Pakistan announces readiness to host US-Iran talks

Pakistan has signalled its willingness to host talks between the United States and Iran, even as Tehran denies President Donald Trump’s assertion that negotiations are underway.

Speaking to Al Jazeera on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Islamabad was open to facilitating dialogue if both sides were interested. He said Pakistan had consistently supported diplomacy as a path to peace and regional stability.

Hours later, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif echoed that position in a post on X, saying Pakistan was ready and honoured to host talks aimed at reaching a meaningful and lasting resolution to the conflict.

Iran, however, has firmly rejected claims that it is currently engaged in discussions with Washington, directly contradicting Trump’s remarks.

Despite Tehran’s denial, several US and Israeli media reports say Pakistan, Egypt and Turkiye have been acting as intermediaries between the two sides in an effort to create a diplomatic exit from a war that has triggered what has been described as the worst energy crisis in modern history.

Some reports suggest Islamabad could be considered as the venue for possible talks later this week. Axios reported that two meeting formats are under consideration. One would involve Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, US envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Another would see US Vice President JD Vance meet Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who has dismissed Trump’s comments about talks as an attempt to deflect from what he called the “quagmire” facing the US and Israel.

While uncertainty remains over whether formal negotiations are taking place, some diplomatic contacts have been confirmed. Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, spoke with Trump on Sunday, while Prime Minister Sharif held a call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian the following day. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also held separate conversations with his Iranian and Turkish counterparts.