Attock Refinery Limited (ARL), located in northern Pakistan, has been forced to shut down operations due to road closures implemented for security reasons ahead of potential peace talks between the United States and Iran. This refinery is crucial as it supplies fuel to central and northern Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Gilgit-Baltistan. In a regulatory filing to the Pakistan Stock Exchange and the Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan, ARL reported that the closure has severely impacted crude oil receipts and product dispatches. The refinery's main crude distillation unit, with a capacity of 32,400 barrels per stream day (BPSD), has been suspended until traffic restrictions improve. The situation arises amidst tense negotiations between Tehran and Washington, which have been complicated by a naval blockade around the Strait of Hormuz and the recent cancellation of a planned visit by US Vice President JD Vance to Islamabad.