Pakistan's Foreign Minister: Both US and Iran Express Confidence in Pakistan's Mediation; Meaningful Talks to Be Facilitated in "Coming Days"

As the conflict in the Middle East enters its fifth week, Pakistan announced that both the United States and Iran have expressed confidence in Pakistan's mediation efforts, and Islamabad is ready to host and facilitate meaningful peace talks between the two countries within the coming days to seek a comprehensive resolution to the conflict.

According to CCTV News, on the evening of March 29th local time, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar issued a statement detailing the outcomes of a meeting that day between the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. The statement noted that Dar briefly discussed the prospects for US-Iran negotiations in Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, and the attending foreign ministers expressed their full support. The four countries decided to form a committee comprising their foreign ministers to consult on and formulate specific solutions for resolving the conflict.

Media also reported that Dar stated Islamabad is prepared to facilitate peace talks between the US and Iran within the coming days. He said in a televised press briefing on Sunday:

"Pakistan is extremely pleased that both Iran and the United States have expressed trust in Pakistan's ability to bring them together for talks... Pakistan would be deeply honored to host and facilitate productive talks between the two sides in the coming days with a view to a comprehensive resolution of the ongoing conflict."

This potential diplomatic development is crucial for global energy markets. As the conflict persists, Iran's threat to severely disrupt the Strait of Hormuz as a bargaining chip has already triggered soaring global crude oil prices and natural gas shortages in the Asian region.

Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts, the regional situation remains at risk of escalation. The US is deploying several thousand ground troops to the region, while the Houthi forces in Yemen have further exacerbated the threat of conflict spillover by launching ballistic missiles. Neither side currently shows a strong willingness for direct negotiations.

Pakistan Highlights Key Mediation Role

In the current Middle East crisis, Pakistan is emerging as a key player in seeking peace, leveraging its unique geopolitical connections.

Reports suggest that Pakistan's Army Chief of Staff, Asim Munir, has cultivated increasingly close ties with the Trump administration over the past year, significantly enhancing Islamabad's standing as a peacemaker in the current crisis. Concurrently, Pakistan has utilized its long-standing connections with Iran for mediation.

Given that Pakistan has a mutual defense treaty with Saudi Arabia, which has been repeatedly targeted by Iran, Islamabad has a strong incentive to promote conflict resolution to avoid being drawn into the hostilities.

On Sunday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dar, and National Security Advisor Muhammad Asim Malik held separate meetings with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan's unwavering support for Saudi Arabia, commended the kingdom's restraint during the crisis, and assured that Pakistan would always stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Saudi Arabia.