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Pakistan is engaging in diplomatic efforts between the U.S. and Iran, as President Donald Trump said he is allowing a five-day window for talks, according to a report by NBC News.
An in-person meeting could be held in Islamabad in the coming days after Trump postponed threatened strikes on Iranian power plants, NBC News reported, citing multiple sources.
Pakistan is joining a growing list of countries acting as intermediaries between the U.S. and Iran, with four sources telling NBC News that diplomatic contacts are ongoing.
Two of those sources said an in-person meeting between the parties could take place soon in Islamabad, the Pakistani capital.
A diplomatic source said Pakistan is in contact with both sides and is “well poised to play an active role” in efforts to end the war, which has killed over 2,000 people and displaced millions as it enters its fourth week.
A Gulf official said Pakistan has been passing messages between Washington and Tehran over the past two days.
Pakistan is one of at least three countries, alongside Türkiye and Egypt, involved in mediation efforts between the U.S. and Iran, according to a source familiar with the discussions.
Pakistan is “always willing to host talks” provided “the parties desire” them, according to foreign ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi, who spoke to the BBC.
Andrabi said Pakistan “has consistently advocated for dialogue and diplomacy to promote peace and stability in the region.”
Amid speculation that senior U.S. and Iranian officials could meet in Pakistan, Andrabi declined to confirm or deny whether any discussions had taken place regarding hosting such talks.
The White House earlier described the situation as “fluid” and said no formal meetings between senior U.S. and Iranian leaders had been announced.
There has been no public statement indicating that Pakistani officials have held talks with senior U.S. officials.
For the first time since the conflict began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, Trump said Monday that the U.S. and Iran had held “very good and productive conversations” and that talks would continue throughout the week.
The announcement marked a shift from Trump’s earlier ultimatum demanding that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours or face U.S. strikes on its power plants.
“We’re doing a five-day period. We’ll see how that goes, and if it goes well, we’re going to end up with settling this,” Trump told reporters. “Otherwise, we’ll keep bombing our little hearts out.”
Senior Iranian officials, including parliament speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, denied that negotiations were underway and accused Trump of attempting to “manipulate the financial and oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the U.S. and Israel are trapped.”
However, Esmail Baghaei said Iran had received messages from “certain friendly states conveying the U.S. request for negotiations to end the war,” adding that responses had been delivered through official channels, according to IRNA.
Iran’s effective shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route carrying about one-fifth of global oil supplies, has had significant consequences for Asia, particularly Pakistan.
The country, with a population of about 260 million, relies on Gulf states for most of its crude oil imports and nearly all of its liquefied natural gas.
A Middle East diplomat briefed on the situation said “there are talks about talks” and that a meeting in Islamabad remains a possibility.
Another diplomatic source described the situation as “full swing,” noting that multiple proposals are under consideration but no meeting has been confirmed.
The White House declined to confirm Pakistan’s intermediary role. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the discussions are sensitive and evolving.
“These are sensitive diplomatic discussions, and the U.S. will not negotiate through the press,” Leavitt said. “This is a fluid situation, and speculation about meetings should not be deemed as final until they are formally announced by the White House.”
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday, expressing concern over escalating hostilities in the Gulf region.
According to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, Sharif emphasized the need for de-escalation and a return to dialogue among neighboring countries, while assuring Iran that Pakistan would continue efforts to facilitate peace.
Separately, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held calls Sunday with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and counterparts from Pakistan, Türkiye and Qatar.
Abdelatty stressed the importance of restraint and maintaining maritime security, warning of potential impacts on trade, supply chains, and global oil and food prices.
Trump described the discussions as “preliminary” but expressed optimism about a potential agreement.
“I think there’s a very good chance we’re going to end up in a deal,” he said. “And so we’re giving it five days, and then we’re going to see where that takes us.”
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