Guterres Lauds Pakistan’s Pivotal Role in US-Iran Mediation

ISLAMABAD: United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday lauded Pakistan’s “pivotal role” in mediating between the United States and Iran as he called on the parties to end the conflict and return to diplomacy.

In a joint press conference with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, he said: “Pakistan’s spirit of engagement is front and centre on issues of international peace and security.

“I salute Pakistan’s leadership for helping to create the conditions for dialogue between the US and Iran and mediating that conflict. Your efforts have helped deliver the Islamabad memorandum of understanding, the subsequent ceasefire and the framework for future negotiations. Every Pakistani should be proud of that pivotal role,” he said.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday for a three-day official visit to Pakistan, his first visit to the country since his 2022 tour following the devastating floods. During his October 6-8 visit, he is scheduled to meet President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.

Guterres is also scheduled to visit the headquarters of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) in Islamabad and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), where Pakistan’s progress in disaster preparedness, resilience and early-warning systems will be highlighted. His meetings are expected to cover regional and international peace and security, Palestine, Jammu and Kashmir, Afghanistan, counter-terrorism and the future of multilateralism.

A major focus of the visit, however, has been Pakistan’s diplomatic role in the US-Iran conflict. Guterres praised Islamabad for maintaining communication with both Washington and Tehran and helping create conditions for direct dialogue. He described Pakistan’s initiative as “remarkable” and said the trust enjoyed by Islamabad among countries at odds with each other had been important in creating space for negotiations and de-escalation.

Pakistan’s mediation efforts culminated in the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding signed in June between the United States and Iran, followed by a ceasefire and a framework for further negotiations. Pakistan subsequently continued to facilitate the process, including technical-level talks involving the two sides and mediators from Pakistan and Qatar. Islamabad has maintained that its role is aimed at de-escalation and a negotiated settlement rather than taking sides in the conflict.

Guterres’ remarks in Islamabad gave international recognition to that mediation effort, as he called on the United States and Iran to end the conflict and return to diplomacy. He also urged restoration of navigational rights in accordance with international law and linked durable regional peace with recognition of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination. His visit therefore provides an opportunity for Pakistan to underline both its traditional engagement with the UN and its more recent diplomatic role in efforts to contain the wider regional conflict.