ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Washington on Friday for talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio after backing China’s call for multilateralism at the United Nations, as efforts to preserve a fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran remained delicately poised.
Dar’s visit comes at a sensitive moment in US-Iran diplomacy, with American and Iranian negotiators reportedly moving closer to an agreement that could extend their fragile ceasefire by 60 days and pave the way for negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear program.
AFP, citing US sources, reported on Thursday that Washington and Tehran had agreed on a memorandum of understanding to prolong the ceasefire, though President Donald Trump had yet to approve the arrangement amid disagreements over key provisions.
The latest diplomatic push comes after both sides accused each other of violating the truce in recent days, highlighting the volatility of negotiations three months after the US-Israeli war on Iran began and triggered disruptions to global shipping and energy supplies.
“Deputy Prime Minister / Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar arrived in Washington, D.C. on an official visit,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a social media post.
“During the visit, DPM/FM will meet with US Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio to discuss matters of bilateral and regional significance.”
Pakistan has emerged as a key intermediary between Washington and Tehran since the conflict erupted in late February, hosting rare direct talks between the two sides in Islamabad in April and maintaining contacts with regional and global powers in support of diplomatic efforts.
According to AFP and Axios, the proposed understanding could include unrestricted commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the removal of Iranian naval mines and a lifting of the US naval blockade if maritime traffic returns to normal levels.
But Iranian and American officials continued to exchange accusations following fresh military incidents around the strategic waterway.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had targeted a US base in response to an American attack near Bandar Abbas, while Kuwait said it had responded to missile and drone attacks without identifying their source.
US Central Command described the Iranian action as an “egregious ceasefire violation,” according to AFP.
BACKING MULTILATERALISM
Before traveling to Washington, Dar attended a meeting of the Group of Friends of Global Governance in New York, where he warned that confidence in the international system was weakening amid rising geopolitical tensions.
“Faith in collective action is eroding, with unilateralism and the selective application of international law undermining global stability,” he said.
The Group of Friends of Global Governance, established at the United Nations last year and backed by China and dozens of developing countries, advocates reforms aimed at strengthening multilateralism and expanding the voice of the Global South in international decision-making.
Addressing the meeting, Dar said the international community was facing “multiple and interconnected crises,” including protracted conflicts, widening inequalities, climate emergencies, food and energy insecurity and governance challenges posed by emerging technologies.
He also voiced support for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Global Governance Initiative, describing it as a framework for addressing contemporary governance challenges.
“Importantly, the Initiative seeks to reform and improve, not replace the existing international system,” Dar said.
“It reinforces the centrality of the United Nations while advocating greater representation and voice for the Global South in global decision-making processes.”
Pakistan “fully supports” the initiative, he said, describing it as a step toward strengthening the multilateral system to address modern challenges relating to peace and development.
Dar also met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in New York, with the two leaders discussing regional developments and Pakistan’s efforts to facilitate dialogue and diplomacy.
According to Pakistan’s foreign ministry, Wang expressed appreciation and support for Islamabad’s role in promoting peace and stability, while both sides reaffirmed their commitment to longstanding strategic cooperation between Pakistan and China.
Dar is expected to return to Islamabad later today after concluding his engagements in Washington.
