Riyaz ul Khaliq
24 September 2026•Update: 24 September 2026
Pakistan is “absolutely determined” to make progress in efforts to de-escalate the conflict between the US and Iran, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Wednesday.
“Pakistan is playing the role of a sincere and honest mediator between Iran, our neighborly country, and the United States,” Sharif told reporters at the UN in New York, where he is attending the 81st session of the General Assembly.
Recalling that the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, US President Donald Trump and himself, Sharif rued: “unfortunately, events after that got a bit unpredictable.”
“But Pakistan is completely focused. We have not lost hope; we [are] absolutely determined that we will further make efforts and make progress to de-escalate the situation,” said the prime minister.
After the US and Israel launched a war against Iran on Feb. 28, Pakistan helped secure a ceasefire on April 8 and later hosted more than 20 hours of talks between American and Iranian officials in Islamabad.
Following weeks of mediation, Pakistan and Qatar helped secure the Islamabad MoU, which was signed on June 18 and provided the two warring sides with a framework and 60 days to negotiate a longer-term agreement aimed at ending the war.
The two sides, however, soon resumed retaliatory strikes, with tensions continuing.
Iranian and American negotiators also held indirect talks Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Asked whether further meetings were possible, Sharif said it was a “continuous process” and that “all friendly countries are contributing to achieve peace.”
