What Is Pakistan Playing At? Hosts US-Iran Talks While Shehbaz Sharif Heads Saudi-Turkey

Islamabad: Tension between America and Iran has still not subsided, but efforts for dialogue have intensified again. This time Pakistan seems to be quite active. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is going to visit Saudi Arabia and Turkey this week, where he will meet the leaders of different countries and try to find a way forward.

Why has Pakistan come forward?

Pakistan wants to establish itself as an important mediator in this entire matter. President Asif Ali Zardari also mentioned this initiative and said that the government should maintain constant contact with America, Iran and other countries, so that the talks can move forward. Pakistan has worked hard with both sides in the last few weeks and has played a role in earlier ceasefires as well. Being a neighbor and having good relations with both the countries, Pakistan feels that it can help in resolving this dispute.

Why were the last talks inconclusive?

A few days ago, there was a long meeting between America and Iran in Islamabad, which lasted for about 21 hours. Vice President JD Vance from the American side and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf from the Iranian side were included. Despite such a long discussion, no concrete agreement could be reached. There are still deep differences between the two sides – particularly over Iran's nuclear program. America says that Iran did not accept their conditions, while Iran alleges that America's demands were higher.

Can talks resume now?

US President Donald Trump has indicated that the next round may start soon. He said that this time also the possibility of talks taking place in Pakistan is high. Although the date and venue have not been decided yet, there are reports of preparation from both the countries. Pakistan has also proposed to host the second round in Islamabad.

Why does tension persist despite ceasefire?

At present, a two-week ceasefire is going on between the two countries, due to which the situation is somewhat calm. But there is still tension at the ground level. America has increased its military activities around Iran, while Iran has tightened its surveillance on the Strait of Hormuz. Due to this, oil prices are also being affected – some time ago they had reached close to $ 100 per barrel. America has also imposed a blockade on Iranian ports, which is making the situation more critical.

What can be expected next?

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed hope that talks can resume. He says that the solution to such a big dispute cannot be found in one meeting, for this continuous efforts are necessary. The biggest thing is that the path of talks has not been closed yet. Now it remains to be seen how much impact these efforts of Pakistan have in the coming days and how flexible attitude both the countries adopt.

Overall, the situation remains critical. If the talks are successful then there can be a path to peace in the region, otherwise everything from oil prices to the global economy can be affected. Pakistan's role is proving to be very important here, but the challenges are also no less.