US and Iran Express Confidence in Pakistan to Mediate Peace as Regional Powers Convene for High-Stakes Summit

In a historic diplomatic breakthrough, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced on Sunday that both the United States and Iran have expressed “full confidence” in Pakistan to facilitate direct talks to end the month-long Middle East war. The announcement followed a landmark Quadrilateral Summit in Islamabad, where the Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Egypt formally endorsed Pakistan’s “peace off-ramp” initiative.

The summit, held under intense security in Islamabad’s Red Zone, marks the transition of the “Islamabad Option” from a theoretical proposal to an active, internationally-backed diplomatic track.

The Quadrilateral Consensus: A United Muslim Front

The meeting—the second of its kind following a preliminary gathering in Riyadh on March 19—saw Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud (Saudi Arabia), Hakan Fidan (Türkiye), and Dr. Badr Abdelatty (Egypt) align their diplomatic weight behind Pakistan.

• The Mandate: The four nations advocated for dialogue as the “only viable pathway” to prevent total regional collapse.

• The Committee of Four: To ensure the momentum persists, Dar announced the formation of a permanent committee of senior officials from all four foreign ministries to work out the technical modalities of the peace process.

• Unified De-escalation: The ministers reaffirmed their commitment to containing the military situation, which has seen relentless air strikes across Iran and Lebanon for 27 days.

US and Iran: Confidence in Islamabad

In a televised address, FM Ishaq Dar revealed that Pakistan’s “proactive engagement” with both Washington and Tehran has yielded a rare moment of bilateral trust.

• Confidence Gained: “Pakistan is very happy that both Iran and the US have expressed their confidence in Pakistan to facilitate the talks,” Dar stated.

• Global Support: Dar confirmed that Chinese FM Wang Yi and UN Secretary-General António Guterres have both extended their full endorsement of the Islamabad-led initiative.

• Imminent Talks: Diplomatic sources suggest that a direct meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Iranian FM Abbas Araghchi could occur in Islamabad as early as Tuesday, March 31.

Preparatory Ceasefire Speculation

As the Foreign Ministers of the quadrilateral group met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, rumors of a “confidence-building” ceasefire intensified.

• The “Rubio-Araghchi” Summit: International diplomats, including Germany’s Johann Wadephul, have claimed that a direct US-Iran meeting is set to take place in Pakistan “very soon.”

• Tehran’s Condition: Iran has reportedly demanded a formal ceasefire announcement from Washington to coincide with the start of the dialogue—a move currently under consideration by the Trump administration.

Bilateral Deepening: Türkiye, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia

On the sidelines of the summit, FM Dar held one-on-one sessions to align regional interests:

• Türkiye: Reaffirmed the “strategic partnership” and shared history between the two nations, focusing on defense and security coordination.

• Egypt: Focused on trade, health collaboration (specifically Hepatitis-C), and Egypt’s critical role in facilitating humanitarian aid to Gaza.

• Saudi Arabia: Detailed discussions focused on collective efforts to protect regional energy stability and the Strait of Hormuz.

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