KARACHI: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday said reports of a potential US-Iran dialogue involve “sensitive diplomatic discussions,” adding the American military operation in the region will continue amid Pakistan’s willingness to host peace talks.
Leavitt’s comments come after US President Donald Trump shared a social media post on Tuesday in which Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Islamabad was “ready” to host talks between the US and Iran to help end the Middle East crisis.
The statement also followed a New York Times report claiming that Trump had entrusted Pakistan’s Chief of Defense Forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir, with passing a 15‑point peace plan to Iran’s Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
Iranian officials have not confirmed whether they received or rejected the peace plan as a basis for potential talks. However, The Associated Press quoted two unnamed Pakistani officials who said Iran had received the US proposal, which included missile restrictions, sanctions relief, civilian nuclear cooperation, a rollback of Iran’s nuclear program, monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency and guaranteed access for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
“These are sensitive diplomatic discussions and the United States will not negotiate through the news media,” a White House official, citing Leavitt, told Arab News in response to emailed queries about Pakistan’s role in facilitating communication between the two sides and reports about Islamabad being a possible meeting venue.
“As President Trump and his negotiators explore this newfound possibility of diplomacy, Operation Epic Fury continues unabated to achieve the military objectives laid out by the Commander in Chief and the Pentagon,” she added.
Pakistan has stepped up diplomatic engagement amid a widening Middle East confrontation following joint US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets, which triggered retaliatory attacks and raised fears of a broader regional conflict.
Islamabad has positioned itself as a potential intermediary, with media reports suggesting it has conveyed messages between Washington and Tehran since the start of the crisis to create space for dialogue.
The US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Feb. 28 after claiming talks to curb Iran’s nuclear program had made insufficient progress, although mediator Oman said significant headway had been achieved.
Since then, Iran has targeted countries hosting US bases, struck Gulf energy infrastructure and effectively closed a vital conduit for a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas.
Trump extended his previous deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to Mar. 27, citing a five-day window for peace talks.
Meanwhile, international media reported that the Pentagon has ordered thousands of additional troops to the Middle East, on top of the 2,500 Marines already deployed and on the way.
While Washington maintains that back-channel discussions are proceeding in a “positive direction,” Tehran has officially dismissed these reports as “psychological warfare” intended to manipulate oil prices.
With additional input from AP
