Pakistan offers to host peace talks to end US-Israeli war on Iran

Highlights:

• Pakistan willing to host peace talks to end war
• Trump says good and productive talks have begun
• US-Israeli war on Iran now in its fourth week

Pakistan's prime minister ‌today (24 March) said he was willing to host talks between the United States and Iran on ending the war, a day after President Donald Trump postponed threats to bomb Iranian power plants after what he called "productive" ​talks.

In a post on X, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan welcomes and ​fully supports ongoing efforts to pursue dialogue to end the war in the ⁠Middle East.

"Subject to concurrence by the US and Iran, Pakistan stands ready and honoured ​to be the host to facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks for a comprehensive settlement of the ​ongoing conflict," he said.

Trump said on Monday (23 March) the US and Iran had held "very good and productive" conversations about a "complete and total resolution of hostilities in the Middle East".

He said talks had begun on Sunday and ​continued into Monday, with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner involved.

Iran's powerful parliament ​speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf - the interlocutor on the Iranian side, according to an Israeli official and two ‌other sources ⁠familiar with the matter - said no talks had taken place, describing suggestions that they had taken place as "fake news".

The US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on 28 February after saying they had failed to make enough headway in talks aimed at ending Iran's nuclear program ​although mediator Oman said ​significant progress had been ⁠made.

Since then, Iran has attacked countries that host US bases, struck Gulf energy infrastructure and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, conduit for a ​fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas.