Pakistan could see itself playing a significant role on the international stage should Islamabad successfully mediate a truce between the US and Iran , as the war in the MENA region stretches into its fourth week.
US President Donald Trump's claim on Monday that he had held talks with an Iranian official, allegedly parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, resulting in a five-day pause in attacks on power infrastructure in Iran, raised prospects of a longer-term peace deal.
Despite the US announcement, Iran and Qalibaf denied that dialogue took place, calling it "fake news" and a means for Trump to "manipulate the financial and oil markets to escape the quagmire in which the US and Israel are trapped".
Amid the contradictory reports and confusion on whether Iran and the US could hold talks, it appears that Pakistan could step in to act as a mediator between the two sides.
Pakistan, a nuclear-armed state, has historically decent - but complicated - relations with both the US and Iran, and will likely seek to find a juste milieu between the two nations should it undertake a mediatory role. Strong, yet fractured relations Iran was the first country to recognise Pakistan when it gained independence on 14 August 1947, after it was partitioned from India following hundreds of years of British colonial rule.
The countries have deep linguistic, cultural, and historical ties and have maintained cordial relations over the decades, despite some sporadic difficulties. Cooperation has mostly centred on security in the region, particularly concerning Afghanistan, the drug trade, and the insurgency in the Balochistan region .
Moreover, Iran is viewed positively among many Pakistanis, particularly the country's sizable Shia Muslim population, who led protests against the joint US-Israeli assault on Iran.
The US's relationship with Pakistan is a more complex one, impacted by issues concerning terrorism and the intelligence service's supposed dual loyalties.
Military ties between the two have remained strong over the years, and Pakistan has sought to move closer to President Trump, notably by nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize for brokering the 2025 ceasefire between Pakistan and India, after a brief armed conflict .
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also accepted Trump's invitation as a 'Board of Peace' member despite other Muslim-majority nations refusing to take part in the controversial plan for Gaza. Why Pakistan? Pakistan’s constant communication with Iran, as well as army chief Asim Munir’s warm ties with Trump, have been touted as a justifiable reason for the South Asian country leading talks.
On Sunday, the White House confirmed that Pakistan’s military leadership had offered its services to broker negotiations between the US and Iran in a phone call with Trump.
Last year, Trump referred to Munir as "a great fighter", "a very important guy", and an "exceptional human being", and said he was "honoured" to meet him during a state visit - the first time the White House had hosted a Pakistani military chief rather than a head of state.
In this meeting, Trump said publicly that Pakistan "knows Iran very well, better than most".
Trump has praised Munir close to a dozen times in 2025, amid various events such as the brokering of the ceasefire with India, and the October Sharm El-Sheikh summit.
Meanwhile, PM Sharif held calls with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday, where he pledged Islamabad's help in bringing peace to the region and to reaffirm Pakistan's hopes for an end to the conflict.
Pakistan has been vocal over the past month about its desire to see an end to the US-Israeli assault on Iran, which has killed over 1,500, particularly as it will be impacted more than most by rising energy prices.
In early March, Pakistan said it was prepared to facilitate talks between the two. Sharif once again stressed this on Tuesday, saying Islamabad was "ready" to host talks.
Pakistan has also experience in mediating in conflicts involving Iran. Islamabad was previously involved in talks to solve a decades-long Saudi-Iranian proxy war .
Nothing is confirmed, though diplomatic sources have revealed that Pakistan is Tehran’s country of preference if talks are to be held, amid competition from Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt - all of which have mediated between Israel and Hamas amid the war in Gaza.
Ankara has been involved, however, having spoken to Iranian officials and with Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, in the hopes of securing a brief ceasefire and opening up space for dialogue.
Vice President JD Vance has been rumoured to represent the US if talks in Pakistan are to go ahead.
Other reports suggest that Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, could instead take on this role, as they have done in previous negotiations with Israel and Gaza.
Pakistan emerging as a communicator between the US and Iran during the conflict, alongside Turkey and Egypt, also points to Islamabad's likely role as host between the two.
Its standing as a major Muslim-majority country, warm relations - and broader backing - from the Gulf Arab states also see Pakistan as a likely go-between. What could a ceasefire entail? Iran has outlined conditions for agreeing to a truce. State-linked Press TV listed these conditions as such: guarantees against future military action, closure of all US military bases in the Gulf, full reparations from Washington and Israel, an end to regional conflicts involving Iran-aligned groups, and a new legal framework governing the Strait of Hormuz.
The US, on the other hand, has remained tight–lipped on this, stressing that this is a "sensitive, diplomatic issue".