Sharif Urges Iran, Qatar to Revive US-Iran Peace Talks
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- PM Shehbaz Sharif held separate phone talks on July 10, 2026, with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to revive stalled US-Iran negotiations following what the PMO called a "recent escalation" in the region.
- Sharif told Pezeshkian the Islamabad MoU is an "enduring framework" for mutual understanding, urged all parties to exercise restraint, and pledged Pakistan's readiness to play an "honest and sincere role" as a facilitator of dialogue.
- President Pezeshkian thanked Sharif, Deputy PM/Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Field Marshal Asim Munir for attending the funeral of late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and reaffirmed Iran's commitment to regional peace and stability.
- Both leaders agreed to expedite follow-up actions on decisions taken during Pezeshkian's visit to Islamabad the previous month, and to remain in close contact on bilateral cooperation "across diverse fields."
- Sharif conveyed Pakistan's solidarity with Qatar over "recent attacks" and thanked the Qatari emir for his role in producing the Islamabad MoU and hosting the first round of high-level technical talks at Burgenstock.
- The US-Iran MoU was signed on June 18, followed by technical-level talks in Switzerland on June 21, with Pakistan and Qatar serving as mediators — making them the institutional backstop for the entire peace track.
Why it matters: Pakistan and Qatar are now the sole diplomatic bridge keeping the US-Iran peace process from collapsing after the June 18 Islamabad MoU, with Sharif personally intervening at a moment when the source says the "hard-earned peace gains" are under threat. Pezeshkian's public thanks to both Pakistan's civilian leadership and Field Marshal Asim Munir for attending Khamenei's funeral gives Islamabad political capital in Tehran that no other mediator currently holds.
