Pakistan is stepping up to help calm tensions in the Gulf, with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif posting on X on Tuesday, “Pakistan welcomes and fully supports ongoing efforts to pursue dialogue to end the WAR in [the] Middle East, in the interest of peace and stability in [the] region and beyond.”
Prime Minister Sharif went on to add, “Subject to concurrence by the US and Iran, Pakistan stands ready and honored to be the host to facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks for a comprehensive settlement of the ongoing conflict.” President Trump then shared Prime Minister Sharif’s message with his followers on Truth Social.
On Monday, Prime Minister Sharif had a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, during which the prime minister’s office emphasized, “the urgent need to work collectively for de-escalation and a return to dialogue and diplomacy.”
This offer to facilitate a dialogue between the United States and Iran makes sense within the broader context of Pakistan’s diplomacy in the region, reflecting the strengthening relationship between Pakistan and the United States under Prime Minister Sharif’s premiership and President Trump’s second term in office.
Pakistan was one of the first countries to join President Trump’s Board of Peace in January 2026. Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Sharif also met with President Trump in the Oval Office last year.
The ongoing five-day U.S. pause on strikes against Iran, which was announced on March 23, is reportedly in large part the result of Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt successfully advocating for de-escalation, opening the door for further talks and a resolution to the conflict.
