Pakistan Mediates New Formula to Break US-Iran Deadlock

Pakistan is quietly working through diplomatic channels to help break the deadlock between the United States and Iran, with the latest discussions focused on a possible formula covering the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran’s nuclear programme.

According to Pakistani sources cited in the report, both Washington and Tehran remain engaged in indirect exchanges through Islamabad. The effort is aimed at finding a middle ground after earlier proposals failed to produce a full agreement between the two sides.

The emerging diplomatic track comes after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Islamabad twice last week. Those visits were followed by continued discussions over a proposal that would seek to end hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for a lifting of the US blockade on Iranian ports.

Pakistani officials familiar with the process said no final agreement had been reached, but exchanges were continuing. They indicated that Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir were personally involved in the back-channel effort to keep negotiations alive.

A major sticking point remains the sequencing of the talks. Iran reportedly wants the Hormuz issue addressed first because of its immediate impact on global energy flows, while the United States prefers a wider understanding that includes both maritime access and Iran’s nuclear programme at the same time.

The Strait of Hormuz has become central to the crisis because it is one of the world’s most important oil and gas routes. Any prolonged closure or disruption can rapidly affect energy prices, shipping costs and inflation in fuel-importing countries, including Pakistan.

Pakistan previously hosted a first round of talks between the United States and Iran on April 11 and 12, but those discussions did not produce a final settlement. The current back-channel activity follows a ceasefire brokered earlier in April, which reduced immediate fears of wider war but did not resolve the underlying dispute.

The diplomatic effort also reflects Pakistan’s attempt to position itself as a regional mediator during a volatile international crisis. Islamabad has repeatedly stressed dialogue and restraint, while also warning that renewed conflict would deepen economic pressure on developing countries already facing high import bills.

For Pakistan, the outcome carries direct domestic significance. Stability in the Gulf region can influence fuel prices, trade flows, foreign exchange pressure and inflation expectations, all of which affect businesses, consumers and government planning.

The next stage will depend on whether Washington and Tehran can accept a phased or combined framework that satisfies their core concerns. Until then, Pakistan is expected to continue quiet diplomacy in the hope that a workable compromise can prevent the ceasefire from collapsing.