ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday confirmed Islamabad has received Iran’s response to a United States (US) peace proposal to end hostilities between the two sides, saying Islamabad was working with “utmost sincerity” to help end the conflict.
Iran’s response focused on ending the war on all fronts, especially Lebanon, and on the safety of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state TV said, without indicating how or when the vital waterway might reopen.
It followed Washington’s proposal to end fighting before starting talks on more contentious issues, including Iran’s nuclear program. There was no immediate response from the US on the Iranian response.
Speaking at a ceremony in Islamabad, Sharif noted that Islamabad not only convinced the US and Iran on a ceasefire but also facilitated in April the highest-level talks between the two sides since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran.
“Our sincere efforts are still ongoing for durable peace in the region and the world,” he said, adding that Field Marshal Asim Munir informed him today that they have received Iran’s response.
“And I cannot go into further details.”
Pakistan, which hosted US and Iranian officials on April 11-12 for their first direct talks since 2015, has been acting as a go-between for messages between the two sides, spearheading a diplomatic push to end the months-long crisis.
Iran’s response to the US proposal came after hostile drones were detected over several Gulf countries on Sunday, following some 48 hours of relative calm after sporadic clashes this week, underlining the threat still facing the region despite a month-old ceasefire.
Iran has maintained a stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for global energy and cargo supplies, since the war began in Feb. The US last month imposed a counter-blockade on Iranian ports.
With US President Donald Trump due to visit China this week, there has been mounting pressure to draw a line under the war, which has ignited a global energy crisis and poses a growing threat to the world economy.
