How Pakistan conquered Mr. Trump to become a ‘messenger of peace’

Pakistan, which is hosting the talks to end the Iran conflict, is not a potential mediation candidate. Pakistan does not officially recognize the state of Israel, a key stakeholder in the conflict. This country also secretly developed nuclear weapons, something the US and Israel are also accusing Iran of doing.

Furthermore, Islamabad had a turbulent start in its relationship with President Donald Trump, when he declared during his first term that Pakistan only brought the US “lies and deceit”.

However, over the past several months, Pakistan’s leadership has tried to “please” the Trump administration with agreements and public praise.

“We have understood him,” said Mushahid Hussain Syed, former chairman of Pakistan’s Senate Defense Committee.

He added that Pakistan soon realized Mr. Trump’s “transactional” diplomatic thinking. “We responded a lot. We gave him three things, including cryptocurrency, essential minerals and anti-terrorism,” Mr. Syed said.

Right at the beginning of Mr. Trump’s second term, Pakistan hunted down one of the people behind the bloody attack on US soldiers in Kabul in 2021. A few months later, Islamabad signed an essential minerals agreement with the US. This year, Pakistan’s Ministry of Finance signed a contract with a business related to the Trump family’s cryptocurrency company.

They also conducted other outreach efforts such as repeatedly publicly thanking Mr. Trump for helping reach a ceasefire agreement with India in May 2025, nominating Mr. Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize and participating in the Peace Council that the US founded.

Last October, Mr. Trump described Army Commander Asim Munir, Pakistan’s top power, as his “favorite general.” When the next round of negotiations between the US and Iran is likely to resume in Islamabad this week, Pakistan will have the opportunity to further tighten ties with Mr. Trump.

Since Pakistan’s role is mainly to promote communication, Mr. Syed said it is important for Islamabad that they gain the trust of both the US and Iran. Nuclear state status also helps increase Pakistan’s prestige.

Pakistan’s non-recognition of Israel does not make mediation efforts difficult, because Iran and Pakistan both believe that if an agreement is reached with the US, Mr. Trump will pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration to comply.

Pakistani media reported on the negotiation effort in an enthusiastic tone. Phrases like “vibrant diplomacy” and “brilliant achievements” appear constantly on the ARY television channel.

“Who would have thought that the Prime Minister of Pakistan would post on social network X and be re-shared by the US President himself!”, a commentator said.

Maleeha Lodhi, a veteran Pakistani diplomat, said that the country has reason to be proud of the delicate diplomatic steps necessary to balance relations with both Iran and the United States.

“It was a proud moment. There is no doubt that it helped raise the country’s image and status,” she said.

However, she also warned that people will soon forget the images on television. What they really care about is whether the government can solve core economic problems. Hosting peace talks “doesn’t help their stomachs”, she said.

Last year, Pakistan faced mounting security challenges when in conflict with both India and Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the local currency depreciated, causing a serious cost of living crisis.

The conflict in Iran only makes the situation worse. More than 90% of Pakistan’s fuel imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The strait blockade forced the government to increase gasoline prices, a decision that caused outrage in the country.

“We are very happy that Pakistan was chosen for this honor,” said Liaquat Khan, a 51-year-old waiter. But he also said “everyone was very worried” when the first round of negotiations failed, fearing fuel prices would continue to escalate.

Joshua White, a former White House adviser, said that Pakistan has grasped Trump’s diplomatic style well. But according to him, the country’s leaders still do not seem to use that warm relationship to improve people’s lives.

“Mineral deals are unlikely to come true, and cryptocurrency deals are probably just a fantasy,” he commented.