Iran Steps Into Conflict Mediation After Türkiye And Qatar Fail, Eyes Pakistan-Afghanistan Ceasefire Talks

Tehran: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has offered help to end the ongoing conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan. According to local media reports, Pezeshkian said on Tuesday that Tehran is ready to mediate. His offer comes as Turkey and Qatar are already making unsuccessful attempts to broker a deal between the two countries. A meeting between the two countries in Istanbul has been postponed without any result.

What did the Iranian president say?

Pezeshkian made the remarks during a meeting with Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on the sidelines of the fourth ECO Interior Ministers' Meeting in Tehran on Tuesday, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported. He stressed the need for efforts to reduce tensions and avoid conflict in the region and expressed Iran's readiness to resolve disputes between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Appealed for unity among Muslim countries

He further said, "Today, it has become very important for us Muslim countries to come together and stand together against our enemies." The Iranian President's comments come at a time when the latest round of talks between delegations from Pakistan and Afghanistan in Istanbul has failed to reach any conclusion, with mediators citing multiple differences over security concerns as the reason for obstructing any agreement.

Pakistan-Afghanistan Talks End Stalemate

Despite regional mediation efforts, three days of talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan failed to yield any breakthrough. Mediators acknowledged significant differences in the two countries' positions, as did their expectations and priorities. These differences prevented officials from making any progress during the talks, Afghanistan's leading news agency, Khaama Press, reported, citing a report by Geo News.

Pakistan wants action against TTP

Pakistan has insisted that taking action against the Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP) and preventing the group's fighters from taking refuge in Afghanistan are key conditions for any agreement. Pakistan views the TTP insurgency as a direct threat to its national security. Analysts have said the failure of the talks reflects the distrust between the two countries and the difficulty in curbing cross-border militancy. They have warned that a prolonged standoff risks instability in both countries.

Pakistan threatens to attack Afghanistan

Following the border clashes, Islamabad has warned that it will launch military operations inside Afghan territory if TTP militants continue to launch attacks. Security officials have stressed that decisive action is necessary to protect civilians and military bases along the border. The first round of Pakistan-Afghanistan talks, jointly mediated by Qatar and Turkey, took place in Doha on October 18-19.

Khwaja Asif threatened

When the two delegations met in Istanbul for a second round of peace talks, Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif continued his aggressive rhetoric, warning Kabul of "open war" if the talks failed. Pakistani media reported that Islamabad also wants to establish a "third-party oversight structure," potentially co-chaired by Turkey and Qatar.