The fragile truce in the Middle East remains and no, the deck has not been broken yet. Despite the fact that the contacts maintained last week by the United States and Iran were canceled after 21 hours of intense but unproductive negotiation, it seems that diplomacy is returning to the fray, because a prolonged war is not in the interest of any of the parties.
Both Washington and Tehran seem to have reached a consensus to resume dialogue, according to information released in recent hours by the British BBC network and the North American newspaper The Wall Street Journal. Although both adversaries have formally agreed on a new phase of talks, the exact moment and geographic space where the meeting will take place still remains to be defined.
In this scenario, Pakistan has emerged as a fundamental actor to soften the friction between the two powers. After the stalemate of the first dialogue session held last Saturday in Islamabad, the Pakistani authorities have intensified their diplomatic efforts.
Marshal Asim Munir, head of the Pakistan Army, traveled to Iranian territory this Wednesday in order to convey an official communication from the White House. The president of the United States, Donald Trump, has praised the efforts of the marshal, who seeks to unblock the current obstacles to completing the second round of negotiations.
According to a source close to the events consulted by the EFE Agency, it is ruled out that the meeting will take place this Friday or Saturday, pointing rather to the beginning of next week. “Pakistan has stepped forward as the main mediator and is pushing for a second round,” said the aforementioned source, also noting that Islamabad is the favorite venue, although Geneva is listed as a secondary option.
Simultaneously, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, has begun a tour of Türkiye and the Persian Gulf to strengthen the cessation of hostilities. Not only Pakistan, but also other Sunni powers such as Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Egypt participate in this diplomatic effort.
The goal of these mediators is to extend the 14-day truce to provide a broader window of time to reach a definitive agreement. The ceasefire, declared by Trump on April 7, ends next Wednesday. If there is no extension, there is a risk that the United States and Israel – who show willingness to do so – will resume military actions.
However, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt denied this Wednesday that her administration had formally requested an extension of the ceasefire. Leavitt described the current contacts as “productive”, expressing hope at the possibility of an agreement and reaffirming that, if there is a new round, it is “very likely” that it will be repeated in Islamabad.
Calm is fragile in the Strait of Hormuz, the central axis of the dispute. Iran has issued a clear warning: if Washington persists in the naval blockade established this week, they will block commercial transit in the entire area. General Ali Abdolahi, in command of the Iranian Central Headquarters, has stated that any US intention to prolong the maritime encirclement would be interpreted as a breach of the ceasefire, which would empower Iran to respond militarily.
Given the possibility of an understanding, and according to the Wall Street JournalEurope is already designing a plan independent of Washington to normalize transit in Hormuz after the crisis. It is proposed as a strictly defensive initiative to guarantee free navigation, with only the participation of nations that have not taken part in the hostilities.
