Pakistani PM signs Islamabad MoU as mediator in US-Iran peace deal

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday signed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (Islamabad MoU) agreed upon by the US and Iran to end the nearly four-month war. Pakistan played the lead mediation role, having secured a ceasefire on April 8 and hosted the highest-level talks between the two nations on April 12 and 13 since they severed diplomatic ties in 1979. According to a statement from the prime minister's office, Sharif signed the MoU as "mediator." His signing followed electronic signatures by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday.

Immediate implementation

Earlier Thursday, Sharif announced that the landmark Islamabad MoU entered into force with immediate effect. In a post on X, he said the memorandum was electronically signed by the presidents of the US and Iran and endorsed by Pakistan in its role as mediator. Under the terms of the memorandum, Iran will immediately reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, while the US will lift its naval blockade, according to the Pakistani leader. The war began on Feb. 28 when the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, prompting Tehran to close the Strait of Hormuz. On April 13, US forces imposed a blockade on Iranian ports, making commercial shipping through the critical waterway nearly impossible.