But how did Pakistan emerge as the most trustworthy mediator in this conflict, and what drove Islamabad to involve itself? Pakistan\u2019s biggest advantage is that it enjoys relationships with both the US and Iran, which has helped it be seen as a neutral party by each side. <\/p>\n
Pakistan has worked with the US in dealing with Iran for decades. Since 1981, two years after the US and Iran severed diplomatic ties following the Islamic revolution, a dedicated section of the Pakistani embassy in Washington has handled Iranian diplomatic affairs in the US. <\/p>\n
Pakistan has also worked with the US in mediation efforts elsewhere. Most notably, it facilitated<\/a> former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger\u2019s secret visit to China in 1971. This paved the way for the normalisation of relations between the US and China later that decade.<\/p>\n Relations between the US and Pakistan have not always been smooth. In 2011, a decade after the 9\/11 terrorist attacks, the Atlantic magazine in the US referred to Pakistan as the \u201cally from hell\u201d<\/a>. Whether or not it did so knowingly, Pakistan hosted al-Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden following the attack.<\/p>\n Trump himself also denied Pakistan<\/a> military aid during his first term as president, saying it was not doing enough to combat terrorism. And Pakistan\u2019s human rights record<\/a>, particularly concerning democratic backsliding and restrictions on civil liberties, have at times led to tension with the US government. <\/p>\n However, Pakistan\u2019s relationship with the US has improved markedly in Trump\u2019s second term. Trump, who often uses personal ties to guide US foreign policy, has developed a strong relationship with Sharif and the chief of Pakistan\u2019s army, Asim Munir. In June 2025, Munir was even invited<\/a> to the White House for a private lunch. This was the first time a US president had hosted a non-head of state military leader at this level. <\/p>\n Pakistan\u2019s recent efforts to court Trump have played a key role in building these ties. Over the past year Pakistan has nominated Trump<\/a> for the Nobel Peace Prize, joined his Board of Peace and launched a collaboration with his World Liberty Financial crypto platform. <\/p>\n And in July, Islamabad signed a deal<\/a> with the US to allow Washington to help develop Pakistan\u2019s largely untapped oil reserves. \u201cWe read him [Trump] right,\u201d said<\/a> the former chairman of the Pakistani Senate\u2019s Defense Committee, Mushahid Hussain Syed, in an interview with the Washington Post on April 20.<\/p>\n The relationship between Pakistan and Iran has also been characterised by ups and downs. While Iran was the first country to recognise Pakistan\u2019s independence in 1947, their relationship has often been fraught with tension. This largely stems from Iran\u2019s territorial claim to the Balochistan province of Pakistan, as well as from Pakistan\u2019s ties with Iranian rivals.<\/p>\n As recently as January 2024, tensions between the two countries appeared to be escalating again over Balochistan. However, hostilities soon receded and both countries formally resumed their bilateral ties<\/a>. They subsequently expanded their security cooperation and invited each other\u2019s ambassadors and foreign ministers for a formal reconciliation ceremony.<\/p>\n Some commentators argue that<\/a> Pakistan\u2019s decision to step in as the primary mediator in Iran has been driven by strategic necessity. Its Balochistan province is currently grappling with an insurgency. Islamabad will thus want to avoid a situation where the Iran war spills into Pakistan, as this could destabilise<\/a> its border regions even further.<\/p>\n There are also economic reasons explaining Pakistan\u2019s involvement. Pakistan has been severely affected by the disruption to Gulf shipping. It imports between 85% and 90%<\/a> of its crude oil from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and almost 99%<\/a> of its liquified gas from the UAE and Qatar.<\/p>\n Before the war broke out, Pakistan\u2019s economy had been starting to gain<\/a> momentum. But higher oil prices are now affecting government revenues, increasing its fuel import bill<\/a> from US$300 million (\u00a3220 million) before the conflict to US$800 million now. Pakistan\u2019s authorities have been forced to raise consumer fuel prices by more than 50%<\/a>.<\/p>\n Pakistan\u2019s agricultural sector, which employs around 40%<\/a> of the country\u2019s population, is also vulnerable to the conflict due to its reliance on fertiliser imported through the Strait of Hormuz. Prices of urea fertiliser have surged<\/a> by 50% since the war broke out. Prolonged disruption to the agriculture sector risks plunging some of the most vulnerable people in Pakistan further into poverty.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/734528\/original\/file-20260507-57-qfwa2q.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip\")
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\n Peter Hermes Furian \/ Shutterstock<\/a><\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\nStrategic necessity<\/h2>\n
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