As fears of a wider regional conflict escalate following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran that began in late February, Pakistan has emerged as an unexpected mediator, offering to help bring Washington and Tehran to the negotiating table.
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Here's how to do itHis son died after a sextortion scheme. He's among many parents celebrating the rulings against MetaAt Pentagon Christian service, Hegseth prays for violence 'against those who deserve no mercy'Juez en EEUU sopesa si Venezuela puede usar fondos del gobierno venezolano para pagar su defensa | President Donald Trump, left, listens as Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif speaks during a summit to support ending the more than two-year Israel-Hamas war in Gaza after a breakthrough ceasefire deal, on Oct. 13, 2025, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. In this photo released by Pakistan Prime Minister Office, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, left, and Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi meet during an inauguration of the Mand-Pishin border in Pishin, border of Pakistan-Iran, on May 18, 2023. Paramilitary soldiers take positions at the U.S. Consulate after protesters stormed the building in Karachi, Pakistan, on March 1, 2026. In this photo released by the Inter Services Public Relations, newly elevated Field Marshal General Asim Munir prays after laying wreath on the Martyrs monument during a special guard of honor ceremony at General Headquarters, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, May 21, 2025. President Donald Trump, left, listens as Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif speaks during a summit to support ending the more than two-year Israel-Hamas war in Gaza after a breakthrough ceasefire deal, on Oct. 13, 2025, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. President Donald Trump, left, listens as Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif speaks during a summit to support ending the more than two-year Israel-Hamas war in Gaza after a breakthrough ceasefire deal, on Oct. 13, 2025, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. In this photo released by Pakistan Prime Minister Office, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, left, and Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi meet during an inauguration of the Mand-Pishin border in Pishin, border of Pakistan-Iran, on May 18, 2023. In this photo released by Pakistan Prime Minister Office, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, left, and Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi meet during an inauguration of the Mand-Pishin border in Pishin, border of Pakistan-Iran, on May 18, 2023. Paramilitary soldiers take positions at the U.S. Consulate after protesters stormed the building in Karachi, Pakistan, on March 1, 2026. Paramilitary soldiers take positions at the U.S. Consulate after protesters stormed the building in Karachi, Pakistan, on March 1, 2026. In this photo released by the Inter Services Public Relations, newly elevated Field Marshal General Asim Munir prays after laying wreath on the Martyrs monument during a special guard of honor ceremony at General Headquarters, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, May 21, 2025. In this photo released by the Inter Services Public Relations, newly elevated Field Marshal General Asim Munir prays after laying wreath on the Martyrs monument during a special guard of honor ceremony at General Headquarters, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, May 21, 2025. ISLAMABAD — As fears of a wider regional conflict escalate following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran that began in late February, Pakistan has emerged as anIslamabad isn’t often called on to act as an intermediary in high-stakes diplomacy, but it’s stepped into the role this time for a number of reasons, both because it has relatively good ties with both Washington and Tehran and because it has a lot at stake in seeing the war resolved. Pakistani government officials have said that their public peace effort follows weeks of quiet diplomacy, though they have provided few details. They have also said that Islamabad stands ready to host talks between representatives from the U.S. and Iran.Pakistan helped US deliver 15-point plan to Iran It remains unclear who has served as Iran’s point of contact in the indirect talks. Iran has maintained it has not held such talks andAccording to Pakistani officials, U.S. messages are being passed to Iran and Iranian responses relayed to Washington, though they did not specify how the process is being handled or who is directly communicating with whom. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said this week that Turkey and Egypt are also working behind the scenes to bring the sides to the negotiating table. Abdullah Khan, managing director of the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, said that Pakistani’s mediation efforts may be contributing to relative restraint in the conflict. He noted that U.S. President Donald Trump has delayed his threats of large-scale attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure citing diplomatic progress, and Iranian responses toward U.S. interests in the Gulf have been measured in what may be an effort to preserve space for diplomacy.Analysts say Pakistan’s geographic proximity to Iran — it’s one of its neighbors — coupled with its longstanding ties with the U.S., gives it a unique position at a time when direct communication between the two sides remains constrained. Islamabad has good working relations with most of the key parties in the war, including both the U.S. and Iran. It has close strategic ties with Gulf states including Saudi Arabia, with which it signed a defense cooperation agreement last year. However, Pakistan has no diplomatic relations with Israel because of the lingering issue of Palestinian statehood. Relations between the United States and Pakistan have improved since last year, with increased diplomatic engagement and expanding economic ties. Pakistan also joined Trump’s Board of Peace, which aims to ensure peace in Gaza, despite opposition from Islamists at home. Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump spoke to the Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, whom Trump has publicly described as his “favorite Field Marshal.” Analysts say he’s a player who enjoys good ties with both the Iranian and U.S. militaries.The conflict poses some of “the biggest economic and energy security challenges” in Pakistan’s history, said Islamabad-based security analyst Syed Mohammad Ali. The country gets most of its oil and gas from the Middle East — and, he said, the five million Pakistanis working in the Arab world send home remittances each year roughly equal to the country’s total export earnings. Rising tensions have already contributed to higher global oil prices, forcing Pakistan to increase fuel prices by about 20% and putting pressure on the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.A day after the United States and Israel attacked Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, clashes erupted in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi and in parts of the north, leaving at least 22 people dead and more than 120 injured nationwide. At least 12 people were killed in and around the U.S. Consulate in Karachi after a mob breached the compound and attempted to set it on fire.Pakistan has a record as a mediator While Pakistan rarely serves as a mediator, its record does include playing a role in some very high-profile talks. Pakistan’s then-President Gen. Yahya Khan facilitated backchannel contacts that led to U.S. President Richard Nixon’s historic 1972 visit to China. That paved the way for the establishment of diplomatic ties between Washington and Beijing in 1979. Since then, Pakistan has played a role in several other complex regional conflicts, most notably during the 1988 Geneva Accords that paved the way for the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan. Acting as a frontline state and key interlocutor, Islamabad participated in U.N.-brokered negotiations while working closely with the United States and other stakeholders and helped increase pressure on Moscow to pull out its forces. More recently, Pakistan facilitated contacts between the Afghan Taliban and Washington that led to talks in Doha that culminated in a 2020 agreement and set the stage for the withdrawal of U.S.-led NATO troops and the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.Live updates: Trump delays Strait of Hormuz deadline as Wall Street has biggest loss of war
Iran War Donald Trump Ali Khamenei Islamabad Pakistan Government General News Iran Government War And Unrest Diplomacy Asia Pacific South Asia International Agreements Richard Nixon Yahya Khan Asim Munir Military And Defense Abdullah Khan Shehbaz Sharif World News Energy Industry Iran Syed Mohammad Ali
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