While Pakistan attempted to portray itself as a peacemaker, the White House pressed Islamabad to mediate a temporary ceasefire with Iran, according to the Financial Times. The report raises serious concerns about Pakistan's independent diplomatic stance, implying that Islamabad was not a neutral broker but rather a convenient conduit for the US to push the temporary ceasefire agreement, even as US President Donald Trump escalated threats against the Islamic Republic and claimed Tehran was "begging" for a truce.

According to sources, the Trump administration has been urging Islamabad to negotiate a cease-fire with Iran in order to reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz."Pakistan's crucial role, as a Muslim-majority neighbour and intermediary, was to sell it to Tehran," the paper stated.
Islamabad's back-channel operations, led by Pakistan's Defence Chief Asim Munir, concluded on Tuesday night when the US, Israel, and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire.
The US Stake
The development occurred hours after Trump vowed to destroy Iran's "whole civilisation" if Tehran did not satisfy his demands.But, according to those familiar with the truce talks, Trump was concerned about rising oil costs and astonished by the Iranian regime's resolve.
According to the story, the American commander in chief has been "eager for a ceasefire" since at least March 21, when he threatened to "obliterate" Iran's power facilities.
Why the US Needed Pakistan
According to the FT, Washington and Islamabad believed Tehran would accept a US-backed solution if it was delivered by a Muslim-majority bordering state that had maintained its neutrality throughout the crisis.

The Timeline
With Trump's deadline approaching on Tuesday, Pakistan's Field Marshal made a series of calls to top US officials, including Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and special envoy Steve Witkoff.
He then spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi about the two-week proposal, which was quickly made public by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
However, the White House had already seen and approved the message before Sharif released it, according to a New York Times investigation.
However, Sharif, who portrayed the transaction as Pakistan's initiative, failed to delete the subject line at the top of his post, "draft — Pakistan's PM message on X".

Shortly later, Trump issued his first ultimatum to open the strait. In the background, Munir and other senior Pakistani officials hurried to relay communications between Iranian political and military leaders and the White House. They reportedly proposed Islamabad as a host for a peace summit, shared a US-drafted 15-point proposal, and discussed ceasefire alternatives ranging from 45 days to two weeks. Iran responded with five and ten-point responses.
The two sides' demands remained far apart, although Iran reportedly seemed more open to the notion of diluting and accepting limits on its uranium stockpile.

IRGC Problem
According to those involved with the talks, Araghchi and other political figures in Tehran reached an agreement in principle on a temporary truce for the Hormuz days ago. However, they struggled to obtain final approval from Iran's leading military and political power, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
After weeks of intense US and Israeli bombardment, the IRGC was divided on a truce. According to sources, some members of the Iranian army were vehemently opposed to ending the conflict, easing control of the strait, and resuming negotiations with the Americans.

Then, on Tuesday, an Iranian drone attack targeted the Saudi petrochemical powerhouse of Jubail, in what one Pakistani official described as a "last-ditch effort to derail talks." Islamabad, which has a mutual defence alliance with Saudi Arabia, responded strongly, warning Tehran that these strikes could derail peace talks and isolate Iran.
Pakistan, which has been spared an Iranian invasion, has chosen to remain impartial throughout the crisis, despite frequent missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia.
Following this, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian agreed to send delegates to Islamabad for talks during a phone chat with Sharif on Wednesday afternoon.