WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio held a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in Washington on Friday and thanked him for Pakistan’s constructive role for mediation between the US and Iran.

The development comes as Islamabad is attempting to negotiate a peace pact to end the US-Israeli war with Iran.

Sharing details of the meeting in a statement, the US State Department said the two agreed on the “importance of working together to further strengthen a meaningful partnership that fosters security and prosperity for both Americans and Pakistanis”.

It added that also Rubio expressed his condolences for the victims of the terrorist attack in Quetta on Sunday, in which a suicide bombing targeting a shuttle train claimed more than 10 lives and left several others injured.

Later, Rubio shared these details in an X post as well.

Separately, a statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO) in Islamabad also said that Rubio acknowledged Pakistan’s “sincere diplomatic and mediatory efforts for peace and stability in the region and beyond”.

It further said the two leaders “expressed satisfaction over the positive momentum in the Pak-US bilateral relations and exchanged views on the evolving regional and global situation”.

“The two sides agreed to strengthen the bilateral cooperation in all areas of mutual interest including trade and investment, security, and counter-terrorism.

“They also agreed to advance Pak- US partnership, propelled by high-level exchanges and shared interests in regional peace, security and prosperity,” it added.

Dar reached Washington for the meeting earlier in the day after a three-day visit to New York for meetings linked to the United Nations. Upon his arrival, he was received by Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, along with senior officials of the Pakistani embassy.

The deputy premier is expected to leave for Islamabad later in the day after wrapping up his engagements in Washington.

The visit comes amid reports in American media that US and Iranian negotiators have edged toward a deal to extend their fragile ceasefire for 60 days.

But the potential breakthrough was still hanging on President Trump’s approval, who said on Friday he was making a “final determination” on the Iran deal.

The US sources confirmed reporting by Axios that the two sides had agreed on a memorandum of understanding to prolong the ceasefire and launch negotiations on Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Under the proposed deal, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz would be unrestricted, with no tolls or harassment; Iran would remove all mines within 30 days; and the US would lift its naval blockade if commercial traffic resumes, Axios reported.

But Iran’s Tasnim news agency, citing a source close to Tehran’s negotiators, said the text had not been finalised and that Pakistan would be informed if a deal was reached.

Iranian sources cited by local media said any deal would be complete only when announced by Tehran, not unilaterally by Trump.

Additional input from AFP