Top diplomats from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey have convened in Islamabad for two-day talks with their Pakistani counterpart, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. The discussions focus on de-escalating the war that the US and Israel are waging against Iran, marking a critical effort toward regional peace. Pakistan has been acting as a key interlocutor, facilitating message exchanges between the two sides as part of mediation initiatives, with the gathering seen as a pivotal step in a difficult diplomatic process.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced late on Saturday that Iran had permitted “20 more ships” under the Pakistani flag, or two vessels daily, to transit the Strait of Hormuz, a move aimed at ensuring maritime security amid the conflict. Additionally, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated on Saturday that he held a “detailed telephone conversation with my brother President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran earlier today, lasting over one hour”, as part of preparations for the Islamabad talks, highlighting ongoing high-level engagement.
Al Jazeera correspondent Kamal Kyder, reporting from Islamabad, described Pakistan as “a key interlocutor” between the United States and Iran, passing messages between the sides. He noted, “The gathering in Islamabad, what many people say, is the beginning of a critical process that includes the only viable option: diplomacy and dialogue.” However, he emphasized the challenges, given the escalation, and questioned whether any consensus reached would be acceptable to the US, which allegedly seeks a way out of the war or is trying to buy time.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian praised Islamabad’s efforts, with his office stating he “thanked Pakistan for its mediation efforts to stop the aggression against the Islamic republic.” Pakistan maintains longstanding ties with Tehran and close contacts in the Gulf, while Sharif and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir have reportedly developed a personal rapport with US President Donald Trump. Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said earlier on Friday he expected a direct US-Iran meeting in Pakistan “very soon”, without disclosing his source, adding to the diplomatic speculation.
The risk of an expanded Iran conflict intensified on Saturday as Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels launched their first attacks on Israel since the war began. This development followed the arrival of the first contingent of thousands of additional US forces dispatched to the Middle East on an amphibious assault ship on Friday, potentially exacerbating regional tensions and complicating the mediation efforts underway in Islamabad.
Source: www.aljazeera.com