US President Donald Trump on Tuesday fueled speculation about Pakistan playing a mediating role between Washington and Tehran after sharing a post by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressing Islamabad’s willingness to host talks to end the ongoing conflict.
In a post on X, Sharif said Pakistan was “ready and honoured” to facilitate “meaningful and conclusive talks” between the US and Iran, subject to agreement from both sides.
“Pakistan welcomes and fully supports ongoing efforts to pursue dialogue to end the war in the Middle East, in the interest of peace and stability in the region and beyond,” he said.
“Subject to concurrence by the US and Iran, Pakistan stands ready and honoured to be the host to facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks for a comprehensive settlement of the ongoing conflict,” he added.
Trump shared the post on his Truth Social account without any comment, sparking fresh speculation about possible backchannel diplomacy involving Islamabad.
The development comes amid multiple media reports suggesting that Pakistan, along with Egypt and Turkiye, has been engaged in quiet efforts to broker peace in the Middle East.
Reports by Reuters, Financial Times and The Times of Israel indicate that mediating countries are attempting to convene US-Iran talks in Islamabad, possibly within days.
According to these reports, Pakistan has pitched itself as a neutral venue, leveraging its ties with both Washington and Tehran.
A senior Israeli official was quoted as saying that “contacts are underway” to organise a meeting involving senior representatives from both sides.
Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir is also reported to have spoken with Trump, while Shehbaz Sharif has held multiple conversations with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, according to FT.
US says no confirmation yet
Despite the growing buzz, the White House had earlier urged caution, saying no meeting has been formally confirmed. US press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the situation as “sensitive” and “fluid,” and warned against treating media reports as final.
“These are sensitive diplomatic discussions, and the US will not negotiate through the press. This is a fluid situation, and speculation about meetings should not be deemed as final until they are formally announced by the White House,” she added.
There has also been no official confirmation regarding reports that senior US officials, including Vice President JD Vance and envoy Steve Witkoff, could meet Iranian representatives in Islamabad.
However, indirect communication channels appear to be active. According to reports, Pakistan has been acting as a conduit, passing messages between the US and Iran.
CNN reported that Washington has conveyed a list of 15 demands to Tehran through Pakistani intermediaries. It also said that officials, including Pakistan’s intelligence leadership, have been in contact with US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
The diplomatic push follows Trump’s recent announcement that the US would pause planned strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure for five days after what he described as “very good and productive conversations” with Tehran.
Trump has also claimed that the US is in touch with a “top person” in Iran, though he has not disclosed the identity. Tehran, however maintained that it is not engaged in direct negotiations with Washington since the conflict began.
