Pakistan, Qatar urge US and Iran to accept two-week ceasefire

Pakistan and Qatar on Monday jointly proposed that the United States and Iran return to their pre-July 9 positions as a first step toward resuming stalled peace talks, calling for an immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a two-week ceasefire to halt the ongoing exchange of military strikes.aa+1

The proposal, drafted jointly by Islamabad and Doha after consultations with regional partners, asks Iran to immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz while the US ends its naval blockade of Iranian ports and lifts sanctions on Iranian oil sales, according to Pakistani government sources cited by Turkey's Anadolu Agency.trtworld

Diplomacy Amid Escalation

The diplomatic push came as the US military conducted its ninth consecutive night of strikes against Iran on Sunday evening, with U.S. Central Command saying the operations would "continue degrading Iranian military capabilities used to attack commercial vessels and civilian mariners transiting the Strait of Hormuz." The Associated Press reported that the US carried out another round of airstrikes on Monday after announcing the death of another American service member, bringing the total to 17 killed since the war began on February 28.china+1

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed Tehran had received proposals from mediators. "Diplomatic efforts have remained active in recent days, and we have received ideas from several mediators," Baghaei said, adding that diplomacy and defense "serve the same national interests."iranintl+1

Iran's Outreach to Pakistan

Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni arrived in Islamabad on Monday carrying a message from President Masoud Pezeshkian, marking his second visit in under a week as Tehran sought to reengage Pakistan's mediation role. Momeni was scheduled to meet Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and other senior officials, according to Arab News.arabnews+1

Pakistan hosted direct talks between US and Iranian officials earlier this year and helped broker the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding in June alongside Qatar, which committed both sides to halt hostilities and negotiate on broader disputes including Iran's nuclear program. That process collapsed after renewed fighting, with each side accusing the other of violating the agreement.arabnews

A Fragile Path Forward

The current round of hostilities began on July 9, when the prior framework unraveled. Since then, Iranian authorities have reported at least 50 people killed and 517 wounded in the latest US strikes, while Iran's Revolutionary Guards have launched retaliatory attacks against US military installations across the Gulf region. Kuwait's armed forces said Monday they intercepted drones launched by Iran, with explosions heard across parts of the country.cnn+2

Whether the Pakistan-Qatar proposal gains traction remains uncertain. The two mediators face the challenge of bridging a widening gap between Washington and Tehran at a moment when both sides are simultaneously escalating militarily and signaling openness to diplomacy.