Pakistan and Qatar have reportedly intensified diplomatic efforts to help prevent further military escalation between the United States and Iran, urging both countries to return to negotiations under the framework of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
According to Pakistani government sources, both Islamabad and Doha remain in close contact with officials in Washington and Tehran in an effort to restore dialogue and prevent renewed hostilities from developing into a broader regional conflict.
The Islamabad MoU, signed last month by the presidents of the United States and Iran, provided a 60-day framework for negotiating a permanent agreement aimed at ending months of military tensions between the two countries. However, recent exchanges of military strikes following an Iranian missile attack on a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz have placed the agreement under significant strain.
US President Donald Trump recently stated that the Islamabad MoU was “over,” raising fresh concerns about the future of the diplomatic process. Despite these developments, Pakistani officials remain confident that the agreement can still serve as a foundation for renewed negotiations.
Sources involved in the mediation process described the current tensions as part of a long-standing and highly complex dispute, noting that occasional military incidents were not entirely unexpected. However, they stressed that neither Washington nor Tehran appears to have an interest in allowing the situation to escalate into a full-scale war.
Officials acknowledged that further limited confrontations cannot be ruled out given the nature of the underlying issues. Nevertheless, they believe both countries recognize the severe political, economic, and security consequences of a wider conflict.
Pakistani sources also identified continuing Israeli military activity in southern Lebanon as one of the key factors complicating the implementation of the Islamabad MoU and contributing to broader regional instability.
Pakistan and Qatar continue to advocate diplomacy as the only sustainable path toward reducing tensions, preserving regional stability, and encouraging both the United States and Iran to resume negotiations in accordance with the existing framework of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.
