Pakistan conveys Iran peace plan

Pakistan passed a revised Iranian peace proposal to the United States on May 18, according to a Pakistani source cited by Reuters, inserting itself deeper into diplomacy around the Iran conflict. The proposal reached Washington as Islamabad was also widening military cooperation with Saudi Arabia, a U.S. partner and Iran rival. Separate reports on May 18 said Pakistan had sent about 8,000 troops, a squadron of fighter jets, drones and air-defense systems to the kingdom under a mutual defense pact signed last year. The two tracks — mediation with Tehran and military support for Riyadh — were described by Pakistani officials and regional media as part of a broader push to raise Islamabad’s profile after last year’s conflict with India. Pakistan has not publicly released the text of the revised Iranian proposal, and U.S. officials cited in related reports said earlier versions had fallen short of Washington’s demands. (usnews.com) ### What did Pakistan deliver to Washington? A Pakistani source told Reuters on May 18 that Islamabad had shared a revised Iranian proposal aimed at ending the Middle East conflict, after earlier talks appeared to stall. Business Standard reported the plan was revised as a fragile ceasefire remained under strain and as Tehran and Washington continued to differ over Iran’s nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz. (arabnews.pk) WION and other regional outlets said the amended Iranian plan dealt with issues including a naval blockade and oil sales, though those details were not independently confirmed by U.S. officials in the material reviewed. Reuters reported the Pakistani source as saying, “We don’t have much time,” and said both sides “keep changing their goalposts.” (usnews.com) ### Why is Pakistan in the middle of these talks? Pakistan has positioned itself as a channel between Tehran and Washington while trying to show it can operate beyond its traditional rivalry with India. Reuters described Islamabad as the main mediator in the Iran war in its May 18 reporting on the Saudi troop deployment. (usnews.com) Arab News reported on May 18 that Pakistan’s U.N. ambassador, Asim Iftikhar Ahmed, said the country’s international partnerships reflected its growing “global importance” after Pakistan’s May 2025 conflict with India. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said earlier this month that defense agreements with Saudi Arabia showed Pakistan’s “iron resolve” to protect the kingdom, according to Arab News. (usnews.com) ### What exactly went to Saudi Arabia? Reuters, citing security and government sources, reported that Pakistan deployed about 8,000 troops, a squadron of fighter jets and an air-defense system to Saudi Arabia under the two countries’ mutual defense pact. Outlook India reported the package also included drones and identified the aircraft as JF-17 fighters and the air-defense system as the HQ-9. (arabnews.pk) The defense pact was signed in September 2025 and was described by Pakistani minister Musadiq Malik as a NATO-style arrangement covering a “comprehensive spectrum” of defense cooperation, Arab News reported at the time. The agreement formalized decades of security ties between Islamabad and Riyadh. ### How are Pakistani officials describing the Saudi pact? Asim Iftikhar Ahmed said on Sunday that Islamabad believed in peaceful coexistence but was fully prepared to defend its sovereignty, according to Arab News. (usnews.com) In the same report, he linked the Saudi defense pact and other partnerships to Pakistan’s increased standing internationally. Musadiq Malik said in September 2025 that the Saudi agreement was “purely defensive in nature,” according to Arab News. (arabnews.com) That description has been echoed in subsequent Pakistani statements about the arrangement. ### What happens next in the diplomacy? May 19 reports said gaps remained between Washington and Tehran even after the revised proposal was delivered through Pakistan. (arabnews.pk) Reuters-based reports carried by other outlets said U.S. officials viewed Iran’s latest 14-point plan as insufficient for a deal. (arabnews.com) The next steps are likely to run through the same three capitals. Washington is reviewing the revised proposal, Tehran is pressing its terms through Pakistani intermediaries, and Islamabad remains publicly tied to both the diplomatic channel and the Saudi defense pact announced in recent reporting. (usnews.com) (msn.com)