Pakistan puts mediation at centre of UNGA diplomacy as Shehbaz vows fresh US-Iran peace push
By Shahnoor Saqib | SCN NEWS
UNITED NATIONS, New York - Pakistan has placed mediation between the United States and Iran at the centre of its diplomacy during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif saying Islamabad remains determined to pursue de-escalation despite setbacks that disrupted an earlier diplomatic framework.
Speaking to reporters at UN headquarters in New York on Wednesday, Sharif described Pakistan as a “sincere and honest mediator” between neighbouring Iran and the United States and said Islamabad had not abandoned efforts to bring the two sides closer. “Pakistan is completely focused. We have not lost hope,” he said, adding that the government was determined to make further efforts toward de-escalation.
The remarks give a clearer shape to Pakistan's UNGA diplomacy this week. Rather than using the gathering solely to state its positions on regional conflicts, Islamabad is attempting to preserve a negotiating channel between Washington and Tehran at a moment when contacts between the two adversaries have resumed on the sidelines of the General Assembly.
Sharif referred specifically to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding previously signed by himself, U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. He acknowledged that subsequent events had become “a bit unpredictable,” but said Pakistan remained committed to the process. Asked whether another Iran-U.S. meeting was planned, Sharif described diplomacy as a continuing process and said friendly countries were contributing to efforts to achieve peace.
That effort has acquired new significance at UNGA after American and Iranian representatives engaged in hours of talks in New York. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said mediators shuttled between the two delegations during lengthy discussions on Tuesday, while Trump separately described a roughly three-hour encounter involving American representatives as productive and said talks were continuing. Accounts differed over the precise format and degree of direct U.S.-Iranian contact.
The diplomatic activity represents a potentially important opening after months of conflict and failed attempts to secure a durable settlement. Reuters reported before the latest contacts that Iran's delegation had arrived in New York with authority to pursue diplomacy, with a senior Iranian official describing the General Assembly gathering as an opportunity for Washington to return to negotiations. Tehran has indicated it could reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the United States eases military pressure and lifts its blockade of Iranian ports.
Pakistan's role predates the latest New York negotiations. Islamabad helped mediate earlier efforts to halt fighting and later hosted negotiations between American and Iranian officials. Pakistan and Qatar subsequently helped facilitate the Islamabad framework intended to provide the sides with a path toward a longer-term agreement, although renewed hostilities prevented that arrangement from producing a lasting settlement.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has also been engaged in diplomatic consultations during the UN gathering. Pakistan's efforts have overlapped with those of other regional governments, including Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, which have pushed for diplomacy and adherence to the earlier negotiating framework. The parallel activity has effectively turned UNGA week into another venue for attempts to rebuild a negotiating process between Washington and Tehran.
The stakes extend well beyond the two countries. The conflict and instability around the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted energy markets and shipping while increasing concerns that further escalation could draw additional Middle Eastern states into the confrontation. Iran has linked progress in negotiations to changes in U.S. military and economic pressure, while Washington has continued to insist that any settlement address its security concerns, including Iran's nuclear programme.
Sharif's comments also suggest Islamabad is being careful not to portray the latest contacts as a breakthrough. His acknowledgement that previous events became unpredictable, combined with his description of mediation as a continuing process, points instead to an effort to keep negotiations alive while the positions of Washington and Tehran remain apart.
For Pakistan, that makes the current UNGA engagement substantially different from a conventional round of bilateral meetings. Islamabad is seeking to use its working relationships with Washington, Tehran and regional capitals to preserve diplomatic space at a time when both military escalation and negotiation remain possible.
Whether that effort produces another formal negotiating round remains uncertain. But the resumption of U.S.-Iran contacts in New York, coupled with Sharif's public commitment to continue mediation, means Pakistan's role is likely to remain part of the diplomatic activity surrounding UNGA as governments try to prevent another escalation of the conflict.