Pakistan interior minister heads to Tehran to mediate US‑Iran conflict

Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi travelled to Tehran for talks with Iranian officials to mediate an end to the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran. According to Iran's state news agency IRNA, citing a diplomatic source, Naqvi departed for the Iranian capital early on Tuesday. The diplomatic mission follows a visit by Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni to Islamabad a month earlier.

Pakistan's Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, told Bloomberg News in an interview published on Tuesday that Islamabad sees renewed momentum in negotiations. Asif stated that recent signals indicate both sides are moving closer to a possible peace arrangement, though he did not provide specific terms or a timeline.

Meanwhile, regional tensions escalated as an alleged Houthi missile strike on a cargo vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait killed four crew members. Yemen's internationally recognised government reported that the cargo ship Tihamah was hit by three successive ballistic-missile strikes launched by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels while sailing through the strategic waterway. The attack triggered a fire that forced the crew to lose control of the vessel. Yemeni authorities confirmed that three of the dead crew members were Pakistani nationals and one was Indonesian, marking the first known fatalities from Houthi attacks on shipping since the conflict began. Three coastguard personnel were also injured by a drone while attempting a rescue.

The Tihamah, which maritime security sources and LSEG data note is Egyptian-owned and managed, had departed from the Yemeni government-held port of al-Mokha. The Houthis previously declared a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea. Shipping data from Kpler cited by Tucson sources indicates that traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait averaged 32 ships per day, down from an average of 50 before the blockade.

Disruption remains severe in the Strait of Hormuz. Shipping data showed that traffic through the strait fell to six vessels on Monday, down from a 10-day average of about 11 vessels and pre-war levels of 130 to 140 ships. Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated on Tuesday that separate negotiations between Oman and Iran over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz had reached an advanced stage with positive feedback from both countries.

The diplomatic push coincides with a clash over economic demands between Washington and Tehran. US President Donald Trump lashed out on Monday and made sweeping new demands, insisting that Iran pay compensation for all people killed in conflicts. Trump asserted on Truth Social that compensation demands would be included in future negotiations and claimed reparations for Iran were never mentioned in prior talks. However, a 14-point memorandum of understanding agreed upon by Tehran and Washington in June detailed plans for a $300 billion fund dedicated to the post-war rehabilitation and economic development of Iran.

In Tehran, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei criticised the United States on Tuesday over its sanctions policy. Responding to remarks by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent regarding economic restrictions on Iran, Baqaei posted on X:

"The US Secretary of the Treasury has boasted of 'suffocating' Iran through economic sanctions. Beyond its sheer pathos, the claim is a stark reminder of America's compulsive addiction to sanctions."

Esmaeil Baqaei, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, via Live Mint

Baqaei added that the repeated application of economic restrictions reflects Washington's inability to pursue diplomacy.

Separate maritime security incidents unfolded elsewhere in the region on Tuesday. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported an incident involving a container ship and military forces south of Gwadar, Pakistan, in the Gulf of Oman, with authorities launching an investigation. Additionally, a rocket attack struck an Iranian Kurdish opposition group camp northeast of Erbil in northern Iraq, with security sources attributing the strike to Iran.

Diplomatic efforts are expected to continue as Naqvi holds discussions in Tehran and international mediators work to address the maritime blockades and revive stalled peace talks.