ISLAMABAD: The United States and Iran are considering extending their ceasefire, set to expire on Tuesday, by another two weeks to allow more time to negotiate a peace agreement, Bloomberg reported, citing a source familiar with the discussions.
Pakistan is trying to resume face-to-face talks to resolve the contentious issues. Those include reopening the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear enrichment, according to Bloomberg.
US President Donald Trump is voicing optimism about a potential deal with Iran to end the war, currently paused by a two-week ceasefire. Trump told Fox News the conflict is “very close to over”.
The conflict, which the US and Israel began on February 28 with a bombardment of Iran, has seen the Islamic Republic suffer huge damage to its military and its infrastructure.
In response, Iran launched missiles and drones, targeting the Middle Eastern countries — with Tehran closing the vital Strait of Hormuz — sending energy prices soaring.
US Vice President JD Vance and Iran’s Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf met in Pakistan’s capital of Islamabad on Saturday as part of efforts to end the conflict.
Meanwhile, US and Iranian negotiators have made progress in back-channel communications, moving closer to a framework agreement to end the war, Axios reported, citing US officials.
One of the officials said US President Donald Trump’s negotiating team “continued making calls and exchanging draft proposals with the Iranians and (Pakistani) mediators”, Axios reported.
“They were on the phone and backchanneling with all the countries and they are getting closer,” Axios quoted the US official as saying. A second US official confirmed to Axios that “progress was made”.
“We want to make a deal. And parts of their government want to make a deal,” a third US official has been quoted by Axios as saying.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has intensified diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict through diplomacy and dialogue.
Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces and Army Chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, along with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, arrived in Tehran on Wednesday as part of a high-stakes diplomatic push to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed.
The arrival of the high-level Pakistani delegation underscores Islamabad’s effort to position itself as a credible mediator, leveraging its longstanding ties with both Washington and Tehran.
Diplomatic sources indicate that Pakistan is quietly working to explore backchannel communications aimed at reducing tensions and preventing further escalation.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, beginning a four-day diplomatic visit, as Islamabad intensifies efforts ahead of a possible second round of US-Iran peace talks.
“The Prime Minister will hold a bilateral meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Muhammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud. The meeting will include discussions about the deepening of the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia partnership, as well as the wider situation in the region,” it said.
PM Sharif is accompanied by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who was involved in mediating the US-Iran talks, along with other senior officials.
The prime minister will also travel to Qatar and Turkiye following his visit to the Kingdom, the Foreign Office said. It added that the visits to Saudi Arabia and Qatar are taking place in a bilateral context, where the prime minister will meet the respective leadership to discuss ongoing cooperation as well as regional peace and security.
The trip comes after Washington and Tehran held rare face-to-face talks in Islamabad over the weekend, with efforts underway to end a conflict that began more than six weeks ago following US and Israeli attacks on Iran.
