New York (APP – Urdu Point / Pakistan Point News – 27 Mar, 2026) Pakistan Iran has moved to the center of quiet diplomatic efforts between the United States and Iran, following a year-long effort to rebuild relations with the Trump administration, The New York Times reported.
Islamabad has already conveyed Washington’s proposed framework for ending the conflict to Tehran and offered to host the talks, positioning itself as what the report described as a “pivotal mediator” in efforts to secure a ceasefire.
This development represents a stunning shift for Pakistan, which “just over a year ago was merely a diplomatic afterthought in Washington,” according to the Times.
Its subsequent “charismatic campaign,” although not initially linked to the Iranian conflict, “raised Pakistan’s profile in Washington in the run-up to the conflict.”
“Syed Asim Munir, Pakistan’s army chief and the country’s most powerful man, has emerged in recent weeks as a central figure in behind-the-scenes diplomacy aimed at easing tensions between the United States and Iran,” said a separate report also published in the New York Times.
“His role highlights Islamabad’s acute exposure to regional instability and the newfound geopolitical importance built on the personal relationship Field Marshal Munir has established with President Trump,” the newspaper said, citing analysts.
The newspaper quoted Qamar Cheema, a Pakistani security analyst, as saying: “It is likely that Pakistan has never been able to reach the White House as it is now.”
The lead Times report also said that Pakistan, which shares a 565-mile border with Iran, “is now playing a potentially central role” in stalled efforts to broker a ceasefire and a broader peace deal.
“This is a stunning rise for Pakistan…” the report notes, adding that since President Donald Trump returned to office, Islamabad has lavished praise on the president, hired lobbyists linked to his family, and even nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. prize“, while following him a job The deals are consistent with the administration’s transactional approach to foreign policy.
The report notes how Pakistan has established close relations with the Trump administration and its leaders, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and military commander Asim Munir, held meetings with President Trump at the White House over the past year.
At a recent “peace council” meeting in Washington, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff unveiled a joint initiative with Pakistan that includes the redevelopment of the Roosevelt Hotel in New York – which a White House official described as a “potentially profitable partnership” between the two governments. Although the move was framed as a business venture, it highlighted a deepening of bilateral relations that translated into diplomatic influence.
The report notes that a month before the hotel deal was concluded, the Pakistani Finance Minister signed an agreement with an affiliate of World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency startup founded by the Trump and Witkoff families.
However, the White House denied any connection between the hotel arrangements, the cryptocurrency company, or Iranian diplomacy.
“This is an agreement that can only be negotiated by someone with the talent and experience of Special Envoy Witkoff,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said, adding that it came “at no cost to American taxpayers,” and described Pakistan as an “important partner” on multiple fronts, including combating terrorism.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif offered to host talks between Washington and Tehran, noting that they would be “in the interest of peace and stability in the region and beyond.”
The report highlights Pakistan’s strategic motivations, noting that protracted instability in Iran could carry with it domestic and economic risks, while successful mediation could enhance Islamabad’s global standing and marginalize regional rivals.
As back-channel efforts continue, Pakistan now finds itself not only participating in negotiations with global consequences, but helping to shape them—representing a significant recalibration of its role on the world stage.