Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said diplomatic efforts are "progressing steadily" and asked Trump to push back his promised assault by two weeks
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has asked US President Donald Trump for a two-week deadline extension after the US president threatened "a whole civilization will die tonight" if Tehran does not yield to his demands.
"To allow diplomacy to run its course, I earnestly request President Trump to extend the deadline for two weeks. Pakistan, in all sincerity, requests the Iranian brothers to open Strait of Hormuz for a corresponding period of two weeks as a goodwill gesture," Sharif said in a post on X.
The White House has confirmed that Trump has been informed of Pakistan's request and "a response will come." Trump confirmed that his administration is still in "heated negotiations" with the Iranian side, with Vice President J.D. Vance reportedly serving as the US interlocutor.
Meanwhile, Iran's Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghadam has called Islamabad's initiative a "step forward" from a critical stage.
Key developments:
- Iran is positively reviewing Pakistan's request, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday.
- Trump is also aware of the proposal from Islamabad, and a response will come soon, Axios reported, citing White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
- Israel has warned Iranians to avoid trains for their "safety" as the US has threatened to "demolish" infrastructure ahead of Trump's Tuesday deadline, dubbed "Power Plant Day" and "Bridge Day"
