Pakistan acting in regional interest in US‑Iran tensions, ambassador to US tells Fox News

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Rizwan Saeed Sheikh has said Pakistan’s role as a mediator in US-Iran tensions is in the broader interest of the region, Radio Pakistan reported.

In an interview with Fox News, he expressed gratitude for the trust placed in Pakistan by both parties. He said Pakistan has a long-standing history of diplomacy based on peace and that its recent offer was made in good faith, including other regional countries.

The ambassador said Pakistan is keen to advance matters in the broader regional interest and remains hopeful, adding that diplomacy is a gradual process that requires time.

He said, "We are also mindful of the fact that it is not an easy process. It's a very complicated matter with too many moving pieces, economic, political, you know, we are all in the world looking at the situation, presented by uh the closure of the Strait of Hormuz".

He said Pakistan is committed to providing all possible facilitation for result-oriented dialogue, while noting that the responsibility for decisions lies with the parties involved. He reiterated that Pakistan believes in negotiations and diplomacy.

Sheikh also said Pakistan is the country most affected by cross-border terrorism, adding that there is clear evidence of state-sponsored terrorism emanating from Afghanistan. He further said terrorism against Pakistan is supported and sponsored by India.

Read: DPM Dar departs for Beijing on one-day visit

"Yesterday there were three foreign ministers in Pakistan hosted by our deputy prime minister and foreign minister. Our prime minister has been talking working up phones with the global leadership. So we are trying to create the conducive setting for this dialogue to take place", he says.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has departed for Beijing for a one-day visit at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Dar and Yi will review bilateral ties and discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest during their meeting, it added. Reuters reports that they will discuss ​the situation ​in Iran during ⁠the latter's ​visit to ​China on Tuesday, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

This marks the foreign minister’s second visit to Beijing this year. His trip follows closely after a four-nation meeting in Islamabad with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Egypt, which focused on the US-Israel war on Iran.

The meeting concluded with initial discussions reportedly focused on proposals to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping. Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Egypt landed in Islamabad for the talks. The discussions came as Iran warned the US against launching a ground attack, and global oil prices surged amid continued fighting between Iran, the US, and Israel.