Pakistan has stepped in as a mediator between the United States and Iran, urging U.S. President Donald Trump to grant a two-week ceasefire and extend the deadline set for Iran to lift its blockade on Gulf oil routes. This request comes as U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran intensify in the sixth week of the ongoing conflict.
A senior Iranian official indicated that Tehran is reviewing Pakistan’s proposal positively. Meanwhile, the White House confirmed that Trump is aware of the request and will respond in due course.
Shehbaz Sharif Makes Urgent Appeal for Peace
In a post on X, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appealed for diplomacy, asking Trump to extend the deadline by two weeks. He also urged Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for the same period as a goodwill gesture to support peace efforts.
The conflict has already resulted in thousands of deaths across the region and triggered a severe energy crisis, with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupting nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supply.
Sharif’s comments come after Trump, in a social media post that shocked world leaders, said “a whole civilization will die tonight” if an agreement is not reached to end the conflict.
Trump has given Iran until 8 p.m. EDT (0000 GMT) in Washington – 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday in Tehran – to end its blockade of Gulf oil or see the U.S. destroy every bridge and power plant in Iran.
Call for Ceasefire to Let Diplomacy Work
Sharif urged “all warring parties” to observe a ceasefire for two weeks “to allow diplomacy to achieve conclusive termination of war.”
He added that diplomatic efforts to settle the war peacefully were “progressing steadily, strongly and powerfully with the potential to lead to substantive results in near future.”
Pakistan Intensifies Global Diplomatic Outreach
During the early hours of Wednesday in Pakistan, close to Trump’s deadline, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar held conversations regarding the conflict in separate calls with his counterparts from Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, called Pakistan’s efforts to stop the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran a step forward from a critical, sensitive stage.
Sources told Reuters on Tuesday that talks between the U.S. and Iran were at risk of being derailed following Tehran’s attacks on Saudi Arabian industrial facilities.
Pakistan has been the main go-between for proposals shared by Iran and the United States, but there has been no sign of a compromise.
(With Inputs from Reuters)
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