Qatar and Pakistan are pressing Washington and Tehran to resolve the order of steps in a five-day Hormuz proposal, which would link commercial shipping access with a U.S. blockade rollback.
Iran would allow commercial vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz under the arrangement, while the United States would lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports. Qatar is seeking concessions from both parties during the five-day period and wants Iran’s nuclear program addressed near the start. Negotiators have not agreed when each side would act.
Talks in Tehran on Oct. 26 brought Iranian officials together with senior representatives of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan. The meetings were intended to bolster Doha and Islamabad’s efforts to encourage a more flexible position from Tehran in pursuit of a diplomatic outcome with Washington. The mediation push comes amid concern about possible further U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Pakistan helped arrange a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran in April. The U.S. administration said Washington and Tehran signed an Islamabad memorandum on June 17. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said its initial steps called for Iran to reopen the strait and the United States to lift its blockade.
