Kamal Ghorui
In a high-stakes diplomatic push, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held talks with Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi in Islamabad on Saturday.Araghchi arrived in Islamabad carrying Tehran’s formal response to US proposals, with discussions focusing on the ‘regional situation’ and ceasefire dynamics. The meeting saw the presence of Pakistan’s top civilian and military leadership, including army chief Asim Munir and deputy PM Ishaq Dar.
Applauding the visit and calling it ‘fruitful’, Araghchi in a post on X wrote, “Very fruitful visit to Pakistan, whose good offices and brotherly efforts to bring back peace to our region we very much value. Shared Iran’s position concerning workable framework to permanently end the war on Iran. Have yet to see if the US is truly serious about diplomacy.”
No US–Iran meeting despite mediation efforts
Despite Pakistan’s attempts to broker talks, no direct or indirect engagement took place between Iran and the United States. Tehran made it clear it would not meet the visiting US delegation, which included Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner.Iran instead conveyed its position through Pakistani intermediaries, reiterating that any negotiations would remain indirect. A key precondition put forward by Tehran was the lifting of the US naval blockade on Iranian ports and the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz.Officials and analysts described the prospects of talks as ‘rapidly fading,’ with Islamabad unable to bring both sides to the table despite hosting them simultaneously, Dawn reported.Ahead of the anticipated talks, Islamabad was placed under an unprecedented security lockdown. Major roads were sealed and the Red Zone was cordoned off, severely disrupting daily life.However, the extensive security arrangements failed to deliver any diplomatic breakthrough. The expected high-level engagement between Washington and Tehran did not materialise, leaving Pakistan’s mediation efforts exposed.
Iran hands over demands, leaves Islamabad
After a series of meetings with Pakistani leadership, Araghchi departed Islamabad the same day, effectively ending hopes of a second round of talks in the city.According to reports, the Iranian delegation handed over an ‘official list of demands’ to Pakistan for communication to the US and its allies. These included conditions tied to ending hostilities and lifting sanctions and blockades.Araghchi later said Iran had conveyed its ‘principled positions’ regarding the ceasefire and the end of what he described as an ‘imposed war.’He is now scheduled to visit Oman and Russia, signalling a shift in Tehran’s diplomatic focus away from Pakistan.
Trump cancels US delegation visit
In a major development, US President Donald Trump called off the planned visit of American envoys to Pakistan, citing the lack of meaningful engagement.“I’ve told my people… you’re not making an 18-hour flight to go there… We have all the cards. They can call us anytime they want,” Trump said.The decision came as Iran refused to engage with the US delegation, rendering the trip diplomatically redundant.In a separate post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “I just cancelled the trip of my representatives going is Islamabad, Pakistan, to meet with the Iranians. Too much time wasted on traveling, too much work! Besides which, there is tremendous infighting and confusion within their “leadership.” Nobody knows who is in charge, including them. Also, we have all the cards, they have none! If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!”
Talks collapse mirrors earlier deadlock
The collapse of this round of diplomacy echoes the first round of talks held earlier in Islamabad, which lasted over 20 hours but failed to produce any breakthrough.Despite continued indirect exchanges via Pakistan, core disagreements, including sanctions relief and naval blockade remain unresolved.
Pakistan’s mediation bid falls short
While Pakistan attempted to project itself as a key mediator, the outcome highlighted its limited influence over the actual stakeholders.Even as Sharif described his meeting with the Iranian FM as a ‘warm and cordial exchange,’ the inability to facilitate US–Iran engagement highlighted Islamabad’s marginal role in the broader geopolitical standoff.With Iran shifting its diplomatic outreach to Oman and Russia and the US stepping back from immediate engagement, Pakistan’s ambitions of hosting a decisive breakthrough in the conflict appear to have fallen short.
