Mediator Pakistan urges Trump to extend Iran deadline
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for a two-week extension, saying diplomatic efforts were “progressing steadily” and needed more time.
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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's prime minister, who is playing a key mediating role in the Middle East conflict, on Wednesday (Apr 8) urged US President Donald Trump to extend his deadline for massive strikes on Iran by two weeks.
"Diplomatic efforts for peaceful settlement of the ongoing war in the Middle East are progressing steadily, strongly and powerfully with the potential to lead to substantive results in near future," Shehbaz Sharif said in a post on X.
"To allow diplomacy to run its course, I earnestly request President Trump to extend the deadline for two weeks."
The appeal came hours ahead of a deadline set by Trump to carry out the "complete demolition" of Iran's critical infrastructure, particularly bridges and power plants, if a deal was not reached by 8pm ET (8am SGT).
A key US demand of Tehran has been the reopening of the strait, which has been virtually closed since the US-Israeli offensive began on Feb 28.
In response to Sharif's social post, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told AFP: "The President has been made aware of the proposal, and a response will come."
The US leader ramped up his rhetoric further earlier on Tuesday, warning "a whole civilisation will die" if the Islamic Republic did not heed the warning.
In his post, Prime Minister Sharif urged Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz - a vital conduit for the world's oil and gas supply - "for a corresponding period of two weeks as a goodwill gesture."
He further called on "all warring parties to observe a ceasefire everywhere for two weeks to allow diplomacy to achieve conclusive termination of war, in the interest of long-term peace and stability in the region."
Pakistan has emerged as a channel for messaging between Tehran and Washington, seeking to mediate to prevent further escalation of the Middle East conflict.
Islamabad has said it is ready to host "meaningful talks" between the United States and Iran.
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