Pakistan eyes peace role as talks may begin soon
Pakistan grateful as US, Iran trust its peace role
Pakistan Steps Up as Peace Broker: US-Iran Talks Loom Amid Gulf War’s Human Toll
In a flicker of hope amid the Middle East’s fifth-week inferno, Pakistan has thrown its hat into the ring as mediator between the United States and Iran. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced Sunday that both Washington and Tehran have voiced confidence in Islamabad’s role, with talks slated for the “coming days.” It’s a bold move from a nation long navigating its own tightropes, offering a lifeline when exhaustion and despair grip the region.
“Pakistan is very happy that both Iran and the US have expressed their confidence in Pakistan’s facilitation,” Dar said in a televised address, as reported by AP. Whether these will be direct face-to-face huddles or indirect shuttles remains murky, but the urgency is palpable. No instant nods from the US or Iran yet, but momentum builds after a pivotal huddle in Islamabad with foreign ministers from Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. Another round kicks off Monday.
That gathering in Pakistan’s bustling capital zeroed in on the war’s savage spiral and its global gut-punch. is of utmost importance,” Dar told PTI. He briefed the visitors on US-Iran talk prospects, earning “fullest support.” Pakistan’s been quietly twisting arms through backchannels for weeks, now going public. “We have remained actively involved in all efforts to bring this conflict to an end,” Dar stressed, noting constant touch with US leaders to dial down the heat.
The foreign ministers united in a call for “structured negotiations,” insisting dialogue trumps devastation. It’s a chorus echoing from Lahore to Cairo: enough blood, enough blackouts. For South Asians—millions of whom staff Gulf oil rigs, build Dubai’s towers, and wire home billions in remittances—this isn’t distant drama. It’s dads missing Eid with kids in Karachi, moms in Kerala rationing rice amid spiking fuel costs.
Yet skepticism simmers. Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf swatted down the talks, tying them to fresh US troop surges. “Iranian forces were waiting for the arrival of American troops on the ground to set them on fire and punish their regional partners forever,” he thundered via state media. This follows 2,500 US Marines landing for amphibious ops, fueling fears of Trump’s Kharg Island oil-grab threats. Just last week, an Indian worker died in an Iranian strike on a Kuwaiti plant—innocent lives snuffed out in the crossfire.
Pakistan’s push unfolds against stalled direct US-Iran channels and a rejected 15-point Washington ceasefire proposal routed through Islamabad. The Strait of Hormuz looms large: this 21-mile chokepoint funnels 20% of global oil. Disruptions have slashed tanker traffic, greenlighting only scraps for China, India, and Pakistan. Crude’s soaring—Brent hit $120/barrel—triggering Asia-wide gas queues. In Hyderabad, auto-rickshaws idle, families pinch pennies; Dhaka’s factories stutter on power cuts. Bangladesh, weaning off Russian gas, feels the squeeze hardest.
Islamabad’s mediator bid revives memories of its Afghan peace brokering, but stakes here dwarf that. Trump eyes Iran’s oil riches; Netanyahu signals escalation; proxies from Houthis to Hezbollah fan flames. Pakistan, squeezed between US aid and Iranian borders, walks a razor’s edge—its own economy teetering, floods fresh in memory. Dar’s optimism masks the grind: quiet calls to Foggy Bottom, Tehran teas, Riyadh reassurances.
For Gulf expats—8.5 million Indians alone—this is personal. Phone lines buzz with “Come home” pleas; Indian airlines add flights amid UAE debris tragedies. Regional solidarity shines: Turkey’s Erdogan, Egypt’s el-Sisi, Saudi’s bin Salman back Pakistan, invoking ummah unity. But can words pierce war’s fog? Iran’s hardliners scoff; US hawks sharpen knives.
As Monday’s talks dawn, whispers of hope mingle with dread. Imagine diplomats at Rawalpindi tables, maps of Hormuz spread, forging paths past pride. Families light lamps, pray for de-escalation—not for oil barons, but for sons safe in Kuwait barracks, daughters queuing for subsidized fuel in Lahore. Pakistan’s gamble could cool the Gulf or ignite it further. In these testing times, unity isn’t slogan—it’s survival. Here’s hoping cooler heads, not hotter missiles, prevail.