Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry on July 16 pushed back against suggestions that Islamabad had abandoned its role as co-mediator in the US-Iran dispute, with spokesperson Tahir Andrabi saying the parties “will have to come to the negotiating table to settle all outstanding issues” and that Pakistan “firmly believes that there is no alternative to sustained engagement, dialogue and diplomacy” (Washington Post; Al Jazeera; CNN).
Andrabi said Pakistan would continue to encourage all sides to end violence and resume technical-level talks. The statement was the strongest formal reiteration of Pakistan’s mediator commitment since Iran declared the Islamabad MoU void after the US resumed its naval blockade of Iranian ports on July 14.
The Foreign Ministry’s position is that even without a live agreement, the diplomatic channel Pakistan has maintained with both Tehran and Washington remains valuable and should be preserved. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi separately confirmed that Tehran remains “in touch with mediators” including Oman, Qatar and Pakistan and that their role is to de-escalate. Neither the US nor Iran has formally withdrawn from the Islamabad process.
The diplomacy-while-fighting problem
The Washington Post reported on July 16 that hopes for US-Iran diplomacy remained “still alive” despite six consecutive days of US strikes on Iranian military targets and intensifying standoffs over the Strait of Hormuz. The central obstacle is the same one that has defined the relationship since June 18: both sides have indicated readiness to talk in principle while continuing military operations that erode the trust any agreement requires.
The US conducted its sixth consecutive night of strikes on July 15–16, hitting Iranian targets described as missile and coastal defence facilities. Iran continued supporting proxy pressure on Gulf shipping and Saudi Arabia, with Qatar and Kuwait reporting fresh attacks. Vice President JD Vance defended the US approach by saying the war “will not be won through military force alone” — an acknowledgement that a negotiated outcome is sought, even as the military campaign continues.
For Pakistan, maintaining the mediator role through this period without a live MoU is operationally harder than before: there is no framework document to convene parties around, and no 60-day negotiating timeline to appeal to. Pakistan’s continued relevance as a channel depends on both sides continuing to see value in keeping Islamabad informed and involved.
