On 28th February, 2026, the United States and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran. It has become the most consequential conflict in the Middle East since the Gulf Wars. On the first day of conflict, the US and Iran conducted frequent strikes, killing Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and 40 other leaders of Iran’s forces and parliament. Iran retaliated by targeting US bases across the Gulf and even Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, which is a joint US-UK base in the Indian Ocean.

In early March, Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s busiest oil shipping lane, resulting in an economic backlash worldwide. In this regional escalation, Pakistan found itself in a very strategic position, having ties with both Washington and Tehran. Pakistan announced on 24th March 2026 that it would host peace talks and serve as a mediator in the US-Iran conflict. Both countries promoted the peace talks but also issued harsh statements, warning each other. US President Donald Trump said that “negotiations are in progress, but if a ceasefire is not reached, then American forces could ‘obliterate’ Iran’s energy infrastructures, including oil wells and Kharg Island.” Iran also responded sharply that “any US ground interventions would face severe retaliation.”

President Trump is drawing on a twin-track war approach: a rapid exit from a conflict, which is damaging its own party’s prospects through negotiations, and mulling an escalation by threatening Iran through deploying its boots on the ground and damaging Iran’s civilian and military infrastructure. Negotiations are on their way, but Iran has denied accepting any peace plan, as Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said that “there is a need to be a permanent end to the war.” According to him, the US tries to negotiate every time, but during the negotiations, it again escalates the conflict, leaving the negotiation in the middle.

In Gaza, President Trump proposed a 20-point peace plan that subordinated Gaza to the United States. He proposed a similar plan for Iran. In the 15-point peace plan, there are some points that can violate Iran’s sovereignty. The 15-point peace plan says Iran will dismantle its nuclear program and restrictions on ballistic missile production. These points have raised security concerns for Iran, as Israel can attack Iran at any time, and if Iran doesn’t have missiles or any defensive measures, then Iran will probably become a graveyard like Gaza has become. 

In this tripartite conflict, Pakistan is emerging as a peace-promoting state. On 29th-30th March, 2026, Pakistan hosted peace talks with Egypt, Türkiye, and Saudi Arabia. These states are very important to negotiate with in this regional escalation. Egypt has the Suez Canal, Türkiye is part of NATO, and Saudi Arabia has US bases, along with a defense agreement signed with the only Muslim nuclear state, Pakistan. This conflict has showcased the emergence of middle powers in the Indo-Pacific.

Pakistan’s Historical Role as Mediator

Historically, Pakistan served as a mediator during the Cold War, which forced US President Richard Nixon to visit China in 1972. It was secret diplomacy as........

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