Pakistan, US remain in contact over efforts to end Iran War

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesman on Thursday said Pakistan and United States have remained in close contact with each other on the possibilities bringing a negotiated end to the war in the Persian Gulf area.

Answering a question regarding contact between Pakistan and the US on mediating the Iran war, Foreign Office Spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan says both sides “have remained in touch in the recent weeks. That is all I can say.”

Responding to a question about contacts with Washington on mediation, the spokesperson said the two countries “have remained in touch in the recent weeks,” without providing details of the nature or level of the communication. Pakistan has consistently maintained that dialogue and diplomacy are the only viable means of resolving the conflict and has urged both sides to exercise restraint.

Pakistan’s mediation efforts produced the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding in June, under which the United States and Iran agreed on a framework aimed at ending military operations and moving towards a negotiated settlement. Pakistan subsequently worked with Qatar to facilitate implementation of the understanding, including high-level talks in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, involving representatives of Washington and Tehran.

Although the implementation of the Islamabad MoU has faced difficulties and hostilities have subsequently resumed, Islamabad has continued to regard the agreement as the basic framework for a negotiated settlement. In July, the Foreign Office said Pakistan was working to bring the parties back to the MoU and facilitate efforts to normalise the situation around the Strait of Hormuz.

Pakistan subsequently intensified its diplomatic contacts with the parties and regional states. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held consultations with regional leaders, while Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir visited Tehran in August as part of Pakistan’s efforts to facilitate an end to the US-Iran conflict and address the crisis around the Strait of Hormuz. The Foreign Office later said the visit generated momentum for renewed regional diplomatic efforts.

The latest disclosure of continued Pakistan-US contact comes as regional and international mediators seek to revive negotiations aimed at ending the prolonged conflict. Pakistan has maintained that the existing Islamabad framework can provide a basis for renewed talks, while stressing that a negotiated settlement remains the only sustainable way to end the hostilities and restore regional stability.