Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced Tuesday that Islamabad is prepared to host negotiations aimed at ending the US-Israeli war against Iran. The announcement comes after speculation that Pakistan may play a mediating role in potential peace talks, marking a significant diplomatic initiative at a moment when military escalation continues unabated in the Middle East.<\/p>\n
The Pakistani offer represents an attempt by Islamabad to position itself as a neutral broker capable of facilitating dialogue between adversaries in one of the most serious regional conflicts in recent years.<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Sharif wrote on the social media platform X: “Pakistan welcomes and fully supports ongoing efforts to advance dialogue to end the war in the Middle East, in the interest of peace and stability in the region and beyond.”<\/p>\n
He added: “Subject to the agreement of the United States and Iran, Pakistan is ready and honored to be the host country to facilitate meaningful talks with decisive results for a comprehensive settlement of the ongoing conflict.”<\/p>\n
Sharif’s language reflects careful diplomatic positioning, emphasizing that the offer is conditional on agreement from both American and Iranian sides. Pakistan does not wish to appear as imposing itself as a mediator without acceptance from both parties.<\/p>\n
Iran’s Foreign Ministry indicated Monday that it had received messages from “friendly countries” suggesting that the United States is requesting negotiations to end the war, according to Iran’s official news agency (IRNA).<\/p>\n
This Iranian signal suggests that communication channels between the parties have begun activating and that genuine diplomatic efforts are underway.<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Sharif stated that he had spoken with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, promising him Pakistan’s government assistance in establishing peace in the region.<\/p>\n
Additionally, Pakistani Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar stated he had conducted a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi.<\/p>\n
Communications at different levels\u2014presidential and ministerial\u2014indicate the seriousness of Pakistan’s efforts to present itself as a trustworthy mediator.<\/p>\n
Pakistani Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi told AFP that Pakistan “is always ready to host talks” and “has consistently called for dialogue and diplomacy to promote peace and stability in the region.”<\/p>\n
Imran Ali Chaudhry, Pakistan’s former ambassador to Oman, told 92 News that Pakistan’s military chief of staff recently held talks with American negotiators in the Persian Gulf.<\/p>\n
The involvement of Pakistan’s military chief of staff in negotiations suggests that Pakistani mediation may encompass military and security dimensions, not merely diplomatic efforts.<\/p>\n
Long-standing good relations exist between Iran and Pakistan. Islamabad condemned the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and congratulated his son and successor Mojtaba on his selection as his successor.<\/p>\n
Shia Muslims constitute approximately 10 to 15 percent of Pakistan’s population. Khamenei’s assassination sparked violent riots targeting American diplomatic missions throughout Pakistan.<\/p>\n
This reflects that Pakistan’s Shia population may influence the government’s agenda and create internal pressure on the Pakistani government regarding Iran policy.<\/p>\n
In a separate development, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier stated Tuesday that he has a “deep disagreement” with the United States and described the US-Israeli war against Iran as a “violation of international law.”<\/p>\n
Steinmeier’s statements are unusual in their harshness, particularly from a president of a country traditionally allied with the United States. Germany typically demonstrates restraint in openly and sharply criticizing American policies.<\/p>\n
The German president said that just as the situation will not return to what it was before Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, “there will be no return to before January 20, 2025,” when Donald Trump returned to the White House for a second term.<\/p>\n
This German comment reflects that Trump’s return represents a turning point in US-European relations, and that Europe may be unable to return to previous policy frameworks.<\/p>\n
Steinmeier stated during an event marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of Germany’s Foreign Ministry: “The disagreement is very deep, and trust in American policy has been lost, not only among our allies, but around the world.”<\/p>\n
Steinmeier clarifies that the problem is not confined to German-American relations but extends to the global level, where nations have lost confidence in American reliability.<\/p>\n
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz strongly criticized Iranian leadership and supported several major objectives of the US-Israeli war. However, he stated that if Berlin had been consulted in advance, “we would have advised against waging the war.”<\/p>\n
The contrasting positions between the president and chancellor reflect internal German tensions about how to handle the new American policy.<\/p>\n
Steinmeier described the war as a “catastrophic political mistake” and an “unnecessary war that could have been avoided.”<\/p>\n
He stated: “Realism means being pragmatic in our dealings with this American administration and focusing on our core interests… but realism also means not abandoning our principles.”<\/p>\n
Steinmeier attempts to balance the practical necessity of dealing with the United States against commitment to international principles and international law.<\/p>\n
Steinmeier added that the “American government has a worldview different from ours, a view that does not respect established rules, partnership, or the trust that has been painstakingly built.”<\/p>\n
He said: “We cannot change that, but we must deal with it. But this is my conviction: we have no reason to adopt this worldview.”<\/p>\n
This German position reflects clear rejection of “America First” policy and of the pattern based on military force.<\/p>\n
Volker Beck, chairman of the German-Israeli Society, attacked Steinmeier’s statements, calling them “completely inappropriate.”<\/p>\n
He said the Iranian system “threatens Israel and has waged war on its existence for years,” accusing Steinmeier of “ignoring these dangers.”<\/p>\n
This response reflects divisions within German public opinion and political elites regarding how to assess the war.<\/p>\n
This is not the first time the German president has criticized the United States. In January, shortly after intervention and arrest of the president in Venezuela, Steinmeier spoke of “collapse of values” in the United States, emphasizing that the world should not be allowed to transform into a “den of thieves.”<\/p>\n
The repetition of criticism suggests that the German president seeks to mark a clear distinction in Germany’s position toward the Trump administration’s policies.<\/p>\n
Although Steinmeier’s position is largely ceremonial, his words carry significant weight in Germany. Additionally, Steinmeier is regarded as a respected international figure (he is a former foreign minister), which gives his statements global weight.<\/p>\n
German criticism comes amid wider European discussion about how to handle new American policies. Europe attempts to balance the strategic necessity of maintaining the Atlantic alliance against international values and principles.<\/p>\n
Steinmeier’s characterization of the war as violating international law reflects growing concerns among international legal experts and governments about the legality of US military operations without formal congressional authorization or UN Security Council approval.<\/p>\n
Questions have been raised about whether the US-Israeli operations meet the threshold for self-defense under international law or whether they constitute unprovoked aggression requiring UN authorization.<\/p>\n
Pakistan’s offer to host peace talks and Germany’s sharp criticism of the war reflect a complex international landscape. On one hand, Pakistan seeks to play a mediating role to gain regional influence. On the other hand, Germany\u2014a traditional American ally\u2014is strongly criticizing the war, reflecting a growing divide in Western positions on American policies. The question remains whether either the American or Iranian side is genuinely ready to sit at the negotiating table, or whether these are merely diplomatic maneuvers to buy time and exert influence. Pakistan’s mediation offer and Germany’s principled stance suggest that international pressure for de-escalation is mounting, even as military operations continue unabated.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced Tuesday that Islamabad is prepared to host negotiations aimed at ending the US-Israeli war against Iran. The announcement comes after speculation that Pakistan may play a mediating role in potential peace talks, marking a significant diplomatic initiative at a moment when military escalation continues unabated in the Middle East. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31691,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"subtitle":"","format":"standard","override":[{"template":"7","parallax":"1","fullscreen":"1","layout":"left-sidebar","sidebar":"default-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"topbottom","share_float_style":"share-monocrhome","show_share_counter":"1","show_view_counter":"1","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_author":"1","show_post_author_image":"1","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","show_post_category":"1","show_post_reading_time":"0","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","post_calculate_word_method":"str_word_count","show_zoom_button":"0","zoom_button_out_step":"2","zoom_button_in_step":"3","show_post_tag":"1","show_prev_next_post":"1","show_popup_post":"1","show_comment_section":"1","number_popup_post":"1","show_author_box":"1","show_post_related":"0","show_inline_post_related":"0"}],"image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"crop-500","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-500"}],"trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending","sponsored_post_label":"Sponsored by","disable_ad":"0"},"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":{"view_counter_number":"0","share_counter_number":"0","like_counter_number":"0","dislike_counter_number":"0"},"jnews_post_split":{"post_split":[{"template":"1","tag":"h2","numbering":"asc","mode":"normal","first":"0","enable_toc":"0","toc_type":"normal"}]},"footnotes":""},"categories":[3002],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31689","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-special-coverage-iran"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31689","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31689"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31689\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31691"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31689"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31689"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31689"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}