What happened
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday, 24 March 2026, that Pakistan “stands ready and honoured” to host talks between the United States and Iran, publicly placing Islamabad at the centre of efforts to end the war that began on 28 February. In a post on X, he said Pakistan “welcomes and fully supports ongoing efforts to pursue dialogue to end the war in the Middle East,” adding that “subject to concurrence by the US and Iran,” it would host “meaningful and conclusive talks for a comprehensive settlement of the ongoing conflict.” He tagged US President Donald Trump, US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
The offer followed a Foreign Office appeal for restraint in public commentary. Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan remained committed to resolving the conflict “through diplomatic means and engagements,” and that “diplomacy and negotiations often require that certain matters be advanced with discretion.” A day earlier he had told Dawn: “If the parties desire, Islamabad is always willing to host talks.”
The Express Tribune reported that Trump reposted the prime minister’s statement on his Truth Social platform, which the newspaper described as a tacit endorsement of Pakistan’s role. Iran’s official position was cooler: Tehran publicly rejected any suggestion of direct or indirect negotiations, and an Iranian official called the reports about Pakistan hosting talks “speculative,” according to Dawn.
Why it matters
The public offer formalised a week of back-channel contacts. Reuters reported that Pakistan, alongside Turkiye and Egypt, had been relaying messages between Washington and Tehran, and Dawn said the three countries appeared instrumental in securing a five-day pause of US plans to strike Iranian energy and power infrastructure. According to Dawn, Prime Minister Sharif had spoken by telephone with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, while Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held separate calls with Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi and Turkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The Financial Times reported that Field Marshal Asim Munir had spoken with President Trump.
Axios reported that two possible formats were under discussion for a meeting in Islamabad: one involving Araghchi, Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and another pairing US Vice President JD Vance with Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Iran publicly rejected direct or indirect talks with Washington.
What is still uncertain
No venue, date or delegation had been confirmed by Pakistan, the United States or Iran. Whether Washington would send officials to Islamabad, and whether Tehran would attend, remained unresolved. Analysts cited by Dawn cautioned that prospects for a breakthrough remained uncertain given the mistrust between the two sides and the pace of events on the ground.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a synthesis of published material, not eyewitness reporting. Sources were reviewed on 2026-03-25.
- Al Jazeera — Pakistan 'ready to host US-Iran talks': Can latest peace push work?Published 24 March 2026 · Reports the Foreign Office statement, Sharif's X post and the two Axios formats.
- Dawn — Pakistan stands 'ready, honoured' to host US-Iran talks, says PM ShehbazPublished 24 March 2026 · Carries the prime minister's statement and the Foreign Office's call for discretion.
- Dawn — Pakistan in the limelight as US, Iran 'open backchannel'Published 24 March 2026 · Reports the Pakistan-Turkiye-Egypt back channel and the five-day pause.
- Reuters — Pakistan leans on US and Iran ties to emerge as potential peacebrokerPublished 24 March 2026 · Analyses Pakistan's ties with Washington and Tehran as a potential mediator.
- The Express Tribune — Pakistan casts itself as chief peace brokerPublished 24 March 2026 · Reports Trump's repost and the diplomatic outreach by Sharif, Munir and Dar.