Pakistan has assumed a discreet mediating role in efforts to resolve ongoing tensions between Iran and the United States, according to a report released Wednesday by Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency. The report, relying on unnamed diplomatic sources, indicates that Islamabad is working to craft a new framework that would simultaneously address the status of the Strait of Hormuz and the future of Iran’s nuclear program. The Anadolu Agency, which broadcasts in 13 languages from its Ankara base, characterized Pakistan’s involvement as “silent” diplomacy.
The report did not identify which officials in Washington or Tehran have been in contact with Pakistani intermediaries, nor did it offer a timeline for any potential agreement. The agency, a significant news source throughout the Muslim world, receives funding from the Turkish government.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway separating Oman and Iran, serves as a vital conduit for global oil shipments. Roughly one-fifth of the world’s petroleum passes through the strait each day. Iran has periodically threatened to close the passage in response to international sanctions or military pressure, a move that would sharply increase energy costs and disrupt supply chains for allies such as Japan, the Philippines, and European Union member states.
The United States maintains a substantial naval presence in the Persian Gulf to safeguard freedom of navigation. The administration of President Donald Trump has pursued a maximum pressure strategy against Iran, combining economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation with indications of willingness to negotiate a verifiable end to Iran’s uranium enrichment activities.
Iran’s nuclear program has drawn international concern for decades. The International Atomic Energy Agency has reported that Iran continues enriching uranium to levels well beyond the limits established by the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, an agreement from which the United States withdrew in 2018. Iran has consistently denied seeking nuclear weapons, though Western intelligence agencies assess that Iran possesses the technical capability to produce a nuclear device within months.
Pakistan, itself a nuclear-armed nation, has historically maintained strong ties with both Iran and the United States. Islamabad has previously positioned itself as a mediator in regional conflicts, including facilitating discussions between the U.S. and the Taliban in Afghanistan.
The Anadolu report indicates that Pakistan’s latest mediation effort aims to identify “common ground” that would allow Iran to resume compliance with nuclear restrictions in exchange for relief from U.S. sanctions. The report did not specify the exact “formula” under consideration. Analysts suggest that any credible agreement would require Iran to grant IAEA inspectors full access to undeclared sites, halt enrichment to 60% purity, and commit to no further nuclear development.
In return, Washington would likely need to unfreeze Iranian assets abroad and ease restrictions on oil exports. The European Union and the United Kingdom have been involved in parallel diplomatic efforts, though those talks have repeatedly stalled.
Israel, which views a nuclear-armed Iran as an existential threat, has warned it will take military action if diplomatic solutions fail. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly stated that Israel will not permit Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. China, a close economic and military partner of Iran, has opposed U.S. sanctions and called for a return to the JCPOA.
Beijing has imported significant quantities of Iranian oil despite American restrictions, and Chinese state-owned firms have invested in Iranian infrastructure. The Anadolu report made no mention of China’s role in the current mediation effort.
Russia, which has deepened its military and political alliance with Iran since its invasion of Ukraine, has also voiced support for negotiations. The Kremlin has used its position at the United Nations Security Council to block resolutions that would impose new sanctions on Tehran. The Anadolu report did not indicate whether Moscow has been consulted on Pakistan’s initiative. The report’s timing is notable, coming as the United States approaches the 2026 midterm elections and as Iran faces growing domestic unrest over economic hardship and political repression.
The U.S. administration attempted to revive the JCPOA in 2022, but those talks collapsed over Iran’s demand for guarantees that no future U.S. president would withdraw from the agreement again. President Trump, who has consistently criticized the JCPOA as a “disaster,” has not publicly commented on the reported Pakistani mediation.
His administration has emphasized that any new deal must be permanent and verifiable, and must also address Iran’s ballistic missile program and support for proxy militias in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen. The Anadolu Agency report did not provide a deadline for the talks, nor did it indicate whether a breakthrough is imminent. Diplomatic sources quoted by the agency described the process as “delicate” and “ongoing.” For now, the Strait of Hormuz remains open, and Iran’s nuclear centrifuges continue to spin.
Pakistan’s quiet diplomacy may offer a path forward — or it may simply be the latest in a long line of failed attempts to resolve one of the world’s most intractable security crises.
