US-Iran deal: Pakistan's diplomatic masterstroke?
By stepping in as mediator in the Iran war, Pakistan has managed to elevate its status from a regional player to a global diplomatic stakeholder
By stepping in as mediator in the Iran war, Pakistan has managed to elevate its status from a regional player to a global diplomatic stakeholder — with a little help from China and its friends in the Gulf. The US-Iran deal, serving as foundation for the ongoing talks in Switzerland, marks a crucial diplomatic achievement for Pakistan, perhaps the most significant in the country's modern history. "Pakistan was not only able to effectively leverage its relations with Tehran and growing closeness to Washington but also its network of regional partners like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey," Farwa Aamer, director of South Asia Initiatives at the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York, told DW. "It gave Pakistan more diplomatic weight and international support going into the mediation role," she added. Islamabad also boasts close ties with China — not an easy feat on a continent increasingly shaped by the Washington-Beijing rivalry. "Pakistan's patient diplomacy was critical in getting the US-Iran deal across the finish line, though its long-term impact will depend on the agreement's durability as difficult negotiations continue," Elizabeth Threlkeld, South Asia director at the Washington-based Stimson Center, told DW. Pakistan's parado Rising power, fragile state? To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video She lauded Islamabad for balancing ties with the US and Iran while also keeping key Gulf partners and China onboard, and "helping to find formulations that worked for all sides." Trump praises Pakistan's Munir as his 'favorite field marshal' But good working relationships with regional and global powers were just a starting point. The Pakistani government has been pursuing a hands-on diplomatic strategy towards Tehran, with Pakistan's most senior military commander Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharifboth visiting Iran in May 2025, just weeks before the short-lived conflict with Israel that ended with the US bombing Iran's nuclear facilities.
"Asim Munir and Shehbaz Sharif had both traveled to Iran that summer. That is when, in my view, the Trump administration first began to recognize that the Pakistanis could be a viable and trustworthy mediator," Michael Kugelman, a senior fellow for South Asia at Washington-based Atlantic Council, told DW. Army chief Munir, in particular, seem to have left a positive impression on Donald Trump, with the US president repeatedly praising him as a "great fighter," "an exceptional human being" and "my favorite field marshal." The Iran war exposes Pakistan's Gulf dependence To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The Pakistani leaders had much to lose with the US-Israel conflict with Iran spiraling into an all-out regional war. Pakistan shares a border with Iran and relies heavily on Gulf trade routes, so prolonged instability could trigger refugee flows, economic disruption, and security challenges along its western frontier. Pakistan puts in work with Washington, Tehran Once the US and Israel launched new airstrikes against Iran in late February, Sharif's government began engaging in an intensive diplomatic effort involving shuttle diplomacy, direct contacts with Washington and Tehran, and coordination with regional capitals. While Munir and Trump discussed the conflict by telephone on March 22, Prime Minister Sharif spoke to Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on the following day. Sharif then floated Islamabad as a possible destination for direct talks between Washington and Tehran. In early April, Pakistan announced the initial ceasefire between the two warring parties, and then hosted delegations led by US Vice President JD Vance and Iran's Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf for a marathon negotiation session on April 11. The Pakistani government repeatedly reasserted its mediator role in the following months, despite the peace talks eventually moving to Switzerland. With the peace process in jeopardy over the fighting in Lebanon, Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited Tehran twice last week.
The BriefWire