Pakistan ‘ready to host US-Iran talks’: Can latest peace push work?

Pakistan, Turkiye and Egypt are trying to broker talks. But analysts caution the chasm between the US and Iran remains wide.

 Pakistan – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said Pakistan is ready to host talks between the United States and Iran amid US President Donald Trump’s claims of ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran.

“If the parties desire, Islamabad is always willing to host talks,”

It has consistently advocated for dialogue and diplomacy to promote peace and stability in the region.

Hours later, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also wrote on X that Pakistan “stands ready and honoured to be the host to facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks for a comprehensive settlement of the ongoing conflict”.

But multiple US and Israeli media outlets have reported that Pakistan, Egypt and Turkiye have been serving as messengers between Washington and Tehran, hoping to broker an off-ramp in a war that has led to the greatest energy crisis in modern history.

Some of those reports have suggested that Islamabad could emerge as the city to host talks later this week. According to US-based outlet Axios, two possible formats are under discussion for a meeting in Islamabad. One involves Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, US envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Another envisions US Vice President JD Vance meeting Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who has dismissed Trump’s claims of talks as an attempt to “escape the quagmire in which the US and Israel are trapped”.