ISLAMABAD (The Thursday Times) — Pakistan moved further into the centre of the US-Iran crisis on Sunday after President Donald Trump said his representatives were heading to Islamabad for negotiations, shortly after accusing Iran of violating a ceasefire agreement in the Strait of Hormuz and threatening sweeping retaliation if Tehran refuses a proposed deal.
In a lengthy social media post, Mr Trump claimed Iran had fired on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, describing it as a breach of the ceasefire arrangement. He said some shots were aimed at a French ship and a British freighter, though he offered no immediate evidence for the claims.
He then announced that his representatives were travelling to Islamabad and would arrive the following evening for negotiations, making Pakistan’s capital the declared setting for the next phase of diplomacy.
The statement sharply raised the stakes. Alongside talk of negotiations, Mr Trump warned that if Iran rejected what he called a fair and reasonable deal, the United States would target power plants and bridges across Iran.
The remarks place Islamabad in an unusually sensitive position, transforming the city from a possible diplomatic venue into the publicly named location for talks taking place under the shadow of direct military threats.
Pakistan has increasingly emerged as a channel capable of hosting dialogue between rival powers at a moment when trust is scarce and regional tensions remain high. Trump’s latest message suggests Washington still sees Islamabad as a workable platform for urgent negotiations.
