As the two-week ‘fragile’ ceasefire between the and Iran is nearing its end, with a potential resumption of hostilities in the Middle East, Pakistan is now finding itself in an increasingly desperate diplomatic corner.
This comes as Iran is yet to confirm its attendance for the highly anticipated second round of peace talks with Washington in , a move that has left Pakistani officials anxious. Islamabad tried to position itself as a chief mediator to broker a peace deal between the US and Iran, which was halted for two weeks after a ceasefire came into effect on April 8.
Iran yet to confirm attendance for Islamabad talks
Now, with no clear signal from Tehran and the window closing, Pakistan’s leadership is scrambling to keep the diplomatic initiative alive while trying to avoid being sidelined altogether. In a post on X, Pakistan’s Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar revealed the lack of progress and wrote, “Formal response from the Iranian side about confirmation of a delegation to attend the Islamabad Peace Talks is still awaited.”
The situation further seems to be complicated by a lack of coordination regarding when the ceasefire might end. While Tarar, in his post, stated that the ceasefire would end at 4:50 am (Pakistani time) on April 22, US President provided a different timeline, stating that the two-week truce would end on “Wednesday evening Washington time.”
According to ANI, this discrepancy points to the chaotic nature of the negotiations, with Islamabad struggling to maintain a consistent narrative between the two global adversaries.
Pakistan making efforts to convince Iran: Tarar
Elaborating in his post, Tarar said, “Pakistan, as the mediator, is in constant contact with the Iranians and pursuing the path of diplomacy and dialogue.” He further said, “Pakistan has made sincere efforts to convince the Iranian leadership to participate in the second round of talks, and these efforts continue.”
He also noted that a decision from on attending the talks before the end of the two-week ceasefire remains critical.
Iran backs out of peace talks?
According to a CNN report, Iranian lawmaker Ahmad Naderi said that no Iranian delegation has travelled to Pakistan for negotiations and ruled out immediate talks. The decision not to send a delegation came days after the US enforced a in the Strait of Hormuz, which, according to Trump, will remain in place until a deal is secured with Tehran. The Islamic Republic, on the other hand, has cited this blockade as a reason for not sending its delegation.
Speaking to CNN, he noted that Tehran “will not negotiate until the issue of the naval blockade is resolved,” referring to the US on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, and dismissed reports of an Iranian delegation being present in Pakistan as “a complete lie.”
The blockade was imposed on April 13, a day after the first round of US-Iran talks failed in Islamabad, despite negotiations having continued for over 21 hours.
Meanwhile, Tehran agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for commercial vessels last week, a move that was hailed by Trump. However, it was shut again in less than 24 hours after Trump, in a post, wrote that the naval blockade would continue.
What remains to be seen is whether Pakistan will be able to convince the Islamic Republic to engage in dialogue with Washington as the ceasefire deadline looms.
- The US naval blockade on Iran is a significant barrier to negotiations.
- Pakistan’s role as a mediator is crucial but fraught with challenges.
- Conflicting timelines from the US and Iran highlight the chaotic nature of the negotiations.
