Iranian's foreign ministry has said that Pakistan is now their only official intermediary with the United States, placing Islamabad at the centre of one of the the world's most sensitive diplomatic channels.
Trump says his representatives Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are travelling to Pakistan for peace negotiations with Iran in Islamabad, after issuing a sharp warning to Tehran, placing Pakistan at the centre of a fast-moving diplomatic showdown.
After the Islamabad Talks, Pakistan reportedly launched a major air operation to escort Iran’s negotiators home amidst an Israeli terror threat, reflecting both the danger hanging over the diplomatic track and Islamabad’s increasingly central role in trying to keep dialogue alive.
فیلڈ مارشل عاصم منیر ایران بحران میں پاکستان کے سب سے اہم سفارتی چہرے کے طور پر سامنے آئے ہیں۔ تہران، واشنگٹن اور خلیجی دارالحکومتوں کے درمیان رابطہ کاری میں ان کا کردار مرکزی رہا، جبکہ پاکستان ایک غیر متوقع مگر مؤثر ثالث کے طور پر ابھرا ہے۔
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.
Speaking to The Thursday Times in Islamabad, Caitlin Doornbos described her visit to Pakistan as warm and memorable, praising the curiosity and openness of local people while cautioning that no reporter covering a high-intensity conflict can confidently predict where the talks will lead.
On the 88th death anniversary of Allama Iqbal, it is worth asking not only what he meant to the making of Pakistan, but what his ideas demand of the country now. As Islamabad tries to keep open channels between Iran and the United States, Iqbal’s poetry feels less like memory and more like instruction.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty have stressed the importance of dialogue and continued engagement in a high-level call on regional tensions, as Islamabad expands consultations with key Arab powers.
China has renewed its backing for Pakistan’s diplomatic role in facilitating engagement between Washington and Tehran, with Ambassador Jiang Zaidong conveying Beijing’s “full support” during a meeting with Ishaq Dar as the next phase of talks approaches a decisive moment.
Pakistan’s foreign minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, told the American chargé d’affaires in Islamabad that dialogue and diplomacy remain the only workable path to regional stability, urging Washington and Tehran to consider extending the ceasefire and give negotiations more time.