Pakistan's role in US-Iran diplomacy: Dar meets American envoy in Islamabad

Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar met U.S. Chargé d'Affaires Natalie A. Baker in Islamabad on Monday. Dar told the American envoy that Pakistan had played a "constructive diplomatic role" in facilitating communication between Washington and Tehran. The meeting came after Iran publicly confirmed it had sent a counter-proposal to the U.S. through Pakistani mediators.

What role did Pakistan play in U.S.-Iran diplomacy?

Pakistan acted as a back-channel intermediary, relaying Iran's formal counter-proposal to the United States. Dar expressed hope that the effort would promote "peace, stability, and de-escalation in the region and beyond." Islamabad also facilitated the repatriation of stranded Pakistani and Iranian seafarers through Singapore, which Dar cited as a concrete example of bilateral cooperation with Washington.

What did Iran propose to the United States?

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran's proposal called for an end to fighting across the region, the lifting of the U.S. naval blockade, and the release of Iranian assets frozen abroad. "We did not demand any concessions. The only thing we demanded was Iran's legitimate rights," Baghaei said at a weekly press briefing on Monday.

According to Iran's state broadcaster IRIB, the proposal focused on ending the war "on all fronts, especially Lebanon," and securing shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz. The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that Iran also proposed diluting part of its highly enriched uranium stockpile and transferring the remainder to a third country, under guarantees it would be returned if talks collapsed.

How did Trump respond to Iran's counter-proposal?

U.S. President Donald Trump rejected the proposal in a post on Truth Social, calling it "TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!" The talks also covered the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies pass. Iran has imposed a partial blockade on the waterway and introduced a toll mechanism for crossing vessels, a move U.S. officials have called unacceptable.

Markets reacted sharply to the diplomatic breakdown. Brent crude rose 4.65% to $99.95 a barrel in early Asian trading, while U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate climbed more than 4% to $105.50.

How did Iran react to Trump's rejection?

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian struck a defiant tone after Trump's rejection, writing on X: "We will never bow down to the enemy, and if there is talk of dialogue or negotiation, it does not mean surrender or retreat." The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also rejected the U.S. position, saying Iran would not accept what it described as ultimatums disguised as diplomacy. Baghaei defended Tehran's demands, saying they reflected "international rights rather than negotiating leverage."