What happened
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt held the second round of their quadrilateral foreign-minister consultations in Islamabad on Sunday, 29 March 2026, convened at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty took part. After the meeting Dar said the four countries had agreed that the war “is not in favour of anyone and would only lead to death and destruction”, and that they would work to “create conditions for structured negotiations between relevant parties”.
“Pakistan will be honoured to host and facilitate meaningful talks between the two sides in coming days, for a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the ongoing conflict,” Dar said. He said both Iran and the United States had expressed confidence in Pakistan to facilitate the talks, and that he had briefed the visiting ministers on the prospects of potential US-Iran talks in Islamabad. The four countries decided to constitute a committee of senior officials from their foreign ministries to work out the modalities for continued coordination.
Why it matters
The meeting was the second round of a four-country format first discussed at a broader gathering of Muslim and Arab states in Riyadh earlier in March. It was originally to have been held in Turkiye but was moved to Pakistan because of Islamabad’s deepening role relaying messages between Washington and Tehran, as KhabarWire reported on 28 March.
The ministers expressed concern over the “devastating impact on lives and livelihood” of a war now in its second month and called for upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states. Officials described the format as a way to align regional positions and prepare the ground for direct US-Iran engagement rather than as a negotiation in itself.
Wider backing
Dar said he had held a telephone conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who fully supported Pakistan’s initiative to host Iran-US talks, and with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who expressed full support for the effort. The visiting ministers later called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who stressed the need for collective efforts to end hostilities and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to bringing Iran and the United States to the negotiating table, the Prime Minister’s Office said. Dar is scheduled to travel to Beijing on 31 March for further consultations.
What is still uncertain
No direct US-Iran meeting had been confirmed by 29 March. Dawn reported a senior diplomatic source as cautioning that any talks would depend on developments on the battlefield and that contacts between Washington and Tehran remained limited to indirect exchanges of messages. Whether Islamabad’s offer translates into a face-to-face meeting therefore remained open.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a synthesis of published reporting, not eyewitness coverage. Sources were reviewed on 2026-03-30.
- Pakistan Observer — Quadrilateral huddle on Middle East conflict begins in Islamabad29 March 2026 · Reports the start of the consultations, the participating ministers and Dar's opening remarks.
- The News — FMs leave after attending meeting in Islamabad: Pakistan to host Iran-US talks in coming days: Dar30 March 2026 · Carries Dar's televised statement and the pledge to host and facilitate US-Iran talks.
- Dawn — Dar hints at US, Iran talks as quad pushes peace off-ramp30 March 2026 · Reports the quadrilateral outcome, the officials' committee and the caution that direct talks are unconfirmed.
