The Pakistani government has expressed its readiness to facilitate and host “meaningful talks” between the United States and Iran with the aim of ending the war, highlighting increasing support for its peace efforts from the United Nations and China.
The government of Pakistan has emerged as a facilitator between Iran and the United States, enabling the exchange of messages as the war, led by Washington with Israel, enters its second month.
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar hosted his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey in Islamabad on Sunday, amid concerns about the consequences of the conflict, including disruptions to 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 peace and regional harmony,” he added.
Pakistan is leveraging its historic ties with Tehran and close contacts in the Gulf, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir having a personal relationship with US President Donald Trump.
Mr. Dar and Mr. Sharif have had several phone conversations with senior Iranian officials, including President Massoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and have been actively engaging with the US 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 further stated.
“Pakistan will be honored to host and facilitate significant talks between the two parties in the coming days, aiming for a comprehensive and lasting resolution to the ongoing conflict.”
Mr. Dar also discussed the peace initiative with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. They “fully support” Pakistan’s peace efforts, as do other governments worldwide, he assured.
– Preventing “total chaos” –
Sunday’s discussions, held under tight security and in the absence of delegates from the United States, Israel, or Iran, focused on efforts to prevent the conflict from escalating and to encourage the establishment of a “negotiation framework” between Tehran and Washington to prevent the region from falling into a “state of total chaos,” according to Cairo.
The three ministers – Badr Abdelatty for Egypt, Hakan Fidan for Turkey, and Saudi’s Faisal bin 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 quoted by the Iranian news agency Tasnim.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul stated on Friday that he expects 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 relies on oil and gas imports passing through the Strait of Hormuz. If disruptions to maritime traffic continue, fuel supplies could deteriorate, leading to price hikes and necessitating new austerity measures.
Late Saturday, Mr. Dar announced that Iran had allowed an additional 20 Pakistani-flagged ships – two ships per day – to transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
