ISLAMABAD, MAR 25: Pakistan has delivered a US proposal to Iran, a senior Iranian source told Reuters on Wednesday, but the venue of any talks between Tehran and Washington to end the war has yet to be decided.

The source, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, did not disclose details of the proposal and whether it was the 15-point US framework proposal to end the war reported by news outlets.

The source also said Turkiye was helping to find ways to end the way and “either Turkiye or Pakistan are under consideration as the venue for such talks”.

The risk of a prolonged war in Iran spilling over into Pakistan is among Islamabad’s biggest fears, analysts and security officials say. Pakistan, ⁠which has been engaged in a conflict with the Afghan Taliban, has also suffered from fuel disruptions caused by the Iran war, which was started by the US-Israel on February 28.

The development comes two days after the Financial Times reported that Pakistan is positioning itself as the lead mediator trying to broker an end to the US and Israeli war against Iran.

Discover more
Journalism Workshops
International travel guides
Food delivery service
Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir spoke with US President Donald Trump on Sunday, Reuters quoted the newspaper that cited two people briefed on the call.

It also reported that senior Pakistani officials were back-channelling communications between Tehran, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

The White House also confirmed Trump’s call with Field Marshal Asim Munir.

When asked about a possible visit by Witkoff and Kushner to Islamabad, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said: “These are sensitive diplomatic discussions and the US will not negotiate through the press. This is a fluid situation, and speculation about meetings should not be deemed as final until they are formally announced by the White House.”

Over the past 48 hours, Pakistan, in close coordination with Turkiye and Egypt, has played a pivotal role in back-channel diplomacy, relaying messages between the US and Iran to prevent further conflict and maintain stability in the region.

On the other hand, CNN reported, Pakistan could host a meeting between the United States and Iran later this week under a proposal now being considered. The report said US Vice President JD Vance could attend the proposed meeting.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also took to X, saying that Islamabad was ready to host talks between the US and Iran to settle the conflict in the Middle East.

Trump’s change in tone marked a sharp shift after he warned on Saturday that he would hit Iran’s power plants if the Strait of Hormuz was not reopened within 48 hours. According to CNN, the move towards talks followed warnings from Gulf allies that striking civilian infrastructure in Iran could trigger a dangerous escalation.

Iran denies claims of talks
Even so, the prospect of diplomacy remains uncertain. Iran has denied any negotiations with the United States.

Speaking to India Today, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei dismissed Trump’s claims of talks. “We have made it clear yesterday there is no talks or negotiations between Iran and the United States,” he said.

Discover more
Middle East conflict analysis
Political commentary books
International Politics Analysis
“We’ve had a very catastrophic experience, I should say, of the United States diplomacy. We were attacked two times within a span of nine months when we were in the middle of a negotiating process to resolve the nuclear issue. So this was a betrayal of diplomacy.”

Separately, Reza Amiri Moghadam — Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan — said that no direct or indirect talks between Tehran and Washington have taken place.

“Based on my information, contrary to Trump’s claim, no direct or indirect negotiations have taken place between the two countries so far,” he was quoted as saying.

He added that “friendly countries seek to lay the ground for dialogue between Tehran and Washington, which we hope will be fruitful in ending this imposed war”.

More than 2,000 people have been killed in the war that the US and Israel launched on February 28 against Iran, which has upended markets, driven up fuel costs, accelerated global inflation fears and convulsed the Western defence alliance.