TRUMP ESCAL ATES IRAN RHETORIC AS STRAIT OF HORMUZ CRISIS DEEPENS,
MARITIME TENSIONS
SURGE
government with complete obedience to the supreme leader of the revolution we will make the aggressor criminal regret his actions One God, one nation, one leader, and one path; that path being the path to the victory of our dear Iran more precious than life Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf posted the same message on X Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi similarly said on X: "The failure of Israel's terrorist killings is reflected in how Iran s state institutions continue to act with unity purpose and discipline The battlefield and diplomacy are fully coordinated fronts in the same war Iranians are all united, more than ever before Strait of Hormuz tensions escalate Trump earlier claimed total control over the Strait of Hormuz without providing evidence, describing it as “sealed up tight” until Iran agrees to a deal He also alleged Iran was struggling to determine its leadership and suggested internal political confusion following reported battlefield losses Analysts say continued strikes and targeted killings of senior figures have complicated decision-making in Tehran and narrowed Iran s strategic options as the conflict continues Military and maritime escalation Trump further claimed that internal infighting in Iran was between “hardliners” and “moderates,” calling the situation “crazy ” while Iran’s negotiating posture has reportedly hardened with greater influence from the Revolutionary Guards Iran meanwhile released footage of commandos storming a large cargo vessel, with state media showing armed personnel boarding the ship during a maritime operation near the Strait of Hormuz
for meeting arrangements under court orders, including Senator Falak Naz Chitrali, Fazal Elahi, Ehtesham Khan, Sardar Ghulam Ali, Asghar Khan Lehri, Syed Naseebullah Agha and Chaudhry Javed Akhtar Gujjar However on Thursday none of the nominated leaders turned up at Adiala Jail to meet the party founder until 4pm the cut-off time for inmate meetings The Islamabad High Court has allowed Imran Khan twice-weekly meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays with his family, lawyers and political associates Despite the order, he has reportedly remained largely deprived of such meetings for several months as directives remain unimplemented Meanwhile PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said the party had taken strict notice of the situation and would deliberate on the unfortunate development” in an upcoming leadership meeting
“There are thousands of leaders and workers who want to meet Imran Khan Many workers go to Adiala Jail every week despite not being on the list and are not allowed to meet him We will ensure that those who cannot come to Adiala Jail should not submit their names for meetings, he said, adding that the matter would be addressed and action taken within the party
Separately Trump said he had ordered the US Navy to shoot and kill any small boats laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, instructing operations to continue at a tripled-up level
pM Shehbaz, Chinese envoy reaffirm strategic ties, discuss regional peace
s ta f f r e p o r t
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday held a comprehensive meeting with Jiang Zaidong during a courtesy call reaffirming the depth of Pakistan-China relations and reviewing the evolving regional situation, particularly in the Middle East
The meeting, attended by senior members of Pakistan’s civilian and diplomatic leadership underscored Islamabad s coordinated approach to foreign policy at a time of heightened regional tensions Among those present were Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Information Minister Ataullah Tarar
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi and Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch
During the interaction, Prime Minister Shehbaz conveyed warm greetings and best wishes to Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang reflecting the continuity of high-level political engagement between the two countries
Expressing satisfaction over the steady upward trajectory of bilateral ties, the prime minister reiterated that Pakistan takes immense pride in its All-Weather Cooperative Strategic Partnership with China He emphasised that the relationship remains a cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy and
Nations resolutions The Foreign Office further accused India of undermining regional peace through inflammatory rhetoric repeated provocations and aggressive military posturing, including its unilateral decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty a move Pakistan says violates international law Islamabad urged the international community to take note of the situation
ISLAMABAD
OTrump
esc alates Iran rhetoric as S trait of Hormuz crisis deepens, maritime tensions surge
Strait of Hormuz
conflict between US-Israeli forces and Iran which escalated on February 28 has triggered widespread disruption across the Middle East including strikes on infrastructure and regional shipping routes
The ongoing blockade of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz continues to strain global energy markets drive inflationary pressures and heighten geopolitical uncertainty with no clear path yet to sustained peace negotiations
writes “Iran’s navy is lying at the bottom of the sea, their air force is demolished, their anti-aircraft and radar weaponry is gone their leaders are no longer with us the blockade is airtight and strong and from there, it only gets worse Time is not on their side! He said that with Iran's military capability destroyed, he had "all the time in the world" but the Islamic republic did not He adds that a deal will only be made with Iran when it s appropriate and good for the United States of America, our allies and, in fact, the rest of the world
Corps seized two vessels and escorted
statements by the shipping companies
The Revolutionary Guards accused the ships it had seized, the Liberiaflagged Epaminondas and Panamaflagged MSC Francesca of operating without required permits and tampering with their navigation systems A third, Liberia-flagged container ship was fired upon in the same area but was not damaged and had resumed sailing, according to maritime security sources Leavitt said in an interview with Fox News that since the ships were not US or Israeli vessels the seizure was not a violation of the ceasefire She called it an act of "piracy" Iranian officials have called the US blockade of Iranian-bound vessels piracy as well The US military said on Wednesday it had so far directed more than 30 ships to turn around or return to port as part of the US blockade against Iran Far beyond the Gulf, the US military has intercepted at least three Iranian-flagged tankers in Asian waters sources said redirecting
W H E N I T I S ‘A P P R O P R I AT E A N D G O O D’ F O R U S United States President Donald Trump said on Thursday that a deal with Iran would only be made when it was appropriate and good for the US asserting that the clock was ticking for Iran In a post on Truth Social, US President Donald Trump says he is possibly the least pressured person ever to be in this position” stating that he is not in a rush to end the war I have all the time in the World but Iran doesn t The clock is
them away from their positions near India Malaysia and Sri Lanka Brent, the international crude oil benchmark, remained above $100 a barrel in Asian trade on Thursday, having hit triple figures a day earlier for the first time in two weeks
In his Tuesday announcement, Trump said that the US had agreed to a request by Pakistani mediators "to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal and discussions are concluded one way or the other He has not set any deadline for the proposal or discussions, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Pakistan which has acted as a mediator was still trying to bring the sides together after both failed to show up for tentatively scheduled talks in Islamabad on Tuesday before the two-week-old ceasefire was due to expire A first session of peace talks between Iran and the US in Islamabad 11 days ago produced no agreement
tions for damage and recognition
t Iran has also made a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah a condition of truce talks On Wednesday, Israeli air strikes on Lebanon killed at least five people including the Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil
It was the deadliest day since a 10day ceasefire was announced on April 16 between Israel and Lebanon, notwithstanding the thousand-plus Lebanese killed by Israeli attacks over the course of the war
TH E two main parties to the current conflict, the USA and Iran, have shown the requisite desire to keep talking, and to maintain the facade of a ceasefire even if one no longer exists in the strict sense of the term, because both sides have attempted to enforce a blockade Iran od the Hormuz Strait and the USA od Iranian ports even as the deadline for the original 14-day deadline expired on Tuesday US President Donald Trump on Wednesday extended the deadline, but this time kept it open-ended, saying that this was done on the Pakistani request to allow negotiations to take place Though he said that a US delegation was going to arrive in Islamabad on Friday (today) Iran had not confirmed this This implies that Iran is still holding back from the kind of surrender that the USA expects Iran should also not expect that the USA will treat it as a victor in the kind of asymmetric warfare it has engaged in
It appears there is still a mismatch of perceptions between the two sides It really depends on the USA at the moment, for Iran does not have the ability to make the USA stop attacking it even in a best-case scenario
The USA is not helped by a President who insists on claiming victory which is not there, who has launched an attack without getting the outcomes he wanted
Those victory claims might rile Iran, but of greater importance is whether Israel is satisfied by then Even now, it is doing its best to sabotage the US-Iran talks by violating the ceasefire in Lebanon It is thereby jeopardizing its own talks with Lebanon but it probably does not mind that because it did not seek those talks of its own accord
The USA is finding that Iran does have it over a barrel because of the Hormuz Strait, which it has not been able to open so far However, that should not be assumed by Iran to mean that it has won The world wants the Strait open but all the interlocutors should realize that what the USA has not been able to force Iran into doing it is highly unlikely to be able to do because of negotiations Pakistan would do best to maintain its acceptability as a mediator to all sides, and must not favour any one side too much in its anxiety to broker a deal
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
ON E of the more surprising developments has been the development of a Quadrilateral a sort of Western Quad which counterbalances the more prominent more formal Eastern one In the West the increased cooperation between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkiye was visible during the recent crisis set off by the US and Israeli bombing of Iran In the East, there is the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue of the USA, Australia Japan and India which is an older platform There are some similarities between the two Quads as well as differences First they are both dedicated to keeping open waterways and thus the free flow of oil from West to East The West Quad has developed a very recent interest in the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of the world’s crude oil passes Saudi Arabia uses the Strait for exporting much of its oil though it does have the ability to manage some exports though the Red Sea and the Suez Canal to Europe The Eastern Quad also has a deep interest in the Strait of Hormuz, especially Japan, India and Australia, which depend on it for varying degrees of their energy needs, and indirectly because all are oil importers The second similarity is the USA The USA is itself a member of the Eastern Quad and is an important component of AUKUS the trilateral alliance with Australia and the UK as members which is focused on the Australian Navy s submarine fleet While it is not a member of the Western Quad, all four of its members are allies at the bilateral level, though Turkiye is also a member of NATO The Eastern and Western Quads have certain differences however The Eastern Quad is partly against China The Western is not against China Indeed Pakistan has strong links with Beijing Turkiye too has recently developed ties because of the Belt and Road Initiative Saudi Arabia sees China as one of its best customers Egyptian ties with China date back a long time, and precede the Ramadan War (One of the most important engagements in the war when Israeli armour was theatening Cairo was fought at the Chinese Farm where the Israeli advance was halted It was fought around an experimental Chinese farm ) Is the Western Quad in any way an entity capable of development, or is it simply a tool of US diplomacy? At the moment, it is acting to fulfill the needs of the USA to provide a channel through which to interact with Iran
Perhaps the advantage of the Western Quad is that it provides a variety of countries which can take the lead
Perhaps one reason for the Iranian willingness to talk to Pakistan is that it has a Shia minority, one which has some interaction with Iran through ziaraat and education There are a substantial number of holy sites particular to the Ahle Tashi’i in Iran As for education, even now though there is a proper network of Shia madaris the crowning achievement of a Shia alim s education is still to be had from a period in Qum Pakistan and Iran were also part of CENTO along with Turkiye Presumably that Cold War alliance overcame the hostility between those two countries which
at Beas and Nagrota were obliterated Even the vaunted S-400 systems at Adampur and Bhuj were
India’s
goes back to the rivalry between the Ottomans and the Safavids with about three centuries of intermittent war between the two countries ending only in 1823 There are also no Shia in Turkiye, after a vigorous and persistent persecution of Shias by the Ottomans over the centuries Most of the better known instances occurred in Arab lands but they were also suppressed in Anatolia As a result only about 10 percent of the Turkish population is Shia That is about the proportion in Saudi Arabia, and there are even fewer in Egypt Pakistan is the most active in bilateral relations, with a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement signed with Saudi Arabia, as well as cooperation with Turkiye in a number of defence production areas particularly in drone technology as well as in shipbuilding Pakistan has obtained Turkish MILGEM-class corvettes for its Navy and has expressed an interest in obtaining the Altay tank for its Army The Altay has achieved a high-level of indigenization, as has the Al-Khalid MBT, of which more 400 are in service in Pakistan While Egypt and Pakistan have not got any major projects together the Egyptian Air Force does operate 30 Karakoram-8 jet trainers and both the EAF and PAF operate the F16 (So does the Turkish Air Force while Turkiye also has an F16 rebuild facility) An interesting Turkish project is the Kaan, intended to be a stealth fighter, got a fillip when Turkiye was bumped off the F35 project When the Kaan is fully developed it will be an alternative to be considered along with the Chinese F-35 The American F-35 is not only dependent on US permission which will come at a high operational cost but costs anywhere between $80 million and $100 million per unit However, that will depend on Turkiye s own posi-
cyber warriors infiltrated and disrupted Indian military networks sowing confusion and paralysis UAVs soared boldly into enemy skies even over New Delhi a daring demonstration of reach and confidence The campaign was not just about firepower it was about intellect, innovation, and audacity Throughout these days the nation stood as an unbreakable force The youth roared with defiance the media thundered the call for resilience and the political leadership locked arms with the armed forces in iron unity The spirit of Unity, Faith, and Discipline was no mere slogan it became a living force, forging the people together in the crucible of war Diplomacy followed swiftly with international actors rushing to broker a ceasefire Yet for Pakistan the verdict was already written in fire: sovereignty defended dignity preserved, aggression crushed On 12 May 2025, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared 10 May as Youm-e-Marka-e-Haq, a day of national remembrance It has been marked as a day of tributes to the country’s defenders and sacrifices of martyrs etched in the soul of every Pakistani The consequences of Marka-e-Haq were seismic It shifted the balance of power in South
Asia proving that Pakistan could strike decisively and deter aggression across multiple domains It showcased civil-military harmony, with the government and armed forces working hand in hand Even as the eastern front blazed Pakistan also neutralized Indian-backed proxies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan demonstrating its ability to fight on multiple fronts without faltering Above all, Marka-e-Haq was a resounding moral victory It reminded the world that Pakistan’s resilience flows not from convenience but from unyielding conviction It proved that sovereignty is sacred and truth when defended with courage becomes an unstoppable force This victory was more than territorial it was spiritual, psychological, and eternal As the nation commemorates Marka-eHaq, it does so with pride and gratitude The days between 22 April and 10 May 2025 would always be remembered not merely as a military campaign but as a declaration of Pakistan s unyielding spirit They stand as proof that when tested, Pakistan rises with unity, fights with discipline, and prevails with truth
This was far more than a battle, a thunderous roar to the world: Pakistan will defend its sovereignty protect its people and uphold the truth no matter the cost no matter the odds
The writer can be reached at naveedsafdar13@gmail com
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