Speaking after a meeting with regional foreign ministers, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said that the parties had discussed options to quickly end the war, and at the same time open the possibility of direct US-Iran dialogue in Islamabad.
Pakistan is honored to host and facilitate substantive negotiations between the two sides in the coming days, towards a comprehensive and long-term solution," he said. However, it is still unclear whether Washington and Tehran will agree to sit down.
Meanwhile, both the US State Department and the White House have not issued official responses, making the prospect of negotiations still dim.
In the opposite direction, Iranian leaders sent a tough message. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf accused the US of both signaling negotiations and secretly preparing a plan to send troops into Iran.
As long as the Americans try to force Iran to surrender, our answer is never to accept it" - he emphasized, while affirming that Tehran is ready to respond if US troops appear on its territory.
In parallel with diplomatic efforts, regional powers such as Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt are discussing plans to reopen the Strait of Hormuz - the world's vital oil and gas transport route.
Currently, Iran's tightening of this route after airstrikes by the US and Israel has caused a shock wave in the global energy market. Prices fluctuate sharply, supply chains are disrupted, and many economies are under increasing pressure.
On the ground, the conflict shows no signs of cooling down. The Israeli military said it has conducted more than 140 airstrikes on central and western Iran in just the past 24 hours, targeting ballistic missile launchers and weapons depots.
Iranian media confirmed that the targets attacked included Mehrabad airport in Tehran and a petrochemical plant in Tabriz.
Not only in Iran, the wave of violence spread throughout the region. In Israel, a chemical facility near Beer Sheva city was hit by missiles or debris, forcing authorities to warn people to stay away due to the risk of leaking toxic substances. Another attack injured 11 people.
In the south of the Arabian peninsula, Houthi forces participated in the war for the first time, launching drones towards Israel, raising concerns about the risk of blockading another strategic maritime route, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
After more than 1 month of fighting, the war has killed thousands of people and entailed widespread economic damage from the Gulf to the Mediterranean.
In that context, Pakistan's proposal opens a "tight door" for dialogue. But with tough stances from Washington, Tehran and Tel Aviv, and increasingly unpredictable military developments, the road to peace is still far away.
