“The ceasefire has opened a space that Pakistan thinks is enough for the diplomatic path to resume,” a former Pakistani ambassador briefed on the matter told the NYT.
Pakistani officials say they remain hopeful that the United States and Iran can return to the negotiating table, despite rising tensions following Iran’s seizure of two cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.
As part of efforts to promote long-term stability, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with Iran’s ambassador on Wednesday. Officials said a second round of negotiations could take place in the coming days.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) seized the two cargo ships earlier this week, fueling concerns about the durability of the extended ceasefire announced Tuesday by US President Donald Trump.
The extension was requested by Sharif and Pakistan’s army commander, Field Marshal Asim Munir, and approved shortly after US Vice President JD Vance postponed a planned visit to Islamabad, where he had recently led talks with Pakistani officials.
“The ceasefire has opened a space that Pakistan thinks is enough for the diplomatic path to resume,” former Pakistani ambassador to the United States Maleeha Lodhi, who was briefed on the efforts, told the NYT. “Neither side has rejected talks.”
Signals of renewed diplomacy
A Pakistani official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the NYT that mediators received encouraging signals from Iran following the ceasefire extension, raising hopes for a return to face-to-face negotiations.
Pakistani officials say they are continuing efforts to bridge gaps between Tehran and Washington as part of ongoing mediation.
Pakistan is home to an estimated 35 million Shi’ites, many of whom maintain religious ties to Iran’s leadership.