Pakistan negotiated with Iran to secure safe passage for liquefied natural gas carrier Al Mayeda before the ship was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter. The Marshall Islands-flagged vessel was sailing toward the waterway loaded with LNG from Qatar when it came under fire, the people said, asking not to be named as they are not authorized to speak to the media. Just hours earlier, Iranian authorities were understood to have provided a green light, they added. bloomberg.com/news/articles/…