Pakistan’s own house in a shambles, but wants to mediate between US and Iran, now makes BIG claim, says Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey…
Pakistan has claimed that both the United States and Iran have expressed confidence in Islamabad’s role as a mediator as tensions continue to rise in West Asia. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced that Pakistan is preparing to facilitate talks between Washington and Tehran in the “coming days”, although it remains unclear whether the discussions will be direct negotiations or indirect diplomatic contacts.
Dar made the announcement during a televised address on Sunday, saying Pakistan is ready to help reduce tensions between the two countries. “Pakistan is very happy that both Iran and the US have expressed their confidence in Pakistan’s facilitation,” he said, adding that preparations are underway for the possible talks.
However, neither the United States nor Iran has officially confirmed the proposed negotiations so far.
Islamabad meeting
The mediation effort gained support during a meeting in Islamabad attended by the foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The talks focused on the ongoing conflict in West Asia, which has now entered its fifth week and raised concerns about global economic stability.
According to Dar, the ministers agreed that the war would only bring more destruction and instability. He stressed that unity among Muslim countries is important during the current crisis.
“The visiting foreign ministers expressed their fullest support to this initiative,” Dar said, adding that Pakistan had been quietly involved in diplomatic efforts for weeks before making the mediation plan public.
Pakistan has also been in contact with US leadership in an attempt to reduce tensions and encourage dialogue between Washington and Tehran, according to reports.
Iran sceptical as tensions rise
Despite Pakistan’s efforts, signs of resistance have emerged from Tehran. Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf rejected the idea of negotiations and warned about possible military confrontation with US forces in the region.