Pakistan Pushes Fresh Mediation to Revive US-Iran Peace Talks
Pakistan has launched a fresh diplomatic effort to revive stalled talks between the United States and Iran, with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arriving in Tehran on an unannounced two-day visit aimed at supporting regional peace efforts. The visit comes at a sensitive moment as negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme remain under strain and the wider Middle East faces continuing instability.
Diplomatic sources in Islamabad said the trip is part of Pakistan’s wider shuttle diplomacy to prevent the US-Iran dialogue from collapsing completely. Although the visit has been officially framed around bilateral cooperation and border security, the timing and regional context have placed renewed focus on Islamabad’s role as a possible bridge between Tehran and Washington.
Naqvi is expected to meet senior Iranian officials, including Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, during his stay in Tehran. Discussions are likely to cover security coordination, border management and the broader regional crisis that has affected energy routes, shipping lanes and diplomatic alignments across the Gulf and beyond.
Iranian officials have continued to express deep mistrust toward Washington. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran could not rely on the United States because of contradictory American messages, stressing that any future understanding would have to be clearly defined before Iran could consider concluding a deal. His comments reflect the core challenge facing mediators: restoring enough confidence for negotiations to restart in a meaningful way.
The latest push follows a period of intense diplomacy involving multiple global and regional actors. US President Donald Trump recently returned from China after talks with President Xi Jinping that produced no visible breakthrough on Iran, despite expectations that Beijing might quietly encourage Tehran toward compromise. At the same time, Trump signalled some flexibility over enrichment timelines while rejecting Iran’s latest proposal.
Pakistan’s involvement is rooted in its geographic position, regional ties and recent efforts to present itself as a facilitator in conflict management. Islamabad has maintained relations with Tehran while also engaging Washington, giving it a limited but potentially useful diplomatic channel at a time when direct trust between the main parties remains low.
The situation has wider implications for Pakistan beyond diplomacy. Any renewed escalation around Iran or the Strait of Hormuz could affect global oil supplies, shipping costs and energy prices, all of which matter directly to Pakistan’s fragile economy. A prolonged confrontation could also complicate regional security calculations and increase pressure on Islamabad’s foreign policy balancing act.
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has separately remained engaged with regional counterparts, including Uzbekistan’s foreign minister, as Pakistan continues to highlight its role in peace and security efforts. These contacts show that Islamabad is trying to link its mediation push with broader regional consultation rather than treating the Iran-US dispute as an isolated issue.
The next phase will depend on whether Pakistan can help keep communication channels open while both Tehran and Washington remain publicly firm in their positions. For now, Naqvi’s Tehran visit signals that Islamabad wants to stay active in the diplomatic space, but any real progress will require concessions, clarity and sustained engagement from the main parties themselves.