ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday pledged to help defuse tensions between Iran and the United States, reaffirming its quiet role as a go-between ahead of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s upcoming visit to Islamabad.

“Iran is our close friend and a brotherly neighboring country. We remain committed to making positive contribution to bring the tensions down and promote diplomatic solutions to problem. We are open to play that role, and we will continue to play that role,” Foreign Office spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan said at the weekly media briefing.

His comments came just a day before Pezeshkian is due to arrive in Pakistan for a two-day state visit from Aug 2-3, his first to Islamabad as president. The trip comes amid a quiet but growing Pakistani role in facilitating indirect US - Iran engagement, according to diplomatic sources.

Islamabad’s acknowledgement of the role comes after US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Secretary of State Marco Rubio appreciated Pakistan’s “continued willingness to play a constructive role in mediating conversations with Iran” during his recent meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.

FO says BLA, TTP are ‘Indian proxies’ working on agenda of de-stabilising Pakistan

Pezeshkian’s visit will include meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, as well as delegation-level talks. The Iranian leader will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi and a high-level delegation of senior ministers and officials.

Mr Shafqat said the discussions would cover “the entire agenda of the bilateral relations” and would be held in a “spirit of cooperation, amity and friendship”.

While Pakistan lacks the diplomatic clout of regional heavyweights like China, officials say it has been quietly facilitating the exchange of messages between Washington and Tehran. This role is largely being carried out by the military and intelligence establishment, with limited involvement from Dar.

According to diplomatic sources, Pezeshkian’s trip may also be seen as recognition of Pakistan’s behind-the-scenes efforts to maintain dialogue amid fraught US-Iran ties, especially after the 12-day Iran-Israel war.

Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir had offered to play the role during his meeting with President Trump at the White House, days before US jets bombed Iranian nuclear sites.

Responding to a question about a recent UN Security Council report mentioning the growing cooperation between terrorist groups, Baloch Liberation Army and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the spokesman said both BLA and TTP were Indian proxies, whose goal was to destabilise Pakistan.

“All of them do enjoy sanctuaries inside Afghanistan,” he said.

Mr Shafqat recalled that the issue had been under discussion with Afghanistan and lately “better receptivity” of Pakistani concerns was seen in Kabul.

Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2025