Pakistan is emerging as a key diplomatic player in efforts to ease rising tensions between Iran and the United States, with senior civilian and military leadership, especially Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, intensifying contacts aimed at preventing further escalation, according to a report by the Financial Times.
The report states that Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, has been actively engaged in high-level outreach as part of a broader diplomatic push. He has made an important contact with former US President Donald Trump in the context of ongoing regional developments.
At the same time, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is also said to have reached out to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, reflecting a coordinated civil-military effort to reduce tensions.
According to the Financial Times, Islamabad is quietly pursuing back-channel diplomacy, aiming to bridge communication gaps between Tehran and Washington. Officials familiar with the matter suggest that Pakistan’s objective is to de-escalate the situation and help avert a potential conflict that could destabilise the wider region.
Pakistan’s strategic position and longstanding relationships with both sides place it in a unique position to facilitate dialogue. Analysts note that any escalation between Iran and the United States could have significant consequences for regional security, trade routes, and energy supplies.
It reported that contact between Islamabad and Tehran came as US President Trump signalled a possible shift in tone, announcing he would delay his earlier threat to target Iran’s power infrastructure following what he described as very good and productive discussions with Tehran aimed at ending the conflict.
It is further mentioned in the report that other regional players are also actively engaged. Turkey, which had previously taken part in mediation efforts, continues its contacts with Iranian officials and Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held discussions with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan on Monday.
In parallel, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty also engaged in diplomatic outreach, speaking with his counterparts in Iran and Pakistan, as well as with Witkoff and Qatar’s foreign minister, underscoring a broader regional push to de-escalate tensions.
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