The Iran–US war is undoubtedly the most intricate and formidable challenge of the contemporary era on a global scale, which, through Pakistan’s mediation, is progressing toward a durable and lasting resolution.
As reports suggest, a ceasefire agreement between the two countries is likely to be finalized very soon, which is exceedingly heartening news, because all of Pakistan’s efforts, initiatives, prayers, and good wishes have borne fruit, for which Pakistan is moving forward on global forums together with friendly countries.
In a significant declaration concerning the ceasefire, US President Donald Trump said in a message on his social media platform Truth Social that a memorandum of understanding with Iran has been largely negotiated. He described it as a landmark peace accord and said that all its final aspects and details are still under discussion and will be announced soon, while this progress became possible after talks with Israel and key regional allies.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while supporting President Trump, also announced that the next round of negotiations between the United States and Iran will take place imminently, while according to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, substantial and encouraging progress has been made between Iran and the United States, offering hope for a positive and lasting outcome.
Today’s encouraging development regarding the Iran conflict is that a four-point memorandum of understanding is about to be signed, and according to Tasnim News Agency, the proposed MoU also includes the complete lifting of the naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days, and in the first phase, the release of at least a portion of Iran’s frozen funds. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said during his visit to India that notable headway had been made regarding the situation in the Strait of Hormuz; however, he also repeated allegations that Iran sponsors terrorism worldwide and stated that Tehran will never be allowed to develop nuclear weapons.
One important point is that Iran has established a framework for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which is a perfectly legitimate measure under Article 24 of the United Nations Charter, because this article makes it clear that if a strait passes through a country’s maritime boundaries, that country is authorized to establish a framework regarding it. Meanwhile, the fourth and final point of the proposed MoU is that US troops should be withdrawn from the areas surrounding Iran.
Earlier, when prolonged 21-hour-long ceasefire negotiations between Iran and the United States were held in Islamabad, a 70-member technical team from Iran arrived in Pakistan, led by the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Baqer Qalibaf, while on the other side, a technical team of more than 120 members from the United States participated in the negotiations. The length of these talks and the number of representatives from both sides are themselves evidence of how deeply complex and multifaceted this issue is.
Undoubtedly, the negotiation process between Iran and the United States may still be protracted, for which an initial period of 30 days will be set, while Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei has already expressed hope that after the completion of the initial framework, the details of the final agreement could be settled within 30 to 60 days.
Here, it is once again necessary to state the fact that even in 30 days, mediation between the two countries is not an easy task, because uranium enrichment has been made the paramount stumbling block in the way of an Iran ceasefire, as Iran considers it essential for its national security, while the Gulf countries also wish that Iran should not become a nuclear power. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also made it clear that no agreement with the United States will be finalized without the permission of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, which reflects the profound internal complexities involved in this process.
On the other hand, Iran has spent billions of dollars on uranium enrichment, which it does not want to hand over to other countries. That is why technical teams from both sides will once again be part of the ceasefire negotiations so that a framework can be developed. Meanwhile, the Iranian news agency says that under the ceasefire agreement, control of the Strait of Hormuz will remain with Iran, on which President Trump’s statements do not align with reality. However, some observers also believe that it would be premature to declare the Iran–US memorandum of understanding a decisive triumph, as an atmosphere of distrust toward the United States still exists in Tehran.
At the regional level, reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called a meeting of his security cabinet indicate that Israel is intently monitoring the entire process. On the other hand, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has received a message from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in which the proposal presented through Pakistani mediators emphasized including Lebanon in the broader ceasefire. According to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health, 3,123 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since March 2, while in Gaza, three members of a Palestinian family, including a one-year-old child, were martyred in an overnight airstrike.
It is essential that the United States and Iran avoid prolonging the war and find a path toward a permanent ceasefire, so that the economic hardships of the global economy caused by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz may be eased and a new chapter of human development and progress may begin. Pakistan has proven that with sincerity, diplomatic wisdom, and a peaceful role, even the world’s most complex conflicts can be resolved. This is the remarkable diplomatic triumph that Pakistan will present before the world, and one that allows the entire world to breathe a sigh of relief today.
