Pakistan 'absolutely determined' to advance US-Iran de-escalation

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told reporters at the United Nations on Wednesday that Islamabad remains “absolutely determined” to advance efforts to de-escalate the war between the United States and Iran, insisting that his government serves as a sincere mediator between the two nations.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly session, Sharif recalled that the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding was signed on June 18 by himself, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump. “Unfortunately, events after that got a bit unpredictable,” he said, though he emphasized that Pakistan remains “completely focused” on making progress and has not lost hope despite the renewed hostilities.

Mediation efforts

The war began on February 28 when the US and Israel launched military action against Iran, prompting Islamabad to step in and help secure a ceasefire on April 8 after weeks of escalating violence. Pakistan subsequently hosted more than 20 hours of intensive talks between American and Iranian officials in the capital, eventually helping to broker the June 18 MoU alongside Qatar — an accord that established a 60-day window for negotiations. The two sides, however, soon resumed retaliatory strikes and tensions have continued despite the diplomatic breakthrough.

Iranian and American negotiators held indirect talks on Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, according to diplomatic sources. Asked whether further meetings were possible, Sharif described the process as “continuous” and noted that “all friendly countries are contributing to achieve peace.” Indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran have continued intermittently since the Islamabad MoU was signed on June 18.