US and Iran close to temporary truce, Pakistani officials claim

The US and Iran are close to a temporary agreement to halt the war in the Middle East, officials in Pakistan claimed on Thursday, as diplomatic activity gathered fresh momentum after a near breakdown of the current ceasefire earlier this week. Officials on Islamabad said a very basic “interim” deal could be reached as early as this weekend and that Tehran was reviewing a US proposal. However, Trump and Pakistan have consistently suggested a breakthrough was imminent, and weeks of previous efforts to negotiate a permanent end to hostilities have made little real progress. Recent days have seen wild swings from hope to despair as the US and Iran test each other’s resilience and will, seeking leverage in any talks through belligerent rhetoric, defiance and sporadic violence. Despite many observers’ scepticism – and continuing defiance in Tehran – the possibility of even a partial agreement that could lead to the reopening of the strait of Hormuz sent global stocks to near-record highs on Thursday as oil prices dropped steeply. The strategic waterway in normal times carries a fifth of the world’s supplies of oil and fossil gas. Pakistan has been the principal mediator in recent indirect contacts between Washington and Tehran after hosting a round of abortive face-to-face talks last month. “Both sides are now more amenable to suggestions, the distance between their proposals is reducing,” said a diplomat in Islamabad with knowledge of the negotiations. “That’s natural. …