Pakistan and Qatar have stepped up diplomatic efforts to mediate between the United States and Iran after both sides communicated their responses to a joint proposal aimed at ending months of hostilities, Pakistani government sources told Anadolu on Sunday.
The development comes after US President Donald Trump ordered a pause in the latest US bombing campaign against Iran following two weeks of consecutive military strikes, the sources said.
Earlier this week, Islamabad and Doha presented a joint de-escalation proposal calling on Washington and Tehran to return to their positions prior to July 9 as an initial step towards resuming negotiations to permanently end the conflict.
While the sources did not disclose details of the responses, they said both governments had indicated their willingness to pursue dialogue and diplomacy to end the latest round of fighting and restart negotiations.
Officials said the pause in military operations by both sides had raised hopes that the stalled talks could soon resume.
One source cautioned, however, that the pause remained fragile, warning of a strong possibility that renewed fighting or violations could occur, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz.
“Mediators are in constant contact with the two warring sides to consolidate the pause, which is their first priority to clear the way for the next stage of their de-escalation formula,” the source said.
A separate diplomatic source told Anadolu that mediators were particularly concerned that hardliners on both sides could undermine efforts to sustain the pause and reignite hostilities.