Photo courtesy of Anadolu
Pakistan is urging the United States and Iran to return to negotiations under a framework brokered by Islamabad, saying mistrust and limited political will have stalled implementation of an agreement reached earlier this year.
Pakistan’s UN ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said Islamabad remained in contact with both governments at senior levels and believed renewed talks were the only durable way to resolve the confrontation.
The Islamabad Memorandum, signed in June following mediation by Pakistan and Qatar, called for an end to hostilities, a 60-day period for negotiations on a permanent settlement, and steps to restore commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has accused Washington of failing to carry out key provisions involving sanctions and what Tehran describes as a US naval blockade, while the United States and Gulf states have continued to press for unrestricted navigation through the waterway.
Ahmad said the problem was not simply that one side was refusing to negotiate, pointing instead to a broader breakdown in trust and hesitation over implementation.
He argued that the framework already provides a basis for renewed diplomacy and said Pakistan would continue trying to bring both sides back to the table.
The envoy also pointed to earlier mediation efforts as evidence that negotiations remain possible despite the depth of the conflict, saying Pakistan had previously helped facilitate a ceasefire and later the memorandum itself.
Ahmad also criticized developments in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, saying continued violations and Israeli policies were undermining prospects for a future Palestinian state.
Separately, Ahmad was appointed Pakistan’s 34th foreign secretary on Thursday, succeeding Amna Baloch.