For much of its history, Pakistan's place in international affairs has been discussed through the lens of regional security, strategic competition, and geopolitical rivalry. Recent developments suggest another dimension of Pakistan's foreign policy is attracting attention: its ability to facilitate dialogue between states that find direct engagement difficult. Image credit: MOFA Qatar That shift was reflected in remarks by Qatar's Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Sp

The White House has publicly lauded Pakistan’s role in brokering talks between the United States and Iran, with officials signaling that a second round of negotiations to end the six-week war will likely take place in Islamabad again. “The Pakistanis have been incredible mediators throughout this process,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Wednesday. “We really appreciate their friendship and their efforts to bring this deal to a close.” Image credit

Civilian toll mounts with 11 killed in a single day. Diplomatic efforts to extend the ceasefire to Lebanon hit a wall The war in Lebanon is spiraling deeper by the hour. Despite a fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire that was supposed to pause hostilities across the region, Israeli forces are pressing their advantage in the south, and Hezbollah is hitting back with unprecedented drone swarms and rocket barrages. Image credit: David Guttenfelder / The New York Times The result is a blo

U.S. Central Command says blockade of Iranian ports will begin Monday; Tehran insists waterway remains open for civilian vessels U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the U.S. Navy to immediately blockade the Strait of Hormuz, a dramatic escalation just hours after marathon peace talks with Iran temporarily collapsed in Islamabad. The move threatens to turn a fragile ceasefire into open confrontation over the world’s most critical oil chokepoint. “We will begin the process

Despite collapsed talks in Islamabad, both sides have compelling reasons to extend the truce at least for now The collapse of 21 hours of direct U.S.-Iran negotiations over the weekend has left a two-week ceasefire looking perilously fragile. Yet for all the finger-pointing and ultimatums, a growing number of analysts and officials argue that the truce is more likely to hold than to loosen, at least in the immediate term. Image credit: Reuters “It is imperative that the parti