In a surprising development, Pakistan has positioned itself as a mediator between Iran and the United States, having played a pivotal role in achieving a tenuous ceasefire. This diplomatic breakthrough has paved the way for crucial peace discussions now taking place in Islamabad, the nation’s capital.
After weeks of conflict in the Middle East, which have claimed thousands of lives and unsettled global energy markets, a glimmer of hope emerged this Wednesday. Both parties have agreed to a temporary halt in hostilities, bringing some relief to the region.
Pakistan’s efforts over several weeks to broker peace between the US and Iran have been acknowledged as instrumental in securing the truce. President Donald Trump credited conversations with high-ranking Pakistani officials as a catalyst for the two-week ceasefire.
Islamabad is currently under heightened security in preparation for the upcoming peace talks. The city is under lockdown, with military personnel patrolling the streets and traffic diversions alongside police checkpoints ensuring safety.
The negotiations are anticipated to be indirect, with Iranian and US delegations stationed in separate rooms. Pakistani officials will serve as intermediaries, conveying proposals between the two groups, replicating a mediation style previously employed by Oman before the conflict erupted.
The US delegation attending the talks in Islamabad comprises Vice President JD Vance, along with special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the latter being President Trump’s son-in-law.
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf are leading Iran’s delegation.
Given the seniority of the attendees, it’s the highest-level US-Iran talks since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and the first official in-person negotiations between the two sides since former US secretary of state John Kerry negotiated the significant 2015 nuclear deal that Trump withdrew the US from in 2018.
Witkoff and Aragchi participated in multiple rounds of Oman-mediated talks before the US and Israel initiated the war on 28 February with strikes on Iran that killed its supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
Pakistan’s key relationships
Pakistan’s clout as a mediator stems from its unusually wide diplomatic network.
It has cultivated strong links with Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and China — with Trump and Pakistani officials crediting China for helping to bring Iran to the negotiating table.
It’s also improved ties with the US, with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir forming a close relationship with Trump, accepting an invitation to visit him at the White House last year.
Pakistan also shares a 900km border and deep historical, cultural and religious ties with Iran. It’s home to more than 20 million Shia Muslims, the world’s second-largest such population after Iran.
Stuti Bhatnagar, a lecturer in Indo-Pacific Studies at UNSW Canberra, told SBS News that Pakistan was “situated quite centrally in this conflict, geographically as well as geopolitically”.
“It’s kind of found itself in the right place at the right time,” she said.
However, Pakistan does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, the actions of which remain an important part of any attempt to secure peace in the region, with Iran demanding that the truce is conditional on Israel ceasing strikes in Lebanon, a demand that Israel and the US have pushed back on.
High stakes for all parties
Pakistan also has a clear stake in the outcome, with the conflict in the region carrying significant security and economic risks.
It imports the large majority of its oil through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively choked off in retaliation against US and Israeli aggression.
It also shares a defence agreement with Saudi Arabia, under which aggression against one country is considered aggression against both.
Iranian drone and missile strikes have targeted energy infrastructure in Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, as part of a broader campaign targeting US allies in the region and disrupting global oil trade.
Like other Gulf states, Saudi Arabia has so far avoided directly joining the war for fear of further escalation from Iran.
“If the Saudis decided to get aggressive in this war, the Pakistanis would have to side with the Saudis, which would have put it in a very difficult position in the region with Iran,” Bhatnagar said.
Mansoor Ahmed, an honorary lecturer in the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University, told SBS News Pakistan’s role as a mediator was the result of several converging factors.
“[It has] goodwill with all the main players all at the same time, enhanced strategic leverage and influence — especially in the wake of the India-Pakistan conflict of May — and direct stakes in ensuring that the conflict doesn’t really escalate,” he said.
What about other mediators in the region?
Along with Oman, Qatar has a long track record of mediating between adversaries in the region, playing a key behind-the-scenes role in previous negotiations between the US and Iran, including a 2023 prisoner swap deal.
However, it has reportedly been reluctant to take on a central mediating role in the current conflict.
Like other Gulf states, Qatar has faced attacks on its energy infrastructure during the war — from both Iran and Israel.
According to Ahmed, it also lacks the particular set of relationships that Pakistan has cultivated.
“Qatar doesn’t have that kind of strategic partnership and relationship with Saudi Arabia, and with Türkiye and with China, and the US and Iran all at the same time,” he said.
Bhatnagar said there had also been a breakdown of trust in the region.
“Iran has not attacked Oman directly, so there’s some respect there. But Qatar and all the other Gulf Cooperation Council countries have actually faced the brunt of Iranian attacks in this war.”
— With additional reporting by Agence France-Presse.
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