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Pakistan has emerged as a key intermediary between Iran and the United States to secure a temporary ceasefire<\/a> and host negotiations to end the war in the Middle East.<\/p>\n On Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the US and Iran \u2014 and their allies \u2014 had agreed to a ceasefire \u201ceverywhere\u201d following mediation by Islamabad.<\/p>\n PM Shehbaz said the two-week truce \u2014 which Washington and Tehran had announced early on Wednesday \u2014 would next lead to talks in Islamabad<\/a>.<\/p>\n The announcements brought a sigh of relief to the world, which had been on its toes as US President Donald Trump\u2019s April 8, 8pm ET deadline (5am PKT) for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz was about to end.<\/p>\n Dawn<\/em> takes a look at how Islamabad positioned itself as the peacemaker in the war, with its persistent efforts despite moments of dwindling hope of securing calm.<\/p>\n The newly secured hope for sustainable peace is a result of intense diplomatic efforts by Pakistan, which was actively trying to prevent an escalation<\/a> as tensions had begun building up<\/a> earlier this year.<\/p>\n The day the conflict sparked, PM Shehbaz and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar began dialing Iranian<\/a> and Gulf leaders<\/a> and other regional players<\/a>, stressing the need for dialogue and de-escalation.<\/p>\n Gulf countries \u2014 including Saudi Arabia<\/u><\/a> \u2014 faced Iranian attacks<\/u><\/a>, which Tehran said<\/u><\/a> were aimed at US and Israeli-linked sites in retaliation for the latter\u2019s deadly strikes<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n PM Shehbaz and his government were quick to keep Saudi Arabia on board, with Dar revealing he had \u201cshuttle communication<\/a> with both Iranian and Saudi sides\u201d in the war\u2019s first week.<\/p>\n Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a \u201cStrategic Mutual Defence Agreement<\/u><\/a>\u201d in September 2025, cementing longstanding ties but also restricting how far Islamabad could go in supporting Tehran.<\/p>\n On March 7, Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Asim Munir visited Saudi Arabia to discuss Iranian attacks<\/a> with the Saudi defence minister.<\/p>\n On March 12, PM Shehbaz visited Riyadh for a \u201crestricted meeting<\/a>\u201d with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.<\/p>\n The same day, the Foreign Office (FO) noted Pakistan was playing the role of a \u201cbridge builder<\/a>\u201d \u2014 indicating that Islamabad was trying to strike a delicate balance and prevent the conflict from expanding further.<\/p>\n Pakistan, along with Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt, then stepped up their efforts, holding a \u201ccoordination<\/a>\u201d meeting on March 19 on the sidelines of a ministerial meeting<\/a> hosted by Riyadh.<\/p>\n Then came back-channel diplomacy<\/a> by Pakistan, Turkiye and Egypt, which were widely reported<\/a> to have resulted in a pause in US strikes on Iran\u2019s energy infrastructure.<\/p>\n As the momentum built, PM Shehbaz on March 24 offered that Pakistan stood \u201cready and honoured<\/a>\u201d to host \u201cmeaningful and conclusive talks\u201d between the US and Iran, subject to their concurrence.<\/p>\n The next day, Washington sent a 15-point peace proposal<\/a> to Tehran, which was conveyed through Pakistan<\/a>. In response, Iran put forward its own set of five conditions<\/a> for ending the war.<\/p>\n While Iranian media had initially reported<\/a> Tehran\u2019s rejection of the US proposal, Dar on March 26 confirmed that \u201cindirect talks<\/a>\u201d were underway with Pakistan relaying messages.<\/p>\n At this point, the foreign minister of China, which is Iran\u2019s largest trading partner, publicly endorsed<\/a> Pakistan\u2019s role as a mediator. Trump told AFP<\/em> that Beijing helped get Iran across the line to the negotiating table.<\/p>\n As peace still seemed far<\/a> and strikes on Iran\u2019s industries sparked wider retaliation<\/a>, the group of four that met in Riyadh reconvened to push for reducing tensions.<\/p>\n On March 29, Dar hosted a quadrilateral meeting<\/a> with counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt in Islamabad for discussions on de-escalation. Following the talks, he signaled<\/u><\/a> that it could host direct talks between the US and Iran in the coming days.<\/p>\n Dar then flew to Beijing for further talks, where China and Pakistan issued a five-point initiative<\/u><\/a> for restoring peace in the Middle East, calling for the immediate cessation of hostilities.<\/p>\n As the war continued<\/a> into April and Trump maintained his military rhetoric<\/a> against Iran, some Western outlets began claiming<\/a> that Pakistan-led peace efforts had reached a \u201cdead end<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n However, Iran\u2019s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was quick to clarify that Tehran\u2019s leadership \u201cnever refused to go to Islamabad<\/a>\u201d for possible peace talks, breathing life into Pakistan\u2019s mediation attempts. At the same time, Iran insisted its position hinged on the terms<\/a> and conditions of any negotiations.<\/p>\n As per a Dawn<\/em> report<\/a>, Pakistan had been relaying messages while building support for talks through parallel engagements with regional and global partners.<\/p>\n The threats of the war prolonging and intensifying escalated on April 5, when Trump, after making an expletive-laden post<\/a>, issued an unusually precise deadline for Iran<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cTuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time,\u201d he wrote, coupled with the warning of bombing Iran\u2019s power plants and bridges on that day, increasing pressure to prevent a worsening situation.<\/p>\n On the day of his deadline, Trump doubled down on his threats against Iran, alarming the world.<\/p>\n \u201cA whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back,\u201d he wrote, prompting backlash<\/a> from even within his country.<\/p>\n With hours left for the deadline to end, Pakistan publicly requested<\/a> Trump to \u201cextend the deadline for two weeks\u201d, noting that diplomatic efforts for a peaceful settlement of the ongoing war were \u201cprogressing steadily, strongly and powerfully\u201d.<\/p>\n He also requested Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz for a corresponding period of two weeks.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Dar maintained regional communication, holding four phone calls with the foreign ministers of Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt in a span of around half an hour.<\/p>\n Shortly thereafter, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to say that he had spoken with PM Shehbaz and CDF Munir.<\/p>\n \u201cSubject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks,\u201d Trump announced.<\/p>\n Subsequently, Iran\u2019s FM Araghchi shared a statement on behalf of Iran\u2019s Supreme National Security Council declaring that if attacks against the country were halted, it would cease its defensive operations.<\/p>\n \u201cFor a period of two weeks, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible via coordination with Iran\u2019s armed forces and with due consideration of technical limitations,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \u201cWe received a 10-point proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate. Almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to between the United States and Iran, but a two-week period will allow the Agreement to be finalised and consummated,\u201d Trump said, leaving the door open for future dialogue.<\/p>\n Throughout the conflict, Pakistan leveraged its working relationship with its neighbour Iran, close coordination with Gulf countries, and its recent positive trajectory in ties with the US.<\/p>\n \u201cPakistan has strong credentials as the only country in the region enjoying good relations with the US and Iran,\u201d said the country\u2019s former ambassador to Tehran, Asif Durrani.<\/p>\n Pakistan shares a 900-kilometre border with Iran, and also deep historical, cultural and religious links. It is also home to the world\u2019s second-largest Shia population after Iran.<\/p>\n Iran was the first country to recognise Pakistan after its independence in 1947. Pakistan returned the favour for the Islamic republic after the 1979 revolution.<\/p>\n Pakistan also represents some Iranian diplomatic interests in Washington, where Tehran has no embassy.<\/p>\n When it comes to the US, Islamabad\u2019s ties with Washington have witnessed major improvement, especially after the Pakistan-India ceasefire<\/a> in May 2025<\/a> that Trump mediated.<\/p>\n Field Marshal Munir has built up a personal rapport with Trump.<\/p>\n CDF Munir visited Washington<\/a> with PM Shehbaz in September 2025. Pakistan even repeatedly<\/a> said that Trump deserved a Nobel Peace Prize<\/a> for stopping its war with India.<\/p>\n On Iran, Trump said Pakistan knows the country \u201cbetter than most\u201d.<\/p>\n Personal relations have long helped boost bilateral ties shaped by shifting strategic interests that have at times been strained.<\/p>\n At the same time, neutrality makes economic sense for Pakistan, which relies on oil and gas imports through the Strait of Hormuz and wants to avoid getting dragged into another conflict on its doorstep.<\/p>\n Continued disruption would have worsened fuel supplies, driven up prices<\/a> and forced further austerity measures<\/a> for the cash-strapped government.<\/p>\n A permanent end to the war would not only boost regional stability but also Pakistan\u2019s international standing.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/a>The initial contacts<\/h2>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/a>Regional efforts and the 15-point proposal<\/h2>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/a>Sustained war and Trump\u2019s escalating rhetoric<\/h2>\n
<\/a>The final push<\/h2>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/a>\u2018Neutral\u2019 Pakistan leverages ties with Iran, US<\/h2>\n
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