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Foreign ministers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Egypt will meet in Islamabad for talks on the war in the Middle East, the Pakistani government said Saturday.
The talks are expected to take place on Monday, March 30.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said he was “looking forward to welcoming (his) brother foreign ministers” to the country, writing on X.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the ministers would be in Islamabad on Sunday and Monday, and a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is also expected.
“During the visit, the Foreign Ministers will hold in-depth discussions on a range of issues, including efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region,” the ministry said in a statement.
As part of preparations for the meeting, Sharif spoke with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian for about an hour on Saturday, a Pakistani government source told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The two leaders have spoken several times in recent weeks about the conflict and Pakistan’s efforts to help bring it to an end.
A separate Foreign Ministry source told AFP that the quadrilateral meeting would take place on Monday, with delegations expected to arrive in Pakistan by Sunday evening.
Pakistan has emerged as a key facilitator between Iran and the United States as the conflict continues, serving as an intermediary for messages between the two sides.
Islamabad maintains longstanding ties with Tehran and close contacts in Gulf countries, while Sharif and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir have developed a personal rapport with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Speaking during a live broadcast on a Turkish news channel, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan highlighted Pakistan’s central role and said he is in frequent contact with Egyptian, European, and regional counterparts.
Fidan also indicated that a planned meeting among Türkiye, Pakistan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia could take place in Pakistan over the weekend to assess negotiations and possible actions.
He said the meeting had originally been planned to take place in Türkiye.
“However, since our Pakistani counterparts are required to remain in their country, we moved the meeting to Pakistan,” he said late Friday.
Fidan also reiterated that Türkiye envisions a broader regional framework based on cooperation among countries, including Iran, Gulf states, Türkiye, Pakistan and Egypt, which could generate significant economic, political and security benefits if realized.
Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said earlier Friday he expected a direct U.S.-Iran meeting in Pakistan “very soon,” without revealing his source.
While Tehran has refused to confirm official talks with Washington, Iran has passed a response to Trump’s 15-point plan to end the war via Islamabad, according to an anonymous source cited by Iran’s Tasnim news agency.
The United States and Israel have maintained airstrikes on Iran since Feb. 28, killing more than 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, as well as Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting U.S. military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.
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