ISLAMABAD, 09 August, 2026(Nosheen): South Asian Voices (SVC) has acknowledged Pakistan’s important mediatory role in reducing tensions between the United States and Iran and bringing the two countries to the negotiating table.In an analytical report, SVC stated that senior officials from Washington and Tehran held direct talks in Islamabad, describing the engagement as the highest-level direct contact between the United States and Iran since 1979.According to the report, Pakistan facilitated communication between the United States and Iran at a time when tensions between the two countries had escalated significantly and both sides had suffered losses.Pakistan’s geographical position and its relations with both Washington and Tehran provided Islamabad with a unique position to play an effective mediatory role.SVC reported that American and Iranian representatives held more than 20 hours of talks in Islamabad. Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts subsequently contributed to the announcement of a ceasefire by Washington and Tehran and opened the way for direct negotiations.

The analysis described Pakistan’s role as a significant diplomatic achievement, comparing it with Islamabad’s role in facilitating then-US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger’s secret visit to China in 1971.The report noted that several major powers, including China, France, Germany, India and the United Kingdom, were also unable to play a similar diplomatic role in bringing the two sides together.SVC observed that the complexities of the US-Iran conflict primarily stem from deep-rooted differences between the two countries rather than Pakistan’s mediation efforts. Although Washington and Tehran continued to accuse each other of violating the ceasefire, the negotiating process was not completely abandoned.The report further suggested that if tensions between the United States and Iran rise again, both sides could once again turn to Islamabad as a potential venue and facilitator for negotiations.South Asian Voices described Pakistan as a middle power capable of playing an effective mediatory role in international conflicts, citing the country’s geographical importance, diplomatic access and ability to maintain communication and trust with the parties involved.