Pakistan’s Push to Revive US-Iran Talks Faces Test as Stalemate Exposes Limits

Pakistan Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir has launched an all-out mediation effort to revive peace talks between the US and Iran. But with a US naval blockade still in place and Iran deeply distrustful, Pakistan’s attempt at shuttle diplomacy is facing an early test, the Financial Times reported.

According to the FT, Munir spent several days in Tehran this month after a key US-Iran meeting. He met political leaders, security officials and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, while also staying in close contact with the White House. Pakistan, which has rebuilt ties with the US through deals involving minerals, digital assets and real estate, has unexpectedly emerged as a central intermediary with the backing of President Donald Trump.

Munir’s approach differs from the long negotiations and large expert teams that underpinned the 2015 nuclear deal. Instead, it leans on his access to Iran’s security apparatus and his personal ties to Trump to push a faster-track process. Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group said Munir can communicate with the Revolutionary Guards and is attempting “system-wide mediation” spanning Iran’s diplomatic establishment and military.

The effort is also showing signs of strain. On April 22, Iran rejected a request to return to Islamabad for talks with the US. Trump has insisted that a US naval blockade of Iranian ports remain in place until a deal is reached, while Iran has not fully reopened the Strait of Hormuz. That has further narrowed room for negotiations. Although the two sides agreed to extend a ceasefire, there has been little progress on Iran’s nuclear program and its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

Analysts say the naval blockade remains the biggest obstacle. “It’s a question of who blinks first,” Vaez said, adding that Iran would find it difficult to reenter talks unless the US eases the blockade. Vali Nasr of Johns Hopkins University said that even if Tehran takes Pakistan’s mediation seriously, it is likely to question whether the effort is genuine diplomacy or a ploy to restart the war.

Questions are also mounting over Pakistan’s neutrality. Farzana Shaikh of Chatham House said Pakistan’s military has interests more closely aligned with the US and Gulf states, and also has a stake in preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear-armed power. Pakistan’s mutual defense pact with Saudi Arabia and its expanding business and working ties with figures around Trump have added to suspicions in Tehran.

Pakistan’s response has reinforced some of those doubts. After Iran stayed away from the talks, Islamabad avoided publicly criticizing the US naval blockade and instead emphasized Iran’s responsibility for not coming to the negotiating table. That silence has deepened doubts in regional diplomatic circles about Pakistan’s ability to serve as a neutral broker, the FT reported.

The FT said Pakistan’s mediation effort draws strength from Munir’s ties with Trump, military-to-military communications and a fast-moving approach. But its effectiveness is being tested by Washington’s coercive strategy, Iran’s distrust and persistent questions over Pakistan’s own bias.

Kim Dong-hyun, Hankyung.com reporter, 3code@hankyung.com