Fidan, Pakistani counterpart discuss diplomatic efforts to end Iran war
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Pakistani counterpart Muhammad Ishaq Dar discussed the Iran war and diplomatic efforts to end it in a phone call Tuesday. Pakistan has been seeking "time and space" for diplomacy ahead of President Trump's deadline.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Pakistani counterpart Muhammad Ishaq Dar on Tuesday discussed the Iran war, Turkish Foreign Ministry sources said. In a phone call, Fidan and Dar exchanged views on the diplomatic efforts aimed at bringing an end to the war that began with attacks by the US and Israel against Iran.
Pakistan's mediation
Earlier, Pakistan sought "time and space" for diplomatic efforts on Tuesday to end a spiraling Middle East war. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif asked warring parties to observe a two-week ceasefire to "allow diplomacy to achieve conclusive termination of war." Sharif also asked Trump to extend his deadline on Iran by two weeks and for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz during that period.
Trump's deadline
The discussions came hours before the end of US President Donald Trump's deadline that "a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again"—remarks that fueled speculation as his 8 pm Eastern Time (0000GMT Wednesday) deadline for Iran approaches. Trump later announced a two-week suspension of strikes after Pakistan's mediation efforts.
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Conflict context
The entire region has been on alert since Israel and the US launched a weeks-long offensive against Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,400 people according to Iranian authorities. Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets.
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