Pakistan on Saturday rejected media reports that claimed its efforts to facilitate talks between the United States and Iran to resolve the ongoing conflict in West Asia have hit hurdles after an initial exchange of peace proposals.“We have seen several reports in the media, including social media, citing so-called official government sources about the ongoing conflict in the region and Pakistan’s efforts to promote peace and dialogue,” Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said, PTI reported.
“We categorically reject these false allegations reported by purported official sources as baseless and a figment of the imagination. Any allegation given to official sources in this regard is false,” he said.The Dawn newspaper reported that, according to an unnamed official, some progress had been made through an exchange of messages between Washington and Tehran, but the lack of a clear response from Iran has slowed progress at this crucial stage.Pakistan moved quickly after the conflict began, motivated in part by its obligation to defend Saudi Arabia in the event of an Iranian attack.Although it has so far been unable to broker a ceasefire, it has managed to stay out of direct involvement in the war.The United States and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran on February 28, reportedly killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with several senior commanders. In response, Iran expanded its retaliation throughout the Gulf region, with the conflict significantly disrupting energy supply chains, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz.