- Pakistan acted as a broker in Iran-US ceasefire talks under US pressure, reports say
- The US used Pakistan to push Iran for a two-week ceasefire amid Strait of Hormuz tensions
- Pakistan's Defence Chief led back-channel talks culminating in a temporary ceasefire deal
While Pakistan tried to project itself as a peacemaker, it was the White House that pushed Islamabad to broker a temporary ceasefire with Iran, according to a report by the Financial Times. The report poses serious questions about Pakistan's independent diplomatic stance, suggesting Islamabad was not a neutral broker but rather a convenient channel for the US to push the temporary ceasefire deal, even as US President Donald Trump escalated threats against the Islamic Republic and claimed Tehran was "begging" for a truce.
Citing people familiar with the development, the report claimed that for weeks the Trump administration was leaning on Islamabad to convince the Iranians to agree to a pause in fighting, where it would reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz.
"Pakistan's crucial role, as a Muslim-majority neighbour and intermediary, was to sell it to Tehran," the report said.
Islamabad's back-channel efforts, led by Pakistan's Defence Chief Asim Munir, culminated on Tuesday night with the US, Israel and Iran agreeing to a two-week ceasefire.
The US Stake
The development came hours after Trump threatened to destroy Iran's "whole civilisation" if Tehran didn't meet his terms. But according to people familiar with the truce talks, Trump was worried about surging oil prices and was surprised by the resilience of the Iranian regime.
The American commander in chief was "eager for a ceasefire" since at least his first threat on March 21 to "obliterate" Iran's power plants, the report said.
Why The US Needed Pak
According to the FT report, Washington and Islamabad believed Tehran was more likely to accept a US-backed offer if it was delivered by a Muslim-majority neighbouring state that had emphasised its neutrality throughout the conflict.
The Timeline
With Trump's deadline looming on Tuesday, Pakistan's Field Marshal embarked on a flurry of calls to top US officials, including Trump, Vice President JD Vance and special envoy Steve Witkoff.
He then spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi about the two-week proposal, which was soon made public by Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
But behind the scenes, the White House had already seen and signed off on the statement before Sharif posted it, according to a New York Times report.
But Sharif, who framed the deal as Pakistan's initiative, forgot to remove the subject line at the top of his post, "draft — Pakistan's PM message on X".
Shortly after Trump issued his first ultimatum to open the Strait. In the background, Munir and other senior Pakistani officials rushed to pass messages between Iranian political and military figures and the White House. They reportedly pitched Islamabad as a venue for a peace summit, shared a US-drafted 15-point proposal and raised options for ceasefires ranging from 45 days to two weeks. Iran replied with its five- and 10-point responses.
The two sides remained far apart in their demands, but, over time, Iran reportedly became more amenable to the idea of diluting and accepting limits on its stockpile of uranium.
The IRGC Problem
The people familiar with the talks said Araghchi and other political leaders in Tehran had agreed to a temporary ceasefire-for-Hormuz deal in principle days ago. However, they struggled to get final assent from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-- Iran's dominant military and political force.
After weeks of heavy US and Israeli bombardment, the IRGC was divided about a truce. Sources said that some elements in the Iranian force were strongly opposed to ending the war, loosening control of the strait and returning to talks with the Americans.
Then an Iranian drone attack hit the Saudi petrochemical hub of Jubail on Tuesday, in what one Pakistani official called a "last-ditch move to derail talks". Islamabad, which has a mutual defence pact with Saudi Arabia, reacted angrily, signalling to Tehran that these strikes could destroy peace efforts and leave Iran isolated.
So far, Pakistan, which has been spared Iranian attack, has sought to remain neutral throughout the conflict despite repeated missile and drone strikes on Saudi Arabia.
After this, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian agreed to send representatives to Islamabad for negotiations during a call with Sharif on Wednesday afternoon.
