Pakistan offers mediation between Tehran and Washington, Trump postpones energy strikes

The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced today, Tuesday, Islamabad's official readiness to host any potential negotiation rounds between Tehran and Washington. The ministry affirmed that the success of this initiative primarily depends on the will of both parties and their acceptance of Pakistani mediation to end the ongoing conflict in the region.\n\nInternational media reports quoted Pakistani officials as saying that arrangements might lead to direct talks within the next five days. Sources indicated that regional countries, including Turkey and Egypt, are actively contributing to facilitating communication channels to ensure the launch of these discussions as soon as possible.\n\nSources from Islamabad reported that the Pakistani initiative comes in the context of attempts to de-escalate tensions that have begun to directly affect Pakistan's security and economy. The Pakistani government seeks to leverage its balanced relations with both the United States and Iran to play the role of an impartial mediator in this complex crisis.\n\nDespite intensive diplomatic moves, sources clarified that Islamabad has not yet received a final official response from either party regarding the location and timing of the hosting. These moves coincide with internal pressures in Pakistan, fearing potential waves of displacement across the shared border with Iran if military escalation continues.\n\nFor his part, US President Donald Trump revealed that he held "very good" talks with a high-ranking Iranian official, without disclosing his identity. Based on these contacts, Trump announced the postponement of military strikes that were scheduled against Iranian energy facilities for an additional five days.\n\nIn contrast, Trump's statements faced a wave of skepticism within American political circles, with Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen describing the news as inaccurate. Van Hollen considered talk of Iran making substantial concessions to fall under "misinformation," warning that targeting energy infrastructure constitutes a violation of international law.\n\nIn a related context, the "Axios" website pointed to the possibility of an upcoming meeting in Pakistan bringing together American envoys with a high-level Iranian delegation. Although the White House described this news as speculation, reports indicate secret diplomatic activity behind the scenes to arrange this meeting.\n\nOn the Iranian side, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf denied the existence of any current negotiations with Washington, accusing international parties of spreading false news to influence oil and financial markets. Ghalibaf affirmed that the Iranian position is firm regarding the American conditions, which he described as unfair to the nuclear and missile program.\n\nFrom an Israeli perspective, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu considered that the US administration sees a golden opportunity to build on what he described as military achievements to impose an agreement that achieves war objectives. At the same time, press sources reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi informed American envoys that he had received a green light from the supreme leadership in Tehran to begin serious negotiations.\n\nThe success of any initiative remains contingent on the approval of both parties and their acceptance of mediation to end the current escalation.