Iranian foreign minister in Pakistan for ceasefire talks

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was expected to arrive in Islamabad on Thursday evening with a small government delegation for ceasefire talks between Iran and the United States, with a U.S. logistics and security team already present in the Pakistani capital, according to a government source. The visit marks Pakistan's continued diplomatic outreach effort following President Donald Trump's announcement earlier this week of an indefinite extension of the ceasefire with Iran at Islamabad's request. Araghchi and Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a phone call on Thursday in which they discussed regional developments and the ongoing ceasefire, with Dar emphasizing the importance of sustained dialogue to advance regional peace and stability. Despite the diplomatic efforts, tensions remain extremely high in the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas shipments pass during peacetime. Iran has continued attacks on ships in the strait, striking three vessels earlier this week, while the United States has maintained its blockade of Iranian ports and ordered the military to "shoot and kill" small boats that may be placing mines. The U.S. military presence in the region has also intensified, with three aircraft carriers now operating simultaneously for the first time since 2003: the USS George H.W. Bush in the Indian Ocean, the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, and the USS Gerald R. Ford in the Red Sea, representing approximately 200 aircraft and 15,000 sailors and Marines under U.S. Central Command. The escalation has driven oil prices sharply higher, with Brent crude reaching over $107 per barrel in spot trading, nearly 50 percent higher than where it was on February 28 when the U.S. and Israel launched attacks against Iran. The human toll has been devastating: at least 3,375 people have been killed in Iran and over 2,290 in Lebanon, where new fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah erupted two days after the war began. Additionally, 23 people have died in Israel, more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states, 15 Israeli soldiers in Lebanon, and 13 U.S. service members throughout the region.