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The country that is serving as a key mediator in ending the war in Iran

2026-03-23 19:49:56Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

The country that is serving as a key mediator in ending the war in Iran

Pakistan is positioning itself as the main mediator trying to negotiate an end to the US and Israeli war against Iran, leveraging its military leader's ties to Tehran and warm relationship with Donald Trump.

Army chief Asim Munir spoke with Trump on Sunday, according to two people briefed on the call, while Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif held talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday.

The conversation between Pakistani and Iranian leaders came at about the same time that Trump announced he was pushing back on his threat to "destroy" Iran's nuclear power plants after "very good and productive" talks with Tehran to end the war.

It was not clear whether Pakistan's mediation effort and Trump's post on his social media platform Truth Social, which caused oil prices to plummet, were connected. The White House did not provide details on Trump's negotiations.

"These are sensitive diplomatic discussions and the United States will not negotiate through the media," the White House said.

Turkey, which was involved in mediation efforts before the war, has also spoken with Iranian officials and Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar held talks with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan on Monday. Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty also spoke with his Iranian and Pakistani counterparts on Sunday, as well as with Witkoff and the Qatari foreign minister.

Iranian state media denied that there had been any talks with the US.

"There were no negotiations," an unidentified senior security official told the Tasnim news agency, which is close to the Revolutionary Guard, which is leading Iran's military response.

Analysts and diplomats have warned against the prospect of any mediation succeeding as the war enters its fourth week. People familiar with the matter said the diplomatic efforts involved sending messages at very early stages, rather than a formal process.

Sanam Vakil of the Chatham House Institute said some countries are "hurriedly trying" to defuse the conflict, but added: "I don't take this as any signal that the war is coming to an end."

She added that Trump may be backing off on his threat due to pressure from Gulf states. Iran has vowed to respond to any attack on its nuclear facilities by targeting vital infrastructure across the region, including power plants and water facilities.

Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Saturday night that the US would hit Iran's power plants, "starting with the largest," if Tehran did not allow ships to pass through the waterway, through which about a fifth of the world's oil and gas normally passes.

On Monday, he said he would suspend that threat for five days.

“It is positive to discuss what a compromise and agreement might look like, but I do not see a willingness from either side to compromise,” Vakil said.

"I don't think Trump can walk away from this crisis of his own making."

"And I just don't see Iran surrendering," she added.

"They feel they have the advantage and the means of pressure — this is again about their survival and the conditions that will ensure their survival."

Mediation between the US and Iran has typically been facilitated by Oman and Qatar. But regional officials said there has been no momentum behind diplomatic efforts since the US and Israel launched the war two days after a round of talks between the Trump administration and Iranian officials in Geneva.

Two people briefed on the matter said senior Pakistani officials were serving as indirect channels of communication between Tehran and Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and envoy. Sharif has spoken to Pezeshkian several times since the war began.

"While sharing with the Iranian president the diplomatic efforts of the Pakistani leadership, the prime minister assured the Iranian leadership that Pakistan would continue to play a constructive role in facilitating peace," Pakistan said in a statement of their conversation on Monday.

Dar told Arab counterparts at a meeting in Riyadh last week that Islamabad was mediating between the US and Iran, but did not provide details, a diplomat said. The diplomat said Pakistan was leading the mediation efforts.

Pakistan, which does not host any US bases, is one of the few US allies in the region that has been spared from Tehran's missiles and drones. That fact has helped solidify its position as a neutral arbiter between Iran and the US, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Pakistan has proposed Islamabad as the location for a summit between senior Trump administration officials and Iranian officials as part of its diplomatic push, people familiar with the matter said.

Pakistan has the second-largest Shiite Muslim population after Iran, while it has close relations with Gulf states, including a mutual defense pact signed last year with Saudi Arabia.

It is also vulnerable to the consequences of the conflict as it depends on the Gulf for oil and gas imports.

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, mentioned Pakistan in a written message published in Iranian media to mark the start of the Iranian new year last week, saying he had a special feeling towards the people of Pakistan, the Financial Times reported.


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