Pakistan offers to host peace talks to end US-Israeli war on Iran

On Tuesday, the Prime Minister of Pakistan expressed his willingness to host discussions between the United States and Iran to help end the ongoing war. This statement came a day after President Donald Trump delayed his threats to bomb Iranian power plants, describing recent discussions as “productive.” In a message posted on X, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated that Pakistan supports and encourages efforts to promote dialogue aimed at resolving the conflict in the Middle East. He added, “If both the US and Iran agree, Pakistan is ready and honored to host significant talks for a complete resolution of the ongoing conflict.” On Monday, Trump mentioned that the conversations between the U.S. and Iran had been “very good and productive,” focusing on a “complete and total resolution of hostilities in the Middle East.” Talks reportedly began on Sunday and continued into Monday, with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, participating. However, Iran's influential parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who is said to be the point of contact for Iran, claimed that no talks had occurred, calling reports of such discussions “fake news.” Earlier, on February 28, the U.S. and Israel conducted airstrikes on Iran after claiming that negotiations to halt Iran’s nuclear program had not made sufficient progress, despite mediator Oman indicating that significant advancements had been achieved. Following those strikes, Iran has retaliated by targeting nations with U.S. military bases, attacking Gulf energy facilities, and effectively blocking the Strait of Hormuz, which is a key route for around 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas.