Amid ongoing tensions with Iran, United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday stated that diplomatic talks were taking place at Tehran's direct request. He emphasised that these negotiations are being actively backed by regional powers including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Qatar. However, what caught attention was that Trump left Pakistan out of the list of mediating countries, highlighting a distinct shift in the alignment of the current diplomatic efforts.
Trump Excludes Pakistan From Mediators List
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said, “We are talking at the request of Iran, backed by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar.” He said he expects negotiations will focus on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and creating a pathway for Iran to address the US’ concerns about its nuclear programme. He mentioned that they would likely learn about the status of the negotiations “today or tomorrow”, adding that Iran was facing “last chance before decapitation.”
Trump’s statement has caught attention as Pakistan claims to have played a significant role in efforts to broker dialogue between Washington and Tehran. Islamabad previously hosted the first direct US-Iran talks in April, marking the highest-level engagement between Washington and Tehran in years and cementing Pakistan's position at the center of mediation efforts.
Earlier in June, Trump had publicly credited Pakistan and several Gulf and Middle East countries for supporting diplomatic efforts toward an agreement with Iran. He had even called off military strikes against Tehran on request of Pakistan. While Trump didn’t name Pakistan explicitly as a mediator in his recent remarks, Iran has reaffirmed that Islamabad remains the main intermediary in indirect contacts with the US.
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Iran Highlights Pakistan's Role As Mediator
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on Monday dismissed reports suggesting that China had begun mediating between Iran and the US over the Strait of Hormuz. He reiterated that Pakistan remains the mediator, with Qatar also helping wherever required. “The mediator in the discussions related to Iran and the US is Pakistan, and Qatar also helps in cases where necessary,” Baghaei said.
His statement came a day after Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi held a second round of telephone conversations with Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan to discuss regional security.
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