ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Islamabad is continuing its role in mediating between the US, Iran, and regional countries to prevent renewed hostilities, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed to Rudaw on Wednesday, as Washington and Tehran take cautious steps toward rapprochement.
“We have not lost hope, we are absolutely determined and we will further make efforts and progress to escalate the situation,” the Pakistani premier told Rudaw’s Namo Abdulla on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York.
He pointed to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed on June 18 between “three leaders,” Sharif said - naming US President Donald Trump, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and himself - which opened a 60-day window for negotiations.
Although the aftermath “got a bit unpredictable,” Islamabad remains “completely focused” to convince the warring parties to return to the landmark 14-point MoU that addressed strategic points of contention between the adversaries, in which the Strait of Hormuz emerged as a major flashpoint.
Hostilities nonetheless precipitated, resulting in 13 consecutive days of strikes and counterstrikes between Washington and Tehran in July, as well as a week-long standoff in late August, with the latter taking place around 10 days after the expiration of the MoU’s 60-day window.
Shehbaz’s statement comes as the US and Iran held talks on the sidelines of UNGA after nearly seven months of unrelenting hostilities that started with a six week-long war in late February. Islamabad, who through backchannel diplomacy succeeded in making a shaky ceasefire between the foes in April, expressed efforts that talks could resume once more.
Earlier on Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff engaged in meetings, with the former stating that they have delivered Tehran’s “firm stance.”
Witkoff later announced that they have "successfully completed a round of discussions” that he hoped will be “constructive and promising” and that “the mediators will continue their work.”
This is a developing story...
