- Trump praises Pakistani leadership, calling them “fantastic people.”
- The president of the United States signals a possible visit to Islamabad if the agreement with Iran is signed.
- Negotiators between the United States and Iran are expected to meet amid great optimism.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hailed US President Donald Trump’s “kind and courteous” comments in praising Pakistani leadership, as the two leaders exchanged warm messages on social media amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the US-Iran conflict.
The exchange comes as Trump once again praised Pakistani leadership, including Prime Minister Shehbaz and Chief of Defense Staff (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, highlighting the strengthening of ties between Washington and Islamabad following Pakistan’s central mediation role.
In a post on X, Prime Minister Shehbaz expressed his “deep and profound appreciation” for Trump’s words on behalf of the people of Pakistan and the military leadership.
Trump, writing in Truth Social, thanked Pakistan and described its leadership as “fantastic people.”
His comments came after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that the passage of all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz has been declared fully open for the remaining period of the ceasefire.
Araghchi said in a post on X that shipping through the strategic waterway will operate on coordinated routes already established by the Iranian Maritime and Port Organization.
On the other hand, Trump said axios that American and Iranian negotiators will likely meet over the weekend and expressed confidence that a deal can be finalized in “one or two days.”
He also revealed on Thursday that if a deal to end the war is signed in Islamabad, he could travel there, adding that Iran has accepted “almost everything.”
The earlier meeting in Islamabad, held three days after last Wednesday’s ceasefire announcement, marked the first direct meeting between US and Iranian officials in more than a decade and the highest-level engagement since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf led their respective delegations in the latest round of talks to resolve a range of issues, including the Strait of Hormuz, a major transit point for global energy supplies that Iran has effectively blocked but which the US has promised to reopen, as well as Iran’s nuclear program and international sanctions on Tehran.
The trilateral ‘Islamabad Talks’ lasted almost 21 hours after starting on the afternoon of April 11, reflecting the complexity and high stakes.
Despite extensive discussions, the first round ended without a formal agreement. However, officials in Islamabad saw the meeting as a significant step toward opening direct channels of communication between Washington and Tehran.
