Pakistan is positioning itself as a diplomatic bridge in Iran-US nuclear talks, with Pakistani civilian and military leaders conducting shuttle diplomacy between key capitals as President Donald Trump signals a deal may be near. Trump has indicated he could visit Islamabad to sign an agreement, a development that would mark a significant foreign policy milestone for Pakistan's government and elevate its regional standing. The outreach reflects Islamabad's calculation that brokering or facilitating a nuclear compromise would yield strategic dividends at a moment when Pakistan is navigating its own complex relationships with both Washington and Tehran. The mechanism is straightforward: Pakistan maintains workable channels with Iran while also seeking to deepen ties with the Trump administration, making it a plausible intermediary. What to watch is whether the shuttle diplomacy produces a concrete framework or stalls on the technical and sanctions dimensions of any Iran-US agreement, and whether a potential Trump visit to Islamabad materializes as a signal of deal progress or collapses as talks hit familiar barriers.
Qatar's foreign ministry said mediators including Qatar, Pakistan, and Oman have reached "very progressive stages" in efforts to end the US-Iran war, pushing Brent crude down more than four percent.
Qatar confirmed it is mediating between the US and Iran but said no direct talks are currently planned. The clarification follows conflicting statements from President Trump, who claimed talks are under way, and Tehran, which denied any dialogue is happening.
Saudi Aramco reported sharply higher second-quarter 2026 profits as the Iran war restricts global oil supply and pushes crude prices up. Other oil supermajors also posted outsized earnings, raising concerns about sustained fuel cost pressure for importing economies.
President Trump called current Iran negotiations the "last chance" to end five months of conflict, pushing oil prices higher. Tehran denied formal talks are taking place, raising the risk of a diplomatic breakdown with direct consequences for global energy markets.
