US pins hopes on mediator Pakistan in push to end Iran war

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has voiced hope of progress on ending the war with Iran, as he looked to Pakistani mediators to help advance efforts to strike an agreement.

Previous comments by President Donald Trump had suggested weeks of stop-start negotiations to strike a permanent end to the war were teetering on the "borderline" between a deal and renewed attacks.

"I believe the Pakistanis will be travelling to Tehran today. So hopefully that'll advance this further," Rubio told reporters on Thursday (21 May).

A ceasefire on 8 April halted the war launched weeks earlier by the United States and Israel, but negotiation efforts, including historic face-to-face talks hosted in Islamabad, have so far failed to yield a lasting agreement.

Pakistan's interior minister Mohsin Naqvi, who is widely considered close to Pakistan's powerful army chief Asim Munir, visited Iran for the second time in a week on Wednesday.

Iranian media, including the ISNA news agency, had reported based on unnamed sources that Munir could himself visit Tehran as early as Thursday, but there was no comment from Pakistani authorities about any travel plan for the army chief.

Beijing did, however, announce that Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will travel on Saturday to China, which has also been involved in mediation efforts to end the war.

'Borderline'

Though open warfare and strikes across the Gulf have reduced, the impasse continues to weigh on the world economy.

In April, Pakistan hosted the only direct negotiations, which Munir helped mediate, between US and Iranian officials to take place since 28 February, when the war began.

But the talks ultimately failed, with Tehran accusing Washington of making "excessive demands".

Since then, the two sides have exchanged multiple proposals, with the threat of renewed conflict looming all along.

"It's right on the borderline, believe me," Trump told reporters Wednesday. "If we don't get the right answers, it goes very quickly. We're all ready to go."

He said a deal could come "very quickly" or "in a few days", but warned Tehran would have to provide "100% good answers".

Rubio also criticised Nato allies for their refusal to help in the war against Iran.

"He's not asking them to commit troops. He's not asking them to send their fighter jets in. But they refuse to do anything," he said.

"We were very upset about that."

'Forceful response'

Tehran was on alert for the possibility of renewed armed conflict, with chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warning Washington on Wednesday of a "forceful response" if Iran were to be attacked.

"The enemy's movements, both overt and clandestine, show that despite economic and political pressure, it has not abandoned its military objectives and is seeking to start a new war," Ghalibaf said.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the Islamic republic was examining points received from Washington, while repeating Tehran's demands for the release of its assets frozen abroad and an end to a US naval blockade.

Despite fiery rhetoric against Iran, Trump is under political pressure at home to find a resolution as energy costs rise.

The ceasefire halted the fighting but has not reopened the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway that normally carries about a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas.

The future of Hormuz remains a key sticking point in negotiations, with fears growing that the global economy will feel more pain as pre-war oil stockpiles deplete.

Iran imposed a Hormuz blockade as part of its retaliation in the war, allowing only a trickle of vessels through in recent weeks while introducing a toll system.

Iran's new body overseeing Hormuz said its claimed area of control extends to Emirati waters, drawing a sharp rebuke from Abu Dhabi.

Relations between Iran and the United Arab Emirates have been severely strained since the war, after Tehran launched missile and drone strikes against Gulf countries in response to US-Israeli attacks.

Hormuz carries around a third of global fertiliser shipments, raising concerns of higher food prices and shortages if the closure drags on.

Lebanon strikes

On another front in the war, Lebanese state media reported that an Israeli strike on Thursday damaged a hospital in Lebanon's south.

Since a truce began on 17 April, Israel has continued to launch strikes, carry out demolitions and issue evacuation orders in south Lebanon, saying it is targeting Hezbollah.

Lebanon's health ministry said Israeli attacks have killed at least 3,089 people in Lebanon since 2 March.

Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war with rocket fire at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran's supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes.

The United States on Thursday sanctioned nine Hezbollah-linked individuals it accused of "obstructing the peace process in Lebanon".