US President Donald Trump on Tuesday raised speculation about Pakistan playing a mediating role between Washington and Tehran after sharing a post by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in which he expressed Islamabad’s readiness to host talks to end the ongoing conflict.In a post on X, Sharif said Pakistan was “ready and honored” to facilitate “meaningful and decisive talks” between the United States and Iran, provided both sides agree.
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He added, “Pakistan welcomes and fully supports the ongoing efforts to continue dialogue to end the war in the Middle East, for the sake of peace and stability in the region and beyond.”He added: “Provided that the United States and Iran agree, Pakistan is ready and honored to be the host to facilitate meaningful and decisive talks for a comprehensive settlement of the ongoing conflict.”
Trump shared the post on his Truth Social account without any comment, raising new speculation about possible backdoor diplomacy involving Islamabad.This development comes amid multiple media reports indicating that Pakistan, along with Egypt and Turkey, has engaged in quiet efforts to broker peace in the Middle East.Reuters, the Financial Times and the Times of Israel report that mediator countries are trying to hold US-Iranian talks in Islamabad, perhaps within days.
According to these reports, Pakistan presented itself as a neutral place, benefiting from its relations with both Washington and Tehran.A senior Israeli official was quoted as saying that “communications are underway” to organize a meeting that includes senior representatives from both sides.Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir also reportedly spoke with Trump, while Shahbaz Sharif held multiple talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, according to the Financial Times.
The US says there is no confirmation yet
Despite the growing hype, the White House earlier urged caution, saying no meeting had been officially confirmed. US Press Secretary Carolyn Leavitt described the situation as “sensitive” and “fluid” and cautioned against treating media reports as final.She added: “These are sensitive diplomatic discussions, and the United States will not negotiate through the press. This is a fluid situation, and speculation about the meetings should not be considered final until the White House officially announces them.”There has also been no official confirmation of reports that senior US officials, including Vice President J.D. Vance and envoy Steve Witkoff, may meet with Iranian representatives in Islamabad.However, indirect communication channels appear to be active. According to reports, Pakistan acts as a channel to pass messages between the United States and Iran.CNN reported that Washington transferred a list of 15 demands to Tehran through Pakistani mediators.
She also said that officials, including the ISI leadership, had been in contact with US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.These diplomatic efforts come after Trump’s recent announcement that the United States would pause planned strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure for five days after what he described as “very good and productive talks” with Tehran.Trump also claimed that the US is in contact with a “big guy” in Iran, although he did not reveal his identity. But Tehran confirmed that it has not participated in direct negotiations with Washington since the start of the conflict.Read also: Are US-Iranian talks taking place in Pakistan? What did the white house say?
