US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed on Saturday that a genuine friendship is developing between the United States and Pakistan, highlighting Islamabad’s significant role in seeking a lasting resolution to the Middle East conflict. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Hegseth lauded Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir for their pivotal contributions to Washington’s peace negotiations with Tehran.
He described Pakistan as a steadfast ally of the US, emphasizing the “outstanding” efforts of PM Shehbaz and Field Marshal Munir in facilitating ongoing diplomatic talks. These efforts aim to bring Iran and the US back to the negotiating table after six weeks of hostilities.
Meanwhile, a definitive peace agreement remains elusive. A White House official stated that President Donald Trump would only finalize a deal with Iran if all his stipulated conditions are met. Although the White House suggested Trump was nearing a decision on a potential agreement, Tehran maintained that no final accord had been reached.
Iranian state media challenged several aspects of Trump’s portrayal of the deal, describing his comments as a blend of truth and falsehoods. Trump has consistently demanded that Iran commit to never developing nuclear weapons and to reopening the Strait of Hormuz, among other prerequisites. The US president reiterated these demands shortly before a two-hour meeting in the White House Situation Room, which ended without a resolution on the deal.
The conflict escalated when the US and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran on February 28, prompting retaliatory attacks by Tehran on US bases across the region and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which disrupted global energy supplies. The clashes subsided following Pakistan’s mediation of a two-week ceasefire on April 8. Subsequently, Islamabad hosted delegations from both Tehran and Washington for direct talks—the first such dialogue in approximately 47 years.
However, the negotiations ended in a stalemate due to disagreements over key issues including the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear and missile programs. Despite this deadlock, Pakistan has persisted in its mediation efforts, successfully facilitating an extension of the ceasefire.
In a notable development on Friday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed gratitude to Pakistan for its “initiative and effective efforts to reach an agreement” with the US. He conveyed this appreciation in a post on his official X account following separate phone conversations with PM Shehbaz Sharif and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The US has repeatedly acknowledged Pakistan’s central role as mediator in its negotiations with Iran, underscoring Islamabad’s importance in the ongoing diplomatic process.
