The recent joint attacks by Israel and the United States on Iranian cities, followed by Iran’s retaliatory missile and drone strikes, have pushed the Middle East to a perilous new threshold. In this increasingly combustible environment, tentative diplomatic openings — such as Pakistan’s offer to mediate — stand in stark contrast to the hardening military stance of the protagonists.

Islamabad has suggested hosting talks between Washington and Tehran, and both sides have signaled a degree of confidence in Pakistan’s role as a conduit. Beijing, for its part, has consistently called for an end to hostilities and a return to dialogue, urging restraint and warning that prolonged conflict serves no one.

That pro-peace posture was sharpened on Tuesday, when China and Pakistan jointly put forward a five-point proposal aimed at restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and the wider Middle East. It calls for the immediate cessation of hostilities, initiating peace talks as soon as possible, ensuring the safety of nonmilitary targets,........

© The Frontier Post (Editorial)