Archive · 11 Aug 2026
Pakistan says US, Iran near deal despite new shipping attacks
The United States and Iran are in a big fight, and a lot of people have been hurt.
Because of the fight, a very busy water road called the Strait of Hormuz, where ships carry oil and gas, has been closed.
Pakistan and Qatar are grown-up helpers trying to get both countries to agree on peace.
They say the U.S. and Iran are very close to making a deal.
But the deal is hard because the U.S. president wants Iran to pay a lot of money for past damage.
At the same time, some ships were attacked in nearby seas, and four sailors were killed.
People disagree about who attacked the ships, and that makes things more confusing.
Oil is used to make fuel, and when the water road is blocked, fuel gets expensive.
The news about a possible deal made oil prices drop a little, but prices are still much higher than before the fight.
Everyone is hoping the two countries can finally agree so the fighting stops.
Pakistan said the United States and Iran are close to 'some sort' of deal, and Qatar said talks on managing the Strait of Hormuz are at an advanced stage.
Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said signals in the last few days point toward a peace arrangement, despite prospects having dimmed after Monday's statements.
President Trump made new demands, seeking reparations from Iran for damages over a 50-year period, which the report says seemingly left the two sides deadlocked.
Four crew members were killed in a suspected Houthi attack on the Egyptian-owned cargo vessel Tihamah in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, the first such deaths if confirmed.
A container ship was also hit by a missile in the Gulf of Oman in a suspected U.S. attack; the Wall Street Journal reported a U.S. military helicopter struck it after its crew ignored warnings.
- Who
- U.S. President Donald Trump, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, Pakistani mediators including Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Qatari officials, and Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis.
- What
- Pakistan and Qatar say the U.S. and Iran are close to 'some sort' of deal over the Strait of Hormuz, even as new attacks on shipping were reported in the Gulf of Oman and the Red Sea.
- When
- Tuesday, August 11, within a conflict that began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28.
- Where
- The Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman, the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb strait, with a meeting between Iranian and Pakistani ministers held in Tehran.
- Why
- To end a conflict that has blocked the vital waterway, killed thousands mainly in Iran and Lebanon, and brought political pressure on Trump ahead of U.S. midterm elections.
Positive diplomatic signals
Renewed demands and attacks
Prospects for a US-Iran agreement
Positive diplomatic signals
Pakistan and Qatar, the main mediators, say the U.S. and Iran are close to 'some sort' of deal; Iran says it is nearing a final pact with Oman on shipping lanes and will open the waterway if the U.S. meets conditions matching the June memorandum of understanding.
Renewed demands and attacks
Trump made new demands on Monday night, seeking his own reparations from Tehran for damages over a 50-year period, which the report says seemingly left the two sides deadlocked; Iran says there are no direct talks.
Control of the Strait of Hormuz
Positive diplomatic signals
Trump says the strait is open and that the 'only one that has control of the Strait of Hormuz right now is the United States Navy.'
Renewed demands and attacks
The report says a months-long U.S. military campaign, including a two-week campaign of strikes in July, has not broken Iran's grip on the strait, which remains effectively blocked.
Blame for attacks on shipping
Positive diplomatic signals
Yemen's Transport Ministry says four crew members were killed in a suspected attack by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis, who also declared a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia in response to what they described as a Saudi siege.
Renewed demands and attacks
The Houthis have not claimed the attack; the Wall Street Journal reported a U.S. military helicopter struck a container ship off Pakistan after its crew ignored warnings, and Saudi Arabia denies that Yemen is under siege.
- Main mediators
- Pakistan and Qatar
- Waterway at stake
- Strait of Hormuz, which carried about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas before the war
- Conflict start
- U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28
- Reported casualties
- Thousands killed, mainly in Iran and Lebanon
- Latest shipping deaths
- Four crew members killed on the Tihamah in a suspected Houthi attack, pending confirmation
- Trump's new demand
- Reparations from Iran for damages over a 50-year period
- U.S. naval blockade
- Announced in April and reimposed in July after the June peace accord crumbled
- Oil prices
- Fell on Tuesday after a one-week high but remain much higher than before the war
