Pakistan keeps up diplomacy as US-Iran talks stall, ceasefire comes under strain

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan remained engaged in diplomatic efforts over the US-Iran crisis on Monday as signs mounted that negotiations between Washington and Tehran had stalled after US President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s latest response to a proposed settlement framework.

Diplomatic contacts across the region continued even as military pressure and concerns about renewed confrontation shaped the situation. The latest exchanges suggested that regional and international actors were still trying to prevent the crisis from slipping back into open hostilities.

Trump described Iran’s response as totally unacceptable, underlining the distance that remains between the two sides not only over a possible agreement but also over the broader political basis of the negotiations. On Monday morning, he said the ceasefire was on massive life support. “The ceasefire is on massive life support, where the doctor walks in and says, ‘Sir, your loved one has approximately a one per cent chance of living."

Speaking to Fox News, Trump also said he was considering reviving a short-lived US operation to escort oil and other commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, though he said no final decision had been taken. “It’s a stupid proposal and nobody would take it — although Obama would have taken it, Biden would have taken it. What they took was far worse. They had 159 ships, and right now they have zero, other than the little speedboats they go around that got taken out eight a day by us,” he said.

He also said Iran had no air force.

Pakistan’s diplomatic contacts

According to the Foreign Office, US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker met Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to discuss the evolving regional situation. The Foreign Office said Dar expressed hope that ongoing diplomatic efforts would help promote peace and stability in the region and beyond.

The Foreign Office also said Dar spoke with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud about the regional situation and the ongoing diplomatic engagement between Iran and the United States. Islamabad said the Saudi foreign minister appreciated Pakistan’s constructive role and reiterated support for efforts aimed at promoting regional peace and stability, particularly in the context of the continuing Iran-US engagement.

Both sides also discussed maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and agreed to remain in close contact over regional developments.

Separately, UN Secretary General’s Personal Envoy for the Middle East Conflict Jean Arnault met Dar, who briefed him on recent developments and Pakistan’s continuing engagement with the concerned parties.

Iran says Pakistan remains mediator

On the Iranian side, diplomatic activity indicated that Tehran was continuing consultations with regional powers while keeping indirect channels with Washington open through Pakistani mediation. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a second telephone conversation with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan within 24 hours to discuss the diplomatic process between Tehran and Washington, which Iranian officials explicitly described as being mediated by Pakistan.

Officials also confirmed that Araghchi separately spoke with the foreign ministers of the Netherlands and Egypt regarding the evolving regional situation and ongoing diplomatic contacts linked to the crisis.

At his weekly press briefing, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran had made legitimate demands in its latest formal response to the United States, which was rejected by the US president. He said Iran had called for an end to the war across the region, the lifting of the US blockade of Iranian ports, and the release of frozen assets abroad.

“We did not demand any concessions. The only thing we demanded was Iran’s legitimate rights,” he said. Baqaei also said many countries, especially regional states, were in contact with Tehran because of concern over rising tensions. “Our mediator is still Pakistan, which continues its work as the official mediator between Iran and the United States.”

The developments pointed to a phase in which diplomatic engagement and pressure were unfolding at the same time, with efforts continuing to prevent a further escalation in the region.