ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Qatar have contacted the United States and Iran, urging both sides to stop hostilities and return to negotiations under the existing agreement, Turkish news agency Anadolu reported.
According to Pakistani government sources close to the mediation process, Islamabad and Doha have made fresh contacts with Washington and Tehran to help reduce tensions and bring both sides back to the negotiating table.
The sources said Pakistan, in coordination with Qatar, was working to ensure implementation of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding and facilitate a return to dialogue.
They said the current escalation was unexpected, but acknowledged that disputes between the two sides were complex and highly sensitive. Pakistan believes the situation would not turn into a full-scale war as both the US and Iran understand that such a conflict would not serve their interests.
However, the sources did not rule out further clashes due to unresolved issues between the two countries.
The report said technical talks between US and Iranian negotiators were scheduled to take place in Islamabad within one or two weeks before the latest escalation, but the situation changed after fresh attacks by both sides.
The sources said the immediate priority of mediators was to halt the escalation, while Islamabad was hopeful of hosting the next round of negotiations soon.
They added that ongoing Israeli operations in Lebanon had also affected progress on the Islamabad memorandum. Iran had reportedly insisted on full implementation of the ceasefire and withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon before restoring the Strait of Hormuz, while Washington opposed linking resolved issues with pending matters.
The Islamabad memorandum, signed by the presidents of the United States and Iran, had set a 60-day timeline for reaching a final agreement to permanently end the conflict that began in February 2026.
