Today’s talks in Pakistan with regional powers focus on plans to reopen Hormuz – sources

Today’s talks in Pakistan with Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia — part of its efforts to broker an end to the Iran war — have concluded for the day, with initial discussions focused on proposals to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, sources familiar with the matter say.

During the talks with foreign ministers from the three regional powers, proposals were floated to Washington tied to maritime traffic and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, five sources familiar with the matter tell Reuters, as part of wider efforts to stabilize shipping flows.

The Strait of Hormuz was previously a conduit for about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, but Iran has effectively halted shipping flows through it in response to the US and Israeli airstrikes that began a month ago.

A source from Pakistan says proposals, including from Egypt, were forwarded to the White House by the countries before today’s meeting. The source adds that they include Suez Canal-style fee structures.

Two other Pakistani sources say Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia may form a consortium to manage oil flows through the waterway, and have asked Pakistan to participate. The first Pakistani source says Islamabad has not been formally asked to join and maintains that it will not.

The proposal for a management consortium had been discussed with the US and Iran, the sources say. The first Pakistani source says the country’s army chief Asim Munir has been in regular contact with US Vice President JD Vance.

Egypt’s and Pakistan’s foreign ministries do not respond to a request for comment. The Saudi government media office and the White House do not immediately reply to a comment request.

A Turkish diplomatic source says Ankara’s priority is securing a ceasefire.

“Ensuring the safe passage of ships could serve as an important confidence-building measure in this regard,” the person says, requesting anonymity.