Tehran: Pakistan has not only failed to get Iran and the US together at the peace talks table, but also earned the dubious distinction of being an unfair and unfit negotiator. According to Ebrahim Rezai, the representative of Iran’s Commission on National Security and Foreign Policy, Islamabad is acting in the interests of the United States.
“Pakistan is our good friend and neighbour, but it is not suitable as a mediator for negotiations and does not have the necessary authority to fulfil this role. They always take into account the interests of (US President Donald) Trump and do not say anything that would go against the wishes of the Americans. For example, they do not want to tell the world that the United States first accepted Pakistan’s offer and then refused it. They are not saying that the Americans have assumed obligations on the issue of Lebanon or frozen assets, but have not fulfilled them,” Rezai posted in Persian on his social media handle.
پاکستان دوست و همسایه خوب ماست اما واسطه مناسبی جهت مذاکرات نیست و اعتبار لازم را برای واسطه‌گری ندارد. آنها همیشه مصلحت ترامپ را در نظر می‌گیرند و برخلاف میل آمریکایی‌ها حرفی نمی‌زنند بطور مثال حاضر نیستند به دنیا بگویند که آمریکا ابتدا پیشنهاد پاکستان را پذیرفت اما بعد زیر حرفش…
— ابراهیم رضایی (@EbrahimRezaei14) April 26, 2026
The mediator should be impartial and observe neutrality, and not take a unilateral position, he pointed out, which was clearly not the position that Pakistan was operating from.
Meanwhile, Pakistan announced the complete lifting of restrictions in Islamabad. This means that at the moment the negotiations between Iran and the United States have been terminated.
As reported by EADaily
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi is expected in Moscow. This was reported by TASS with reference to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
According to the information, the Iranian minister is due to arrive in Moscow for important talks amid the escalation of the conflict between Iran, the United States and Israel. A meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled for Monday, April 27, in the Kremlin.
Pakistan desperate to end war
Pakistan is reeling under the economic shockwaves of the Middle East conflict, with the crisis laying bare just how fragile its finances have become. Heavily dependent on the Persian Gulf for nearly 80% of its energy needs, Islamabad has been hit hard by soaring global oil prices, pushing petrol and diesel costs at home to unprecedented levels.
The strain is now visible in extraordinary domestic measures. The government has been forced to cut down operations by introducing a four-day work week, directing half of federal employees to work remotely, and shutting schools for two weeks to conserve resources. In a stark signal of the crisis, even ministers have been asked to forgo two months’ salaries.
At the same time, Pakistan’s financial distress has deepened to the point where it must once again seek external lifelines, turning to Saudi Arabia for a $3 billion bailout.
With mounting debt repayments and ongoing obligations to the IMF, the country finds itself squeezed on all fronts, its economy buckling under the combined weight of rising energy costs and limited fiscal room to manoeuvre.
Failed talks that dented Pakistan’s image and credibility
Pakistan’s high-profile attempt to play peacemaker between Iran and the United States has now failed not once, but twice, underscoring both the depth of the geopolitical divide and Islamabad’s limited leverage.
The first round of talks in Islamabad, despite marathon negotiations lasting nearly a full day, collapsed without agreement as both sides refused to compromise on core issues like Iran’s nuclear programme and control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Hopes of a breakthrough through a second round fared even worse
Tehran flatly rejected participating under what it called “unreasonable” US demands, while Washington, unconvinced by Iran’s counteroffers, called off its own delegation’s visit at the last minute.
The diplomatic embarrassment was compounded by visible mistrust, with Iranian voices even questioning Pakistan’s neutrality as a mediator. In the end, Islamabad’s shuttle diplomacy could not bridge a gap that neither side seemed willing to narrow, leaving its mediation effort stalled and credibility dented.
