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Pakistan is pushing to convert its ceasefire mediation into something larger: progress on the nuclear issue at the centre of the Iran crisis. But while optimism has grown, key disputes remain unresolved and officials say a second round of talks has not yet been formally dated.
The White House has publicly declared Pakistan the sole mediator in the current United States-Iran negotiations, a striking statement that formalises Islamabad’s role as the main diplomatic channel in a volatile and unfinished process.
Donald Trump has said fresh US-Iran talks in Islamabad could take place within days, reinforcing Pakistan’s growing role as a mediator. Why, he says? "Because the Field Marshal is doing a great job."
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi backed Pakistan’s role in the US-Iran Islamabad Talks during a call with Shehbaz Sharif. She emphasised de-escalation and the urgent need to ensure safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi discussed the US-Iran negotiations held in Islamabad, with Beijing praising Pakistan’s efforts to promote regional stability.
Pakistan said it was still making a full diplomatic push to ease tensions between the United States and Iran after marathon talks in Islamabad ended without agreement, underscoring Islamabad’s bid to keep a fragile mediation effort from unravelling.
Donald Trump praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir as “very extraordinary men” after being briefed on the marathon U.S.-Iran talks in Islamabad, placing Pakistan’s leadership at the centre of a major diplomatic moment.
Donald Trump has said that he expects Iran to return to the negotiating table and “give us everything we want,” reinforcing a maximalist U.S. position after high-level talks in Islamabad ended without a deal.
Iran leaves the door open after Islamabad, but says the United States must now earn its trust. Tehran says the talks were serious, while Pakistan played a central role in keeping the diplomatic channel alive, and Washington must now prove it can turn dialogue into trust.
Saudi Arabia said a Pakistani military force, including fighter and support aircraft, has arrived at King Abdulaziz Air Base under a bilateral defence pact, a deployment that underscores expanding security coordination between the two countries.
With JD Vance, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner now in Islamabad, Pakistan has become the venue for a diplomatic push that could decide whether a fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire survives or collapses.
Senior Indian Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has said India should welcome, not resent, Pakistan’s role in helping secure a US–Iran ceasefire, arguing that peace in the region is not a zero-sum outcome.
Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by U.S.-based advocacy group Sikhs for Justice, crediting him with containing escalation during the recent U.S.-Iran crisis.
Trump says he will pause strikes on Iran for two weeks after talks with Shehbaz Sharif and Asim Munir, placing Pakistan at the heart of a high-stakes diplomatic push over the Strait of Hormuz and a possible wider peace deal.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has urged Donald Trump to extend the deadline by two weeks, called for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and backed a temporary ceasefire to give diplomacy a real chance in the Middle East.
President Trump has said that Iranian civilisation “will die tonight” if Iran did not agree to the terms of a peace deal brokered by Pakistan before his deadline expired.
An Iranian strike tied to the Jubail petrochemical complex has sharpened fears of a wider regional rupture, deepened pressure on Saudi Arabia to respond, and cast fresh doubt over a fragile diplomatic track in which Pakistan has emerged as a key intermediary.
Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei has been appointed Iran’s new supreme leader, formalising a wartime succession that keeps power within the late Ali Khamenei’s family and signals hardline continuity at the top of the Islamic Republic.
A Riyadh meeting between Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prince Khalid bin Salman foregrounds Pakistan–Saudi security coordination as the Kingdom discusses steps to halt Iranian missile and drone activity within the Joint Strategic Defence Agreement framework.
Donald Trump has hardened his stance on Iran by declaring that no agreement is possible without “unconditional surrender”, while also saying the United States and its allies would help rebuild the country only after the emergence of what he called “great and acceptable” new leadership.
Saudi Arabia says its air defences intercepted three drones east of Al-Kharj, three cruise missiles outside the city and another drone near Al-Jouf as regional tensions intensify.
Donald Trump confirms Khamenei is dead and vows continued strikes, urging Iranians to “take back” their country.
Israeli officials claim Khamenei was killed in US-Israeli strikes on Tehran, a claim not confirmed by Iran, as retaliatory missile attacks ripple across Gulf states hosting US assets.
After being presented as combat-tested during Pakistan’s confrontation with India, the JF-17 Thunder is drawing new global interest. Somalia’s potential 24-jet deal would mark the Horn of Africa nation’s largest air force modernisation in decades.
The US Supreme Court ruled that President Trump’s sweeping emergency tariffs were unlawful, curbing a signature trade strategy and opening the door to large-scale refund claims from businesses that paid the duties.
A robot dog clip has derailed India’s AI summit after online users identified the device as a Chinese-made model. Congress and Rahul Gandhi seized on the claim, turning it into a credibility crisis for the event.
The UN Security Council condemned the Islamabad mosque suicide bombing and cited at least 32 dead and 92 injured, saying ISIL claimed responsibility. It urged states to cooperate with Pakistan to hold perpetrators, organisers and financiers accountable
A federal case in New York sets out an alleged India-linked assassination plan against a US citizen. Prosecutors say the plot was disrupted before it could be carried out.
The BNP has stormed past a two-thirds majority, sealing one of Bangladesh’s most decisive electoral outcomes in decades. With Jamaat claiming a strong bloc, Tarique Rahman now stands on the doorstep of power.
Pakistan has emerged as a founding member of President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, a new diplomatic body unveiled at Davos to oversee Gaza’s post-war security, reconstruction and political transition.
After two decades of stalled talks, the European Union and India have sealed a sweeping free trade agreement designed to cut tariffs, expand market access and reshape their strategic partnership.
Seven European allies have issued a rare joint statement backing Denmark and Greenland, warning that tariff threats and political pressure risk undermining transatlantic unity and Arctic security.
Pakistan has said any decision on joining the proposed Gaza Peace Board will be taken through its political leadership and Parliament, stressing that if included it could play a constructive and stabilising role in peace efforts and humanitarian relief in Gaza.
Pakistan has been invited to join a proposed Gaza Peace Board under Donald Trump’s post-war plan, positioning Islamabad as a key participant in discussions on ceasefire, humanitarian recovery and long-term political stability.
US President Donald Trump has backed Iran’s protest movement, saying the country is “looking at freedom” as unrest spreads despite a deadly crackdown and internet blackout.
Indian markets slipped again as weak global cues and proposed US tariffs on Russian oil buyers rattled investor confidence and heightened fears over India’s energy dependence.
Donald Trump says the United States launched a large-scale strike in Venezuela and captured President Nicolás Maduro, taking him out of the country, with further details promised at Mar-a-Lago.
Ali Shamkhani says Iranians know America’s “rescues” from Iraq and Afghanistan to Gaza, warning any intervention near Iran’s security will be met with a “regret-inducing response”, after Donald Trump threatens action if protesters are killed.
Trump warned Iran he would intervene to protect peaceful protesters, saying the US is “locked and loaded”, as Tehran responded with counter-threats and unrest spread.
A New Year’s celebration at Le Constellation, a bar in the Swiss Alpine resort of Crans-Montana, ended in disaster after an explosion sparked a major fire, police said.
