ISLAMABAD: US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Paul Kapur on Thursday called on Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and discussed bilateral relations, regional developments and diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions between the US and Iran.
During the meeting, Deputy PM Dar appreciated US President Donald Trump’s “vision for peace”, the Iran-US ceasefire understanding and the visit of US Vice President JD Vance to Pakistan in April, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said in a statement.
Dar reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to resolving issues through dialogue and diplomacy as Islamabad continues diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the conflict between Washington and Tehran.
Expressing satisfaction over the current momentum in Pakistan–US relations, the Deputy PM welcomed growing engagement between the two countries and the expansion of cooperation across multiple fields.
Ishaq Dar also underscored the importance of regular high-level exchanges and sustained structured dialogue, the Foreign Office statement added.
On the occasion, US Assistant Secretary Kapur appreciated Pakistan’s role in regional mediation and noted the positive trajectory in bilateral relations.
During the meeting, both sides agreed to further strengthen collaboration in trade, investment, and development.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Mr. Paul Kapur, called on Deputy Prime Minister / Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 today. During the meeting, both sides exchanged views on bilateral relations and regional… pic.twitter.com/hbX7UWZHIX
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) May 14, 2026
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Trump also praised Pakistan’s “great” mediation efforts.
The US president commended Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir for helping secure the April ceasefire.
“They’re great. I think the Pakistanis have been great. The Field Marshal and the Prime Minister of Pakistan have been absolutely great,” Trump said.
Pakistan’s mediation efforts
Pakistan has continued diplomatic efforts aimed at facilitating dialogue between Tehran and Washington and encouraging de-escalation through diplomacy.
The first round of Pakistan-mediated direct talks between the US and Iranian negotiators in Islamabad on April 11 and 12 concluded without a final agreement.
However, the Islamabad Talks paved the way for further negotiations as Washington and Tehran continued exchanging proposals through Pakistan to end the conflict.
Vance led the US negotiation team, while Iran’s negotiating team was headed by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
On Wednesday, Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to “proactive diplomacy and sustained regional engagement”.
Pakistan brokered a ceasefire between Iran and the United States on April 8 to halt the conflict.
Three days later, Islamabad hosted direct negotiations between the US and Iranian delegations in an effort to support a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
On Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi praised Pakistan’s mediation role during a telephone conversation with Dar.
