ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi discussed regional developments and Islamabad’s ongoing efforts to mediate an end to the United States-Iran conflict, the Pakistani foreign ministry said on Tuesday, ahead of planned talks in Beijing this week between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
The development comes as Iran continues to maintain a stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for global energy and cargo supplies, since the war began in Feb. The US last month imposed a counter-blockade on Iranian ports.
With US President Donald Trump due to visit China this week, there has been mounting pressure to draw a line under the war, which has ignited a global energy crisis and poses a growing threat to the world economy.
During their telephonic conversation, FM Dar and China’s Wang “exchanged in-depth views on recent regional developments” and Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to facilitate engagement between Iran and the US.
“Foreign Minister Wang Yi reiterated appreciation and support for Pakistan’s constructive mediation role,” the Pakistani foreign ministry said. “Both sides underscored the importance of continuing a durable ceasefire and ensuring normal passage through the Strait of Hormuz.”
Pakistan, which hosted US and Iranian officials on April 11-12 for their first direct talks since 2015, has been acting as a key mediator between the two sides, spearheading a diplomatic push to end the months-long crisis.
The war, which erupted more than two months ago with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, has spread throughout the Middle East and roiled the global economy despite the ceasefire since April 8, impacting hundreds of millions worldwide.
Iran’s chief negotiator said on Tuesday that Washington must accept Tehran’s latest peace plan or face failure after Trump warned the truce in the Middle East war was on the brink of collapse.
Both sides have refused to make concessions and repeatedly threatened to resume fighting, but neither appears willing to return to all-out war.
Iran sent its proposal in response to an earlier US plan, details of which remain limited. Media reports have said the American plan involved a one-page memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the fighting and establishing a framework for negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program.
But Trump slammed Tehran’s reply as “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE,” saying the US would enjoy a “complete victory” over Iran and that the truce that has halted fighting for over a month was on its last legs.
