Financial Times, the leading British daily, has reported that the US pushed Pakistan to mediate a temporary ceasefire with Iran. Washington DC reportedly asked Islamabad to mediate before the expiration of the 48-hour deadline set by US President Donald John Trump for the Islamic Republic to open the Strait of Hormuz. The daily further reported that the White House actively pressured Islamabad to act as an intermediary in brokering the two-week ceasefire. Following the publication of this report, Pakistan’s role as an independent mediator has come under scrutiny.

Earlier, President Trump warned that “a whole civilisation will die tonight” if Iran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz by 8pm (Eastern Time; US) on April 7, 2026. His rhetoric regarding Iran prompted widespread concerns that the US President was hinting at the potential use of nuclear weapons, even though he did not explicitly state they would be used. However, he announced a two-week ceasefire with the West Asian nation within a few hours.

Later, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that the US must choose between upholding the ceasefire or continuing the war through Israel. However, both Washington DC and Tehran confirmed that the ceasefire was made possible through the mediation of Pakistani Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir Ahmed Shah.

Pakistan recently emerged as a key mediator in facilitating, as well as brokering, dialogue between the US and Iran. Leveraging its geographic proximity and relationships with both nations, the South Asian country has acted as a bridge to de-escalate tensions. Reports suggest that Field Marshal Munir has played a crucial role in getting the US and Iran to the ceasefire. Before Trump’s deadline came to an end, he spoke with top White House officials, including the US President, Vice President James David Vance and US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steven Charles Witkoff, over phone on multiple occasions. However, it is not yet clear who has spoken with the Iranian officials on behalf of Pakistan.

FT revealed that the US actively pressed Pakistan to broker the temporary ceasefire with Iran, using Islamabad as an intermediary to secure Tehran’s agreement. The US officials told Islamabad that it must persuade Tehran to accept the conditions regarding the Strait of Hormuz and the temporary ceasefire at any cost. Pakistan has allegedly presented the US’ demands to Iran. According to political analysts, since both Iran and Pakistan are Islamic nations, Washington DC has utilised Islamabad to present its demands to Tehran in a manner tailored to its perspective.

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The FT report has already raised serious questions about Pakistan’s neutrality and independent diplomatic stance, highlighting concerns that the country’s role may have been leveraged to advance US strategic interests amid escalating regional tensions and threats from the Trump Administration. If this report proves true, Pakistan’s role in mediating between the US-Israel bloc and Iran shall face scrutiny, with a section of diplomats questioning the sustainability and neutrality of its position, which could impact its international standing.

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das