Iran agreed to permit 20 additional ships flying the Pakistani flag to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced Saturday. He stated that two ships would cross the strait daily.

Dar described the move as a "welcome and constructive gesture by Iran" that "deserves appreciation" and called it "a harbinger of peace" that would help usher in regional stability. In a post on X, he added that the announcement marked "a meaningful step toward peace" and stressed that "dialogue, diplomacy, and such confidence-building measures are the only way forward." He tagged U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in the message.

The development follows Iran's earlier permissions for Pakistani vessels amid disruptions in the strait caused by the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, which began on February 28 and has lasted nearly a month. The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman, handles about 20 percent of the world's liquefied natural gas and 25 percent of seaborne oil trade, contributing to a global fuel crunch from the traffic halt.

Earlier Saturday, Iran permitted two Pakistani cargo ships, Multan and P-Akili, to transit the strait under escort by Iranian forces; the vessels are en route to Karachi port, with arrival expected on March 31. P-Akili carries more than 80 million liters of crude oil. A Pakistani oil tanker also transited on March 16, marking the first such non-Iranian voyage since the conflict started.

Iran has restricted passage to vessels from "friendly" nations, including China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Iraq, and Bangladesh, while blocking those linked to its adversaries. Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi stated that the strait, now a war zone, remains closed to enemies and their allies. Iran's parliament is considering a $2 million transit fee for approved vessels.

The approval came hours after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a more than one-hour phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, discussing Pakistan's mediation efforts for peace talks between Washington and Tehran. Pakistan is collaborating with Turkey and Egypt on the process. Islamabad will host foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt on Sunday to discuss de-escalating regional tensions.

President Donald Trump previously claimed Iran allowed eight to ten Pakistani-flagged oil tankers through the Strait as a gesture during negotiations. More than 350 vessels await Iranian approval to transit.