Pakistan intensifies diplomacy as US and Iran exchange proposals

Kamran Khan says Pakistan is continuing efforts to mediate between the United States and Iran through unofficial diplomatic channels despite rising tensions and public threats exchanged between Washington and Tehran.

Speaking on his program “On My Radar,” Khan said indirect negotiations between the U.S. and Iran remain active through Pakistani backchannels even after strong warnings issued by U.S. President Donald Trump against Tehran.

Khan said Pakistan’s diplomatic engagement aimed at securing peaceful negotiations between the two countries had intensified again in recent days.

According to Khan, despite mistrust and strained relations between Washington and Tehran, communication between both sides was continuing through Pakistani intermediaries.

He said the United States sent new proposals to Iran last week in response to Tehran’s earlier 14-point framework. Iranian officials later confirmed they had responded to the latest U.S. proposals through the same Pakistani communication channel, Khan said.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson also confirmed during a press conference that while Washington publicly rejected Iranian proposals, it had privately delivered new suggestions to Tehran through Pakistan, according to Khan.

The Iranian side then sent a revised proposal back to Washington using the Pakistani channel, he added.

Khan said the rapid exchange of conditions and proposals suggested diplomatic efforts had entered a critical phase, although Trump’s public statements continued to create uncertainty over whether negotiations would succeed.

Reuters also cited Pakistani sources as saying time was running short because both countries continued to revise their demands and conditions, Khan said.

The developments point to Pakistan playing a central role in quiet diplomacy between the two rivals, he added.

Khan said Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Iran over the weekend for what he described as an important visit. He said Naqvi spent nearly three hours at the Iranian presidential compound and held a separate 90-minute meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Naqvi remained in Iran on Monday and continued facilitating communication between Tehran, Washington and Islamabad, Khan said.

At the same time, Washington’s public messaging remained firm.

In a social media post, Trump warned that “time is running out” for Iran and said Tehran needed to act immediately “or there will be nothing left,” according to Khan.

Reports by Axios and CNN said Trump planned to hold another meeting with his national security team Tuesday to discuss possible military options against Iran.

Khan said Trump had already held consultations on Iran with senior U.S. officials after returning from China. Those attending reportedly included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, envoy Steve Witkoff and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

According to Axios, Trump still believes Iran wants an agreement and is waiting for Tehran’s revised proposal. However, he warned that if a stronger offer was not made, the United States could take tougher action.

Khan also said Trump spoke for about 30 minutes with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding Iran after the security meeting.

Netanyahu recently said the conflict with Iran was not over, Khan noted.

Khan said there was growing debate in Washington over Netanyahu’s role in pushing the U.S. toward confrontation with Iran.

Former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates recently said Netanyahu had tried since 2009 to convince successive American administrations that Iran’s government was weak and could collapse after military strikes, Khan said.

He added that former U.S. officials including Hillary Clinton, Antony Blinken and John Kerry had also said Netanyahu long pushed Washington toward military action against Iran.

Khan said Pakistan, Qatar and other regional countries were now trying to prevent a broader conflict while military options continued to be discussed in Washington and Tel Aviv.