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• Tanker reports fresh explosions in strait; US naval blockade remains in place
• US imports of Middle East crude set to cross 0.6m barrels per day
• Vance, Ghalibaf trade barbs over ‘messy negotiations’

WASHINGTON / TEH­RAN: Despite an understanding between Iran and Oman, fresh security incidents in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday highlighted the continued risks for regional shipping in the critical waterway.

While the agreement would be a step towards reopening the key energy route, Iranian media stressed that any easing still hinged on Washington ending its own naval blockade of Iran’s ports.

On Thursday, Centcom said it continued to enforce the naval blockade of Iran, redirecting 49 commercial vessels, disabling two, and boarding two.

Highlighting the risks to ships, the captain of an oil tanker reported hearing two explosions while transiting the strait, nine nautical miles southeast of Kumzar in Oman, Britain’s maritime security agency said on Wednesday.

“The Master of a tanker has reported hearing two explosions whilst transiting in the Strait of Hormuz,” the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on X, adding that the crew and vessel were safe, and that no environmental damage was reported.

Oman is already facing an impending environmental catastrophe as an alleged Russian shadow fleet tanker leaks oil across hundreds of square kilometres near a nature reserve. Satellite imagery shows what appeared to be an oil slick spreading from a ship that has been stranded for over a month near al-Qibliyyah island, off Oman’s southern coast.

It is far from the Strait of Hormuz, which has seen regular tanker attacks in the Middle East war.

“With oil apparently continuing to leak and the vessel stranded in a difficult location, the risk of an even larger environmental disaster remains serious,” Nina Noelle of Greenpeace told AFP.

She warned of a “severe and long-lasting” consequence.

US imports cross 0.6m barrels per day

US imports of Middle Eastern crude are set to hit about 600,000 barrels per day in August, the highest since the Iran war began, as a brief opening of the Strait of Hormuz and the rerouting of Saudi oil through the Suez Canal pushed barrels toward American ports, ship-tracking data showed.

Nearly a dozen ships loaded with Middle Eastern crude were headed to US ports as American refiners and traders moved swiftly to snap up barrels that exited the strait when a memorandum of understanding signed by US and Iran in June helped release vessels from the maritime choke point.

Also boosting imports are cargoes from Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port of Yanbu that are traveling through the Suez Canal to the United States. Saudi Arabia has rerouted its crude output to Yanbu via its east-west pipeline to get around Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

However, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militants last month launched a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia, and the risk of attacks at the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on the southern end of the Red Sea has forced many tankers to head north and exit the shipping channel via the Suez Canal.

That has increased exports from the region to the United States, as the journey to US ports from the Suez Canal is shorter than the route to Asia. Vessels exiting via the northern route can still sail to Asia, but the voyage would take nearly four weeks longer than typical and raise costs.

‘Theatre’ of negotiations

Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance acknowledged American frustrations with the pace of diplomacy with Iran, saying negotiations would take time because of divisions within the country’s leadership.

“It’s going to be messy and it’s going to take some time to get there,” Vance told Fox News in an interview broadcast on Wednesday.

“The reality… is that number one, the Iranians are extraordinarily difficult people. Number two, they have a fractured system,” he said.

On the other hand, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf assailed the US for using “bullying, broken promises [and] fake news as leverage” during negotiations.

“‘Massive attack coming … wait, never mind, they want to negotiate,’” he writes on X, in an apparent jibe at Washington’s attitude throughout the peace process. “That’s theatre diplomacy on loop.”

Calling the US approach a “failed strategy”, he urges Washington to acknowledge facts and fulfil its commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.

“We don’t need more theatre,” he concluded.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2026

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LAHORE: Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Thursday announced peaceful sit-ins against the petroleum levy at 510 locations across the country on Friday, warning that the protests would transform into a movement to overthrow the government if authorities attempted to stop them.

Addressing a protest rally by the JI Women’s Wing on Wahdat Road in Lahore against rising petroleum prices and inflation, Rehman said major roads linking districts across Pakistan would be blocked from 4pm onwards; however, ambulances would be allowed to pass without interruption.

“If obstacles are created or our peaceful protest against the petroleum levy is blocked, this campaign will turn into an anti-government movement,” he said, demanding that the price of petrol be reduced to Rs225 per litre.

JI Lahore Emir Advocate Ziauddin Ansari, Women’s Wing President Dr Humaira Tariq, Samiha Raheel Qazi, Samina Saeed and Uzma Imran also addressed the gathering.

Rehman urged the government to accept the public’s demands, warning that it would bear full responsibility for any consequences if it failed to respond.

He described the petroleum levy as “extortion” rather than a tax, claiming that the government was collecting Rs125 in taxes on every litre of petrol from ordinary citizens while continuing lavish spending on luxury aircraft and expensive official vehicles. “Enough is enough,” he said.

The JI chief argued that petroleum prices had been increased by citing global market conditions during regional conflicts but were not reduced after international crude oil prices fell to $74 per barrel.

“The government had collected Rs8 trillion through the petroleum levy without investing any of it in upgrading oil refineries or petroleum infrastructure,” he alleged.

“The economy can recover if the government abolishes the petroleum levy,” Rehman asserted.

The JI chief said the ruling coalition was disconnected from the hardships faced by ordinary Pakistanis, adding that women were struggling to manage household kitchens due to soaring inflation and, in many cases, were being forced to sell their jewellery to support their families.

He also criticised unequal access to education, an unresponsive bureaucracy and restrictions on public dissent, arguing that the country’s governance system had become dysfunctional.

The JI chief said that the government had become subservient to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), adding it was imposing taxes and approving an anti-people budget while ignoring recommendations to reduce state expenditures.

Reiterating that Friday’s demonstrations would remain peaceful, he called on people from Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Jammu and Kashmir to participate in large numbers.

“I urged young people to bring their motorcycles onto the roads and join the sit-ins,” he said, adding major highways would be blocked peacefully to pressure the government into withdrawing the petroleum levy.

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WASHINGTON: Pakistan on Wednesday informed the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that multiple terrorist groups continued to operate from safe havens inside Afghanistan, posing a growing threat to regional security.

Speaking at a UNSC briefing on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad also highlighted Islamabad’s concerns over Jammu and Kashmir, as the Council met on the seventh anniversary of India’s August 5, 2019, decision to revoke the region’s special constitutional status.

Ahmad described the measures imposed on that day as a new phase of repression against the Kashmiri people and accused India of committing what he called “state terrorism” in the disputed territory.

He said the international community must show “zero tolerance” for such actions and should not allow counterterrorism efforts to be used as a pretext to suppress what Pakistan describes as legitimate struggles for self-determination.

The Kashmir reference came alongside a broader discussion of terrorism and regional security, with the ambassador focusing heavily on Afghanistan-based terrorist groups — an issue that has become central to Pakistan’s security concerns and increasingly part of Washington’s regional agenda.

The UN remarks followed the fourth US-Pakistan Counterterrorism Dialogue held on Tuesday in Washington, where both countries reaffirmed their commitment to combating terrorist organisations and strengthening security cooperation.

In his address to the Council, Ahmad said that while sustained international counter-terrorism efforts had degraded the capabilities of groups such as the militant Islamic State, the terrorist threat continued to evolve, particularly in parts of Africa, the Middle East and Afghanistan.

He said Islamic State’s Khorasan chapter (IS-K) had suffered setbacks, including because of counter-terrorism operations by Pakistan, but continued to pose a significant concern, particularly in Afghanistan.

“The situation in Afghanistan remains deeply alarming,” Ambassador Ahmad told the Council.

“Since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, multiple terrorist groups continue to thrive in that country in an increasingly permissive environment.”

He specifically named the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its Majeed Brigade, IS-K and its affiliates, the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and Al Qaeda affiliates as groups that, according to Pakistan, have access to safe havens inside Afghanistan.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused the TTP of using Afghan territory to plan and carry out attacks inside Pakistan, a charge that Taliban authorities have rejected. Islamabad has also accused external actors of supporting terrorist groups operating against Pakistan.

The ambassador urged the Taliban authorities to fulfil their obligation to ensure that Afghan territory is not used by any terrorist organisation to threaten other countries. He also called for international action against what he described as external sponsors of terrorism.

The US-Pakistan counter-terrorism dialogue reflected a similar focus on Afghanistan-based terrorist groups.

Counter-terrorism has emerged as one of the areas where the two countries continue to see a clear convergence of interests.

Later in his UNSC speech, Ambassador Ahmad returned to Kashmir, linking the issue to Pakistan’s broader argument that international security frameworks should address all forms of terrorism, including what Islamabad calls “state terrorism” resulting from foreign occupation.

He argued that the global response to terrorism must avoid double standards and selectivity, saying that all groups posing a threat to international peace and security should be addressed through a consistent approach.

The ambassador concluded that terrorism “knows no borders” and “has no religion,” calling for a coordinated international effort to combat the threat.

According to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, an Islamabad-based think tank, violence linked to terrorist attacks and counter-terrorism operations intensified sharply in July, making it the deadliest month of 2026, with 112 security personnel among 205 people killed.

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Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Wednesday said the incumbent government would complete its constitutional term and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would remain in office for the full five-year tenure.

Naqvi made the remarks while speaking to the media outside the Interior Ministry in Islamabad, a week after saying the country’s governance system had “collapsed” and arguing that Pakistan needed new administrative units, or provinces, to improve service delivery, accountability and access to justice.

A day later, the military’s spokesperson also called on political parties to consider an administrative reset to improve governance, arguing that the country’s security and stability depended on adapting its governance structure to the demands of modern times and a growing population.

“The future for the government is the completion of its five-year tenure … Shehbaz sahib will remain the prime minister for five years … the prime minister will complete his five-year term,” Naqvi maintained.

When asked whether his remarks about the “collapse” of the system amounted to a “charge sheet” against the government, Naqvi said he stood by his statement, maintaining that “the system has been destroyed”.

He clarified that he was referring to the country’s “80-year-old system”.

“Even today, I maintain that the system that has been in place for the last 80 years is destroyed, because if it had been functioning, Pakistan would have reached new heights,” he said.

Naqvi clarified that he had not “charge-sheeted” the government, saying he himself was part of the same administration.

“If you have a prime minister who works 14 to 16 hours a day, and if the current situation improves, the results will be a thousand times better,” he said.

Elaborating on the achievements of the prime minister and the incumbent government, the interior minister said that the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) revenue had increased manifold, Pakistan had won a war against India, its diplomatic standing had improved significantly worldwide, and numerous reforms had been introduced.

“I still believe today that if the prime minister had operated within a better system, he could have taken this country forward a hundred times more,” Naqvi said, while highlighting the efforts made by the premier.

He also briefly referred to certain individuals who wanted to create differences between him and Shehbaz.

More to follow

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FROM the looks of it, America has no exit strategy to extricate itself from the disastrous war with Iran. US President Donald Trump has alternated between issuing bombastic threats to the Iranians, to claiming that peace was at hand, sometimes making a sharp U-turn within hours. This is not how responsible statecraft plays out.

In the past, he had threatened to destroy Iranian civilisation, while more recently he said the US was ready to use “Military Terror … not seen since World War II” against the Islamic Republic. In his latest pronouncement, the US leader has given Iran a “last chance” to choose between a “deal [or] total surrender”. The five-month-old war has shown that the Iranians have mostly remained unfazed by Mr Trump’s threats.

The chaos at the White House is understandable. Mr Trump jumped headfirst into the war on Feb 28 at Israel’s persuasion, without doing his homework. Perhaps if he had studied the mistakes his predecessors had made in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, he would have refrained from launching a new war. But the US leader is not known for deep reflection, not even on critical issues.

There are reports — officially denied by Washington — that the US is running low on key munitions, while many of America’s top generals have warned their bosses that there are no longer many good military options available. As per one report, Centcom has solicited, via email, “new creative and unconventional ways to … punish Iran”, from defence experts. In plain speak, there is policy chaos in Washington. Moreover, there are reports that the Saudis have asked the US to give diplomacy with Iran another try. Riyadh realises that immense destruction will engulf the region should another round of hostilities break out.

It is very difficult for leaders to admit they are wrong. But it is crucial for Mr Trump to realise that Operation ‘Epic Fury’ has been an epic failure. The US has achieved none of its objectives. Iran evidently retains its nuclear capabilities; it has pledged to continue supporting its regional armed allies; and its control over the Strait of Hormuz has only increased since the war began. In addition, the American and Israeli dream of regime change has completely backfired: the pragmatic old guard — assassinated by the US and Israel — has been replaced by an ideologically driven and much more hard-line new leadership.

From this point on, the US should shun its violent rhetoric and approach the Iranians with respect. Pakistan, which Iran has identified as a key mediator, can press on with its efforts to revive the Islamabad MoU. If it decides to continue with more threats, Washington will only sink deeper into the Iran quagmire, as the hard-liners in the Islamic Republic’s establishment seem determined to fight on.

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2026

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The government on Tuesday reduced the prices of petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs3.39 and Rs4.07 per litre, respectively.

Following the revision, petrol will retail at Rs328.56 per litre, while HSD will cost Rs385.86 per litre. The government continues to levy Rs110 per litre in taxes and duties on petrol and Rs96 per litre on diesel.

The Petroleum Division’s notification said the new prices would be applicable for August 5 (Wednesday).

The diesel price has come down from a peak of Rs520.35 recorded on April 3. Its price had started rising from Rs281 per litre after the US-Iran war broke out on February 28.

The petrol price had peaked at Rs458.41 on April 3 after beginning its upward trajectory from Rs266 in the first week of March.

Earlier, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik announced that fuel prices would now be fixed on a daily basis due to fluctuations in international market prices following renewed hostilities between Iran and the US.

The government had been announcing weekly revisions to fuel prices since early March, alongside measures for the conservation of fuel amid possible oil supply disruptions due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The federal government in April also announced targeted relief measures to provide subsidised fuel.

The petroleum minister stated that the cabinet and the prime minister had decided to give the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) the responsibility of deciding fuel prices on a daily basis based on international market trends.

The daily pricing decision was rejected by the All Pakistan Dealers Association, which said it would consider a protest plan.

Petrol is mainly used in private transport, small vehicles, rickshaws and two-wheelers, and changes in its price affect the middle and lower-middle classes.

Similarly, changes in diesel prices also impact the public at large, as it is mainly used in the heavy transport sector, power plants and large generators.

Petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) are the major revenue earners, with monthly sales of about 700,000 to 800,000 tonnes, compared to just 10,000 tonnes of monthly demand for kerosene.

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LAHORE: At least three people were killed and three others injured in rain-related incidents across Punjab on Monday, while torrential monsoon rains inundated roads and low-lying neighbourhoods in several cities, disrupting traffic, restricting public movement and causing urban flooding.

The Flood Forecasting Division (FFD) of the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Saturday forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall across parts of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan until Aug 4.

According to a loss and damage report by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), a man was killed and another injured when a house collapsed in Uch Sharif area of Bahawalpur district, while two children drowned in Khushab.

Two more people were injured in separate roof collapse incidents in Mandi Bahauddin and Lodhran. The report also recorded a house damaged in Bahawalpur.

Separately, authorities reported nine deaths in incidents not directly linked to rain or flooding. These included the drowning of a child in Kot Addu, a man in Narowal, and one man and two children in Attock. Four children also died of suffocation after being trapped inside a car in Mianwali.

A PDMA official clarified that these nine deaths did not have anything to do with rain or floods, adding that the victims drowned while trying to bathe and swim in canals and rivers.

PDMA Director General Saif Anwar Jappa directed deputy commissioners across Punjab to remain on high alert as the ongoing monsoon spell was expected to continue until Aug 5.

He said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz was personally monitoring the situation and instructed all district administrations, Rescue 1122, Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) and other relevant departments to keep their personnel and machinery on standby to respond to any emergency.

Jappa said the Provincial Control Room and all District Emergency Operation Centres had been activated and were monitoring the situation round the clock.

He directed authorities to ensure the immediate drainage of rainwater from low-lying areas and identified waterlogging points to minimise disruption to public life. He also advised citizens to avoid electricity poles, hanging power lines, dilapidated buildings and mud houses during the rains, urging parents to keep children away from accumulated rainwater.

Heavy rain lashed Lahore for several hours, causing extensive waterlogging in many parts of the provincial capital. Rainwater accumulated at levels ranging from one to one-and-a-half feet deep in Township, Kacha Jail Road, Haider Road and Quaid-i-Azam Industrial Estate, submerging several major roads and severely disrupting traffic.

Long queues of vehicles formed on inundated roads as commuters struggled to reach their destinations, while residents in affected localities were forced to use alternative routes.

Waterlogging in low-lying areas also affected the drainage system, slowing traffic at numerous locations and limiting people’s movement.

Residents urged Wasa and the district administration to expedite drainage operations and restore the smooth flow of traffic.

According to Wasa Lahore’s monsoon control room, the city received an average rainfall of 24.8 millimetres. The highest level of rainfall was recorded at Wasa Head Office Gulberg (66.4mm), followed by Shadipura (58.8mm), Mughalpura (55.6mm), Mannawan (46.4mm) and Johar Town (45.6mm).

Other areas receiving significant rainfall included Tajpura (38.4mm), Farrukhabad (21.8mm), Kahna (20mm), Nishtar Town (19.8mm) and Airport (15mm).

Urban flooding was also reported from several other cities, with Faisalabad receiving the heaviest downpour, recording 103mm of rainfall according to the ponding report issued by the Wasa Head Office.

Water accumulated up to 23 inches at Chaudhry Flour Mills Chowk, 20 inches at Lower Canal on Jaranwala Road, 19 inches at Saad Bela (People’s Colony No 1), 17 inches each at Riaz Shahid Chowk and Iqbal Stadium, and 15 inches at several locations, including Lasani Pulli, Millat Chowk, 66-Feet Bazar Nishatabad and D Ground.

Wasa teams continued de-watering operations at dozens of inundated points across the city.

In Gujrat, the maximum rainfall reached 68.8mm, with water accumulating between two and five inches at major locations, including Railway Road, Ghareeb Pura Road, Bhimber Road and Jalalpur Jattan Road. Wasa officials said clearance work was continuing at most locations, although several roads remained partially inundated.

Mandi Bahauddin recorded 56.8mm of rainfall at the Wasa Laboratory gauge and 30mm at the Wasa Head Office. Water accumulated up to eight inches on Jail Road, four inches at College Chowk and Committee Chowk, and two inches at several other locations after the rain.

In Jhelum, Wasa reported only 0.87mm of average rainfall and said no significant waterlogging remained by the afternoon, with all identified ponding points cleared.

The widespread waterlogging was attributed to the intensity of the monsoon downpour, inadequate drainage capacity at several locations and the accumulation of runoff in low-lying urban areas, resulting in traffic congestion, restricted public movement and temporary inundation of residential neighbourhoods.

Wasa teams and district administrations continued drainage operations across affected cities throughout the day.

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