Islamabad, Pakistan. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan is willing to host talks between the United States and Iran to end the war in the Middle East. His statement came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump said the two sides had held “productive” talks.
Pakistan’s offer to facilitate talks
In a post on X, Sharif said Pakistan welcomes and fully supports ongoing efforts to pursue dialogue to end the war. He said that, subject to agreement by the United States and Iran, Pakistan stands ready to host talks aimed at a comprehensive settlement of the conflict.
Trump’s account of discussions
Trump said on Monday that the United States and Iran had held “very good and productive” conversations about a “complete and total resolution of hostilities in the Middle East.” He said talks began on Sunday and continued into Monday, and that Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner were involved.
Iranian denial
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, described by an Israeli official and two other sources familiar with the matter as the Iranian-side interlocutor, said no talks had taken place. He described suggestions that talks occurred as “fake news.”
Escalation since February strikes
The United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28 after saying they had failed to make enough headway in talks aimed at ending Iran’s nuclear program, although mediator Oman said significant progress had been made.
Since then, Iran has attacked countries that host U.S. bases, struck Gulf energy infrastructure and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas.
What impact could Pakistan’s offer have on efforts to end the conflict?