DUBAI: Pakistan said on Tuesday the United States and Iran were close to “some sort” of deal, and fellow mediator Qatar said talks on managing the Strait of Hormuz were at an advanced stage, despite reports of new attacks on shipping in regional waters.
The comments offered some hope that Iran and the US can end a stalemate that has in effect blocked the vital waterway, through which a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flowed before the war.
Prospects for a deal had appeared to dim on Monday after the sides’ latest remarks and demands.
In an interview with Bloomberg News, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said “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.”
