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Invitations for Islamabad Talks
Pakistan invited senior Iranian officials to visit Islamabad for urgent consultations as the US-Iran diplomatic track remained unsettled, with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar contacting Abbas Araghchi and National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq inviting Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
“Pakistan on Monday invited Iran’s parliament speaker and foreign minister for urgent consultations”
Dawn reported that the invitations were delivered to Tehran late Monday night after Dar spoke with Araghchi, and that it remained unclear when Ghalibaf and Araghchi would travel to Pakistan.
In parallel, Al Jazeera said the outreach came after Donald Trump accused leaders in Tehran of being “unbelievably duplicitous” over their handling of talks meant to end the war launched by the US and Israel in late February.
Al Jazeera also quoted Esmaeil Baghaei insisting that no talks with the US were under way, saying discussions were focused solely on technical matters with Oman over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
AzerNews similarly framed the same diplomatic push as Pakistan offering to host renewed US-Iran negotiations in Islamabad, while noting that no exact date had been set for the Iranian officials’ visit.
Mistrust, MoU, and Mediation
Al Jazeera said Pakistan’s position has remained broadly unchanged since the war began on February 28, advocating for restraint and calling for dialogue and a diplomatic solution.
The outlet reported that in April the Pakistani government hosted the first direct US-Iran talks in decades, culminating in the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in June by Shehbaz Sharif, Masoud Pezeshkian and Trump.
Al Jazeera added that each attempt at de-escalation unravelled within weeks, with an April ceasefire collapsing within days and the MoU lasting barely a month as the two sides exchanged attacks and the US reimposed its naval blockade.
Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s former ambassador to Iran, told Al Jazeera that the memorandum was “a foundational document” rather than a dead one.
Grace Wermenbol argued on Al Jazeera that “Persistent recurring conflict has eroded the trust necessary for a longer-term ceasefire,” while Mehran Kamrava said the repeated failures reflected US “goalposts” rather than any failure of mediation.
Ports, Blockade, and Stakes
Iran International reported that Iran is exploring using two of Pakistan’s ports—Karachi and Gwadar—as hubs for re-exporting Iranian goods to third countries amid the US blockade of its own ports.
“Karachi and Gwadar could serve as hubs for re-exporting Iranian goods”
The same report said Mohammad-Ali Dehghan Dehnavi, head of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization, stated Pakistan could also supply Iran with essential goods and industrial raw materials during bilateral trade talks in Islamabad.
Iran International also tied the port strategy to the wider maritime squeeze, saying Kpler data showed only six vessels—three tankers and three bulk carriers—passed through the waterway on Monday, down from seven on Sunday.
It further stated that the blockade ended on June 18 under an interim agreement mediated by Pakistan but was reinstated on July 14 after the deal began to unravel and fighting resumed.
In parallel, Israel National News said a high-ranking Pakistani official told The Guardian that “We are actively involved in efforts to resolve US-Iran tensions,” while also describing Field Marshal Asim Munir’s direct contact with US Vice President JD Vance and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
