Over the past few days, as US President Donald Trump looks for a way to exit the war in West Asia, Pakistan has emerged as a key interlocutor between the US and Iran.On Sunday, Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, spoke to President Trump amid the conflict, the Financial Times reported. Munir, widely regarded as the most powerful figure within the country, is known for his ties with Tehran as well as Trump. On Monday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. And on Wednesday, The New York Times reported that Pakistan was said to have delivered a 15-point US peace plan to Iran — which Tehran has rejected. The country has also pitched Islamabad as the venue for potential face-to-face talks between senior Iranian and US figures as early as this week.Pakistan, along with Turkey and Egypt, has been engaged in back-channel diplomacy between the US and Iran for some time now, according to a Dawn report. But its diplomatic outreach has intensified in recent days as the conflict engulfed the energy infrastructure in the Gulf region.Pakistan trying its hand at mediation is not something new. These circumstances, however, are.Read | Iran rejects US’ 15-point plan to end West Asia war, lays out own conditions. What are Tehran’s 5 demands?Pakistan as a peace brokerPakistan has a history of attempting to broker peace, be it among regional countries or in tensions involving the US.It was the conduit for US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger’s quiet China diplomacy in the early 1970s. Pakistan’s then president, Gen Yahya Khan, is known to have played a significant role in the rapprochement between US President Richard Nixon and Chinese Chairman Mao Zedong. This was a key reason for the Nixon administration to side with Pakistan during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War between India and Pakistan.Story continues below this adIn the late 2000s and early 2010s, Pakistan played a key role in mediating between Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad government and Saudi Arabia when their ties were under increasing strain.In October 2019, prompted by the US, then prime minister Imran Khan visited Tehran and Riyadh to facilitate talks following attacks on Saudi Arabian oil facilities that the US blamed on Iran. Khan then told Al Jazeera: “We have done our best to avoid a military confrontation between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and our efforts have succeeded.”Pakistan was also instrumental in bringing the Taliban and Washington to the talks table in Doha, a development that would culminate in the chaotic withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan in August 2021.What’s different about the latest mediation efforts?Pakistan’s latest mediation efforts in the Gulf come in a new context which is of significance for India.Story continues below this adThe country’s weak civilian government, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and its powerful Army, led by Munir, have been ingratiating themselves with the US President since April last year.The country has struck deals with Trump’s inner circle on cryptocurrency and critical minerals. After the end of the India-Pakistan conflict in May last year, Pakistan publicly credited and thanked Trump for helping “defuse” the crisis. Trump himself has repeatedly claimed credit for ending the conflict, something India has denied.In June, the US President hosted Munir for lunch at the White House. The lunch meeting was the first time any US president had hosted the head of Pakistan’s army at the White House unaccompanied by senior Pakistani civilian officials. And in September last year, Trump met with both Munir and Sharif at the Oval Office.Munir has thanked Trump for peace initiatives, and the US President has also praised him. The Pakistan government in June 2025 also nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize — a recognition he craves. It is a different matter that Trump attacked Iran just days later.Story continues below this adClearly, Pakistan’s leaders — both civilian and military — have built a good working relationship with President Trump over the last year. In that context, Pakistan finds itself favourably positioned to mediate between the US and Iran, its neighbour.Pakistan has a significant Shia population, and has not come under attack amid the latest round of counter-attacks by Tehran against the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait.Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, included Pakistan among the countries he greeted in his message marking the Persian New Year last week, signalling warmth towards the neighbour.But there are complications.Though Pakistan does not have any US bases, it has had American equipment and personnel over the last several decades.Story continues below this adAnother complication for Pakistan would be its proximity to Saudi Arabia, with whom it signed a defence pact last year. The Saudis are a major economic lifeline for Pakistan’s broken economy.The import of the mutual defence pact was that Pakistan would come to Saudi Arabia’s aid if there were attacks on the Kingdom. Now, if Iran’s attacks continue, and Saudi decides to join the coalition with the US and Israel, Pakistan will find itself in a difficult position. Sharif spoke to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday in a bid to assuage concerns.A peace broker’s role, therefore, is filled with landmines for Pakistan at this point. Nevertheless, its profile as a possible broker and a venue for talks becomes larger in the regional context.New Delhi, which has been trying to repair its strained ties with the US over the last couple of months, is watching the developments closely. There would be some concern in South Block over Islamabad taking on the mantle of a mediator.Story continues below this adIndia appeared to side with Israel and the US since they launched attacks on Iran on February 28. In the last few weeks, however, it has sought to correct course by speaking to Iranian President Pezeshkian twice and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi five times.It did not condemn the US and Israel strikes in the initial days, and has only done so — without explicit mention — after the second call with Pezeshkian. India has also not expressed condolences for the assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, although it sent Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to sign the condolence book at the Iranian embassy in New Delhi.It is premature to conclude whether Munir has scored a diplomatic victory, as there are many variables and the outcomes are not well defined. But Pakistan has raised its profile on the world stage for the time being. Whether it will last or not, only time will tell.