Tensions between the US and Iran have kept West Asia on edge for months. A permanent end to diplomatic unease remains long-awaited, as security of the region and the Strait of Hormuz have become major global concerns.
At a time when the world is eagerly waiting for tensions to ease, Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday said that the US and Iran are close to "some sort of an arrangement."
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US-Iran deal to end hostilities?
Pakistan's defence minister told Bloomberg News in Pakistan's Islamabad that things were shaping up in favour of a peace arrangement.
"Things are shaping up again in favor of a peace arrangement or a deal. The signals in the last two three days are that we are close to some sort of an arrangement,” he said.
Pakistan and Qatar have been playing the role of mediators in the US-Iran conflict.
{{/usCountry}}Pakistan and Qatar have been playing the role of mediators in the US-Iran conflict.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, according to officials cited by AP, Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has travelled to Tehran for talks. However, Pakistan’s government had not publicly announced the visit.
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What is happening in West Asia?
Here are some of the latest developments from the US-Iran conflict:
Houthis kill 4 in attack on vessel:
Yemeni authorities said that four individuals were killed on Tuesday by Houthis firing missiles on a vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, according to an AP report.
The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively shut down by Iran, and this has shifted the focus to the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Araghchi on US-Iran war:
According to AP, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters that Iran had "astonished the whole world" in the war, proving "that it is a tough and invincible power."
Trump on West Asian developments:
Earlier on Monday night, US President Donald Trump, in a post on Truth Social, made new demands and said that he was seeking "compensation" from Iran.
"I see that Representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran are asking for compensation for the damage done to them during the last five month Military Conflict (started because, THEY WILL NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON), even though it was never mentioned in any of our negotiations or meetings! But it is an interesting idea because now I am likewise demanding compensation from Iran, for all of the people that they have killed and gravely wounded with their roadside bombs and many conflicts, for which they are famous, as led initially by General Soleimani, including the families of those killed on the USS Cole, and thousands of others killed in combat," he wrote.
"Additionally, compensation should be paid to the families of the hundreds of thousands of innocent protestors that Iran has killed over the last 50 years, not to mention the 52,000 that have been killed in the last five months. I have instructed my representatives to put this firmly into any, and all, future," he added in the post.
US fired on Panama-flagged ship:
According to a Wall Street Journal report, a US official stated that US forces fired on a Panama-flagged ship that attempted to run the blockade of Iranian ports on Tuesday.
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US-Iran conflict - How it started
The conflict began on February 28 when the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran, killing its former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and several senior officials.
Following the attack, Tehran launched missile and drone strikes on US and Israeli interests in West Asia. Furthermore, Tehran also tightened its control over the Strait of Hormuz. The conflict has caused global concerns over regional security, oil supply chain and overall world economy.