Pete Hegseth lauds Pakistan’s leadership under Shehbaz Sharif and Asim Munir for facilitating Iran peace talks amid fragile Middle East diplomacy
By Amjad Qaimkhani
WASHINGTON: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday said a “true friendship” was developing between the United States and Pakistan, praising Islamabad’s efforts to help bring a lasting end to the Middle East conflict.
Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Hegseth commended Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir for their role in Washington’s peace negotiations with Tehran, according to Bloomberg.
He described Pakistan as a “true friend” of the United States, adding that both Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Munir were playing an “outstanding” role in ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at restarting dialogue between Washington and Tehran after six weeks of conflict.
The remarks came as efforts to secure a durable peace deal remain uncertain. A White House official told media that President Donald Trump would only agree to a deal with Iran if all US conditions were met.
Iranian state media also pushed back on Trump’s characterisation of progress, describing his remarks as a “mixture of truth and lies.” Trump has repeatedly insisted that Iran must permanently abandon any nuclear weapons programme and accept other conditions, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
US President reiterated his position on Friday before attending a two-hour Situation Room meeting at the White House that ended without a decision. The wider conflict erupted after US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, prompting Iranian retaliation against US bases in the region and a temporary disruption of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, with significant impact on global energy markets.
A fragile ceasefire was later brokered by Pakistan on April 8, followed by direct talks between Iranian and US delegations in Islamabad — the first such engagement in roughly 47 years.
Despite the impasse, Pakistan has continued efforts to keep diplomatic channels open and helped facilitate an extension of the ceasefire. US officials have also repeatedly described Pakistan as a key mediator in ongoing contacts with Iran, even as a final agreement remains out of reach.
