AS Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir landed in Tehran at the head of a Pakistan delegation in furtherance of peace process, spearheaded by him and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as well as Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, the United States lavishly praised Pakistan’s role as peacemaker and the warmth with which the CDF was received in the Iranian capital reflected sentiments of the hosts for sincere efforts being made by Islamabad to realize the cherished objective of sustainable de-escalation.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters “I just want to make one point that’s important to the President (Trump). The Pakistanis have been incredible mediators throughout this process and we really appreciate their friendship and their efforts to bring this deal to a close”.
Remarks of the White House and those of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi who expressed gratitude to Pakistan for ‘graciously hosting the dialogue’ explain a lot about Islamabad’s neutrality and principled position on the prevailing conflict that made it an acceptable mediator to both. Pakistan retained trust of the two countries even after the first round of talks held in Islamabad could not produce a deal and in fact, delegates of Iran and the United States specifically mentioned the hard work done by Pakistan to facilitate and promote talks. Latest reports indicate Pakistani mediators continued their sincere efforts aimed at bridging the gap between the two countries. It has now been confirmed that after the first round, Washington and Tehran exchanged several messages through Pakistan. Reports also suggest the CDF carried a fresh proposal from the United States and as per US Vice President JD Vance, who led his country’s delegation in the first round of peace talks, Iran was being offered a “grand bargain” to end the six-week war and address the decades-old dispute over Tehran’s nuclear programme.
There are positive indications from all sides with President Trump saying the war he launched with Israel on Iran was close to over and according to Reuters Israel expects a two-week ceasefire agreed last week with the Iranians to be extended. Details of a possible accord will be sorted out by technical committees but there appear to be two stumbling blocks – Iran’s nuclear programme and closure of Strait of Hormuz. The US and Israel want Iran to undertake never ever to build a bomb, hand over the already enriched Uranium and restore the pre-war status of Hormuz. Iran is opposing these demands on the principle of sovereignty and consistent threats to its security and territorial integrity. A satisfactory arrangement can be worked out if both sides discard maximalist demands in accordance with new ground realities. It is an open secret that during peace talks with the United States before the start of the war, Iran was agreeable to the suggestion not to have a bomb while retaining its right to enrichment for peaceful uses of nuclear technology. Similarly, the Strait of Hormuz was open to global shipping before the war and it was closed by Iran as a strategic weapon during the war. Iranian infrastructure has suffered huge damages during incessant bombing by the United States and Israel and its justified demand for reparations can be accommodated by allowing a toll for a limited period on ships transiting Hormuz. It is also acknowledged by all sides that conversations for a second round of talks have been positive and therefore, warring parties should avoid all kinds of provocations to give peace a chance. The optimism is threatened by naval blockade of Iranian ports by the United States, forcing Iran to warn it will shut down Red Sea trade, creating more problems for the global economy.
