The foreign ministers of Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey are set to convene in the Pakistani capital on Monday, 30 March, for emergency talks aimed at halting nearly four weeks of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian territory, a senior Pakistani official confirmed Saturday.
The gathering represents the most visible multilateral diplomatic push yet to end the conflict. Pakistan has emerged as the principal intermediary between Washington and Tehran, relaying a 15-point American proposal, endorsed by U.S. President Donald Trump, that demands the full dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear program, curbs on its missile arsenal, and effective cession of the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran has reviewed the plan and concluded it serves only American and Israeli interests, though Iranian officials stressed that diplomacy had not been exhausted.
Trump urged Iran on Thursday, 26 March, to get serious before “it is too late.” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi countered that Tehran had no intention of direct talks with Washington, insisting that the exchange of messages through mediators did not constitute negotiations.
The economic fallout has been severe. Iranian strikes on Gulf states and a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have sent crude oil prices up nearly 40 percent, spiked liquefied natural gas shipments to Asia by 67 percent, and driven the cost of nitrogen-based fertilizers, which are vital to global food production, up by nearly half.
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