PAKISTAN PERSPECTIVE

Islamabad, May 18, 2026. As Donald Trump warned that "the clock is ticking" for Iran and threatened "much harsher" strikes if Tehran does not revise its position, Pakistan has placed itself at the heart of regional diplomacy in a intense 72-hour sequence. Minister Naqvi made a two-day visit to Tehran, where he met separately with President Masoud Pezeshkian — a one-hour thirty-minute meeting at the presidential palace — and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. The move confirms a role that Trump himself publicly attributed to Islamabad: it was Pakistani insistence that initially led to the truce between Washington and Tehran, according to Dawn.

Iranian President Pezeshkian expressed "his gratitude for the role of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Marshal Asim Munir" in mediating the ceasefire. This recognition illustrates the unique influence Islamabad holds in this conflict, situated midway between a US ally and a neighbor with whom it shares a long border. Simultaneously, Shehbaz Sharif spoke with his Qatari counterpart by phone, while Vice-Prime Minister Ishaq Dar spoke with Egyptian Foreign Minister — signals of a diplomatic mobilization in all directions.

But Pakistan's posture complicates itself in the face of drone strikes that targeted the Gulf over the weekend of May 17-18. A drone hit a power generator outside the perimeter of the Barakah nuclear power plant in the UAE, causing no injuries or impact on radioactivity, according to the UAE Defense Ministry. Islamabad reacted with unusual severity: the Foreign Office described the targeting of nuclear installations as a "grave violation of international law" and demanded "absolute respect" for IAEA norms. The Prime Minister personally expressed his "total solidarity" with Abu Dhabi. The next day, Saudi Arabia announced the interception of three drones from the Iraqi airspace — and Islamabad condemned again "in the strongest terms".

These condemnations, implicitly addressed to Iran or its proxies, come as Tehran seeks to formalize a strengthened control over the Strait of Hormuz. Economic consequences are already visible: Brent crude hit $111.27 per barrel on Monday, its highest level in two weeks, and Capital Economics analysts warn that global stocks could reach critical levels by the end of June, paving the way for a $130-140 per barrel price.