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Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar (left) on Tuesday met with US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie A. Baker in Islamabad on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. Photo: Pakistan's foreign ministry
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Tuesday urged the United States and Iran to consider extending their ceasefire during a meeting with US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie A. Baker in Islamabad, the Pakistani foreign ministry reported, as the two-week truce is set to expire on Wednesday.
In a readout of the meeting, the ministry said Dar and Baker discussed “recent regional developments,” noting that the Pakistani foreign minister stressed his country’s “consistent emphasis on dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable means to address challenges and achieve lasting regional peace and stability.”
He also highlighted “the need for engagement between the United States and Iran,” urging both sides to “consider extending the ceasefire, and to give dialogue and diplomacy a chance.”
For her part, Baker conveyed Washington’s “appreciation for Pakistan’s constructive and positive role in promoting regional peace and facilitating dialogue.”
The US and Israel launched a preemptive air campaign on February 28, targeting more than 17,000 sites across Iran over six weeks of hostilities before the warring sides agreed to a Pakistan-mediated April 8 ceasefire to halt fighting for two weeks and pursue talks.
While the first round of discussions ended without a final agreement on April 11, US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that American negotiators would head to Islamabad on Monday evening for a second round of talks aimed at reaching a deal with Iran.
Dar’s request comes as Islamabad has ramped up efforts over the past few days to ensure a second round of talks is held before the expiration of the two-week ceasefire on Wednesday evening. However, at the time of reporting, neither the American nor the Iranian delegations had yet to arrive in the Pakistani capital.
Further complicating the situation are the apparent tit-for-tat maritime restrictions imposed by the US and Iran in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, particularly since the ceasefire took effect.
The Iranian government, primarily through the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has on several occasions declared the closure of the Strait, citing defensive measures against what it terms as Western aggression and targeting vessels linked to the US, Israel, or their regional partners.
Washington has also imposed maritime restrictions aimed at pressuring Iran’s economy, with the Central Command and US naval assets intercepting Iranian-flagged vessels and “shadow fleet” tankers suspected of transporting Iranian petroleum products.
These reciprocal measures have sharply reduced maritime traffic - dropping from well over 100 vessels per day to just a handful - and heightened concerns that the fragile ceasefire could collapse under mounting tensions at sea.
Amid the heightened tensions the United Nations on Monday reiterated its concern over restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz, urging the “full restoration” of international navigation rights, which it said should be upheld by all sides.
RELATED: UN urges ‘full restoration’ of freedom of navigation in Strait of Hormuz
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