Trump says US starts clearing Strait of Hormuz

Discussions between the United States and Iran have begun in Islamabad, CBS News reported, citing two US officials.

The officials did not say what time the discussions started and it was not immediately clear whether the talks were being held directly or through intermediaries, according to the report.

A Pakistani source told Reuters that trilateral talks involving Iran, the United States and Pakistan have begun in Islamabad.

Fars News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, also reported that talks in Islamabad have begun.

US President Donald Trump described Iran as a “failing nation” and said talks between the two sides were underway, according to comments to Kellie Meyer of News Nation.

“I’ll let you know that in a very short period of time,” he said when asked whether Iran was acting in good faith.

Trump also said the Strait of Hormuz would reopen in the “not too distant future” and pointed to “other alternatives” for global energy routes.

Images released by Iranian state media showed the Iranian delegation meeting Pakistan’s prime minister in Islamabad ahead of expected talks with the United States.

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Pakistan’s prime minister met JD Vance on Saturday ahead of expected talks between Iran and the United States in Islamabad, the government said in a post on X.

Vance was accompanied by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, while Pakistan’s delegation included Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he welcomed both delegations’ commitment to engage constructively and expressed hope the talks would serve as a “stepping stone toward durable peace,” adding Pakistan would continue to facilitate dialogue between the two sides.

The United States has agreed to release Iran’s frozen assets held in Qatar and other foreign banks, a senior Iranian source told Reuters.

The source said the move was “a test of goodwill” and a sign of seriousness about a durable peace deal.

It added that the asset unfreeze was “directly linked to ensuring safe passage” through the Strait of Hormuz ahead of any agreement.