巴基斯坦陆军参谋长定于周四在德黑兰会见伊朗官员，旨在缓解中东紧张局势，并试图在爆发近七周冲突后安排美国与伊朗之间的第二轮谈判。
白宫方面表示，任何进一步的会谈都可能在巴基斯坦首都伊斯兰堡举行，尽管尚未决定是否恢复谈判。与此同时，美国对伊朗港口的海军封锁仍在继续。美国财政部长斯科特·贝森特表示，特朗普政府将通过对与伊朗做生意的国家实施新的经济制裁，进一步加大对伊朗的经济打击，他称这一举措在金融上相当于一场“轰炸行动”。
巴基斯坦已成为关键调解人，此前它在伊斯兰堡主持了美伊直接对话，据称这有助于缩小双方分歧。调解人正寻求在停火协议下周到期前进行新一轮磋商。与此同时，特朗普周三晚间在社交媒体上表示，以色列和黎巴嫩的领导人将于次日进行对话，以再次努力促成停火。此前两国在华盛顿举行的数十年来首次直接对话未能达成协议。
目前尚不清楚特朗普所指的是哪些领导人，以色列总理办公室未立即置评。冲突已经扰乱了市场并动摇了全球经济，航运被切断，空袭摧毁了整个地区的军事和民用基础设施。随着停火希望的出现，油价有所下跌，美国股市周三突破了1月份创下的纪录。
据美联社报道，尽管美国对伊朗港口的封锁和伊朗的报复威胁使停火协议面临压力，但地区官员报告了进展，称美国和伊朗已达成“原则性协议”，延长停火时间以进行更多外交努力。
Pakistan’s army chief is set to meet with Iranian officials in Tehran on Thursday in a bid to ease tensions in the Middle East and arrange a second round of negotiations between the United States and Iran after almost seven weeks of war.The White House said any further talks would likely take place in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, though no decision had been made on whether to resume negotiations.The U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports continued as US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Trump administration would ramp up economic pain on Iran with new economic sanctions on countries doing business with it, calling the move the “financial equivalent” of a bombing campaign.Pakistan has emerged as a key mediator after it hosted direct talks between the U.S. and Iran in Islamabad that authorities said helped narrow differences between the two sides. Mediators are seeking a new round before the ceasefire expires next week.Meanwhile, Trump wrote late Wednesday on Truth Social that leaders from Israel and Lebanon would speak the next day in a renewed effort to broker a ceasefire after the countries’ first direct talks in decades ended the previous day in Washington without a deal.It was not clear what leaders Trump was referring to. The Israeli prime minister’s office did not immediately respond for comment, which was posted before dawn in Israel and Lebanon.The war has jolted markets and rattled the global economy as shipping has been cut off and airstrikes have torn through military and civilian infrastructure across the region. Oil prices have fallen amid hopes for an end to fighting, and U.S. stocks on Wednesday surpassed records set in January.Image placeholderUS and Iran Making ProgressEven as the US blockade on Iranian ports and renewed Iranian threats strained the ceasefire agreement, regional officials reported progress, telling the Associated Press the United States and Iran had an “in principle agreement” to extend it to allow for more diplomacy. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations.Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, took part in a preliminary meeting Wednesday with Asim Munir, Pakistan’s army chief of staff, Iranian state media reported.But even as mediators worked for peace, tensions simmered.The commander of Iran’s joint military command, Ali Abdollahi, threatened to halt trade in the region if the U.S. does not lift its naval blockade, and a newly-appointed military adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said he doesn’t support extending the ceasefire.Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, center, attends the annual Quds, or Jerusalem Day, rally in Tehran, Iran, ...Compromise on Sticking PointsMediators are pushing for a compromise on three main sticking points that derailed direct talks last weekend—Iran’s nuclear program, the Strait of Hormuz, and compensation for wartime damages, according to a regional official involved in the mediati
