Pakistan Steps Up as Secret Mediator in Iran-U.S. Nuclear and Hormuz Standoff, Anadolu Agency Reports
ANKARA, Turkey — Pakistan is quietly working to break the deadlock in ceasefire talks between Iran and the United States, according to a report published Wednesday by Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency. The report, which cites unnamed diplomatic sources, says Islamabad is attempting to broker a new “formula” that would address both the status of the strategic Strait of Hormuz and the future of Tehran’s nuclear program.
The Anadolu Agency, which operates in 13 languages from its headquarters in Ankara, described Pakistan’s role as “silent” diplomacy. The report did not specify which officials in Washington or Tehran have engaged with Pakistani intermediaries, nor did it provide a timeline for any proposed agreement. The agency, a major source of news across the Muslim world, is funded by the Turkish government.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Oman and Iran, is a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments. Approximately one-fifth of the world’s petroleum passes through the strait daily. Iran has periodically threatened to close the passage in response to international sanctions or military pressure, a move that would send energy prices soaring and disrupt supply chains for allies including Japan, the Philippines, and European Union member states.
The United States has maintained a robust naval presence in the Persian Gulf to ensure freedom of navigation. The administration of President Donald Trump has pursued a policy of maximum pressure on Iran, including economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation, while also signaling openness to a negotiated settlement that would verifiably end Iran’s uranium enrichment activities.
Iran’s nuclear program has been a source of international concern for decades. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported that Iran continues to enrich uranium to levels far beyond the limits set by the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), an agreement the United States withdrew from in 2018. Tehran has consistently denied seeking nuclear weapons, though Western intelligence agencies assess that Iran has the technical capability to produce a nuclear device within a matter of months.
Pakistan, a nuclear-armed state itself, has historically maintained close ties with both Iran and the United States. Islamabad has often positioned itself as a mediator in regional conflicts, including facilitating talks between the U.S. and the Taliban in Afghanistan. The Anadolu report suggests that Pakistan’s latest mediation effort is focused on finding “common ground” that would allow Iran to resume compliance with nuclear restrictions in exchange for relief from U.S. sanctions.
The report did not detail the specific “formula” under discussion. However, analysts note that any credible agreement would require Iran to grant IAEA inspectors full access to undeclared sites, halt enrichment to 60% purity, and commit to no further nuclear development. In return, Washington would likely need to unfreeze Iranian assets abroad and ease restrictions on oil exports.
The European Union and the United Kingdom have also been involved in parallel diplomatic efforts, though those talks have stalled repeatedly. Israel, which views a nuclear-armed Iran as an existential threat, has warned that it will take military action if diplomatic solutions fail. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly stated that Israel will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons.
China, a close economic and military partner of Iran, has opposed U.S. sanctions and called for a return to the JCPOA. Beijing has imported significant quantities of Iranian oil despite American restrictions, and Chinese state-owned firms have invested in Iranian infrastructure. The Anadolu report made no mention of China’s role in the current mediation effort.
Russia, which has deepened its military and political alliance with Iran since its invasion of Ukraine, has also voiced support for negotiations. The Kremlin has used its position at the United Nations Security Council to block resolutions that would impose new sanctions on Tehran. The Anadolu report did not indicate whether Moscow has been consulted on Pakistan’s initiative.
The timing of the report is notable. It comes as the United States approaches the 2026 midterm elections, and as Iran faces growing domestic unrest over economic hardship and political repression. The Biden administration had attempted to revive the JCPOA in 2022, but those talks collapsed over Iran’s demand for guarantees that no future U.S. president would withdraw from the agreement again.
President Trump, who has consistently criticized the JCPOA as a “disaster,” has not publicly commented on the reported Pakistani mediation. His administration has emphasized that any new deal must be permanent and verifiable, and must also address Iran’s ballistic missile program and support for proxy militias in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen.
The Anadolu Agency report did not provide a deadline for the talks, nor did it indicate whether a breakthrough is imminent. Diplomatic sources quoted by the agency described the process as “delicate” and “ongoing.”
For now, the Strait of Hormuz remains open, and Iran’s nuclear centrifuges continue to spin. Pakistan’s quiet diplomacy may offer a path forward — or it may simply be the latest in a long line of failed attempts to resolve one of the world’s most intractable security crises.
