Pakistan has moved to court the United States with a proposal to build and operate a new port on the Arabian Sea, a plan that could give Washington a foothold in one of the region’s most sensitive strategic zones. The proposal envisions Pasni -- located about 100 miles from Iran and 70 miles from China-backed Gwadar -- as a counterbalance to growing Chinese influence in the Arabian Sea. In return, Trump has publicly praised Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who jointly nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. Pakistan recently shipped its first small consignment of critical and rare earth minerals, including copper and antimony, to the US. Officials see this as an early step in refashioning Islamabad’s ties with Washington around trade and investment rather than security dependence.
