Amid mounting anxiety over escalating oil prices and the unexpected resilience of the Iranian government, the White House reportedly turned to Pakistan to act as a mediator in efforts to secure a temporary ceasefire with Iran, according to a report published Wednesday by the Financial Times.
The report indicated that, over several weeks, the administration of Donald Trump engaged Islamabad in diplomatic efforts aimed at convincing Tehran to accept a pause in hostilities, which would facilitate the reopening of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. The account cited individuals familiar with the discussions.
“Pakistan’s crucial role, as a Muslim-majority neighbour and intermediary, was to sell it to Tehran,” the report said.
On Tuesday, Trump disclosed that he had accepted a proposal for a two-week ceasefire with Iran, an initiative put forward by Pakistan.
Sources referenced in the report stated that Trump—motivated by concerns over surging oil prices and taken aback by Iran’s endurance—had been advocating for a ceasefire since at least March 21, when he issued a threat to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants. The information was attributed to five individuals with knowledge of the Pakistan-led backchannel negotiations.
Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Asim Munir, alongside other senior officials, reportedly began facilitating communication between Iranian political and military authorities and the White House shortly after Trump’s initial warning regarding the reopening of the critical maritime route.
Munir also engaged in a series of discussions with top US officials, including Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and special envoy Steve Witkoff, as Washington intensified diplomatic pressure and set an April 7 deadline, the report noted.
“The US and Pakistan believed Iran was more likely to accept the US-backed offer if it was delivered by a Muslim-majority neighbour state that had emphasised its neutrality throughout the conflict,” the report said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif later publicly shared the two-week ceasefire proposal on social media after discussions between Munir and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Sharif, while presenting the initiative as Pakistan’s own, inadvertently included a subject line in his post reading: “draft — Pakistan’s PM message on X”, the report added.
