Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday blamed Israel of undermining Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to facilitate ceasefire negotiations between the United States and Iran.
He said military action against Tehran came just as both sides were preparing to enter formal talks, reported Al Jazeera.
Speaking in the Senate, Dar said Pakistan had been actively engaged in behind-the-scenes diplomacy aimed at bringing Washington and Tehran to the negotiating table. He said both countries had agreed in principle to talks to be hosted in Islamabad.
According to the foreign minister, optimism surrounding the proposed dialogue was high until Israel’s meddling abruptly halted progress.
Dar told lawmakers that Pakistan had served as an intermediary by conveying proposals between the two sides, including delivering a 15-point set of conditions from the United States to Iran and transmitting Tehran’s five-point response back to Washington.
He said both parties had reached a stage where direct engagement appeared imminent before tensions escalated following Israel’s strike on Tehran.
Iran’s state news agency IRNA also reported that Tehran communicated its response to a US proposal through Pakistan after weeks of high-level consultations.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump again issued a new threat to bomb Iran once his 8 PM deadline ends. So far, everything in the media is all talk and no show.
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