The White House chose not to comment on mediation efforts regarding the Iran crisis, citing the confidentiality of diplomatic discussions. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized that the United States would not engage in negotiations through the media. Reports have indicated increased back-channel activity, with Pakistan reportedly working to ease tensions between Washington and Tehran. Pakistan is positioning itself as a mediator, utilizing its connections with both the U.S. and Iran.
Amidst these reports, Pakistan has proposed hosting talks involving senior officials from the Trump administration and Iran. Additionally, Pakistan, along with Turkey and Egypt, has been facilitating communication between the U.S. and Iran, aiming to establish initial contacts between senior officials. Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir had a conversation with President Donald Trump, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif engaged with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
The White House did not confirm the reported phone call with Munir. However, a Pakistani statement indicated that Sharif assured Iran of Pakistan’s commitment to playing a constructive role in promoting peace. This diplomatic activity coincided with President Trump’s decision to hold off on a planned strike against Iran’s power plants, citing positive conversations aimed at resolving the conflict.
President Trump mentioned ongoing discussions with a senior Iranian official and expressed optimism about the progress being made. Despite these statements, Iran publicly denied engaging in direct negotiations with the U.S., stating that they responded to U.S. negotiation requests through friendly intermediaries. Iranian officials rejected U.S. claims of talks, with the speaker of Iran’s parliament dismissing them as attempts to influence markets.
Reports suggested that mediating countries were working to arrange a call between Iranian and U.S. representatives to determine the possibility of an in-person meeting. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, held discussions with Turkey’s Hakan Fidan, while Egypt’s foreign minister engaged with counterparts from Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey, along with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.
