Pakistan finance minister phones Iranian negotiator, Islamabad publicly backs mediation

Pakistan is trying to do something awkward but important — stay close enough to Tehran and Washington to keep talking when both sides stop talking to each other. That effort moved again on Sunday night, May 3, when Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar called Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and publicly framed Pakistan’s role as one of de-escalation and diplomacy. This is not a breakthrough. But it is a clear sign Islamabad does not want the channel to go cold. ### What happened this time? Pakistan’s Foreign Office said Dar and Araghchi discussed the regional situation and Pakistan’s “ongoing diplomatic efforts” for peace and stability. Dar also reaffirmed that dialogue and diplomacy are the only workable path to a peaceful resolution. That matters because Pakistan chose to say this out loud now, not keep it as quiet shuttle diplomacy. ### Why is Pakistan in the middle? Basically, Pakistan has been trying to position itself as a go-between for the U.S. and Iran during a broader regional crisis. Islamabad has offered itself as a venue and a messenger — useful because Tehran has resisted direct engagement on the terms Washington wants, but has stayed in contact through Pakistan. That makes Pakistan less a grand peacemaker than a diplomatic relay station. ### Did this start before the phone call? Yes — and that is the real point. Araghchi was in Islamabad on April 24, where he was received not just by Dar but also by Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan’s army chief. Pakistan’s official readout said the visit was about regional developments and ongoing efforts for peace and stability. So Sunday’s call looks less like a new initiative and more like follow-through on a mediation track already built at the top of the state. ### Is Pakistan’s leadership actually aligned on this? Pretty clearly, yes. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told Iran’s president on April 25 that he, Dar, and Asim Munir were all engaged in outreach to the U.S., Gulf states, and other countries to create conditions for peace talks. Separately, Sharif and Munir reviewed Pakistan’s mediation efforts on April 9 and said they were satisfied. Military leaders appear to be on the same page. ### What is the obstacle? The catch is that mediation only works if both sides still think talking is useful. Reports over the past two weeks showed a second round of U.S.-Iran contacts in Pakistan had stalled, with U.S. envoys holding back and Iranian officials pushing back on claims they had refused to come. Araghchi even publicly thanked Pakistan for its efforts and said Tehran had not rejected Islamabad talks. So the process is alive, but barely. ### Why does Pakistan care so much? Because a wider U.S.-Iran war would hit Pakistan directly — through border security, refugee pressure, energy prices, shipping disruption, and general regional instability. Islamabad also sees a diplomatic opening here. If Pakistan can keep even indirect talks alive, it gets to present itself as a serious regional broker, not just a state reacting to crises created elsewhere. ### So what changed? Not the fundamentals. What changed is that Pakistan used Dar’s call with Araghchi to signal continuity. Islamabad is still in the game, still talking to Tehran, and still advertising mediation as official policy backed by both Shehbaz Sharif and Asim Munir. In a stalled negotiation, keeping the channel open is itself a move.