US President Donald Trump said talks with Iran in Pakistan aimed at bringing an end to the West Asia war have begun, adding that global oil shipping is already finding alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz,
which remains blocked by Tehran.
In an interview with NewsNation, Trump said Iran remains a “failing nation” but appeared confident that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen in the “not too distant future.” He emphasised that many countries were beginning to explore other options for fuel.
“I think people are seeing that there are other alternatives to going through the Strait,” he said.
Trump also repeated his previous claim that a large number of empty oil tankers are currently heading towards the United States to load up on oil. “Just take a look out at the great seas of our world, they’re all, many of them are heading to the United States to load up with oil. We have plenty of it,” he said.
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Trump’s Warning To Iran
The president also warned that if negotiations in Islamabad do not go well, the US is prepared to “reset”, saying, “We’re ready to go.” His remarks came after US Vice President JD Vance arrived in the Pakistani capital to lead the American delegation in peace talks with Iran.
Accompanied by Jared Kushner and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, the three met Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the high-end Serena Hotel, intending to rid Iran of its nuclear capabilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The strait, through which one-fifth of the world’s crude passes, has not reopened to normal traffic, however, and Trump vowed on Friday to have it open soon “with or without” Iran’s cooperation.
Iranian media said on Saturday that negotiations with the United States to end the war had begun in Islamabad, though the format of the talks remained unclear, after Sharif met with US and Iranian delegations separately.
Pakistan’s foreign minister called for the United States and Iran to “engage constructively” at the Islamabad talks and expressed hope for a “lasting and durable solution to the conflict.”
