Pakistan's Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar said a few days ago that diplomatic initiatives are actively continuing to end the conflict between the US and Iran. He expressed hope that the consultations held in Islamabad would result in a peaceful solution. Dar also emphasized that the process is supported by several countries and that diplomatic channels remain open.
Nevertheless, there is no progress in the negotiations between the US and Iran. On the contrary, the US and Iran reject the proposals sent to each other. Although Islamabad tries to bring the parties together and at least to continue the correspondence between them, there is no real result. Washington and Tehran do not say "no" to Pakistan's mediation initiatives, but after the first meeting in Islamabad, a second meeting between the parties has not taken place.
Pakistan's mediation benefits China. There are strategic partnership relations between the two. Beijing hopes that Islamabad's mediation will yield positive results. It became clear once again during US President Donald Trump's meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing that China wants a solution to the Strait of Hormuz problem in the short term. Washington is also interested in restoring the free movement of tankers in the strait. However, to achieve this, it is essential to reach an agreement between Washington and Tehran, which is not yet possible. Beijing, on the other hand, is far from intending to pressure Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz. In this regard, although Donald Trump said he was extremely pleased with the results of his meeting with Xi Jinping, the parties have different positions on the Iran issue.
Meanwhile, unlike Donald Trump, there are those in Congress who are dissatisfied with Pakistan's mediation. US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham expressed skepticism about Pakistan's mediator role. The senator accused Pakistan of being close to Iran. Graham stated that if Iranian aircraft have indeed been stationed at Pakistani bases to protect Iranian military facilities, then Washington should look for another mediator. "I don't trust Pakistan as much as possible. If that's the case, we need to find another mediator. It is not surprising that this initiative did not yield results," the senator emphasized. It has also been reported that the demands Iran conveyed to Pakistan were sent softened to the US. This had previously created the impression in Washington that Tehran was ready to accept the White House's demands, but in reality, the regime in Iran has not backed down from its demands.
Elkhan Shahinoglu,
political scientist