Pakistan is mediating talks between the United States and Iran, according to officials familiar with the process, even as the two countries continue to exchange military strikes. The backchannel effort, which has not been publicly acknowledged by Washington or Tehran, represents a rare diplomatic opening in a conflict that has escalated sharply in recent weeks.
The mediation effort
Pakistani intermediaries have been shuttling between US and Iranian representatives, sources said. The talks are taking place in undisclosed locations, likely outside both countries. Neither the US State Department nor Iran's Foreign Ministry has confirmed the discussions. Pakistan's Foreign Office declined to comment on the record, but a senior official told GFdaily that Islamabad is “facilitating communication” between the two sides.
The exact agenda remains unclear, but the core issue is the de-escalation of hostilities. The US has conducted airstrikes against Iranian-linked targets in Syria and Iraq in recent months, while Iran has retaliated through proxy forces and direct missile attacks on US bases. The talks aim to find a off-ramp before the situation spirals into a broader war.
Military attacks continue
Despite the diplomatic channel, military operations have not paused. Just last week, the US military struck what it said were Iranian-backed militia positions in eastern Syria. Iran responded with a drone attack on an Israeli-linked vessel in the Arabian Sea. The parallel track of violence and negotiation is a familiar pattern in the region, but it carries high risk. Any miscalculation could derail the talks entirely.
Analysts caution that the talks are fragile. Neither side appears willing to make the first concession. The US insists on Iran halting its nuclear enrichment and support for proxies. Iran demands an end to sanctions and the removal of US forces from the region. Pakistan's role is to keep the lines open, not to impose solutions.
Pakistan's diplomatic role
Pakistan has long positioned itself as a bridge between the West and the Islamic world. It maintains diplomatic relations with both the US and Iran, and has previously facilitated talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which led to a rapprochement in 2023. That success gives Islamabad credibility, but the US-Iran conflict is far more entrenched.
Pakistan's military and intelligence agencies have deep ties with Iran's security establishment, as well as with the US military. This dual access makes Pakistan a useful intermediary, but also a target for criticism. Some in Washington question Pakistan's reliability given its own ties to the Taliban and China. Tehran, meanwhile, is wary of any deal that might benefit the US at its expense.
What's at stake
The talks come at a critical moment. Iran is closer than ever to weapons-grade uranium enrichment, according to the IAEA. The US has deployed additional naval assets to the region. A diplomatic breakthrough could prevent a direct military confrontation that would destabilize the entire Middle East. Failure could mean a wider war involving Israel, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf states.
For Pakistan, success would boost its international standing and demonstrate its value as a mediator. Failure would reinforce perceptions of Islamabad as a peripheral player unable to influence major powers.
The talks are ongoing. No deadline has been set, and no public announcement is expected until a framework is agreed upon. For now, the only certainty is that the fighting continues while the talking does too.
