Pakistan succeeded in brokering a ceasefire between the US and Iran on Tuesday by crafting a bridging proposal that softened the language of a 10-point Iranian proposal that had been swiftly rejected by Washington a day earlier, two government officials familiar with the negotiations told The Times of Israel on Thursday.

Pakistan feared that the talks were on the verge of collapse on Monday after the US notified Islamabad of its complete rejection of the Iranian proposal, the two officials said.

At that point, only one day was left before US President Donald Trump’s deadline to blow up Iranian energy sites if Tehran didn’t agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Pakistan subsequently rushed to put together a bridging proposal that kept many of Iran’s positions intact, while using language that Islamabad believed would be easier for the US to swallow, the two officials said.

After receiving the bridging proposal from Pakistan on Tuesday, the US quickly accepted it as sufficient to serve as the basis for negotiations on a long-term deal, the government officials said.

One of the........

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