Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed optimism on Sunday that Pakistan would soon host the next round of talks between Iran and the United States. He commended former President Donald Trump for his significant peace initiatives and ongoing diplomatic involvement in the region.
In a statement on X, the prime minister congratulated Trump for his “extraordinary efforts to pursue peace” and highlighted a recent productive telephone conference involving leaders from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkiye, Egypt, the UAE, Jordan, and Pakistan. He noted that Pakistan was represented in the call by Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir, whose relentless dedication during the process was highly appreciated.
Shehbaz Sharif emphasized that the discussions offered a valuable platform to exchange perspectives on the current regional dynamics and strategies to advance peace efforts aimed at achieving lasting stability. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to these peace initiatives and expressed hope to host the forthcoming round of negotiations very soon.
These remarks followed Trump’s post on Truth Social, where he described the call with regional leaders as “very good” and mentioned progress on a memorandum of understanding related to peace. The post listed participants from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkiye, Egypt, Jordan, and Bahrain.
Trump stated that a broad agreement had been largely negotiated, pending finalization among the United States, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and other involved countries. He added that the details were still under discussion and would be announced shortly, including the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
However, Iranian news agency Fars challenged Trump’s claim, asserting that the agreement would grant Iran control over the strait and described Trump’s statement as “inconsistent with reality.” Trump also mentioned a separate successful phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The recent diplomatic contacts occurred amid increased pressure from the US and its Middle Eastern allies. Earlier in the week, Trump indicated that talks with Iran were nearing completion but warned of renewed strikes if no deal was reached.
Meanwhile, Pakistan intensified its mediation efforts between Washington and Tehran. Field Marshal Munir conducted meetings with Iran’s senior civil and military officials during a brief official visit to Tehran. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) described these engagements as taking place in a “positive and constructive environment,” contributing meaningfully to the mediation process.
During his visit, Field Marshal Munir met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni. The ISPR reported that intensive negotiations over the previous 24 hours had led to encouraging progress toward a final understanding.
Pakistan has played a pivotal mediation role since hostilities escalated following US and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28, which were met with Iranian retaliatory strikes and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Islamabad brokered a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran on April 8 and subsequently hosted direct talks on April 11 and 12. Although those talks did not produce a permanent agreement, Pakistan has continued backchannel efforts to bridge differences between Washington and Tehran.
