Pakistan, a key mediator in efforts to contain the Iran conflict, has made an urgent appeal to the United States to hold off on any potential strikes against Iran for two weeks, while also urging Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to give diplomacy a chance to succeed.
Hours before President Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran to accept a deal and restore shipping access through the Hormuz waterway, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called on the U.S. leader to extend the critical timeline.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, President Trump is aware of Pakistan’s request and “a response will come.”
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Signaling Islamabad’s growing concern over the risk of wider regional escalation stemming from the conflict in neighboring Iran, Sharif noted that diplomatic efforts are ongoing but require more time to achieve progress toward ending the war.
“To allow diplomacy to run its course, I earnestly request President Trump to extend the deadline for two weeks. Pakistan, in all sincerity, requests the Iranian brothers to open the Strait of Hormuz for a corresponding period of two weeks as a goodwill gesture,” Sharif said in a statement shared on X.
Diplomatic efforts for peaceful settlement of the ongoing war in the Middle East are progressing steadily, strongly and powerfully with the potential to lead to substantive results in near future. To allow diplomacy to run its course, I earnestly request President Trump to extend…
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) April 7, 2026
The Pakistani leader added that “diplomatic efforts for peaceful settlement of the ongoing war in the Middle East are progressing steadily, strongly and powerfully, with the potential to lead to substantive results in the near future.”
He also urged all parties involved in the conflict to support a temporary halt in hostilities, saying, “We also urge all warring parties to observe a ceasefire everywhere for two weeks to allow diplomacy to achieve conclusive termination of war, in the interest of long-term peace and stability in the region.”
Late Tuesday, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar briefed his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey on Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to foster dialogue and diplomatic engagement aimed at promoting regional peace and stability.
According to the Foreign Ministry, Dar discussed the evolving situation in the region with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, and also held separate conversations with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
Kiran Asim is a writer who covers the U.S., Europe, South Asia, and the Middle East. Her reports and analyses look at the geostrategic issues and contemporary developments and their economic and political implications. She also writes about society and education.
