PAKISTAN PERSPECTIVE

Islamabad, June 22, 2026. In the hushed corridors of the Bürgenstock resort complex, overlooking Lake Lucerne, Pakistan played a role few predicted months earlier: that of co-architect in an unprecedented US-Iran rapprochement. Pakistani media outlets—from Dawn to Geo News to The Express Tribune—led their front pages with this diplomatic moment that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called a "historic breakthrough."

The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, signed on June 17 and bearing the name of Pakistan's capital, established the legal framework under which the Swiss negotiations proceeded. On this basis, Americans and Iranians agreed to a 60-day roadmap toward a final accord. The joint declaration from the summit was released jointly by Pakistan and Qatar, the two official mediators, underlining the diplomatic weight Islamabad has acquired in this matter.

According to Dawn, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi praised Pakistan's "tireless" efforts, publicly acknowledging Islamabad's contribution to what he described as "major progress." US Vice President JD Vance stated "We love Pakistan" before the talks began, according to Geo News—an unusually warm phrase from an American official toward Islamabad, historically treated as a difficult partner.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and military chief Marshal Syed Asim Munir separately received the American and Iranian delegations before the opening of four-party sessions, Geo News reported. This sequence, the outlet noted, illustrates the inherent duality of Pakistan's role: simultaneously a recognized military partner of the United States and an accepted interlocutor for Tehran.

Pakistani media emphasize continuity in diplomatic efforts. Islamabad hosted an initial round of direct talks in April—the first in decades—and maintained ongoing contacts through Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who made several trips to Iran. The Express Tribune recalls that the "interim agreement mediated by Pakistan" had been signed by Trump and Iranian President Pezeshkian, paving the way for the Swiss talks.

The Bürgenstock agreement calls for establishing a deconfliction cell for Lebanon, a direct communications line to secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz, and exemptions allowing Iran to export oil and petrochemicals while recovering some frozen assets, Geo News reported. Araghchi called the Lebanon cell the "first real test" of the arrangement.

Tensions persist. Trump publicly threatened to strike Iran "very hard again," and the Iranian delegation briefly left the room after these remarks, local media noted. The Strait of Hormuz remains closed according to Tehran, though Washington says commercial shipping continues.