Oil rises after new Trump threats against Iran, as Islamabad speaks of talks underway

WTI crude rose to $83.47 a barrel and gas gained 3.39% after US President Donald Trump renewed his threats against Iran. The reaction in energy markets comes as doubts remain over the full resumption of trade flows through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial chokepoint for the transport of oil and gas from the Persian Gulf to the rest of the world.

Traders continue to monitor tensions in the Middle East despite the diplomatic assurances circulated in recent weeks. Available sources do not report an official explanation for why the market is reacting this way; what remains a fact, however, is that the US administration has repeatedly alternated verbal pressure with negotiating openings toward Tehran.

In an apparently contradictory picture, Pakistan has signaled that the United States and Iran may be close to a deal. The indication, reported by Pakistani sources cited by news agencies, contributed to a slightly higher opening on Wall Street, a sign that investors are reading Trump’s verbal tensions as part of a broader negotiating dynamic, not necessarily as a prelude to military escalation.

The dual signal — public threats on one hand, Pakistani mediation on the other — is consistent with the pattern followed by Washington in recent months on the Iranian file: harsh statements aimed at domestic public opinion and the markets, accompanied by less visible parallel diplomatic channels. Pakistan, which maintains diplomatic relations with both Washington and Tehran, has repeatedly put itself forward in the past as an informal intermediary on regional issues, although the information relayed by Pakistani sources has not at this time been directly confirmed by the United States or Iran.

It remains to be seen which of the two dynamics will prevail in the coming weeks. Should the prospect of a deal be confirmed, energy markets could scale back fears linked to a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz; if, on the other hand, Trump’s threats translate into concrete new measures, pressure on oil and gas prices is set to continue. For now, the available data show a rise in both commodities, while news of a possible agreement remains attributed to Pakistani sources and has not yet been corroborated by the parties directly involved.