Pakistan said Monday that it welcomed Iran’s offer to mediate between Islamabad and Taliban, as tensions between the two sides escalate over cross-border militancy, trade disruptions, and a security crisis.
“We appreciate the offer of mediation from our brotherly country, Iran,” said Tahir Hussain Andrabi, spokesperson for Pakistan’s Foreign Office. “Pakistan is always in favor of finding peaceful resolutions through dialogue and diplomacy.”
The comments come as Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, confirmed on Sunday that Tehran is actively pursuing plans to host a regional summit aimed at de-escalating tensions and promoting stability between Pakistan and the Taliban authorities in Kabul.
Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting in Tehran, Araghchi said that while the date, venue, and list of participating countries had not yet been finalized, “efforts are underway and calls have been exchanged with concerned parties in recent days.”
“We hope these efforts will lead to concrete outcomes,” he said. “God willing, a regional meeting will be held soon.”
The initiative comes as relations between Pakistan and the Taliban have sharply deteriorated. While the two sides have held at least three rounds of talks in Doha and Istanbul, negotiations have failed to produce a breakthrough, particularly on Islamabad’s central demand: that the Taliban crack down on the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, a militant group responsible for multiple deadly attacks inside Pakistan.
Tensions spiked following a series of suicide bombings and attacks in Islamabad and northwest Pakistan this month, which Pakistani officials said were orchestrated from across the border. The Taliban have denied harboring the TTP, insisting they do not allow any group to use Afghan soil for attacks against other nations.
In Istanbul, Pakistani officials reportedly asked the Taliban delegation to either relocate TTP members within Afghanistan or issue a religious decree declaring the group’s war on Pakistan illegitimate. Taliban negotiators rejected both demands, according to a member of their negotiating team.
Asif Siddiqi, a former deputy chairman of Pakistan’s Senate, expressed skepticism about the negotiations. “I don’t believe this tension will be resolved over the TTP,” he said. “The TTP has stood alongside the Taliban for the past three years and found safe haven in Afghanistan. I don’t think the Taliban will turn on them for Pakistan’s sake.”
Despite the deadlock, a fragile cease-fire between Pakistani forces and Taliban remains in place. But there are no indications of a new round of talks on the horizon.
Beyond the security standoff, the diplomatic rift has had major economic consequences. Pakistan has sealed major border crossings such as Torkham and Chaman for over five weeks, cutting off a crucial trade artery for landlocked Afghanistan and causing supply chain disruptions on both sides of the border.
As part of retaliatory measures, the Taliban last week announced the suspension of pharmaceutical imports from Pakistan and called on Afghan traders to seek alternative partners, including Iran and Central Asian countries.
Before the closure, bilateral trade between the two nations was valued at roughly $2 billion annually, with monthly flows exceeding $150 million. More than 5,000 shipping containers are reportedly stranded along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Both countries rely heavily on the corridor for economic activity. Afghanistan imports rice, medicine, cement, and textiles from Pakistan, while exporting coal, gemstones, and agricultural products. The suspension has disrupted local markets, especially in border regions, where small businesses report losses of up to 80 percent.
Amid this backdrop, Iran has emerged as a potential broker, using its ties with both Taliban and Islamabad to push for regional stability.
“Generally, mediations are resented by a country or a side which is on a weak legal or political case,” Andrabi, the Foreign Office spokesperson, said. “Pakistan’s case on terrorism emanating from Afghanistan is very strong. So, obviously, we will not shy away from mediation.”
While Iran has maintained pragmatic ties with the Taliban since their return to power in 2021, it has also voiced concerns over drug trafficking, water disputes, and regional security threats. Analysts see Tehran’s mediation effort as a bid to solidify its role as a regional stabilizer while securing its own borders.
Whether Iran can break the diplomatic impasse remains to be seen. But the timing of the offer — amid mutual recriminations, economic fallout, and failed negotiations — highlights the growing urgency to prevent further deterioration in one of the region’s most volatile relationships.
