Trump credits Pakistan-led diplomacy for halting Iran strikes

• US president says negotiations with Tehran reached highest leadership levels

• Acknowledges Pakistan, Gulf states for facilitating backchannel diplomacy

• Shehbaz Sharif, Field Marshal Asim Munir named in White House remarks

• Saudi Arabia backs Pakistan-sponsored negotiations as Islamabad urges restraint and dialogue

 ISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he had called off planned military strikes against Iran after negotiations with Tehran advanced to the highest levels of the Iranian leadership, crediting Pakistan and several Gulf and Middle Eastern states for supporting diplomatic efforts toward a proposed agreement.

The announcement came amid a sharp escalation in US-Iran hostilities that had raised fears of a wider regional conflict following earlier US-Israeli strikes on Tehran in February.

Trump had warned that Iran would “have to pay the price” and suggested US forces could strike “VERY HARD TONIGHT,” while Iranian officials cautioned Washington against actions that could trigger a broader regional war and further disrupt global energy markets.

Amid the crisis, Pakistan emerged as a key diplomatic interlocutor. Speaking at the White House a day earlier, Trump said he had given Iran “a break at the request of Pakistan,” specifically mentioning Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, and noting that Islamabad was continuing efforts to persuade Tehran toward an agreement.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said: “Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved, I have, as President of the United States of America, canceled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening.”

He said discussions and final points of a proposed agreement had been approved “in both concept and great detail” by all parties involved, including the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Türkiye, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Egypt.

“The Naval Blockade will remain in full force and effect until this transaction is finalized — time and place of the signing to be announced shortly,” he added.

Earlier, Pakistan expressed concern over renewed military exchanges between Washington and Tehran and urged both sides to exercise restraint.

“Pakistan reaffirms its support for the peaceful resolution of all outstanding issues,” Foreign Office spokesman Tahir Andrabi said at a weekly briefing in Islamabad. “We are of the view that diplomacy and dialogue should be the guiding principles for achieving a negotiated settlement of all contentious issues.”

In a separate statement, Saudi Arabia also urged parties to return to “constructive negotiations sponsored by the brotherly Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” alongside Qatar’s efforts, stressing that diplomacy was essential to prevent renewed conflict and restore regional stability.

The latest developments follow weeks of diplomatic activity aimed at securing a durable settlement after an April truce failed to produce a lasting agreement.

The conflict has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, fuelled volatility in global energy markets, and heightened concerns over broader economic fallout from prolonged confrontation.

Iran, meanwhile, warned that further US military action could lead to an “endless quagmire” and wider regional instability, while Trump had earlier threatened to target Iranian oil infrastructure if negotiations collapsed.