Pakistan has expressed readiness to facilitate and host “meaningful talks” between the United States and Iran with the goal of ending the war, citing growing support for its peace efforts from the United Nations and China.
The Pakistani government has positioned itself as a facilitator between Iran and the United States, allowing the exchange of messages as the war, led by Washington with Israel, enters its second month.
On Sunday, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar hosted his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey in the Pakistani capital amid concerns about the consequences of the conflict, including the disruption of maritime traffic in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
In a televised statement, Mr. Dar, who is also Pakistan’s Vice Prime Minister, stated that the foreign ministers in Islamabad had expressed “full support” for potential talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad.
“The foreign ministers advocated for dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable way to prevent conflicts and promote regional peace and harmony,” he added.
Pakistan aims to leverage its longstanding ties with Tehran and close contacts in the Gulf, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir have established personal relationships with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Mr. Dar and Mr. Sharif have had several phone conversations with high-ranking Iranian officials, including President Massoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and have been engaging in active dialogue with the U.S. administration, according to the Foreign Minister.
“In this context, Pakistan is very pleased that both Iran and the United States have expressed confidence in Pakistan to facilitate discussions,” he added.
“Pakistan will be honored to host and facilitate, in the coming days, significant talks between the two parties, towards a comprehensive and lasting resolution of the ongoing conflict.”
Mr. Dar also spoke with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. They “fully support” Pakistan’s peace initiative, as do other governments around the world, he assured.
- **Preventing “total chaos” –
Sunday’s discussions, held under tight security and without delegates from the United States, Israel, or Iran, focused on efforts to prevent the conflict from escalating and encourage the establishment of a “negotiation framework” between Tehran and Washington to prevent the region from “descending into a state of total chaos,” according to Cairo.
The three ministers – Badr Abdelatty for Egypt, Hakan Fidan for Turkey, and Saudi Arabia’s Faisal ben Farhan – also met with Mr. Sharif and Marshal Munir.
Tehran denies holding any official talks with Washington but has responded to Mr. Trump’s 15-point plan to end the war through Islamabad, according to an anonymous source cited by the Iranian Tasnim news agency.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul stated on Friday that he expected a direct meeting between the United States and Iran in Pakistan “very soon,” without revealing the source of his information.
Pakistan’s efforts have an economic rationale: the country depends on oil and gas imports passing through the Strait of Hormuz. If disruptions in maritime traffic continue, fuel supply could deteriorate, leading to price hikes and necessitating new austerity measures.
Late Saturday, Mr. Dar announced that Iran had granted permission for an additional 20 Pakistani-flagged vessels – two ships per day – to transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
