SINGAPORE: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday said a “true friendship” was developing between the United States and Pakistan, praising Islamabad’s diplomatic efforts to bring a permanent end to the conflict between Washington and Tehran through dialogue and diplomacy.
Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore, Hegseth commended Pakistan’s leadership for its role in facilitating talks between the United States and Iran following weeks of war involving the US, Israel and Iran.
“Pakistan is a true friend of the US,” Hegseth said. He praised Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, describing their contribution to the peace process as “outstanding”.
Hegseth said the Pakistani leadership was playing a crucial role in ongoing peace efforts to advance negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth says America and Pakistan are developing a “true friendship,” praising Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir for their role in peace negotiations.#USPakistan #PeteHegseth #PakistanUSA #PeaceTalks #PMShehbazSharif #AsimMunir… pic.twitter.com/sRNen205pq
— Pakistan TV (@PakTVGlobal) May 30, 2026
Pakistan has continued diplomatic efforts to bring the United States and Iran back to the negotiating table after a six-week war that shook the Middle East and disrupted global energy markets.
The war erupted on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched coordinated attacks on Iran.
Tehran responded by attacking various Gulf countries and effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil shipping route.
The war halted after Pakistan brokered a two-week ceasefire on April 8.
Islamabad subsequently hosted the US and Iranian negotiators for direct talks, marking the first face-to-face dialogue between the two countries in approximately 47 years.
The negotiations were held in Islamabad but ended without a formal agreement. However, Islamabad Talks paved the way for further negotiations to permanently end the conflict through diplomacy.
US-Iran framework for extending ceasefire
US President Donald Trump met top aides on Friday to make a “final determination” on a framework for extending a ceasefire with Iran.
Friday’s meeting was held in the White House Situation Room, a facility used to manage major national security and foreign policy crises.
Ahead of the meeting, Trump said he was looking to make a “final determination.”
A senior administration official later said the roughly two-hour meeting with national security aides had concluded without a decision.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Trump would only approve an agreement that meets his key conditions and prevents Iran from advancing its nuclear programme.
An Iranian state media report also rebutted several key elements of Trump’s characterisation of the deal, with sources calling his remarks a “mixture of truth and lies.”
US sources had told AFP the deal was waiting on Trump’s sign-off following weeks of halting negotiations over a conflict that has engulfed the Middle East and shaken the global economy.
“President Trump will only make a deal that is good for America and satisfies his red lines,” a White House official told AFP.
“Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon,” the official added.
Trump had announced the meeting in a lengthy social media post, reiterating long-held demands that Iran agree never to develop nuclear weapons and reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei pushed back, telling state media that the Islamic Republic “said goodbye to the language of ‘must’ 47 years ago.”
Exchanges of messages were continuing, he added, but “no final agreement has been reached yet.”
Strait of Hormuz and enriched uranium
In his post, Trump said Tehran would remove mines from the Strait of Hormuz and end its blockade of the waterway with “no tolls,” while the US would lift its parallel blockade of Iranian ports.
The two countries would also coordinate on removing and destroying Iran’s enriched uranium, he said, adding that “no money will be exchanged, until further notice.”
Iran’s Fars news agency, however, cited sources as saying Tehran was demanding “the immediate release of $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets” before moving to the next phase of negotiations.
On the toll-free reopening of Hormuz, the sources said “no such clause appears in the text of the agreement,” while Trump’s comment on destroying Iran’s nuclear material is fundamentally baseless.
Baqaei also told state TV there were currently “no negotiations” taking place on Iran’s nuclear program, as Iran’s top diplomat suggested the US was holding up a deal with its approach to the talks.
Hopes of an agreement had risen on Thursday after US officials voiced optimism about the diplomatic progress.
Iranian state TV said Friday that 24 ships had transited the strait in the past 24 hours, in coordination with the Revolutionary Guards and the foreign ministry.
But it warned that “ships from hostile countries face a severe response” from Iran’s military.
