Pakistan Renews US-Iran Mediation Push With China’s Support
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is exploring a renewed diplomatic effort to revive negotiations between the United States and Iran as their prolonged conflict continues to destabilise the Middle East and threaten major international trade routes. The initiative is reportedly being encouraged by China, which has supported Islamabad’s role as a potential intermediary between Washington and Tehran.
Preliminary discussions surrounding the initiative took place during Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni’s latest visit to Islamabad. His trip was the second to Pakistan within 10 days, indicating an intensification of diplomatic contact as regional governments search for a way to halt the fighting and prevent further disruption to shipping and energy supplies.
The mediation effort has gained urgency following attacks and military activity affecting both the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement has announced restrictions targeting Saudi Arabia, while American strikes inside Iran have continued. The widening confrontation has raised fears that two of the world’s most important maritime corridors could face simultaneous disruption.
China’s foreign ministry publicly backed mediation by Pakistan and other countries, saying Beijing would remain engaged in efforts to restore regional stability. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also met his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation gathering in Kyrgyzstan, where the two officials reviewed regional tensions and agreed to maintain close coordination.
Dar stressed that dialogue, restraint and sustained diplomacy were essential to achieving lasting peace. He called for renewed attention to the understandings contained in the Islamabad memorandum reached in June 2026. Qatar’s prime minister also urged the parties to implement that framework, including provisions intended to protect freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
The diplomatic activity unfolded as the United States carried out further strikes on Iranian territory. Iranian authorities reported casualties after an attack on Ahvaz, while other targets included areas associated with the Revolutionary Guards. US President Donald Trump said Tehran appeared increasingly serious about negotiations, although he also issued warnings against deeper involvement by China or Russia and threatened further action over attacks attributed to Iran’s regional allies.
Pakistan previously hosted direct contact between senior American and Iranian representatives in April, marking the first such high-level engagement between the two sides in nearly five decades. Those talks were followed by the Islamabad memorandum and subsequent technical discussions, but the process stalled as military operations intensified and mutual distrust deepened.
For Pakistan, a successful diplomatic breakthrough would carry major economic and strategic benefits. The country remains vulnerable to increases in global oil prices, higher freight charges and supply interruptions caused by insecurity in Gulf waters. Continued conflict could place additional pressure on inflation, foreign-exchange reserves and energy costs while also affecting millions of Pakistanis living and working across the Gulf region.
Islamabad’s involvement could also strengthen its international standing as a bridge between competing regional powers, particularly with support from Beijing and Doha. However, meaningful progress will depend on whether Washington and Tehran are prepared to reduce military operations, honour earlier understandings and establish guarantees for maritime security. Further diplomatic contacts are expected as Pakistan tests whether the latest initiative can turn exploratory discussions into formal negotiations.