- Trump praises Pakistani leadership, calling them “fantastic people”.
- US president signals possible Islamabad visit if Iran deal signed.
- US-Iran negotiators expected to meet amid breakthrough optimism.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has hailed US President Donald Trump’s “kind and gracious” remarks praising Pakistani leadership, as the two leaders exchanged warm messages on social media amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the US-Iran conflict.
The exchange comes as Trump once again praised Pakistani leadership, including Prime Minister Shehbaz and Chief of Defence Staff (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, highlighting strengthening ties between Washington and Islamabad following Pakistan’s central mediating role.
In a post on X, PM Shehbaz expressed “deep and profound appreciation” for Trump’s words on behalf of the people of Pakistan and the military leadership.
Trump, writing on Truth Social, thanked Pakistan and described its leadership as “fantastic people”.
Separately, Trump told Axios that American and Iranian negotiators are likely to meet over the weekend and expressed confidence that a deal could be finalised within “a day or two”.
He also revealed on Thursday that if an agreement to end the war is signed in Islamabad, he might travel there, adding that Iran has agreed to “almost everything”.
The previous meeting in Islamabad, held three days after last Wednesday’s ceasefire announcement, marked the first direct encounter between American and Iranian officials in more than a decade and the most senior engagement since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf led their respective delegations in the last round of talks to work out a slew of issues, including the Strait of Hormuz, a major transit point for global energy supplies that Iran has effectively blocked but the US has vowed to reopen, as well as Iran’s nuclear programme and international sanctions on Tehran.
The trilateral ‘Islamabad Talks’ lasted nearly 21 hours after beginning on the afternoon of April 11, reflecting the complexity and high stakes involved.
Despite extensive discussions, the first round ended without a formal agreement. Officials in Islamabad, however, viewed the meeting as a significant step in opening direct channels of communication between Washington and Tehran.
