US President Donald Trump spoke with Pakistan Army Chief General Asif Munir on Sunday over the Iran conflict, the White House confirmed, even as diplomatic activity picks up behind the scenes.
The development was reported by the UK-based daily Financial Times on Monday.
A US official, meanwhile, acknowledged the call but declined to share details, calling the discussions “sensitive”.
“These are sensitive diplomatic discussions and the United States will not negotiate through the news media,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said earlier, reported IANS on Tuesday.
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Pakistan signals mediation role
People familiar with the matter said Pakistan has also positioned itself as a possible venue for talks involving US and Iranian officials, as efforts to de-escalate tensions continue.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif separately spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, expressing solidarity and stressing the need for dialogue.
Sharif said both sides agreed on the “urgent need for de-escalation, dialogue, and diplomacy”, while reaffirming Pakistan’s willingness to play a constructive role.
Signals of a pause, but no talks yet
The outreach comes as Trump indicated a temporary pause in escalation, saying he would delay a potential strike on Iran’s power infrastructure after “productive” conversations.
However, it remains unclear whether Pakistan’s backchannel efforts played any role in that decision.
Iran has denied direct negotiations with the US, though it has acknowledged receiving messages through intermediaries.
“Over the past few days, messages were received via certain friendly states conveying the US request for negotiations to end the war,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei told IRNA.
Early-stage diplomacy
For now, analysts say the diplomatic push is still in its early stages.
Officials quoted by international media have described it as preliminary outreach rather than formal negotiations, suggesting that any breakthrough, if at all, may still be some distance away.