Pakistan Repatriates 31 Nationals and Iranians After US Seizure of Vessels in International Waters

Pakistan has repatriated 11 of its nationals and 20 Iranian citizens who were aboard vessels seized by the United States in international waters, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced. All 31 repatriated individuals are in good health. The group travelled from Singapore to Bangkok, where they boarded a flight bound for Islamabad.

Upon arrival in Islamabad the Iranian nationals will be facilitated onward to Tehran. The repatriation required coordination across multiple governments. Ishaq Dar thanked Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and the Singaporean government for their support, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for close coordination, and Thailand for facilitating transit through Bangkok.

Dar also thanked Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi for trusting Pakistan with the repatriation of Iranian nationals. “The welfare and well-being of Pakistanis abroad, particularly those in distress, remains our government’s highest priority,” Dar said. @AJEnglish reported the move as Pakistan positioning itself as a neutral facilitator maintaining channels with both Washington and Tehran.

Separately, two people were killed in an Israeli air strike targeting the town of Tibnin in southern Lebanon, the National News Agency said. Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed at least 657 people since a ceasefire came into effect last month, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

Israeli and Lebanese delegations arrived at the US State Department for the second day of US-backed negotiations.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged Washington and Tehran to continue negotiations towards a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire. Wang Yi said a solution to issues in the Strait of Hormuz lies in achieving that permanent and comprehensive ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.

He added that President Xi emphasised in his talks with Trump that force cannot solve problems and dialogue is the only right path.

“Negotiations will not be achieved overnight, but once the door to dialogue has been opened, it should not be closed again,” Wang Yi stated. Beijing – a major purchaser of Iranian oil – will purchase more American crude oil amid the war, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said.

Wright said the importance of the Strait of Hormuz will decrease as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and other countries look for alternative ways to ship oil and gas supplies such as pipelines.

“There’ll be other routes for energy to get out of the Gulf region,” Wright told CNBC. ” Wright described Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other Middle East countries as great allies of the United States and key energy suppliers to the world. China purchases 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports, according to China analyst Han Lin.

Beijing holds significant leverage over Iran but is unlikely to deploy it without extracting concessions from Washington, Han Lin said. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said Iran’s courageous resistance has made the country better prepared to confront the United States.

The diplomatic statements came against the backdrop of ongoing US-Iran tensions that have drawn in multiple regional and global actors.