ISLAMABAD: International ministers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Türkiye met on Sunday (Mar 29) for talks on the war in the Middle East, with Islamabad performing as a go-between for the USA and Iran.
The four-way assembly between the highest diplomats of the Muslim nations convened “to overview the evolving regional state of affairs and focus on problems with mutual curiosity”, Pakistan’s international ministry mentioned in a quick assertion.
Egypt’s Badr Abdelatty and Hakan Fidan from Türkiye arrived in Islamabad on Saturday night time, whereas their Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan touched down on Sunday afternoon.
A number of roads resulting in Islamabad’s Pink Zone – the place key authorities buildings and diplomatic missions are primarily based – had been sealed off, AFP reporters mentioned.
Safety was tight and the driveway of the international ministry was embellished with the flags of all 4 nations. Iran, the USA and Israel weren’t represented, a international ministry supply mentioned.
Earlier than the assembly, Pakistan’s International Minister Ishaq Dar held separate bilateral talks together with his visiting counterparts. Fidan and Abdelatty additionally collectively met Pakistan’s highly effective military chief, Area Marshal Asim Munir.
The federal government in Pakistan has emerged as a key facilitator between Iran and the USA as their struggle drags on, serving as an middleman for messages between the 2 sides.
Islamabad has longstanding hyperlinks with Tehran and shut contacts within the Gulf, whereas Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Munir have struck up a private rapport with US President Donald Trump.
Tehran has refused to confess to holding official talks with Washington however has handed a response to Trump’s 15-point plan to end the war through Islamabad, in response to an nameless supply cited by the Iranian Tasnim information company.
Sharif on Saturday mentioned he had an in depth phone dialog with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian lasting over one hour, detailing his nation’s “ongoing diplomatic outreach”.
Pezeshkian thanked Islamabad “for its mediation efforts to cease the aggression”.
Late on Saturday, Dar, who can be the nation’s deputy prime minister, mentioned Iran had allowed 20 extra Pakistani-flagged vessels – or two ships day by day – to move by means of the Strait of Hormuz.
“Dialogue, diplomacy, and such confidence-building measures are the one manner ahead,” Dar mentioned on X, tagging US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran’s International Minister Abbas Araghchi.
