US, Iran pursue new talks as Tehran weighs pause in Hormuz shipments

The objective is to hold more discussions before a truce announced 7 April expires next week

- Bloomberg

The latest push shows the two sides haven't given up on diplomacy after the first round of talks in Pakistan failed.

(AP)

The US and Iran are weighing a second round of peace negotiations, with Tehran considering a pause in shipments through the Strait of Hormuz to help ease the path toward further talks.

The objective is to hold more discussions before a truce announced on 7 April expires next week, according to people familiar with the matter. One idea is to return to Pakistan, where an initial round took place last weekend, they said, though other venues have been discussed.

US President Donald Trump is pressing ahead with a naval blockade of Hormuz to curb the Islamic Republic's oil exports, as the battle for control of the strategic waterway intensifies. Iran may hold off testing the strength of the move in the short term, other people familiar with the matter said Tuesday, a move that could serve to ease tensions.

“We've been called this morning by the right people, the appropriate people, and they want to work a deal,” Trump said at the White House on Monday, hours after the US Navy began implementing the blockade of Hormuz to prevent vessels transiting to and from Iranian ports and coastal areas.

Oil prices fell and stocks rose as expectations rose for an accord that could end the more than six-week war.

The latest push shows the two sides haven't given up on diplomacy after their first round of direct talks in Pakistan failed to produce an agreement. Negotiating teams could return to Islamabad later this week, Reuters reported, citing sources it didn’t identify, while adding that no firm date has been set.