoint. Any disruption there rapidly affects fuel prices, shipping insurance and supply chains worldwide.
Pakistan, which relies heavily on imported oil and LNG from the Gulf, the conflict has had direct economic consequences. Fuel prices have climbed sharply and the power sector faces tight gas supplies ahead of winter.
In response, the federal government has launched a fuel relief scheme for motorcyclists and small-vehicle owners and issued a sweeping austerity notification to reduce petroleum consumption.
Markets and governments are likely to watch for concrete signs of negotiations, though analysts caution that statements of intent do not always translate quickly into agreements, particularly in a conflict involving several regional actors and threats to more than one maritime route.
If a durable settlement emerges, energy-importing economies such as Pakistan could be among the biggest beneficiaries through lower prices and more reliable supplies.
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